Navy SEAL almost killed in harrowing firefight with Al Qaeda recalls physical and emotional tolls before grueling Hudson River swim
NY Post
His motto is to just keep swimming.
Jason Redman was at death’s door following an Al Qaeda ambush in Iraq in 2007, during which he was shot eight times, sustaining severe injuries to his face, arm and body.
However, against all odds, the decorated Navy SEAL made it out alive, earning a Purple Heart for wounds sustained during the attack.
Now, still bearing the facial scars of that fateful day in the desert, he’ll defy the odds once again with another crucible — the annual New York City SEAL Swim 2025 on Saturday, a grueling, 3½ mile slog across the Hudson River, where he and others will battle the dangerous currents to raise money for charity.
“It’s a tough swim, it’s a real gut check — we have to rescue people every year,” Redman, 50, who will complete the event for the third time, told The Post. “Even Michael Phelps couldn’t swim against that current.”
The military man will be joined by hundreds more former SEALS, veterans, police officers, firefighters and other first responders who will make the aquatic trek from New Jersey’s Liberty State Park to Lower Manhattan — where they’ll participate in an “in formation” flag run, near the 9/11 Memorial.
