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He has been accused of murder, thrown into a concrete cell for 48 hours, chased by tribes armed with bows and arrows, faced starvation and been bitten by hundreds of mosquitoes. For former British Army captain and adventurer Ed Stafford the last 670 days of his epic bid to become the first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon River has been far from easy.
If that wasn't bad enough the 33 year old explorer faced financial ruin and the end of his expedition as his sponsors withdrew their cash support due to the harsh economic climate. With starvation a real possibility, the explorer's plight was brought to the attention of Red Flag Recruitment in Brighton who took the decision to step in and become an official corporate sponsor.
Simon Royston, Managing Director of Red Flag Recruitment commented “.... Ed was over halfway through his journey in one of the most hostile territories on earth and he had just £4 to his name. He had no means of buying provisions and vital equipment, he could not afford to hire guides, and he was literally starving to death, but he was not going to quit and that type of resilience should be respected and supported wherever possible. Ed’s story is one of hard work, sheer bloody-minded determination and a never say die attitude – it represents everything that Red Flag Recruitment stands for and for that reason we wanted to help in whatever way we could...”
Up the river without a paddle Ed's expedition has rapidly become a survival mission. With no money for food he and his Peruvian guide have had to live off the fish they can catch and the goodwill of local tribes.
Ed has battled through floods, tropical storms, been bitten by scorpions, had his tent eaten by ants, and been held on suspicion of murder. He was also held as a prisoner for failing to have the right permit and with food a real issue he has lost two stones in weight in the last two months.
Speaking from a satellite phone Ed Stafford said: 'We carry an emergency indicating position beacon but, as our medical insurance has lapsed due to a lack of funds, if we were in trouble and we pulled the plug nothing would happen. No evacuation would be initiated - we would be on our own. Thanks to the generosity of individuals and companies like Red Flag Recruitment we are able to stop and eat in the small towns we come across, invest in essential provisions, and we have now been able to renew our medical insurance and can continue for the near future.'
Ed hopes his trek will raise awareness of climate change and raise funds for a number of medical and conservation charities, including cancer research.
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Ed Stafford is available for interview via sat phone or video Skype
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