A naked Irish rower had to be rescued off the coast of Australia after he came into trouble whilst attempting to row across the Indian Ocean, naked. The rower, Keith Whelan, 30, was hit by a large wave and banged his head, during his attempt to become the youngest man, and first Irishman, to complete the 6,000 kilometre (3,720 mile) crossing.
The trouble arose in rough seas off Western Australia and he was picked up 206 kilometres northwest of Geraldton by a Japanese ship.
A spokeswoman at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told AFP: “He was hit by a wave overnight and sustained a large cut to his head. He made a satellite phone call to a contact in the United Kingdom who then contacted Australian authorities and we diverted a merchant ship to pick him up.”
According to Whelan’s website he was attempting the epic voyage naked to raise money for Keep a Child Alive, a charity dedicated to helping children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. He said: “At first I thought this was complete madness but at the same time it appealed to me. I am a risk taker and risking your life to achieve a dream is the biggest risk you can take.”
Keith Whelan departed Geraldton on May 7. But bad weather hampered his progress and forced him to spend time on the Abrohlos Islands, off the Western Australian coast and he then left there for Mauritius on June 4.
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