A 22-year-old Russian rescued some 150 miles out in the Atlantic by the Irish Navy after spending a month at sea in a tiny 12ft yacht has applied for asylum and will travel to Dublin today to register with the immigration authorities.
Valdim Smolyak was picked up by the LE Aisling some 150 miles west of Loop Head on Friday and brought to Haulbowline Naval Base on Saturday where he was met by gardaí who brought him to Cobh Garda station where he informed them that he wished to apply for asylum in Ireland.
Mr Smolyak, who is understood to be from Siberia, stayed locally in Cobh over the weekend and will travel to Dublin today where he is due to meet officers with the Garda National Immigration Bureau at Burgh Quay at 2.30pm.
Mr Smolyak's rescue by the LE Aisling off the west coast on Friday marked the completion of a remarkable voyage by the young Russian who believed that he was somewhere in the English Channel en route to his intended destination of the Mediterranean when he was rescued.
According to Lt Commander Neil Manning of the LE Aisling, the Naval Service became aware of Mr Smolyak on Thursday when an English trawler, The Willing Boys spotted his yacht, Le Katell, some 200 miles off the Kerry coast. The skipper of The Willing Boys contacted the Irish Coastguard at Valentia and informed them of the position of the vessel. Irish Coastguard contacted their French counterparts who confirmed the boat had been stolen in Roscoff in Brittany on August 22nd.