Asif Hussein Khail, did you make it across the channel?
Dear Asif,
I saw this incredible photo of you in the newspaper years ago. You were rescued, and I thought you’d give up after that attempt. I found out that someone approached you a few days later in the dunes near Calais, and you told them you were going to try again to cross the Strait of Dover, with a slightly larger raft. Right through the narrow shipping lanes with large, fast ships that can’t see you! Risking your life like that is apparently the only way for you to make life worth living. That’s heartbreaking.
For a video installation I’m working on, we made a copy of your raft. It turned out to sail quite well. However, the White Cliffs of Dover may seem close, but on a simple raft with only a small sail, it could have taken you days.
If you succeeded, or if anyone knows if you got lost, please contact me.
Your friend