Florida man arrested while attempting to run across Atlantic Ocean in giant hamster wheel

A Florida man, who is an ultra-marathon runner, was arrested while allegedly attempting to run across the Atlantic Ocean to London in a makeshift human-sized hamster wheel.

The U.S. Coast Guard first spotted Reza Ray Baluchi's homemade "Hydro Pod vessel" 70 miles off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia, on Aug. 26 in the midst of preparations for Hurricane Franklin, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida. The vessel was afloat by wiring and buoys and can best be described as a hamster wheel. He made a similar attempt in 2021, according to USA TODAY Network partner Daytona News-Journal.

This is not Baluchi's first attempting at crossing the Atlantic. He was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard in a floating "hydro pod" bubble in 2014.

All told, it took the U.S. Coast Guard about five days to bring Baluchi ashore during his latest attempt, according to the complaint. He was apprehended approximately 70 nautical miles east of Tybee Island.

Baluchi initially said his vessel was registered, but later said he couldn't find his documentation. When officers approached the vessel to end a "manifestly unsafe" voyage, Baluchi said he was armed with a 12-inch knife and threatened to die by suicide, according to the criminal complaint.

Another attempt the next day by officers to force Baluchi to disembark also failed after he allegedly threatened to blow himself up. Officers observed him holding wires, prompting them to contact the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit to help determine the blast radius of Baluchi's alleged bomb, according to the complaint. The complaint states that Baluchi admitted the next day that the bomb threat was not real.

Baluchi and his attorney Micki Bloom, an assistant federal public defender, did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Wednesday.

Baluchi was finally brought ashore on Sept. 1. He now faces federal charges of obstruction of a boarding and violation of a Captain of the Port Order.

Baluchi told FOX 35 that the voyage was intended to raise money for charitable causes that include helping the homeless, the Coast Guard and the fire department.

"I’ll never give up my dream. They stop me four or five times, but I never give up," he told the outlet. According to the criminal complaint, Baluchi also attempted the same voyage in 2014, 2016, and 2021.

MORE:An American, a Brit and a Swede will soon attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a hydrogen gas balloon

Running Cross-country

Baluchi claims a history of successful extreme runs, including a 2007 run around the perimeter of the U.S. to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Denver.

One year after the 9/11 attacks, Baluchi was arrested for attempting to enter the country illegally, according to CNN. He told CNN a judge agreed to release him on humanitarian grounds after he pledged to undertake a run from Los Angeles to New York City to commemorate the second anniversary of the attacks.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman covers breaking and national news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @CybeleMO.