Bering Strait Swim Succeeds in Chilly Fog

LITTLE DIOMEDE ISLAND, Alaska —  Endurance swimmer Lynne Cox became the first person to swim across the frigid Bering Strait on Friday, making short work of the 2.7-mile stretch of water between Alaska’s Little Diomede Island and Soviet-owned Big Diomede Island.

Cox, 30, of Los Alamitos, Calif., had no problems in her unprecedented swim, which took 2 hours and 12 minutes. The water temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

She reached the Soviet island, which was obscured by fog much of the way, at 2:02 p.m., accompanied by two walrus-skin boats carrying her American doctors and project team.

Her Soviet hosts greeted Cox and the small entourage. They allowed her to don warm clothes and rest before she returns later in a boat. Doctors conducted tests designed to find out what stresses the ordeal had on her body.

It was not known how long she would remain in Soviet territory.

Cox wore only a swim suit and cap on her crossing. She swam relentlessly, going even faster than the 2 1/2 hours she had predicted.

Dr. Jan Nyboer, a member of the medical team, said Cox’s subcutaneous fat layer served as an “internal wet suit” to protect the 5-foot, 6-inch, 180-pound swimmer.

For Cox, who has broken English Channel records and performed swimming feats all over the world for 16 years, the swim was mostly an adventure. But for the medical researchers, there was much to be learned about how the woman could withstand the cold. They monitored her temperature along the way with a rectal thermometer connected to a wire.

Eskimos Turned Back

The Soviets turned back five boats of Alaskan Eskimos who followed Cox to the U.S.-Soviet border. One-third of Little Diomede’s 150 Eskimos poured into boats and sailed out to the international dateline, but the Soviets waved them back as they approached the border.

But five boats temporarily got lost in the fog and ended up sailing almost to the Soviet island anyway, before finding their way back to their own island.

Eskimos on Little Diomede had sent up balloons to signal to the Soviets that Cox was heading their way, but it was uncertain whether the Soviets saw the wind-blown balloons in the fog.

The Soviets were ready anyway with two boats anchored off Big Diomede. They sent one to welcome Cox and guide her to the south shore of the island, where tents had been set up for her.

The fog was so thick at times that Big Diomede disappeared from view, but Cox kept swimming, relying on her Eskimo navigators in the two skin boats.

Cox, who has been eating high-carbohydrate meals, had a bagel and apple juice for breakfast. She also has been eating a lot of peanut butter and pasta.

The general feeling on Little Diomede was that Cox’s swim was impossible, but the Eskimos welcomed her warmly when she arrived Thursday night. There was much disappointment when the mayor told villagers not to follow Cox across the border into Soviet waters.

The border Cox was permitted to penetrate was once crossed freely by Eskimos in skin boats, but it has been closed for more than four decades. Two California men who walked across the ice unannounced in each of the last two winters were taken into Soviet custody and later released. Cox gave the Soviets ample warning of her plans and elicited their support and participation.

Doctors said Cox’s unusual swim will teach them more about hypothermia and about rewarming people immersed in freezing water for long periods.