Frenchman, saved after weeks adrift, wants croissant
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The first thing a French fisherman asked for when he was rescued after drifting in the Caribbean for 20 days with a broken boat’s engine was a croissant, a Dutch defence ministry spokesman said on Friday.
The 27-year-old from the island of Dominica survived on rainwater and a few flying fish that landed on the deck while drifting nearly 1,300 km (800 miles).
“Do you have a ‘pain au chocolat’ (chocolate croissant) and milk?” were his first words when rescued by the crew of a Dutch frigate who spotted him while searching for drug smugglers in waters near the Dutch Antilles, spokesman Willem Cosijn said.
“Given the circumstances he is doing quite well. He had lost weight and was dehydrated and was handed over to Curacao authorities this morning,” he added.