Some Florida residents were highly concerned when a man in what’s essentially a floating hamster wheel made his way ashore Saturday morning. As it turns out, though, the man was simply trying to raise money for a good cause.
According to a Facebook post by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the man set off from the St. Augustine area with a destination of New York in mind. However, after encountering some complications, he had to make his way back to shore, where the US Coast Guard was contacted.
“This morning, the #FCSO responded to a call about a vessel washing ashore in the Hammock area,” the post read. “Thank you to the concerned citizens who reported this. We are happy to announce that the occupant of the vessel is safe with no injuries!”
The man, identified as Reza Baluchi, was attempting to walk on water in an effort to raise funds for a variety of different causes. As for the vessel, imagine a human-sized hamster wheel with larger paddle wheels affixed to either side, so that when you walk or run inside the vessel, the wheels turn and propel you through the water.
Speaking with WOFL-TV, Reza shared, “My goal is to not only raise money for homeless people, raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department. They are in public service, they do it for safety and they help other people.”