Melbourne swimmer sets record for open water swimming in Bahamas
A Melbourne ultra-marathon swimmer has set a record for open water swimming, in a 42.5 hour journey between two islands in the Bahamas.
Chloe McCardel, 29, swam 126 kilometres unassisted from Lighthouse Beach on the southern tip of Eleuthera Island to Nassau.
If her record is ratified, Ms McCardel will have completed the longest open water, solo, continuous, unassisted marathon swim in history.
She completed the swim wearing only regulation bathers, a swimming cap and goggles.
Local media and supporters welcomed the exhausted swimmer into Nassau.
She was taken away for a medical check-up and a few hours sleep.
Her husband travelled alongside her on the support boat and said she was "a very, very proud Australian" who had spent her entire swimming career preparing to break the record.
The couple were to spend the next two weeks recovering in the Bahamas before returning to Australia.
