Swimmer known as the The Shark is trying again to cross Lake Michigan
Jim Dreyer heads out into Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Mich., Aug. 6, 2024, in his attempt to swim to Wisconsin. Credit: AP/Blace Carpenter
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — An ultra swimmer is trying again to cross Lake Michigan, from Michigan to Wisconsin, just a few weeks after trouble with a GPS device forced him to give up after 60 miles (96 kilometers).
Jim Dreyer set out after 6 p.m. Monday in Grand Haven. He said the journey to Milwaukee would cover at least 80 miles (128 kilometers) in the water and last 72 hours or more without sleep.
Dreyer, 61, will also be towing a small inflatable boat with supplies.
“Sorry for the last-minute notice, but chaos is often part of this open water swimming game,” he said on Facebook while also posting “Here I Go Again,” a 1987 power ballad video by Whitesnake.
His progress can be tracked online.
Dreyer, who calls himself The Shark, crossed Lake Michigan in 1998, starting in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and finishing in Ludington, Michigan. But three attempts to do it again have been unsuccessful since 2023.
His last effort began on Aug. 6. The next day, he paused to get fresh AA batteries to keep a GPS device working. But during the process, Dreyer said he somehow lost the bag in the lake.
He had only a compass and nature to help him try to keep moving west. But Dreyer ended up swimming north instead, burning precious time and adding more miles as risky weather approached. A support crew pulled him out of Lake Michigan on Aug. 8.
“What a blow!” Dreyer said.
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