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Diana Nyad forced to abandon 103-mile swim from Cuba to Florida
Look for more updates on The Chart. And watch for Dr. Sanjay Gupta's documentary, "Diana Nyad:Xtreme Dream," Saturday, September 17, 8 p.m. ET (CNN) -- Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, who attempted to become the first person to swim between Cuba and Florida without a shark cage, was forced to abandon her effort early Tuesday morning -- roughly halfway through her journey. Nyad was vomiting when she was brought aboard a boat at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday -- 29 hours after she jumped into the water Sunday. "I am not sad. It was absolutely the right call," she said. Nyad, who is 61, struggled through ocean swells, shoulder pain and asthma Monday before she was forced to give up the 103-mile swim. Strong winds and less than ideal currents played into her decision, her team said. "Earlier in the evening, she was surrounded by dolphins and a beautiful Caribbean sunset. But strong currents blew her 15mph off course," her team posted on her Twitter account. The attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida was the second for the swimmer, who said at a news conference Sunday that she is fitter today than she was in 1978, when she first attempted the crossing but was unable to finish. It took several months to gain permission for the swim from Cuban and U.S. authorities. Bureaucratic snags repeatedly threatened to call off the effort -- already called off in 2010 because of weather. "To swim between these two neighbors, Cuba & the United States, who've been strangers all these years, is a moving thing for me," Nyad had said. She had been training for the event for two years, swimming up to 12 hours a day. A team of more than 30 people supported Nyad as she attempted the crossing. She had 10 handlers to advise her as she swam, ocean kayakers towing devices to repel most sharks and divers and safety officers trained to distract sharks that were not turned away. Comments |
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