LEGLESS MAN FAILS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1933, Page 5

LEGLESS MAN FAILS

TRIED TO SWIM THE CHANNEL. WAS ELEVEN HOURS IN WATER. _ I By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright London, August 15. Strong winds and rough seas forced the legless American Charles Zibelman to abandon an attempt to swim the Channel for the Dover Gold Cup after he had been swimming for 11 hours. Zibelman lost both legs in an accident, but this has not prevented him from swimming 78 miles without a stop; diving from a height of 157 feet; staying in the water 10 Ohours, and holding the underwater swimming record for the United States. Zibelman said recently: “I lost my legs in a tramway accident when I was a newsboy in Cricago. Before that accident I had never swum at all, but a year later, when I was ten, I was taken to some public baths in Chicago and somedhe pushed me into the water. “I found that I could not sink, and that I was far more at home in the water' than on land. In July, 1931,- I won the world’s championship for endurance swimming at Honolulu, where I stayed in the water for 100 hours 15 seconds. I have swum 78 miles without a stop and dived from a height of 157 ft.” Zibelman is married and has a daughter of 11 and a son of 13. He holds the under-water' record in the United States, remaining submerged for 4m. 17s. Last year Zibelman started from St. Margaret’s Cliffs, near Dover, at 5.35 p.m. on September 9 to swim -the Channel, and during the first hour of the swim was swept by a strong flood tide rapidly northwards towards Deal. Later he made good progress. The sea was calm and the weather remained perfect. He was confident of success, and declared that if he reached France he might start the return journey. His original plans provided for a swim, of 70 hours on the “there and back” attempt. On the tug accompanying him was a large supply of cigars for use during the swim, and feed consisting of chicken, rice, steak, bread and butter.

. However, he abandoned his attempt after he had struggled for 19 hours in a choppy sea and adverse currents. It was estimated that he swam over 30 miles. He was 12 miles north-east of Dover when he stopped.