Comments on: 7-Year-Old Swims From Alcatraz to San Francisco

By: LJD

LJD — Tue, 23 May 2006 12:10:35 +0000

A friend of mine has done it several times. Part of the prestige of completing the swim is doing it without a wetsuit.

There are really no maneaters to speak of in the bay. Just small sand sharks. That story is probably a Hollywood embellishment.

By: Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator

Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator — Mon, 22 May 2006 22:35:31 +0000

Boy Swims From Alcatraz to San Francisco

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A 7-year-old Arizona boy swam from Alcatraz Island to the city in 47 minutes Monday, where his fathe...

By: Christopher

Christopher — Mon, 22 May 2006 21:07:55 +0000

I think there is something known as a "wet suit" that protects from the cold.

And in the movies I saw, weren't sharks a big concern?

By: ICallMasICM

ICallMasICM — Mon, 22 May 2006 20:08:51 +0000

Didn't you see 'Escape from Alcatraz Island'? When the evil warden finds the washed up clothes of Clint Eastwood and declares 'He drowned, the currents got him'

By: Russell Newquist

Russell Newquist — Mon, 22 May 2006 19:38:39 +0000

That should read "Herculean"... sorry.

By: Russell Newquist

Russell Newquist — Mon, 22 May 2006 19:38:19 +0000

Scott beat me to it, but 1.4 miles in and of itself isn't a huge deal. In the Boy Scouts, we used to have a patch for the "mile swim" (self explanatory, I hope), and if I'm not mistaken Navy SEALs are required to perform a 1.5 mile swim within certain time limits. The temperature and currents around Alcatraz make the swim there much more difficult, however. It's not just cold, but evidently the currents are pretty treacherous. It's a pretty good, though not necessarily heculean, achievement for an adult. For a seven year old, I'd say it's a pretty big deal.

By: Scott_T

Scott_T — Mon, 22 May 2006 18:47:02 +0000

I believe the problem is that the water is extremely cold up by San Fransico verses Southern California.

You can probably find out on some surfing website.