health and fitness: Escape from Alcatraz – with nothing but a wetsuit

jeudi 28 mai 2015

Escape from Alcatraz – with nothing but a wetsuit

The waters around the former jail in San Francisco bay are notoriously dangerous, and only one escapee ever got out alive. Perfect, then, for the open-water swimmer in search of escapism

Only one prisoner was known to have survived a swim from Alcatraz Island to the mainland: he was found the morning after, washed up to shore and hypothermic, then shipped immediately back to “the rock”. Three others – made famous by Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz – escaped on a makeshift raft and were never found; they were presumed dead. Watch any documentary about prison escapes from the notorious maximum-security prison and it won’t be long before you hear mention of the cold waters of San Francisco bay, the strong, unpredictable currents and powerful tides, and rumours of man-eating sharks. You might wonder what the appeal was for a holidaymaker.

Heading to California in April, I asked friends for recommendations for San Francisco. I was expecting restaurant and sightseeing suggestions, not a prison escape. My friends clearly know me too well. I sent off a couple of website enquiries to see if a small group might want an extra person, and went back to considering the restaurants. Two days later, a company got in touch: Water World Swim. Their monthly group swim coincided with the weekend I was there. And what’s a holiday without a bit of escapism?