20 January 2023 , 12:05
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A man who was lost at sea for 24 days said he survived by eating ketchup on a sailboat before emergency services finally rescued him.
Elvis Francois, 47, scrawled the word "help" in English on the boat's hull, in the hope that a passing plane might see him.
He was eventually found 120 nautical miles northwest of La Guajira peninsula in Colombia and then escorted to the port city of Cartagena with the help of a passing container ship.
The sailor, from the island of Dominica in the Caribbean, told Colombian authorities that his ordeal began in December when his boat was pushed out to sea by strong currents.
Elvis Francois was rescued by Colombian authorities (ArmadaColombia/Twitter)At the time, he was making repairs to his boat off the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea where he lives, he told authorities.
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Mr Francois said he tried to contact his friends but he then lost phone signal, so he had no choice but to "sit and wait".
The only food available on the boat was a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder and bouillon cubes, the man said.
He mixed the ingredients with rainwater to keep himself hydrated.
The man survived eating ketchup and drinking rainwater (Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Francois said in a video released by the Colombian Navy: "I had no food.
"There was only a bottle of ketchup that was on the boat, garlic powder, and [bouillon cubes]. So I mixed it up with some water for me to survive 24 days in the sea."
The sailor said at some point his ship began taking on water, so he had to do all he could to stop it from sinking.
The Colombian Navy said Mr Francois was 'lost and disoriented at sea' (ArmadaColombia/Twitter)Eventually, around January 15, he saw a plane and used a mirror to make some signals.
He explained that he angled the mirror to catch the sun's rays and reflect them back to the plane.
Looking back at his "rough" experience, Mr Francois said: "Twenty-four days, no land. Nobody to talk to. Don’t know what to do. Don’t know where you are.
Emergency services rescued the sailor in Colombian waters (ArmadaColombia/Twitter)"It was rough. At some point I lost hope and thought about my family, but I thank the coastguard. If it weren't for them I wouldn't be telling the story."
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The Colombian Navy said: "Without having any knowledge of navigation he was lost and disoriented at sea. His efforts to maneuver the vessel and the equipment on board were to no avail."
After receiving a medical check, Mr Francois was handed over to the immigration authorities to coordinate his return to his country.