Marathon swimmer who crossed Lake Michigan in 1998 is trying it again

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — The Shark is back in the water, trying to repeat his 1998 feat of swimming across Lake Michigan.

Jim Dreyer entered the lake at Grand Haven, Michigan, on Tuesday and began swimming to Wisconsin. The route to Milwaukee is expected to cover roughly 83 miles (134 kilometers), though it could be more, depending on lake conditions.

“Even with all the extensive training and planning, I understand the inherent dangers of this self-sufficient swim,” Dreyer, who nicknamed himself The Shark before his first historic swim, said last month.

Dreyer, 60, is towing supplies in an inflatable boat attached to him. Satellite communications will allow him to contact a crew for help if necessary.

“I hope this calculated risk captures the imaginations of adventurous souls everywhere as I find my way across the seemingly endless expanse of Lake Michigan,” said Dreyer, who is also trying to raise money for the nonprofit U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association.

Dreyer swam across Lake Michigan, from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to Michigan’s Ludington State Park, in 1998, a grueling feat that lasted nearly 41 hours.

He tried last year to cross the lake but gave up after 10 hours because of bad weather.