According to the fisherman who rescued him, the British man who survived by eating seaweed and drinking rainwater after capsizing in the English Channel was attempting to kayak to Spain.
On Thursday, Dutch fishermen spotted Daniel Lewis, from Blackpool, clinging to a buoy after his inflatable kayak capsized in the middle of the Channel.
During his ordeal at sea, the 28-year-old is believed to have told rescuers that he survived by eating raw mussels, crabs, and seaweed.
The kayaker told the Dutch fisherman Tunis Van Luut that he was attempting to paddle to Spain and that he had been at sea since October 15 and on the buoy for four days.
The French coastguard refuted the notion that he could have survived at sea for up to 12 days, stating that it was impossible.
Mr. Van Lutt, 41, reported to The Mirror that Mr. Lewis was unable to stand when he was brought aboard the French fishing vessel De Madelaine.
The captain stated, ‘He needed water and was drinking a lot, so I asked him who he was and how he was able to be on this buoy in nothing but his swimming trunks. There was nothing else on him.
We inquired as to his departure time, and he said that he had left Dover on the 15th of October on a kayak. We inquired as to when the accident occurred, but his condition was so grave that I could see that his eyes were set very deeply in his head and that he had numerous blue veins on his head and arms.
“He told me he wanted to go to Spain, but I told him that was foolish due to the distance – it’s too far away.” According to his account, he departed Dover on October 15 with the intention of traveling to Spain.’
Mr. Van Lutt reported that the kayaker’s temperature was only 79F (26C), and the crew immediately contacted the coastguard, who arrived within eight minutes.
Richard Lewis, the father of Mr. Lewis, told MailOnline on Friday that he was “both relieved and concerned” when he saw pictures of his son, who was distraught after a recent breakup, being rescued from the water.
He stated, “As soon as I saw the images of the boy being rescued from the water, I knew it was my son Daniel.”
“I am overjoyed that he is safe and healthy and being cared for in the hospital. But I was quite concerned about his near-disappearance at sea. I was unaware that he was planning something similar. Daniel has had numerous issues and has been on the move frequently. His residences have been in Liverpool, Wrexham, and Birmingham.
I attempt to maintain tabs on him and speak with him on the phone whenever possible. But recently he simply vanished. I later learned that he and his girlfriend had broken up.
I was unaware that he had traveled south or planned to paddle across the Channel.
‘Daniel has never been into kayaking. He does not own even a watercraft.
Coastguards in France, where he was brought for emergency treatment, said that he did not appear to have sufficient instruction in how to use a kayak, nor did he appear to have any help or backup for such a perilous voyage.
Orlane Saliou, a spokesperson for the Maritime Gendarmerie, the French version of the Coast Guard, stated that he did not appear to be an experienced individual.
She went on to say that his physical fitness and quick rescue “saved his life.” She refuted media rumors that he may have been lost at sea for as long as 12 days, as it would have been impossible for him to survive for that long.
Madame Saliou told MailOnline, ‘His motivations for this crossing are unclear, but it appears that a sporting initiative should be abandoned.
The Maritime Gendarmerie is presently conducting an investigation into this matter.
The individual suffered from hypothermia, general weariness, and dehydration, but his general condition of health is fairly good due to his strong physical resistance.
The victim was cared for as soon as the French healthcare services arrived on the land.
The responsiveness of the CROSS Griz-nez and the swift engagement of the French Navy helicopter Dauphin likely saved his life.
She claimed that the British national had attempted to cross the ‘world’s busiest waterway,’ which sees 400 commercial ships every day and experiences 120 days of ‘force seven gales’ per year.