Boy Swims From Alcatraz to San Francisco
 

SAN FRANCISCO - A 7-year-old Arizona boy swam from Alcatraz Island to the city in 47 minutes Monday, where his father lifted him from the chilly waters.

Braxton Bilbrey was joined by his coach and two other adults for the estimated 1.4-mile swim. The second-grader was greeted at the finish by reporters, photographers and well-wishers.

"I think it's pretty cool," the wetsuit-clad boy said shortly after his father grabbed him under the arms and out of the water, which was in the mid-50s Monday.

Braxton said his next ambition is to swim the English Channel.

Stacey Bilbrey originally wasn't sold on the idea of her son swimming from Alcatraz, but she accepted it once he proved he was dedicated to his goal.

"For a 7-year-old to be that motivated and stick with a goal that long is amazing," she said.

Alcatraz, once a notorious federal prison that housed some of the nation's infamous criminals, including Chicago mobster Al Capone, is now a tourist site that attracts about 1 million visitors a year. It also draws a fair share of swimmers who attempt the crossing as part of the annual Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

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That's fucking awesome.

pretty cool. way to go kid. :thumbsup

Cool story :)

You will read later that he has contracted amoebic dysentary.

2hp

Wow thats cool

English Channel good luck its fucking cold !!!

wonder which olympics he will show up at

that's awesome..way to go kiddo:thumbsup

thats great

saw that in the news today, he should join the Navy

:smokin

wtf is that ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gangbangjoe wtf is that ?

I would not enter the SF Bay without every orifice plugged tight.


"Until recently, California did not have mandatory testing programs for its coastal waters. Monitoring and public notification were left up to local agencies, and standards and testing procedures varied widely throughout the state. Some Bay Area counties did little, if any, monitoring. Others -- namely San Francisco and San Mateo -- did monitor their beaches, many of which were heavily used and subject to contamination by sewage.

Sewage is frequently the cause of contaminated beachwater. The problem is made worse in cities -- like San Francisco -- that have combined sewer systems, in which both rainwater and sewage flow through the same pipes. When rainfall is heavy, the pipes can overflow, and untreated sewage winds up in local waterways. Sewage overflows also cause many beach advisories in San Mateo. Given the prevalence of sewage problems, it's not surprising that increased monitoring has led to more closings and advisories. Better monitoring is finally beginning to reveal the true dimension of our region's beachwater pollution problem... more

2hp

that's amazing

now that is positive motivation! Right on!

That is quite an amazing feat.

it's like the marathon boy from india...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/grap.../wmarath07.jpg