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Frenchman Trying To Row From Cape To France Quits

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May 29, 2009 5:14 pm US/Eastern

Frenchman Trying To Row From Cape To France Quits

BOSTON (WBZ) ― A Frenchman trying to row from Cape Cod to France has failed again – 10 days into his journey.

28-year-old Charlie Girard was picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard about 150 miles off the Cape Friday morning.  The trip to France is about 3,300 miles.

Girard ran into a tropical depression and became tired of rowing, so he called for help.

"He got in touch with the Coast Guard via satellite phone basically saying he made it out about 150 miles east of Cape Cod and he was just really tired, really fatigued and was going to need some help," Coast Guard Petty Officer Etta Smith told WBZ.
 
View: Map Of Tropical Depression

Read: Tracking Girard's Journey

Girard returned to the Cape early Friday afternoon and said his problem was simply mental.

He told WBZ's Bill Shields there was no problem with his boat or the conditions, which consisted of three foot waves and a light wind.

This was Girard's second attempt to cross the Atlantic in a rowboat.

In July 2007, the Coast Guard rescued him about 50 miles off the Cape.

According to the Cape Cod Times, he has been trying to beat the 62-day record set by Emmanuel Coindre of France in 2004.
 
So will Girard try again?

He told Shields - no.
 
"This is the end of the boat," he said.
 
The rescue mission cost about $15,000 -- $3,000 an hour for five hours of work.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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