Heinz Ketchup Company Searches for Sailors Who Survived Shipwreck Using Ketchup

Survived 24 Days at Sea Eating Ketchup
Heinz Investigating to Gift a Boat

Heinz, the world-renowned American food company famous for its tomato ketchup, is searching for a sailor who was rescued last month after being stranded at sea. They want to gift him a boat for surviving three weeks at sea by eating ketchup.

CNN reported on the 25th (local time) that Heinz is trying to locate Elvis Francois (47) from the Commonwealth of Dominica, who was rescued last month in Cartagena, Colombia.

Francois was swept away by waves caused by severe weather while repairing a boat at a port on Sint Maarten Island last December. Sint Maarten Island is one of the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.

Lacking navigational knowledge, Francois could not find a way to return to shore on his own. Moreover, his mobile phone signal was not available, so he had no choice but to drift at sea.

Elvis Fran?ois, who drifted at sea for 24 days and was rescued on the 16th, is undergoing a medical examination. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

At that time, the only food Francois had was Heinz tomato ketchup, garlic powder, and seasonings, and he had no drinking water. However, he collected rainwater using cloth to drink and mixed his food with seawater to survive. He also wrote ‘HELP’ in English on the hull to request rescue.

Eventually, on the 15th of last month, a passing airplane detected Francois’s signal reflected by a mirror and reported it to the authorities. Soon, the nearby Colombian Navy dispatched a rescue team, and he was saved after drifting for 24 days. At the time of rescue, Francois had lost some weight but was otherwise in good health.

After being rescued, Francois said, “I didn’t know what to do, and there was no one to talk to. At some point, I lost hope and only thought of my family.”

Upon hearing the news, Heinz decided to gift Francois, who survived by eating their ketchup, a state-of-the-art fishing boat and posted a message on social media on the 14th seeking him.

Heinz also contacted the government of Dominica and the Colombian Navy, but it is reported that Francois’s whereabouts have not yet been confirmed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.