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Subscribe to RSSA second solo Pacific rower caught in a tropical storm has been rescued, according to the adventurer's website.
British ocean-rower Charlie Martell, 41, was picked up by the Russian crew of the MV Last Tycoon at around 9:18 a.m. local time Saturday (4:18 p.m. ET Friday), a message posted on Martell's website said.
Martell was in good condition and was not injured, having waited on his rowing boat, 'Blossom,' for 36 hours after issuing a mayday signal. The Japanese coast guard alerted the Last Tycoon, which altered course to rescue Martell.
In earlier reports posted on Martell's website, his support team said he was sustaining "35-foot waves and the occasional 50-footer. Yes, really."
Another British adventurer, Sarah Outen, 27, was rescued on Friday by the Japanese Coast Guard, having survived the same storm -- which she described as "merciless."
Solo Brit rower rescued after 'merciless' Pacific storm; another waits for help
Outen had been on one leg of a round-the-world journey by bicycle, rowing boat and kayak that started on April 1 last year, and was attempting to be the first woman to row from Japan to Canada.
Martell, meanwhile, was attempting to set records for the fastest crossing of the North Pacific Ocean and the first unsupported row across the Pacific.
He had been at sea since May 4 and was around 700 miles off the northeast coast of Japan when he issued the mayday signal.
In the message on Martell's website, his support team thanked the Japanese coast guard for its effort in coordinating the rescue and to Martell's supporters for their "encouraging messages."
The Last Tycoon was attempting to recover his damaged boat, his support team said.
Martell is expected to arrive in Vancouver, Canada, in about 10 days.
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Glad they made it, takes a special person to take on an adventure like this. Looking up at a 50 footer is not on my bucket list.
Somebody rich enough to pay the rescuer's losses? I don't get the concept of some bizarre achievement attempt that is predicated on the assumption that others will go out of their way to help - rescuers are legally bound to do that.
cheetah-822547
You would still be living in a cave if you didn't think anyone would rescue you and bring you back to safety if you ventured out and got into trouble.
Cheetah-822547: So.... ? You cannot understand anyone a little Brit different than you, or what? People have gone out of their way to help others with all kinds of accomplishments (which I think is what Starbuck was getting at). .....*sigh. I guess the saying is true that "cheetahs never prosper"....
I'm all for adventure and of course if a rescue is necessary we must do it. However, if the adventurer is rich enough to spend millions then they also should also be required to put rescue money in escrow for the expense, let alone that other people put their lives on the line to save them.
something sad about a miserly homebody with no spirit of adventure who calls himself cheetah.
As a master of American cargo vessels I am both legally and morally obligated to rescue those in distress at sea. I am pleased to have done so on several occasions and fortunately never lost one of my crew in the process.
If the rescue goes as planned the cost of diverting a modern cargo vessel (fuel and lost time) can be in excess of $100,000 per day. I can't guess the cost of planes and vessels used by the various government coast guards and navies but it no doubt runs into millions. If it doesn't go as planned then my crew gets killed or injured.
I would prefer that these moronic Guinness record chasers just go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and not risk anyone else's lives to get their 10 minutes of fame. The clean up costs would be less also.
Cheetah
Looks like everyone is beating you up ....
... however I agree with you.
What would have been a tragedy if the rescuers were killed in their attempt to save Martell. It's happened several times in the past where where rescuers have been died in an attempt to save the risky overachiever.
I agree......These people are idiots. You have one life, thats it.....why would you do something so dangerous as crossing the pacific solo? But then they cry help when in trouble....People who participate in extreme sports are not all there......It's all about ego, thats it........Too much time and money on their hands! I don't get it and never will.
