CNN, WASHINGTON POST, USA TODAY (USA), BBC NEWS (UK)
Photo: Diana Nyad
MIAMI – US Swimmer Diana Nyad ended her bid to cross from Cuba to Florida after suffering severe jellyfish stings, reports CNN.
The endurance swimmer, who will turn 63 on Wednesday, was pulled from the water early Tuesday morning, reports CNN.
A major thunderstorm and jellyfish made the crossing too dangerous and forced the swimmer to abandon, according to USA Today.
Her team said that she was around 90 kilometers off the coast of the island of Key West (Florida) when she was pulled from water, explains BBC News.
Her tongue and lips had swollen overnight because of the exposure to salt water. She suffered several jellyfish stings, starting on her first night, writes The Washington Post.
This was Nyad’s fourth attempt at the crossing. Her first attempt took place in 1978.
She failed again in 2011 due to shoulder pain and an asthma attack. Later the same year, potentially deadly jellyfish put an end to a third attempt, says BBC News.
As of Monday night, it was her longest attempt with 52 hours spent in the water, reports the Washington Post.
Diana Nyad’s latest attempt came to an end overnight – almost 42 hours into it, and her best attempt so far.AMAZING.diananyad.com/blog/Extreme-D…
— Brent Hill (@Brent_Hill) August 21, 2012
The full distance between Havana, Cuba and Key West, Florida is 165 kilometers.
