Lost sailor survives 20 days at sea with only tomato sauce and seasonings

Posted by Tsoku Maela on 25 January 2023

Elvis Francois, 47, of Dominica, was able to survive more than 20 days lost at sea by consuming tomato sauce and other seasonings.

According to The Associated Press, Francois was making repairs on his boat near St Martin in December when the currents propelled it into the sea. Due to losing his signal, he was not able to contact his loved ones.

One of the challenges Francois faced was trying to keep water out of his boat to prevent it from sinking. He also had no food aboard the vessel.

‘It’s just a bottle of tomato sauce that was on the boat. Garlic powder, and Maggi,’ Francois said in a video posted by DW News on Twitter. ‘So, I mixed it up with some water.’


After nearly a month of trying to stay alive, the Colombian Navy was able to locate Francois by air 222 km northwest of La Guajira, in the northeast part of Colombia, when they saw a “help” message written on his boat, according to The AP and CNN.

Francois was picked up by a ship and transported to Cartagena to receive medical treatment. Officials said he was healthy, though he did lose some weight. ‘Twenty-four days, no land, nobody to talk to. Don’t know what to do, don’t know where you are. It was rough,’ Francois said. ‘At a certain time, I lose hope. I think about my family.’

ALSO READ: World’s largest stingray tagged for the first time in Mozambique

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