Pushing one's limits in the spirit of living is a noble pursuit, however having spent 10 years of my youth as a Coast Guardsman I sometimes wondered why is an adventurers life worth more than mine? I spent 3 days in the YUCATAN PENINSULA during Hurricane Gilbert on a 213 Foot Cutter looking for a group in a sail boat who refused to Dock in Mexico before the storm yet didn't mind calling out Mayday on HF. Needless to say it got so bad that we couldn't get in, we just turned into the waves and rode it out. For those who have never experienced multiple days of getting rocked on a boat, lets just say you should be thankful, its miserable. BTW That Sailboat made it to Cuba and didn't bother to tell anyone.
As long as the rower pays all costs ( but hopefully not with his or worse yet, others' lives)involved with the adventure, I say, have at it. It is sad though, that just because someone has another opinion, people here are really coming down on them.. crazy.
To Kevinoffsite: Cool Rush Fly by Night avatar. 8)
Sad to hear how irresponsible those on the sailboat were and the amount of risk they put your crew in.
Stonepipe, I guess it depends on your meaning of special. To me he is 'special" like in Special ED. Row across a OCEAN! That has to be the stupidest idea I have every heard of. I guess going over Niagra Falls in a barrel has been done too many times. Idiots like these should have to post a cash bond to cover their rescue costs. This isn't like Lindburgh. We are not suddenly going to start crossing oceans in row boats like we did in airplanes!
Everybody has an opinion, everybody has an @!$%#.
These people are just too stupid doing stuff that puts you in harms way. No jerks, that is not a sport or a challenge.
This is stupid. And if you don't make it, you are removed from the gene pool to not have stupid offspring.
Next.
No one else laughed a little when they saw this guy's name is Charles Martell?
You know, founded the Carolingian dynasty; halted Muslim expansion in Europe, etc...?
*sigh*
It's not easy being smarter than everyone.
nobody made these idiots do these stupid stunts, i say tough s*it
8
I have no problem at all with those that wish to be adventurists. I just want them to pick up the tab for their rescue when things go wrong.
There is a huge difference between the taxpayers picking up the tab of rescuing a school bus full of kids that fell through a collapsed bridge and some adventurists type who purposely put themselves in harms way by taking extreme risks, then expecting the taxpayers to pay for it. You take the risks, you pay for the rescue.
I applaud the efforts and admire the adventurers! But I especially admire those folks whose professions require they stay prepared so they can save those adventurers that get into trouble.
Someone was the first person to eat an oyster.The human race is defined by adventure and progress. To sit in the safety of one's home and watch life go by is the essence of a conservative.
How is rowing a boat progress, praytell? I think the guy is looking for glory. Couldn't find it. Got scared and screamed for help (in the modern way, with very good comms).
Stay out of the political realm or we can bring up the stoners, who sit and watch and wish to legalize everything and are generally not conservatives
Rweber, your politically biased comment has no place here.
signed - an avid sail boat owner and scuba diver, who also happens be be conservative!
Well... I'm glad they made it, but as "Karmastorm" said, the costs of these rescues are amazing. I think we may have had enough of these first, youngest and oldest feats of "bravery". Sure, it takes some balls to try to row around the world; but with modern GPS and radio gear, and practically unsinkable boats, the odds of actually dying are close to nil. Unless you can FLY solo across the ocean, WITHOUT a plane, I am not impressed. If you want the thrill of 50 foot waves, ride a roller coaster. And of course, while the Navy, Coast Guard and Airforce are all out looking for these folks, who's minding the store.
Who didn't this bimbo and bozo do something only possibly requiring a trip to an emergency room like trying to eat 37 gazillion hot dogs in less than 30 seconds?
LOL Or try to navigate thru Los Angeles freeways.....
Interesting comments buts I think we can assume nobody plans to voluntarily sail, row or fly into a storm. I guess it would be fair to ask for compensation for a rescue. I still salute anyone with the balls to try to test themselves at anything-we would not have gone to the moon let alone fly.
Rowing across the pacific solo and you do not think about tropical storms????? Then they are morons and should not be allowed out of their padded cells.
We went to the moon by presidential decree. And adventurers of old, succeeded or died trying. If you want adventure, fight a grizzly bear with only a knife. The winner gets to eat the loser.
