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Australian swimmer nears Florida Keys
Would be first to complete Cuba-to-U.S. route
May 12, 1997
Web posted at: 10:33 a.m. EDT (1433 GMT)In this story:
FORT TAYLOR BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- An Australian woman trying to become the first person to complete the 112-mile swim from Cuba to the United States, says she will try to reach Key West, Florida, instead of going ashore at nearby Sand Key.
Susie Maroney, who battled high seas and winds up to 18 mph since leaving Havana on Sunday, was about six-tenths of a mile from uninhabited Sand Key Monday morning, Joe Pignatiello, one of the swimmer's event coordinators, told CNN by telephone in a live interview.
(160 K / 11 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
Those on the nearby support boat say Maroney wants to swim to Key West, about seven miles farther. Sand Key was the original destination, and would mark a successful crossing.
Australian swimmer starts her second
attempt to swim from Cuba to the U.S.(879K/19 sec. small frame QuickTime movie) (2.1M/19 sec. large frame QuickTime movie)
Problems had developed with a 28-by-8-foot shark cage protecting the 22-year-old swimmer, Pignatiello said, adding that two sharks had been spotted in the area.
He said a pontoon "holding the shark cage up has split and it is taking on water."
On to Key West
"Susie wants to go to Key West, but we don't know if the cage will make it," Pignatiello said.
"Normally this close, we would probably get her out of the cage," he said. The presence of the sharks, however, means she would continue to use the cage.
In addition to the cage, swim organizers were using radar to guide Maroney around the worst of the rain storms in the Straits of Florida, the body of saltwater between Cuba and Florida.
Earlier in the swim, Pignatiello said rough conditions were causing Maroney and her crew to consider giving up a second time.
Last June, Maroney came closer than anyone to swimming the Straits, giving up 12 miles short of her goal because of seasickness and dehydration. She had been in the water for 38 1/2 hours.
Kept on going
"Before sunrise, they were talking about not completing the swim," said Pignatiello.
"We're now talking about bypassing Sand Key and going right into Fort Taylor Beach, which is an additional seven miles. So Susie is in extremely excellent condition. She's lighter than last year and I think has a lot more endurance because of that."
Fort Taylor Beach is at the southwestern end of Key West. Maroney began her swim Sunday from the Malecon sea wall in Havana, Cuba.
On Sunday night, Pignatiello said the swim almost ended because "the cage was bouncing into the boat and the shark cage pontoons have suffered some damage." But he said Maroney kept going.
The unassisted, uninterrupted swim means Maroney is not able to grab her cage for support, get out of the water or sleep the entire journey.
There have been 50 official attempts to cross the straits -- none successful.
Maroney has been swimming long-distance she was 14, and has crossed the English Channel twice.
Related sites:
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- Susie Maroney - Land To Land Swim from Cuba to the United States - 1997
- Swimnews Online
- Swimming Science Journal
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