Aussie Swimmer Will Not Attempt Florida Straits Crossing Again
KEY WEST (CBSMiami/AP) – It's "one and done" for an Australian endurance swimmer who tried Wednesday to be the first woman to swim from Cuba to Florida without the use of a shark cage.
Chloe McCardel left Havana's port around 10 a.m. Last Wednesday, she found herself in a swarm of jellyfish and was severely stung, including painful wounds inside her mouth. The pain was so great that she had to give up her swim after 12 hours, about a fifth of the way through her 110-mile swim.
McCardel, who picked June because the danger was lower, said she was surprised by how many there were and she would not attempt the swim again.
She's recovering now in Key West.
American Diana Nyad has tried four times: once in 1978 with a shark cage, and three times in the last two years without it. After jellyfish thwarted her most recent attempt, in August, Nyad all but ruled out a fifth try.
Strong currents forced Australian Penny Palfrey to abandon her attempt last July.
One Australian has successfully finished the swim. Susie Maroney did it in 1997 with a shark cage.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
