1950 CAPE HENLOPEN TO CAPE MAY SWIM
AUGUST 1950 BAY SWIM
Lewes, Delaware, Saturday, 19 August 1950 :
Two of the Rehoboth Beach lifeguard members and a seven-member family and other swimmers will attempt to swim from Cape Henlopen to Cape May Sunday, at 7 am.
The swim is 10 miles of dangerous riptides of the Delaware Bay as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. This newspaper item says the feat was never accomplished according to veteran watermen and the Captain of Rehoboth's lifeguards, Dr. Paul Burnham, said it cannot be done. The two Rehoboth lifeguards are Leon Ryan of Newark and Patrick Marshall of Rehoboth. Burnham warns the 10-mile swim will be more like a 30-mile swim bucking the riptide sand swift currents.
Other entrants are the two lifeguards of Rehoboth, the seven members of the Mercer family of Fall River, Massachusetts and 17-year-old Wandalee Rogers of Wildwood, New Jersey.
The Coast Guard calls for calm waters and there is no indication weather will halt the swim Sunday and they will cooperate with the swimmers. There will be a small craft to accompany the swimmers for safety.
The swimmers and guest will hold a dinner Sunday night at the Cape May Tuna Club with awards to be presented.
Abstract: Saturday, August 19, 1950, Wilmington News Journal.
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I’m Harrison and this is a blog about ‘local’ history. I research topics through many means but mostly I find local newspaper articles from newspaperabstracts.com. Sometimes they are relative to something that is happening now. Sometimes it is just interesting and worth sharing.
