Jim Bayles, an English Channel Half Century Club swimmer, is on his way across Lake Erie on the standard 24.3-mile (km) crossing sanctioned by the Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association (LEOWSA).
According to Josh Heynes, founder of LEOWSA, “Jim can be followed his on the SPOT Tracker as he tries the join the small number of people who have previously made this crossing.”
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. The Great Lakes is bound by Ontario to the north, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York to the south, and Michigan to the west.
The following swimmers have completed marathon swims in Lake Erie:
1. Pat Budney swam 26 miles in 25 hours 52 minutes from Canada to USA (August 1975)
2/3. Bob North and Harvey Snell swam 24.3 miles from Canada to USA (August 1989)
4. Halli Reid swam 24.3 miles in 17 hours from Canada to USA (August 1993)
5. Greg Sarbak swam 24.3 miles in 13 hours from Canada to USA (August 1995)
6. Paula Jongerden swam 24.3 miles in 23 hours 36 minutes from USA to Canada (August 2002)
7. Sara McClure swam 24.3 miles from Canada to USA (August 2005)
8. Josh Heynes swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 53 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2006)
9. Dan Nichols swam 26 miles in 20 hours 45 minutes from USA to Canada (August 2007)
10. Sonya Pyle swam 24.3 miles in 14 hours from Canada to USA (August 2007)
11. Randy McElwain swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 23 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2009)
12. Mitch Ranzenberger swam 24.3 miles in 17 hours 47 minutes from Canada to USA(August 2010)
13. Josh Heynes swam 24.3 miles in 11 hours 16 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2011)
14. Melanie Reade swam 24.3 miles in 13 hours 35 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2011)
15. Randy McElwain swam 32 miles in 16 hours 26 minutes from Canada to USA (August 2011)
16. Eric Mizuba swam 24.3 miles in 14 hours 34 minutes from Canada to USA (July 2012)
In addition to these swimmers, Solo Swims of Ontario has documented several other marathon swims in Lake Erie:
Eastern Lake Erie
1. Vicki Keith swam 16 miles (26 km) in 10 hours 24 minutes from Port Colborne (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York) in July 1988
2. Kim Middleton completed a 22-mile (35 km) double crossing in 18 hours between Point Abino (Ontario) and Sturgeon Point (New York) with a return to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in August 1988
3. Rick Wood completed a 22-mile (35 km) double crossing in 16 hours 46 minutes between Point Abino (Ontario) and Sturgeon Point (New York) with a return to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in August 1990
4. Ashley Cowan, a quadruple amputee, swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 14 hours 20 minutes from Sturgeon Point (New York) to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in September 2001
5. Terri-Lynn Langdon with cerebral palsy, swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 12 hours 55 minutes from Sturgeon Point (New York) to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in August 2002
6. John Munro swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 9 hours 33 minutes from Crystal Beach (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York) in July 2003
7. Chris Stockdale swam 16 miles (26 km) in 14 hours 15 minutes from Port Colborne (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York) in September 2006
8. Susanne Robinson swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 8 hours 14 minutes from Crystal Beach (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York) in July 2007
9. Natalie Lambert swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 7 hours 47 minutes from Crystal Beach (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York) butterfly in July 2008
10. Jade Scognamillo swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 5 hours 40 minutes from Sturgeon Point (New York) to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in July 2008
11. Natalie Lambert swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 6 hours 40 minutes from the Boat Ramp on Crystal Beach (Ontario) to Beach east of harbour, Sturgeon Point (New York) in July 2009
12. Thie Convery swam 11.5 miles (18.5 km) in 7 hours 20 minutes from 1 km east of Sturgeon Point (New York) to Crystal Beach (Ontario) in July 2010
13. Greg Willoughby swam 12 miles (19.2 km) in 6 hours 17 minutes from Crystal Beach (Ontario) to Sturgeon Point (New York in July 2011
Central Lake Erie
1. Bob Weir swam 27 miles (43 km) in 23 hours 41 minutes from Dunkirk (New York) to Mohawk Point (Ontario) in August 1992
2. Paula Stephanson swam 27 miles (43 km)in 18 hours 23 minutes from Dunkirk (New York) to Rock Point Provincial Park (Ontario) in July 1998
3. Paula Jongerden swam 27.3 miles (43.6 km) in 23 hours 36 minutes from Presque Isle Point, Erie, Pennsylvania to Long Point, Ontario in August 2002
4. Daniel Nichols swam 32.2 miles (51.8 km) in 20 hours 45 minutes from Presque Isle Lighthouse, Erie, Pennsylvania to Beach at foot of Abigail Becker Parkway, Long Point, Ontario in August 2007
Western Lake Erie – Pelee Island
1. Ian James swam backstroke 13.8 miles (22.1 km) in 14 hours 46 minutes from Pelee Island to Leamington (Ontario) in September 1993
2. Bryan Finlay swam breaststroke 13.8 miles (22.1 km) in 10 hours 44 minutes from Leamington Beach to Pelee Island lighthouse in June 2001
Data courtesy of Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association and Solo Swims of Ontario.
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