NY football coach to attempt Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim for charity after knee replacement surgery
Fox News
A New York high school football coach, Rich Carroll, will attempt the 2022 Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim in San Francisco Bay in August; all funds raised will go to his school and its student-athletes.
"Once [my doctor] gave me the thumbs-up, I started training for my ‘great escape.’" "I came across the Alcatraz Swim on the internet and thought, ‘What a great bucket list challenge.’" Anyone training for open water swim events should always swim where lifeguards are on duty. In addition, people should swim with a friend. The Alcatraz swim could last between 30 minutes and an hour-and-a-half, depending on the level of the swimmer and the conditions. Swimmers do not take a direct path to the destination but rather a roundabout approach that is navigated by guides. Amy McGorry is a contributing health reporter for Fox News Digital. Follow her on Twitter @amymcgorry.
Thirty-six men tried 14 separate escapes from the maximum-security prison over the years — and nearly all were caught or did not survive from 1934 to 1963 (when the prison closed), according to multiple reports.
Decades later, swimmers made "escaping Alcatraz" an athletic event that poses dangers not just from navigating the dangerous current but also the cold-water temperatures that can drop to 16 degrees C (60 degrees F).