Florida Man Trying to Run to New York on Sea in a Hamster Wheel Washed Ashore

A 49-year-old Florida man had planned to run from his hometown St. Augustine in Florida to New York City in a human-sized hamster wheel, which he designed himself. Apart from the hamster wheel, there was one more problem with his plan. He set in on the sea only to be washed further away from his intended target, a local Sheriff's office reported on Facebook. 

Reza Baluchi, the man of the moment, is a seasoned endurance runner. He has been covered by the media for his running exploits before. But off late, the media has found him running, not on land but on the sea. Reza is perhaps an engineer at heart and has been looking for ways to utilize his running abilities at sea. 

In 2014, he decided that an externally strengthened zorbing ball was sufficient to take a voyage to Bermuda. He packed protein bars and bottled water inside the ball for a journey that exceeded 1000 miles (1600 km) and he wanted to achieve by walking inside. After two days, a locator beacon went off inside the ball and Baluchi was forced to abort his mission by the Coast Guard, CBS reported.

Over the years, Baluchi seems to have worked on the design of his device. His latest iteration isn't a store-bought plastic ball but a man-sized giant wheel designed to hold large balloons that keep the wheel afloat. He planned to power his journey with his best-known skill, running, inside the wheel. 

We do not know if Baluchi used some high-quality balloons or had a backup plan for their replacement if they burst during the journey. But the man did not get any closer to his target, since he drifted away from New York and his hometown during the two days of his journey.

Speaking to a local news station, Baluchi still seemed determined to achieve his feat of "walking on the sea" and vowed to continue, no matter how many times he was stopped by authorities.   

According to the local Sheriff's office, Baluchi faced technical difficulties, due to which he washed ashore. Other Facebook users were empathetic to Baluchi's troubles, with one even suggesting to add two paddles that could be engaged and correct the course when required.