MAN RESCUED FROM 24 DAYS AT SEA, SURVIVED ON KETCHUP

The Colombian navy rescued a man from Dominica who says he survived 24 days adrift in the Caribbean Sea on a sailboat by eating ketchup, garlic powder and seasoning cubes. The ordeal of Elvis Francois, 47, began in December when currents swept the sailboat out to sea while he was making repairs off the island of St. Martin in the Antilles, where he lives. He tried calling his friends for help, but lost the signal. All he could do was sit and wait. He subsisted on a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder and bouillon cubes. Francois said he had to constantly remove water from the boat to prevent it from sinking. He also tried to light a fire to send a distress signal without success. Finally, after 24 days, a plane passed by and he signaled with a mirror. He was rescued about 120 nautical miles northwest of La Guajira peninsula, on the northern tip of South America. The navy said Francois was in good health when he was rescued.
* Oy, but his breath!
* “Not so easy, is it,” said Tom Hanks.
* Ketchup, garlic powder and bouillon cubes: also known as a college student’s buffet.
* As if that wasn’t bad enough, on the 10th day his Word Jumble puzzle book fell overboard.
* No fishing pole on that sailboat? No tackle, or bait? OR SAIL???
* And when he noticed he was, like, 200 yards from shore, he didn’t just jump in the water and swim back? So lazy!
* Swept out to sea while “making repairs.” How many days before he dumped the cocaine bales and started signalling for help, do you suppose?