The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a kayaker attempting to travel to Hawaii on Sunday morning, around 70 miles west of Santa Cruz, California, according to Coast Guard officials.
Cyril Derreumaux, a Guinness World Record holder, started his journey from Travis Marina in the proximity of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito early in the morning on May 31, planning to reach Honolulu in 70 days or less, according to SFGATE.
Six days later, the officials received a call for rescue from Derreumaux, who lost GPS capability and whose kayak almost flipped over due to the bad weather, officials stated in a press release.
#UPDATE Hoist footage of the #USCG crews rescuing kayaker 70 miles west of Santa Cruz, Sunday morning. Read more at: https://t.co/xi1z3sZPIN pic.twitter.com/j5296l1WsP
— USCGPacificSouthwest (@USCGPacificSW) June 7, 2021
While the situation had been manageable prior to Saturday night, that night around 9 p.m., he not only lost his GPS signal, but his vessel was “violently tossed from side to side, along with all the equipment that was stored in the cabin,” the kayaker wrote on his Facebook page.
After the water started entering his cabin and as he was unable to eat, drink, sleep or communicate to his team on land, he decided to request an evacuation, he explained.
The Coast Guard sent their MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew at 10:25 p.m. and arrived at Derreumaux’s location at 12:39 p.m., pulling him into the helicopter and returning to their station in San Francisco, according to the press release.
“Recognizing that the situation was beyond his capabilities and calling for assistance allowed our crews to reach him in time for a successful rescue,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll.
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“This shows that even experienced mariners with proper safety equipment can get into trouble on the ocean, which is why having the right equipment and knowing when and how to use it is so important,” he added. (RELATED: Fisherman Has Scary Encounter With A Big Shark In Terrifying Viral Video)
The kayaker was in a good condition and suffered no injuries, according to officials.
“Morale is good, I still have my passion for this adventure intact, and I am still determined to make it happen … I won’t give up!” Derreumaux concluded on his Facebook page.