GRAND HAVEN, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Sept. 4, 2024) – Jim Dreyer is nothing if not persistent, but for a fourth time in 13 months, his effort to swim across Lake Michigan has been unsuccessful.
The 60-year-old ultra-marathon swimmer from Grand Haven stepped into the waters of Lake Michigan from Grand Haven City Beach on Monday evening on what he called the first continuous, self-sufficient swim across the Great Lake. Dreyer was towing an inflatable dingy carrying over 200 pounds of supplies and self-navigating materials as he went towards McKinley Beach in Milwaukee, a nearly 83-mile direct excursion that he projected can be done in 72 hours or more without sleep.
However, around 12 Noon on Wednesday, having gone about a quarter of the west westbound, Dreyer halted the swim and was pulled into a support vessel. He posted on his personal Facebook page: “The swim is over. I am safe. There were only two good hours in this 40-hour swim. If you were watching the tracker, I promise I wasn’t drunk. We will talk after a sleep marathon. Thank you all for your support, your love, and prayers.”
Last month, Dreyer had nearly reached the halfway mark before having to halt the attempt due to the loss of battery power with his navigational unit. Two similar attempts eastbound from Milwaukee last year were stymied by weather-related issues. He was looking to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his initial Ludington-to-Mantiwoc effort that established his reputation for long-distance swimming.
Dreyer, who has been successful over the past two decades in long-distance swims throughout the Great Lakes, was raising money for the US Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association. A link to this latest effort is here.
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