Wow.
They should pay the cost of saving there butts,especially know the risks of trying this
I hope ample compensation is made to the owners of the commercial vessels that are going out of their way to rescue these rich fools. Better use of the big bucks for boats and support teams would be to feed the hungry along the Pacific Rim.
If you look up the word idiot in the dictionary this guy's picture is is right there.
It is not adventurous of fearless to try and row across the atlantic or pacific oceans, it is moronic....period.
If these morons want to try these a-holes achievements, they should pay for their own rescues.
Tough @!$%#. You are dumb asses for even trying such a stupid stunt.
I don't feel sorry for you idiots.
Make the stupid idiots pay for all of the rescue expenses.
I'm standing by Cheetah on this one. Having an adventurous nature is commendable; but when you go up against an unbeatable foe as in Mother Nature, and place the lives of others in jeopardy you're a fool. A selfish thoughtless fool. Those rescuers have families who depend on them but they will put their lives in danger so you can break a record that no one will give a damn about a year from now. Can people get any dumber? And before you haters go judging - I'm old woman who has had more hair raising adventures than I can recount here, but I assure you, I never placed anyone in danger but myself.
Great point Just G! Adventures are awesome, but never forget how your actions may affect adversely affect others... like your rescuers! We've all read stories of rescuers dying, trying to save some fool who thinks he can become famous doing something foolhardy...
You want to play and sometimes you got to pay.
Who are these solo Pacific rowers more Obama ship jumpers looking to flee?
wtf,are all of you insane,,,why of course you are,,,,,,
This guy and others like him are nothing but arrogant fools, and we can do without them. He obviously has too much money and not enough sense. Anyone who does such things A) should not have medical insurance unless they pay the tab exclusively, and B) should NOT expect anyone to follow them or help them when their stupidity gets them in trouble. Is there a real purpose for soloing across the Pacific? No. Do something worthwhile, at least. Oh, and don't worry about Everest, people have done that, too. I have it: go swimming off the Great Barrier Reef and kick a great white. That's new and daring. Or, you could do something that helps people or accomplishes something other than boosting your ego.
I’m glad to see that there are still some people that have the balls to try things like this. A hundred years ago something like this would have been hailed as a heroic effort but now the world has turned into a bunch of sue happy armchair pussies!
People who engage in such asinine activities should be charged for their own search & rescue costs.
Eventually human beings will develop gills allowing them to breathe underwater and this won't be a problem.
Why not just hitch a ride on all the tsunami garbage. It seems to be making the voyage just fine.
Regardless of the Idiocy of the adventurous, um, dare I say, "fools"? I find the cooperation of other countries to save them very heartwarming. Japan and Russia, working together to save British. Who'd a thunk it? Awesome!
Oh, and I am very glad the adventurous, um, "sailors" are safe; however, I hope they never produce children. That gene pool needs cleaning. Yes, adventurers have sailed to America, been to the moon, climbed huge mountains. But they were usually better prepared.
Clearly an over abundance of couch potatoes & vindictive driven conservatives camp at MSNBC
for the sole purpose of venting their argumentative & over aggressive personalities
w/o regard to sanity or exposing themselves for what they are .
In the America I was born in those with mental incapacitations rarely were allowed the opportunity to blather in public out of respect for the rest of the population......
then Ronnie Reagan shut all the mental facilities & turned them loose on the public to deal with...
thus MSNBC has an abundance of "regulars" whose thoughts occasionally entertain the masses ....
It's OK. These people have enough money to pay for their rescue, so they should expect a huge bill for it.
50 foot waves sounds like a riot. I have always thought it would be cool to be dropped off in a capsize- proof/crush-proof unsinkable 1 or 2 man thingamabob with dramamine, food, water, some kind of toilet facility with way to eject the waste, music if wanted with awesome viewing windows through a typhoon like that.
Then get picked up when conditions are safe. Sounds crazy, but it would be an amazing experience.