Lake Michigan Crossing Ends Prematurely, But Money Raised to Help Kids Learn to Swim
After successfully crossing the English Channel in October, Dr. Bryan Huffman was ready for his next challenge.
The 50-year-old masters swimmer from Holland, Mich., was ready to tackle Lake Michigan, this time to raise money for swimming lessons for those who need financial help at Holland Community Aquatic Center.
“After I trained for the English Channel swim, and completed it, I thought, ‘Now what?’” Huffman, a local ophthalmologist, wrote in a release. “Having Lake Michigan in my backyard made it the obvious choice. And this time, I decided I would have a bigger reason for swimming. I want to raise enough money so that swim lessons are affordable for anyone who wants them at HAC.”
While it is a generally smoother swim than the English Channel, it is also much longer, nearly 60 miles at the point Huffman attempted to cross, around double that of the channel.
That leaves much more time and space for things to go wrong. Huffman was forced to end his trek early as there were issues on the accompanying boat, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“Due to a mechanical failure on our support boat, Bryan was not able to complete the swim successfully,” a Facebook post said. “We are all safe, but very disappointed. All of us are grateful for your support.”
Huffman is not alone. Jim Dreyer, who crossed the lake in a solo swim 25 years ago, also attempted the trek this month, but had to stop after nearly 10 miles because of weather.
According to the Free Press, Dreyer commented on the Huffman post, urging him to try again: “So sorry to hear this. I feel your pain. A battle may be lost but the war is never over until YOU say so. Glad everyone is safe and Bryan will swim another day! Yes, a valiant effort for all in this first chapter!”