Did Florida man attempt to cross the Atlantic in hamster wheel?

A rumor that has circulated online since 2023 claims that a man from Florida attempted to cross the Atlantic in a watercraft resembling a hamster wheel, only to be stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The rumor spread on social media platforms such as Instagram (archived) and Facebook (archived). Readers also searched our website for more information about the claim.

One Facebook post (archived) included detailed information about the incident that read, in part: 

Baluchi claimed he was en route to London in his self-made “hydro-pod,” a floating device kept afloat by wiring and buoys. The Coast Guard deemed the voyage “manifestly unsafe” and ordered him to disembark. Baluchi resisted for several days, threatening self-harm and falsely claiming to have a bomb.

Eventually, he admitted the bomb threat was a hoax and was brought ashore on September 1. He faces federal charges for obstruction of boarding and violating a Captain of the Port order. This was not his first attempt; Baluchi had previously tried similar voyages in 2014, 2016, and 2021, all of which were intercepted by the Coast Guard.

(Facebook page The Ancient World)

Statements from the U.S. Coast Guard and information Reza Baluchi, the man at the center of the rumor, shared during an interview with Snopes proved that the 2023 incident was not fabricated. As such, we have rated the claim as true.

That said, Snopes was unable to verify whether the Coast Guard formally arrested Baluchi or whether federal charges were brought against him. We reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard to inquire about Baluchi’s supposed arrest and charges, and will update the story if we receive a response.

Behind the rumor

Baluchi, the man who attempted to cross the Atlantic in a watercraft resembling a hamster wheel, was no stranger to extreme feats. According to his website, he ran “around the perimeter of United States” covering over 11,720 miles in 202 days, supposedly setting a world record in the process. His website also featured an “about” section that explained why he set out at sea in a human-sized hamster wheel in the first place:

Reza anticipates [eventually] running through 198 recognized countries and paddle a Hydro Pad across the ocean showing the world that anything is possible if only you believe. This epic journey will take nearly 4 years to complete and he will cover more than 85,000 miles. He will be joined by a film crew and he will share his life transparently with the world.

In 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, which has jurisdiction over Florida, released a statement (archived) on its official X account, stating in part:

Coast Guard boarding team members embarked Mr. Baluchi aboard a Coast Guard cutter for basic medical treatment, shelter, food, and water before transferring him to law enforcement authorities ashore in Miami, Friday, September 1. The Coast Guard is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue federal charges against Mr. Reza Baluchi for his alleged criminal conduct on the high seas.

Official statement on the rescue of Mr. Reza Baluchi. pic.twitter.com/jV6TJ7ZERd

— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) September 6, 2023

It was unclear whether Baluchi’s embarkment aboard a Coast Guard cutter or transfer to law enforcement authorities constituted an arrest. Multiple news outlets reported that Baluchi was arrested, but Baluchi himself insisted during an interview with Snopes that he was never arrested, just stopped.

Officials cited in these reports stated that Baluchi claimed he had a bomb aboard his floating invention, the “hydropod,” which his website refers to as a “Hydro Pad.” Baluchi told Snopes he was referring to the U.S. Coast Guard deflating and sinking (archived) his previous hydropod in 2016 when he mentioned the words “blow up.” He said he would never do a “stupid thing” like blowing himself up or threatening suicide, emphasizing that he only does stunts like this for charity or to inspire people to follow their dreams. He claimed the sound of the Coast Guard boat’s engine and his accent when speaking in English contributed to the misunderstanding. (Baluchi was born in Iran, according to his website.)

Embarking in the hydropod in 2023 was only one part of a larger plan to run through “198 recognized countries,” bringing Baluchi from Washington to London. Baluchi told Snopes his plans had changed, and that he was now preparing to embark on a global journey from Japan towards America, running in his hydropod during the ocean sections. He said he has been upgrading the design of his hydropod, which paddles forward as he runs, with a team of “17 people.” He plans to set off in December 2025, and said that with new safety measures in place, he is confident that he will make it all the way without being stopped.

Baluchi shared a collage of images depicting the planning and engineering process for the new hydropod:

(Courtesy of Reza Baluchi)

For further reading, Snopes investigated the claim that singer Grimes tried to sail the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to New Orleans in a homemade houseboat.