Hyde Park Swimmer, 93, Celebrates 60 Years After Becoming First Person To Swim Across Lake Michigan. Ted Erikson is an accomplished swimmer who conquered the English Channel, among other feats ” but it’s Lake Michigan that always calls him back. 63RD STREET BEACH ” Ted Erikson’s cellphone goes straight to voicemail.
Has anyone ever swam the width of Lake Michigan?
Jim Dreyer (born August 16, 1963 in Grand Rapids, Michigan), also known as ‘The Shark’, is an ultra marathon athlete, because his swimming accomplishments are often tied to extensive running and cycling feats. He has swum across various lakes, among others: Lake Michigan 65 miles (105 km), in 1998.
Ornée and five friends ” his brother David, Nick Hobson, Jeremy Sall, Todd Suttor, and Matt Smith ” swam Lake Michigan in relay fashion in just under 21 hours, far less than the 24-30 hours they anticipated the journey would take them.
Has anyone ever swam across any of the Great Lakes?
In August of 1988 Vicki Keith finished swimming across Lake Superior” the first person to ever do so.
Swimming in Lake Michigan is an ‘ at your own risk’ activity. Bradford Beach is the only beach with lifeguards, all other beaches managed by Milwaukee County parks do not have lifeguards.
Can you drink Lake Michigan water?
Most officials and environmental experts interviewed said the drinking water from Lake Michigan supplied to 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs is considered safe and tasty, especially compared with water from other municipalities around the nation.
Has anyone ever swam the Straits of Mackinac?
More than 300 people braved the Straits of Mackinac Sunday for the 13th annual Mighty Mac Swim. Michigan Radio’s Kaye LaFond rode along on a security boat and got a first-hand look at what goes into herding swimmers across four miles of the straits.
Has anyone swam across the Atlantic?
I can always swim in a pool.” Her journey comes a decade after French swimmer Benoit Lecomte made the first known solo trans-Atlantic swim, covering nearly 4,000 miles from Massachusetts to France in 73 days.
What is the longest swim ever recorded?
The longest distance ocean swim (marathon swimming) is 250 km (155.34 miles), and was achieved by Pablo Fernandez (Spain) in Miami, Florida, USA, on 19-20 July 2021. Pablo beat the previous record, which had not been broken in 15 years.
Can you swim from Michigan to Wisconsin?
The minimum amount of distance you would have to swim whether you started in Michigan or Wisconsin is 91 miles, with the max width being 118 miles. If you wanted to swim an even farther distance, you can swim the length of the lake and the maximum you’d have to go would be 307 miles.
How many people swam across Lake Michigan?
It took six swimmers, seven crew members, 54 miles and 21 hours, but the “Epic Swim 2020” is complete. The group of swimmers, led by Jon Ornée, of Holland, swam a relay across Lake Michigan from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to Ludington.
How long did it take Jim Dreyer to swim across Lake Michigan?
On August 3, 1998, Jim Dreyer set a new Lake Michigan distance record while becoming the first to swim a mid-lake crossing between Wisconsin and Michigan. This was a grueling 40-hour, 56 minute journey that covered 65.0 miles (three times the width of the English Channel).
Who swam across all 5 Great Lakes?
It’s been three decades since 57-year-old Vicki Keith took on an amazing feat. In August of 1988, she embarked on a journey that took her across all five Great Lakes.
Is it warm enough to swim in Lake Michigan?
Water temperature throughout Lake Michigan is not yet warm enough for swimming and does not exceed 68°F. The warmest water temperature in Lake Michigan today is 43.9°F (Winnetka), and the coldest temperature is 33.4°F (Charlevoix).
How dirty is Lake Michigan?
Despite this, Lake Michigan is the most polluted of the Great Lakes, according to estimates by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Last year, nearly 22 million pounds of plastic were dumped into the Great Lakes ” over half of which were dumped into Lake Michigan ” according to estimates by RIT.
Is Lake Michigan salt water?
Furthermore, Lake Michigan is not salty, and so it is a freshwater lake, and the Michigan Sea Grant Institute works with commercial fisheries and sets policy to combat invasive species, ensuring that the lake remains clean. Also, water temperatures in Lake Michigan vary from season to season.
Where is the deepest point of Lake Michigan?
Lacey Mason of the Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan informed us that the deepest part of Lake Michigan is about 925 feet, and is located in the Chippewa Basin which is about 36 miles east of Forestville, Wisconsin on the Door Peninsula.
Are there any sharks in Lake Michigan?
Scientifically, NO sharks have been documented in Lake Michigan. Now, there is always more to the story than the simple one word answer. Across the Great Lakes region, “unofficial” shark sightings seem to emerge every year. These sightings are usually proven to be a hoax.
How clean is Lake Michigan water?
Generally the water is clean and safe for swimming. However, to ensure public safety, the national lakeshore regularly tests the water for contamination by bacteria. If problems are found, signs advising the public are posted at affected beaches.
Did a woman swim across the ocean?
Jennifer Figge, 56, Becomes First Woman To Swim Across Atlantic Ocean ” NBC4 Washington.
How long is a long distance swim?
Open Water & Long Distance. A long distance pool event is any distance-based swimming event more than 1650 yards (1508.8 meters), or a time-based event equal to or greater than one hour. It may be conducted in any body of water, either natural or man-made.
