Baywatch star seeks Noah’s Ark

“Former “Baywatch” star Donna D’Errico, 42, is in training to fulfill a lifelong dream of climbing Mount Ararat in Turkey to search for the frozen remains of Noah’s ark.

“”This has been a dream of mine since I was 9 or 10,” D’Errico told AOL News. “I went to Catholic school and was fascinated by Noah’s ark. I would do class projects based on the ark.” D’Errico’s fascination with the biblical tale wasn’t just a childhood passion. As she grew older, she continued to study and research the ark, especially stories suggesting that it was close to being found.

“I’d read different stories about how people thought they found the cages and I was completely intrigued,” she said. “I decided that someday I’d go to Turkey, climb Mount Ararat and search for Noah’s ark.”

According to legend, the ark is located on Mount Ararat, a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in the easternmost part of Turkey that has two peaks: Greater Ararat, with an elevation of 16,854 feet, and Lesser Ararat, which is 12,782 feet above sea level.Over the centuries, there have been many claims that the ark is still there in three big frozen chunks. However, despite numerous sightings and expeditions, no solid proof of the ark has ever been found.

“I’ve been studying this for years and know where the sightings have been,” she said. “According to my research, the ark lays broken into at least two, but most likely three, pieces. I believe that one of those pieces is in the uppermost Ahora Gorge area, an extremely dangerous area to climb and explore.”

“It’s not a technical climb,” she said. “Many inexperienced climbers have done it, but you do need stamina and, obviously, a crew.”

She is targeting August as the month she starts her ascent, and her trip is being sponsored by Bukla, a tour guide company in Turkey that’s offering to provide transportation from Istanbul to Ararat and back, all equipment, mules, guide services and permits.”

- David Moye, AOL News