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Bubble Burst: Adventurer Using "Hydropod" Needs Rescue At Sea

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — A Florida man trying again to reach Bermuda from Miami in an inflatable bubble agreed to be voluntarily rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney said that long-distance runner Reza Baluchi was picked up on Sunday and his "hydropod" is being towed back to shore.

Pompano Man Prepares to Leave For 3,500 Mile Trip Inside Inflatable Vessel by Sun Sentinel on YouTube

Baluchi took off from Miami on Saturday despite getting an April 15 letter from the Coast Guard warning him not to depart. The Coast Guard said it had looked at Baluchi's plan and determined it to be unsafe.

The letter, which the Coast Guard posted on Twitter, said that Baluchi could be fined up to $40,000 or confined for up to seven years if he ignored the order.

The rescue of Baluchi in 2014 cost authorities $144,000.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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