In late summer of this year, residents of the small village of Lavrentiya in Chukotka (population about fifteen hundred people) were amazed at the strange event on the beach jumped eight-foot inflatable boat with a sail, from which emerged the people, the whole look which testified … shall we say, of extreme troubles.
In Russian, he did not know a word, no visa (and the passport!) also had not, but was extremely exhausted.Locals gave him first aid, fed, watered, and shared warm clothes, and then reported the strange guest border guards, who took him to Anadyr. Border authorities explained to John Martin III – was the name of an unusual guest – his entry to Russia without a visa is illegal and could face a lengthy prison stay.
However, instead of 3 August, was taken to hospital where he spent three and a half months (but under the protection of Russian border guards), although initially it was announced that he only has a mild form of SARS. Finally, the charges against him were dropped. He was allowed to wander freely around the city, and he took up teaching English lessons in a cafe, and began to write a book about his fate.
The story of his absurd and tragic. Old Alaskan homeless and unemployed have decided … on the eight-foot nadobnost to flee to China, where his family – wife and son. He married in China in 2007, but… But it turned out that you have to pay for all earlier sins. The us government revoked his passport, explaining that Martin does not pay child support first (American) wife with son. Earlier (he was only 23 years old) he had to stay in prison for eight years because he and his wife improperly drawn up documents for acceptance into the family of 15-year-old adopted son, which gave occasion to accuse him of pedophilia. After his arrest, his wife, of course, divorced him…
The existence of past convictions prevented John Martin to enter the United States with his new family. He returned to America alone, and became a religious man, earning a living by acupuncture, your housing to acquire and failed (but had repeatedly protested outside of the municipality of anchorage against city policy for the homeless).
Finally, it all bored him, he bought a little boat as I could, equipped it and went from the mouth of the Yukon to China, hoping to pass along the coasts of Russia, Japan and Korea to land in China and ask local authorities about the reunion with her Chinese family, which – he claims – is waiting for him. But – that simple soul! – mistook the direction and went North, almost at a 90 to the desired course, and then was on the coast of Chukotka. However, this alone can be considered a miracle – it was on a tiny boat alone on one of the most dangerous areas of the Pacific ocean with only a manual compass, bucket nalovlennyh salmon (at the start), but small stocks of bread, water and grape juice….
However, the Russian authorities warned him that sooner or later he needs to be deported – but at his expense. However, Martin does not have yet the necessary funds. He was temporarily sheltered by a random person he met in the restaurant. Martin will now be trying to raise money for roads in China…
The official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said earlier that, according to preliminary data, the US citizen out to sea near the mouth of the Yukon and lost orientation due to difficult weather conditions.
