Some 116 brave souls headed for the Elbe River this morning for the 14th annual Dresden New Year’s swim, facing pouring rain and muddy water about 2°C (35.6°F). Organizers asked participants to come in costume and many obliged. Read The Local
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Gopal Kharvi sets world record by swimming 9K handcuffed and shackled
Fisherman Gopal Kharvi from Kundapur successfully attempted a 2.45 hours 9 kilometer swim today with both his hands and feet handcuffed from St Mary’s Island to Malpe beach in Udupi, India, witnessed by Guinness Book of World Records representatives. Read The Times of India.
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FBI agent drowns after rescuing swimmer, motorcycle officer injured at the funeral
On December 29, 2011, 43-year-old FBI-agent Daniel Knapp based in San Juan drowned in Puerto Rico, while rescuing a young adult swimmer. He was off duty at the Playa Escondida beach in Fajardo when friends of the struggling swimmer asked for help. Knapp put on his swim fins and went into the water, reached the 18-year-old swimmer but was overcome by waves about the same as a police boat reached the swimmer. See for instance CNN.
Now at the funeral in Las Vegas, a police officer was seriously injured after the motorcycle he was driving was struck by a government Ford Explorer performing a U-turn in front of the motorcycle, both participating in the funeral procession. The motorcycle collided head-on with the SUV and the officer was ejected. See 8newsnow.com.
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Cold water swimmers tend to faint, also after the swim
Interesting article here on Icelandic Review, about how ReykjavÃk sea swimmers are prone to fainting, sometimes during but also often after the cold dip. Physicians encourage people to show extreme caution when swimming in the cold water, as they risk hyperthermia, unconsciousness and even swimming malfunction, causing them to loose mobility, which may lead to drowning. People must also realize that if they immediately immerse themselves in hot pots, as is common practice in Iceland, blood pressure can suddenly drop and cause them to faint.
Ãslandsbankasjósund 20. maà 2011 from Ragnar Torfi Geirsson on Vimeo.
(Video included only because it involves Icelandic sea swimmers)
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Aquadettes
On Life, Death and Synchronized Swimming, a film by Drea Cooper & Zackary Canepari
Aquadettes from California is a place. on Vimeo.
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CC photo #9: Supporters admiring Pál Joensen’s third Belgrade 2008 gold medal
Fond memories from back at the Belgrade 2008 LEN European Junior Swimming Championships, when Pál Joensen won gold in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle. This particular medal is most certaintly the third and last one he won, the 800 freestyle on the day when the photo was taken, August 2, 2008.
I’d lost my luggage, btw, and therefore had only my old trusty Nokia N93 mobile phone and a Sony DSC-HS96E tape-based video camera to take photos with, even having to save battery on the video camera because the charger was in the suitcase. So unfortunately, I have about 1000 photos less from Belgrade 2008, than I’d otherwise have taken.
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Bungee jumper survives cord snapping, swimming the wild Zambezi river
22-year-old Australian backpacker Erin Langworthy fell 20 meters into the Zambezi river after the cord snapped while she was bungee jumping of bridge at Victoria Falls in Zambia. Feet still tied together, with a good part of the cord in tow, into the turbulent waters beneath the world’s largest waterfall. According to MailOnline infested with crocodiles. Nice.
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Air sharks take to the skies, prompt air traffic alerts
The Air Swimmers sharks mentioned in August have been “extremely popular” gifts this Christmas, and reports of their escapes started almost as soon as presents were unwrapped. Some even before they made it to gift-giving, as for instance when grandpa Brian Thomson lost his on Christmas Day, before his grandchildren had a chance to play with it. Via The Coffs Coast Advocate
He inflated it in secret during the morning – but it floated through the kitchen and lounge, up a flight of stairs and across a bedroom before leaving through the bedroom’s external door.
“They’re cunning characters, these sharks,” Mr Thompson said.
First mid-air encounter happened on Boxing Day, when a plane 10 km south of Christchurch in New Zealand passed within 100m of a shark at about 600m on a landing approach. Another pilot flew past one two days later, stating “I thought is was a helicopter but then I noticed it’s got fins and tail!”. Authorities say the ultralight sharks are no worries to pilots, but still … they are sharks!
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Want your twitter handle ‘tattooed’ on a London 2012 olympian?
USA’s top-ranked middle-distance track athlete Nick Symmonds is auctioning off a temporary tattoo on his shoulder, highest bid now US $3,100 for having “Your Twitter Name on an Olympian in 2012”. Their are restrictions forcing him to cover up the tattoo with tape at all IAAF governed meetings, but he promises wear it under the tape, to remove the tape as soon as the rules permit, to mention the sponsor’s Twitter name in all interviews before and after the event, and why it has been covered during competition.