Man in bubble rescued after attempting to walk 1,000 miles on water

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A man who was rescued from a floating bubble off the coast of St. Augustine over the weekend was warned by the Coast Guard just days before not to head out on his journey.

"If you run into trouble, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to get to you in time or even find you," said Lt. Tom Huntley of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Reza Baluchi set out to walk on water for more than 1,000 miles, from Miami to Bermuda, last Wednesday.

He tried to survive on protein bars and bottled water, but then on Saturday, he called for help.

Officials said the rescue cost tens of thousands of dollars.

"For this case, because it was so complex, we elected to launch not only A-16 helicopter and a C-130 patrol aircraft," said Huntley.

The bubble he was in is called a hydro-pod.

Baluchi claims he successfully traveled 30 miles earlier this year from Newport Beach, California to Catalina Island.

WFTV