SailorLostAgain 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
DANA POINT, Calif., Jan 31, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- A man who was rescued from his crippled sailboat off Central America last year was plucked to safety from his new sailboat this week.
A Coast Guard cutter found Richard Van Pham on Wednesday 20 miles west of Orange County in Southern California. The 62-year-old sailor had no communications or navigation equipment, Coast Guard spokesman Lance Jones said Thursday.
"He was lost and disoriented," Jones said. "He told us he left Long Beach three days ago and was in the process of trying to make his way back."
When the Navy rescued Pham last September nearly 300 miles southwest of Costa Rica, he told them the mast and motor on his boat had been destroyed by a storm and he'd spent three months adrift, surviving by collecting rainwater in a bucket and roasting seabirds on a small grill.
Several people who heard his story offered financial help, including bioengineer Erwin Freund, who gave Pham the 26-foot replacement boat.
Freund said Thursday the boat came equipped with a radio, flares, compass and Global Positioning System.
"I'm sad to hear he's confused and disoriented. If he used the navigational equipment I gave him, he wouldn't have been lost," Freund said.
The Coast Guard escorted Pham to Dana Point, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles Harbor.
Jones said Pham could face a fine of some $1,500 for not carrying a distress signal.
Pham has no known address and could not be reached for comment.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press,
This isn't as good as the sailor that got picked up 11 times by the British Coast Guard but in light of the fact that he spent 3 monthes stranded the 1st time and he had GPS equipment this time, I figured it might do for a mention.
Chris Evans
Submitted on 01/31/2003
Submitted by:
Chris Evans
Reference:
AP Online / Comtex - 1/31/03
Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com
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