1st triple amputee sails across Pacific to Japan

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - A British army veteran who lost both legs and his left hand in Afghanistan became the first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific, reaching his destination in western Japan, local media reported on Wednesday.

Craig Wood, 34, who departed Mexico in March, arrived at Hiroshima Port on Tuesday morning after a 90-day voyage, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

He sailed around 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) on a 12.5-meter custom-built aluminum catamaran.

"I genuinely hope this monumental achievement shows others, especially those living with limb loss, that you are capable of far more than you think. There are no limits," Wood said in an Instagram post Wednesday.

He was injured in 2009 at age 18 in a blast in Afghanistan while on routine patrol, just a year after joining the army.

Wood plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which documents the US atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II.

He described himself as "living the result of the war" in Afghanistan, saying: "He feels really sad about the victims (of the atomic bombing). I would like to pray for them."

Many British soldiers are facing war crimes charges for their involvement in the execution of unarmed citizens during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, more than 30 former members of the UK’s Special Forces came forward with eyewitness accounts of alleged war crimes committed during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the execution of civilians, detainees, and even children.

Speaking to the BBC’s Panorama in a report aired Monday, the veterans described how members from the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) would routinely kill unarmed people, often while handcuffed or asleep.

In April, a dossier against 10 British nationals accused of war crimes while they fought for Israel in Gaza was filed with London’s Metropolitan Police by a leading human rights lawyer.

* Writing by Aamir Latif