Heinz has found Elvis Francois, who ate ketchup to survive weeks at sea
Written by laserteam on February 28, 2023
(CBS News) – Less than two weeks ago, Heinz set out on a now-viral mission to find Elvis Francois, the man who survived nearly a month at sea by eating nothing but ketchup and seasonings. On Monday, the company told CBS News that they found him in Dominica – thanks to the internet and local reporters.
Francois, 47, rose to internet fame earlier this year when he was rescued by the Colombian military, who shared that Francois became lost while working on his boat in St. Maarten after the weather shifted and carried him out to sea. He wasn’t able to navigate his way home, so all he could do was “sit down and wait” – and live off the little bits of food he had on board, “ketchup … garlic powder and Maggi,” a brand of soup
His story prompted Heinz to put out a call for people to help them #FindtheKetchupBoatGuy so they could gift him a new boat that they promise will be “equipped with full navigational technology to avoid another disaster in the future.”
“The hunt is over,” a spokesperson for Heinz told CBS News on Monday. “Through the power of social media … Elvis was located in the Caribbean on the island of Dominica.”
“Heinz and Elvis are working out the logistical details of gifting him his new boat,” Heinz said. “Anyone who shared, liked or commented on the brand’s post helped broaden the reach and played an important part in finding Elvis… and Heinz wants to thank everyone who helped.”
