Veteran long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad was plucked from the Florida Straits yesterday after giving up on her fourth and likely final attempt to make the 166km swim from Cuba to the United States.
Nyad (62), who battled squalls, rough seas and jellyfish, had set out from Cuba on Saturday. She spent more than 60 hours in the water before she abandoned the swim.
Mark Sollinger, a leader of the crew and support team accompanying Nyad in five boats as she attempted the crossing, said a powerful and “extremely difficult Gulf Stream” had pushed her badly off course. It would have taken her another 28 to 40 hours to complete the crossing at the time she finally gave up, Mr Sollinger said. – (Reuters)