Little is known about this mysterious man found floating on oil barrels lashed with wooden planks in the sea between Denmark and Norway. He claims
his name is George Williams, he was thrown overboard from a ship, is a "stateless" American, and wants to go to New York. After being taken to a
hospital for treatment of dehydration and a frostbitten foot, he is being held by Swedish authorities as they try to sort out his story.
www.comcast.net
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Swedish authorities Saturday were investigating how a man calling himself a "stateless American" ended up floating on a raft of
oil barrels and wood planks in the waters between Denmark and Norway.
The man, who carried no identification, spoke perfect English and said his name was George Williams, was found by a Norwegian oil tanker on Friday
morning, floating in the Skagerak sea on a raft of four oil barrels held together by a frame of wooden planks.
He told police he had been thrown from a ship several days earlier and now wanted to go to New York, but offered little further information.
He asked to be taken in by Swedish authorities, and shielded his face from photographers when he was taken to a port in southern Sweden.
"If he was thrown off a ship, they must have thrown off the raft for him to sit on as well, so I don't know," Swedish marine police spokesman Bengt
Albinsson said. "We are trying to figure out the circumstances, but we will have to see how much he wants to tell us."
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Interesting story, but it doesn't add up. Perhaps he is a fugitive and is trying to avoid indentification and prosecution. Or maybe he is trying
to escape the pursuit of nefarious elements he has run afoul of. One thing is for sure, he doesn't want to stick around Northern Europe.
I'm looking forward to more details on what's up with Mr. Williams, or whatever his name is, as this story unfolds