DID HE SWIM, OR WAS HE TOWED?

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1949, Page 6

DID HE SWIM, OR WAS HE TOWED?

U.S. Radio Stunt— Seal Crosses English Channel LONDON, Oct 9.

“Sammy.” and 18-nionths-old Californian seal, tipped a flipper on the rock at Leathercote’s Point, off Dover, today and so completed the Channel swim in five hours four minutes. This was about three times’ as fast as the normal Channel swimmer completes the crossing. “Sammy’s swim was a United States radio stunt and was surrounded by a publicity build-up equal to any given Channel contestants this year. Seventy five reporters, cameramen and' scores of onlookers crowded the pier at Cap Gris Nez to watch “Sammy enter the water and crowds gathered at St Margaret’s Bay to see him arrive. Only about two dozen saw “Sammy’ reach England. For an hour before “Sammy” touched land, coastguards at St Margaret’s Bay watched the progress on the last lap. They said that “part of the time “Sammy” was being towed and at other times he was swimming.” “Sammy” slithered on to. the rock took a snack of fish and tested for half an hour. Then he was put into a large box and taken back to France by launch. Police were waiting at St Margaret’s Bay and it is thought they would ask to see the Home Office license which all trainers and exhibitors of performing animals in Britain must have

The police superintendent said that “Sammy” landed at a- spot that was almost inaccessible, except from the sea. "We did not get a chance to examine the seal, because it was back in the box and on the way to France by the time we got where it landed,” he said. “Sammy” wore a black leather harness connected to the launch by a 40ft cord to stop him from straying. The stunt originated in the American National Broadcasting Company’s “Truth and consequences” session. Those taking part in the show must agree to perform whatever task is allotted to them if they fail to answer certain questions correctly. Current penalties send people on long trips to do impossible jobs with their fares and expenses paid. For instance, people have been sent te Canada to sell ice cubes to Eskimos. Twenty-seven-eyar old Kennedy had to pay the penalty of going to Paris to train a Channel swimmer. Kennedy was flown to Paris, not realising that the swimmer was a seal. It followed Kennedy by plane. The stunt has angered many Englishmen and brought sarcastic ridicule fiom British newspapers. At a time when France is without "a Government "Sammy” pushed gloomy political predictions off the front pages of the French newspapers