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Boat man mystery probed by police Mystery boatman held by police
(about 24 hours later)
A Russian man found drifting in a small boat 200 miles off the Irish coast is being questioned by police in County Cork. Irish immigration officers are questioning a 22-year-old Russian man found drifting in a small boat 200 miles off the Irish coast.
The man, who told his rescuers he came from Siberia, is believed to have stolen the boat from northern France more than a month ago. It is understood that Valdim Smolyak was trying to make his way by sea to the Mediterranean.
He had no radio or navigation equipment and is thought to have been trying to reach Britain. He may have been at sea for more than a month on a yacht which had been stolen from Roscoff, northern France.
He was sighted on Tuesday by a Spanish trawler but waved away offers of help. The small boat was spotted by the crew of a fishing vessel 230km west of the Kerry coast on Thursday.
The Irish Naval Service was informed by the French coastguard that the 12-foot yacht, La Kattel, was stolen from near Roscoff harbour in northern France on 25 August. He had been sighted on Tuesday by a Spanish trawler but waved away offers of help.
He had no radio or navigation equipment.
The naval vessel LE Aisling took the man and the yacht aboard and handed him over to Irish police in the southern port of Cobh.The naval vessel LE Aisling took the man and the yacht aboard and handed him over to Irish police in the southern port of Cobh.
A spokesman for the Irish Naval Serice said: "The man did not speak English.A spokesman for the Irish Naval Serice said: "The man did not speak English.
"He had no papers, passport or identification, but he indicated on a map that he was from Siberia." "He had no papers, passport or identification, but he indicated on a map that he was from Siberia.
"He seemed to have sufficient food but he was in a pretty poor state. He had about five litres of water."