A man who embarked on an ambitious 80-mile (128-kilometer) swim across Lake Michigan had to abandon his mission on the third day after losing two batteries crucial for his GPS device and veering off course.
Jim Dreyer, aged 60, was rescued from the water after covering 60 miles (96 kilometers) last Thursday. He had been swimming from Michigan to Wisconsin without a GPS, relying solely on a wrist compass and his observation of the sky and waves.
After hours of swimming, a support boat approached him and informed him that he had been swimming north all day in the wrong direction. Dreyer had set off from Grand Haven on Tuesday with the goal of reaching Wisconsin.
Disheartened by the setback, Dreyer shared online, “What a blow! I should have been close to reaching Wisconsin waters with only 23 miles (37 kilometers) left. Instead, I found myself 47 miles (75 kilometers) away, and the weather conditions were about to worsen.”
Feeling disoriented and experiencing hallucinations, Dreyer believed he needed a few more days to reach Milwaukee. However, the forecast predicted 9-foot (2.7-meter) waves, making success uncertain and rescue a likely scenario if he continued.
Jim Dreyer, known as The Shark, completed a Lake Michigan crossing in 1998, starting in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and ending in Ludington, Michigan. However, his three attempts to replicate the feat since last summer have been unsuccessful.
During last week’s swim, Dreyer was towing an inflatable boat carrying supplies. On the second day, he had to stop to replace batteries for his GPS device but accidentally lost the bag containing the batteries in the lake.
Left with only a compass and his surroundings to guide him, Dreyer lamented, “It was an accident, but it was my fault. This is a tough pill to swallow.”
By Ed White
