Eller and the US Coast Guard meet in 3+ foot waves after 10.5 miles of swimming in Lake Tahoe. A small miscalculation of distance (It was 11.5 miles, not 7.5 miles). 5.5 hours of swimming and still not there!
Mission accomplished with a little help from the US Coast Guard . Thanks to my crew, my bride of 35 years, Dee Ann Eller (the skipper), and our best friend, Kevyn McGuffin (she was our Movie star/Marianne/Gilligan) and temporary clergy (as the Coast guard was called, Kevyn, said "let's pray"). There's a story to this...read on. Thanks to the Ski Run/Boat Company of Lake Tahoe for donating a 24 foot pontoon boat. Great people, great staff, great owners - Ron and Jacky Williams.
The start. I left Elk Point (just North of South Lake Tahoe and the state line) at 9am . The water was quite warm (65 degrees) and quite blue with extreme visibility. I wore an Xterra full body swim wetsuit for the very first time (not too smart). It was awesome. I didn't have a single burn mark, blister or rash. I wore a bright, orange insulated swim cap, polarized goggles, and 3-inch, no-flex training swim fins (for added propulsion). I, also, wore non-insulted gloves used by divers to pick up sea urchins.
My destination was Eagle Point across the lake - the entrance to Emerald Bay what I thought to be 7.5 miles across. My first clue that I had miscalculated the distance... when renting the boat, the rental crew said, "you're swimming from where to where? That's 12 miles! ". I discounted their comments and thought how could they possibly know even though they had worked the lake for years... nothing like a stubborn, 52 year- old man doubting the experts.
The water was like glass the first 5 miles, which I covered fairly fast (under 2.5 hours). I was very optimistic that I could and would make this swim happen. At 6.5 miles the wind picked up from the NW creating small chop. I was still able to make forward progress At 7.5 miles, The wind had shifted and was coming in strong from the SW. The waves were, now, 2 feet high and coming right at me. At 8.0 miles, the rental boat company sent a boat out to check on me. My heart sank when they told Dee and Kevyn I had 3+ more miles to go. At 8.6 all forward movement had ceased. The waves were, now, 3+ feet high. The strong wind had not been forecasted. It was one of those sudden unannounced Lake Tahoe summer wind storms.
I had planned for sheer exhaustion, but not the "Perfect Storm". My goal was still in sight and my determination still in tack. IN preparation for worst case scenario, I had purchased a Seadoo Seascooter (a 3 foot long, handheld, battery operated, personal propulsion system to be used only as a last recourse. I was pretty tired at 8.6 miles, the waves were wreaking havoc and I became more concerned for my support pontoon boat and crew. Kevyn, handed me the Seadoo Seascooter. It had an hour of charge and pulled me 2 more miles through the growing white caps. Finally, its battery died. My goal, Eagle Point, was within 1 + miles. The waves were 3+ feet high.
At 10.6 miles, I had to call it quits and get on the pontoon. I was too tired and the waves were too big. The challenge ...the 3-step ladder was "lost at sea" halfway across the lake by the crew as they were using it to cool their bodies in the lake throughout the swim. The climb aboard was impossible, too high (4-5 feet with nothing to grab hold) and I was too exhausted. Dee called the United States Coast Guard on the ship to shore radio, Kevyn prayed, and I hung on to a sharp, 1-inch side piece on the gigantic metal pontoon. Good thing I had my gloves. And, the wind continued to get stronger and the waves bigger.
So, the Coast Guard came and the owner of the boat rental company came to my rescue. Despite the "possible" severity of the situation, all were safe and we all laughed and cheered. Ron Williams and his wife, Jacky, the owners of the boat rental company, took me to within 50 yards of "goal".
I jumped off the boat and swam to Eagle Point . Mission accomplished . 11.5 miles (8.6 miles swimming, 2 miles being pulled by the Seadoo Seascooter, .9 mile by boat, and my final swim of 50 yards to shore! 5.5 hours in the water). What a beautiful day and thanks to all of you for making it happen.
Jim MacLaren, thank you for being my hero and inspiration. I could never have done this swim without your prayers, thoughts and courage!
John S. Eller
August 28, 2006
Roseville, CA