Ukrainian travelers go without eating for 40 days on Columbus route

[News_Editor]

Ukrainian travelers go without eating for 40 days on Columbus route

2010-10-26 22:07:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

KIEV, UKRAINE (BNO NEWS) – A Ukrainian team of travelers have claimed to have set a world record after going on without food during a period of 40 days and without water for a week while following Christopher Columbus' expedition route through the Atlantic Ocean.

The Equites team members, namely Goltis, Kostyantyn Mohylnyk and Andrii Suprun, initiated Columbus Quest as a television project which is aimed to reveal the capacities of a person to survive in extreme situations without food and water.

The crew was composed of 7 people including Canadian doctor Adriane van der Vaart who was looking after the team members during the period of the trip, taking tests and keeping a medical record about their general health condition.

After observing Goltis, who lasted without water for 14 days, van der Vaart was astonished. "Nobody has ever done it! It is a true record! They will need to rewrite the medical books!" he said.

After 40 days of fasting, Goltis lost 20 kilograms (44 pounds), Andrii Suprun lost 16.5 kilograms (36 pounds) and Kostyantyn Mohylnyk lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds).

French actor Gerard Depardieu, who played a part of Christopher Columbus in the movie "1492: Conquest of Paradise," served as a narrator in the film Columbus Quest, which traced their historic achievement to the audience.

"Equites team is something really wonderful! It is hard to believe that they risk their lives not for the sake of money or rewards," Depardieu said, enthusiastically supporting the project. "If someday the team crosses the Atlantic Ocean again without eating and drinking, I will definitely join them to personally realize what it means to reach the limits of possible."

Equites is planning to fulfill another reckless act next year – a non-stop flight from the North to the South Pole on a legendary Douglas DC-3 aircraft, which was manufactured 30 years ago.

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