8 Bridges Hudson River Swim Kicks Off Friday Morning
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - The mighty Hudson River has eight major bridges, starting from the mouth in New York harbor up to Catskill in the Hudson Valley, and David Barra is about to swim beneath them all.
WCBS 880's Wayne Cabot With David Barra
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Barra and 20 other simmers will take to the water for the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim to raise money for the Riverkeeper's water quality program.
They will have seven days to complete the 120 mile swim.
"It's going to be in seven stages, from one bridge to the next," Barra says.
The event will kick off at 8:30 a.m. on Friday from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and go to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge (18.3 miles).
Stage 2 is Saturday, July 9 from the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to the Mid-Hudson Bridge (19.8 miles).
Stage 3 is Sunday, July 10 from the Mid-Hudson Bridge to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (13.2 miles).
Stage 4 is Monday, July 11 from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to the Bear Mountain Bridge (15.2 miles).
Stage 5 is Tuesday, July 12 from the Bear Mountain Bridge to the Tappan Zee Bridge (19.8 miles).
Stage 6 is Wednesday, July 13 from the Tappan Zee Bridge to the George Washington Bridge (15.7 miles).
Stage 7 is Thursday, July 14 from the George Washington Bridge to the spectacular Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (18.1 miles).
Though the Hudson River may not seem like an ideal place to take a dip, Barra, 46, said the water is much cleaner than most people think.
"It has a nice, fresh taste to it.," Barra said. "It's not extremely salty and it does have a pretty fresh organic taste to it."
"There's wildlife that live on the shoreline and use the water, otters and such, eagles and ospreys flying overhead," Barra added. "It's really a beautiful, beautiful body of water and more people should experience it."
The Walkway Over The Hudson, in Poughkeepsie, will not be included in the event.
For more information on the event, click HERE.
