Saturday was a rough day for Reza Baluchi.

The endurance athlete and peace activist departed from Miami in a huge, floating bubble early last week in hope of propelling himself 1,033 miles across the ocean, and eventually reaching Bermuda. The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted to the bubble-like water craft on Wednesday, and arrived 70 nautical miles east of St. Augustine to encourage Baluchi to abandon the pursuit. Even though he was notably exhausted and disoriented, Baluchi originally refused assistance. It wasn’t until extreme fatigue and deliria set in on Saturday that he sent up a distress signal and was pulled from the water.

This odd goal was just the beginning of a larger voyage, one in which Baluchi planned to run through every country in the world to inspire peace and unity. According to his website, Baluchi’s lofty goals included meeting with world leaders, speaking to school children, and planting trees as a symbol of peace along the way. Not to mention, the whole thing would be documented by his film crew that would later release the footage for a reality TV show and documentary. Beluchi predicted the journey would take him about four years to complete, and he would cover more than 85,000 miles.

Of course none of this would be possible if he did not address a way to run across water, which is why he began designing the Hydro Pod, which he was rescued in. The 0.11-inch thick plastic bubble was designed not only to allow Baluchi to cross water, but to be completely self-propelled. Baluchi would drive the bubble forward by running inside and pushing the walls with his arms. To give himself more stability, the original design was modified so that the main pod is encased by a larger aluminum frame, kept afloat by inflatable soccer balls. The result resembles an over-sized inflatable hamster wheel.

Baluchi planned to run in the bubble in the mornings, float during the evenings, and sleep in an indoor hammock at night. He also planned to catch and eat fish throughout his voyage, which is probably why, when he was rescued, the vessel only contained some bottles of water and a few protein bars.

He also planned to have a larger crew with him in case of emergencies but, when the Coast Guard finally did rescue him, no such vessel was found. Instead, Baluchi and the bubble were retrieved relatively unharmed, though the determined Baluchi still inquired about directions to Bermuda in his delirious state. Coast Guard spokeswoman Marilyn Fajardo told reporters that he was uninjured and is on land, for now.

Listen to the raw Coast Guard recording below: