USA: UKRAINIAN THEODORE REZVOY TRYING TO ROW ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, IS PICKED UP BY U.S. NAVY FRIGATE THE USS DOYLE ON ANTI TERRORIST PATROL AND DUMPED BACK ON SHORE.

Record ID: 647275

  • Title: USA: UKRAINIAN THEODORE REZVOY TRYING TO ROW ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, IS PICKED UP BY U.S. NAVY FRIGATE THE USS DOYLE ON ANTI TERRORIST PATROL AND DUMPED BACK ON SHORE.
  • Date: 2nd July 2003
  • Summary: (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS THEODORE REZVOY SETTING OUT ON OCEAN ROWING ATTEMPT (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2003) (REUTERS) 2. REZVOY WALKING ALONG STREET 3. UKRAINIAN CONSULATE SIGN 4. REZVOY WALKING INTO CONSULATE 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SAYING: "The U.S. Navy tried to pick up my boat, but they could not do this, so the boat was damaged and they left it in the ocean, so I have lost my boat." (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2003) (REUTERS) 6. ROW BOAT IN HARBOUR 7. GLOBAL SATELLITE POSITING SYSTEM 8. COMPASS 9. SLEEPING CABIN ON ROW BOAT (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2003) (REUTERS) 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAYING: "They asked me often have I some explosive material or some weapons, and even they take from the boat my knife and flares and everything dangerous they take it all off." (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2003) (REUTERS) 11. REZVOY ROWING AND WAVING (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2003) (REUTERS) 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SAYING: "They did not say I was a terrorist, but they asked me often have I some explosive material or some weapons, and even they take from the boat my knife and flares and everything dangerous they take it all off." (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2003) (REUTERS) 13. REZVOY ROWING NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2003) (REUTERS) 14. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SAYING: "No, I am not angry with the Navy, they tried to help me and they have a special job to do trying to protect the United States so they were right, but it is a pity for me because now I am without my boat. Maybe it was a mistake that they took the beacon from my boat and I now I don't know how to find it." (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2003) (REUTERS) 15. REZVOY ROWING PAST STATUE OF LIBERTY Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5CVHK1WU6GSWU9S7TPUU76SN2
  • Story Text: A Ukrainian man's dream of rowing solo across the
    Atlantic has sunk after he became an unlikely victim of the
    U.S. war on terrorism.



    Record seeker, Theodore Rezvoy, was picked by a U.S.

    Navy frigate and dumped back on American shores - although his
    boat though remains lost at sea.

    Theodore Rezvoy had hoped to become the first person to
    row solo the 3,350-nautical miles from New York to Brest,
    France - but he had to abandon his quest last Thursday (July
    10) only 200 miles into the adventure after being stopped and
    searched by the U.S. Navy.

    "The U.S Navy tried to pick up my boat, but they could not
    do this, so the boat was damaged and they left it in the
    ocean, so I have lost my boat" said Rezvoy outside the
    Manhattan offices of the Ukrainian Consulate.

    With much fanfare the 35-year-old set off from Lower
    Manhattan on July 2. The perilous journey to France was
    expected to take 80 days, but on day eight it all came to an
    end.

    Rezvoy drew the attention of the Navy after he radioed a
    call for medicine for pain related to a liver ailment on day
    eight of his adventure.

    Sailors aboard the USS Doyle became suspicious and
    thoroughly investigated the intrepid rower in his
    sophisticated row boat.

    "They asked me often have I some explosive material or
    some weapons, and even they take from the boat my knife and
    flares and everything dangerous - they take it all off."
    Rezvoy said in the end the Navy did not think he was a
    terrorist, but he could not continue because his rowboat was
    damaged when the Navy tried but failed to haul it up on deck.

    Adding to his misery, the boat was returned to the water
    without what Rezvoy called his "beacon," a device that sent a
    signal every 90 seconds so his course could be tracked.

    Rezvoy was dumped ashore at Salem, Massachusetts, but his
    boat, worth U.S. $100,000 is still lost at sea.

    On Monday (July 14) he visited the Ukrainian Consul
    General, to enlist their help in tracking his damaged row boat
    down. He acknowledges that it will be like finding a
    "piece of sand on the ocean", but hopes that fishermen and
    other sailors may spot the little yellow boat somewhere in the
    Atlantic.

    The sailor from Odessa said he understood the U.S. Navy's
    actions and wasn't bitter, just disappointed.

    He said, "No, I am not angry with the Navy, they tried to
    help me and they have a special job to do trying to protect
    the United States so they were right, but it is a pity for me
    because now I am without my boat. Maybe it was a mistake that
    they took the beacon from my boat and I now I don't know how
    to find it."
    Although this attempt went spectacularly wrong, Rezvoy
    remains undeterred. He says if he doesn't find his boat he'll
    raise more sponsorship money to buy another one and give it
    another crack in June 2004.




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