How deep does the ocean go down?
The average depth of the ocean is about 3,688 meters (12,100 feet). The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam.
Can someone swim in an ocean?
“Open water swimming is intensely rewarding but comes with obvious risks,” said qualified swimming coach Sarah Wiseman, who runs an open water swim school. “Sea swimming is at the riskier end of the scale due to the ever-changing conditions. A location you may consider ‘safe’ to swim one day may not be the next.”
How long can you swim without stopping?
We estimate the outer limits of swimming non-stop in the open water without sleep is 80-100 hours and would best be done swimming/floating downstream in a warm-water river that starts in the highlands (not the mountains) and flows out to the ocean in a non-industrial area.
What is the farthest someone has swam underwater?
Take a deep breath… Danish freediver Stig Severinsen has broken the world distance record for swimming with fins on just one breath ” making it 202 meters (662 ft 8.7 in) underwater, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
Has anyone swam the length of Lake Michigan?
On Aug. 21, 1961, Erikson became the first known person to swim across Lake Michigan. He swam for more than 36 hours in stormy conditions, reaching Michigan City by way of McCormick Place.
Should you swim in Lake Michigan?
“It’s a very dangerous body of water that has a whole host of different considerations when you’re out there, especially for a swimming population.” Roberts said the Great Lakes have strong structural and long shore currents which run parallel to the shore. Rip currents are dangerous, too.
Why is Lake Michigan so blue?
The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm.
Which of the Great Lakes is the prettiest?
Lake Huron, the second-largest of the Great Lakes, tops the list for its pristine turquoise waters, unparalleled shoreline sunrises, numerous lakeside parks, gorgeous beaches, and historic lighthouses.
How long would it take to swim across Lake Superior?
A Canadian woman has become the second person to swim across Lake Superior, from Orienta in Bayfield County to Two Harbors. Paula Stephanson, 28, of Belleville, Ontario, finished the 20-mile swim about 7:40 p.m. Saturday after 13 hours and 15 minutes in the water. The swim was Stephanson’s fourth Great Lakes crossing.
Does Michigan have desert?
Has anyone swam across Lake Huron?
” A 24-year-old London, Ont., man has become the youngest person to swim across Lake Huron. Jason Kloss entered the water in Port Sanilac, Michigan on Friday morning to start the 65-kilometre journey.
Where is Lake Michigan located?
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It covers portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Lake Michigan is connected directly to Lake Huron, into which it drains, through the broad Straits of Mackinac.
Can you swim across Lake Erie?
It’s 24.3 miles across Lake Erie’s narrowest stretch, from Long Point, Ontario, to North East, Pennsylvania. Three Erie natives swam it on one day in August. Amid 2- to 3-foot waves, brothers Tom and Greg Van Volkenburg finished in a record-breaking 11 hours, 15 minutes.
Has anyone swam across Lake Ontario?
In September 1954, 16-year-old Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario.
How deep is the Lake Michigan?
922′
Does Lake Michigan ever get warm?
However, what you may not have noticed on all those gorgeous days is the temperature of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee’s Great Lake stayed warmer than it ever has later than it ever has. It’s another sign that the lake is changing. For the first three weeks of October, every day’s average temperature was warmer than average.
Is there a current in Lake Michigan?
The biggest reason: Swift currents. Lake Michigan’s distinctive configuration ” as a 307-mile long lake with twin, uninterrupted shorelines running north to south ” make it especially vulnerable to two dangerous types of currents, called rip and longshore.
Is Lake Michigan dying?
A grim statistic: Lake Michigan drownings are at a 10-year high, with 53 people dying in the third-largest of the Great Lakes so far in 2020, according to a water safety advocacy group.
Why is there E. coli in Lake Michigan?
The presence of E. coli in the water along Lake Michigan’s shoreline is a strong indication that the water was recently contaminated by sewage or animal fecal waste. These wastes may contain many types of harmful disease-causing organisms.
How toxic is Lake Michigan?
“It’s especially dangerous to pregnant women and young children because it can essentially scramble the brains of young children.” He notes that lead is a well-known neurotoxin, while other metals being discharged into the lake like selenium and arsenic are tied to developmental problems as well as cancers.
Are there alligators in Lake Michigan?
ATHENS, MICHIGAN ” Every year, alligators are found in Michigan. Most of them are small alligators still living in aquariums in people’s homes. But sometimes calls come in for larger alligators spotted in ponds or creeks.
What is the cleanest Great Lake?
Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.
Are there whales in Lake Michigan?
Whales don’t live in the Great Lakes. Or do they? No, not at all. But that doesn’t stop visitors ” spurred on by ongoing pranks such as the Lake Michigan Whale Migration Station Facebook page ” from asking for whale-watching tours.
Could a tsunami happen in Lake Michigan?
While a tsunami will never strike Illinois, the Lake Michigan coast, including Chicago, is subject to the danger presented by a seiche, a sudden, large type of wave that can cause loss of life and property damage.
What lives at the bottom of Lake Michigan?
Benthic organisms include amphipods (which are small crustaceans), worms, insect larvae and mollusks such as the invasive Quagga mussel.