(ORDO NEWS) — Thirty-seven-year-old Chilean Barbara Hernandez did the unthinkable on February 5 this year: she swam two and a half kilometers in the freezing waters of the Antarctic Ocean, wearing a regular swimsuit, cap, glasses and earplugs.
For a decade, Chilean swimmer Barbara Hernandez, nicknamed Ice Mermaid, dreamed of swimming in the icy waters of Antarctica.
She was frightened by the increasing rate of melting of the ice sheets, and with her act she decided to draw public attention to the problem of the disappearance of glaciers, as well as to challenge herself and her fears.
Although the temperature of the water outside was only two degrees above zero, the woman was dressed in a simple swimsuit, cap and goggles, and also used ear plugs to protect her ears from the freezing water.
The swim began off Greenidge Island , north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and lasted 45 minutes and 30 seconds until the swimmer reached a buoy in the middle of the ocean.
In the middle of the swim, the woman felt a cold in her chest – a reliable sign of the onset of hypothermia , which can end in a heart attack and death.
However, the swimmer did not ask for help and continued rowing until she reached the goal.
According to Hernandez, she focused on thoughts about what this “hard” swim was conceived for, and about the people who believed in her.
At the end of the swim, the woman was pulled out of the icy water and placed in the onboard clinic of the USS Janekeo: by that time her body temperature had dropped to 27 degrees, but Hernandez was conscious, although she was delirious from time to time.
However, two hours later, the Chilean felt completely fine.
Now having put her feet to the test in the icy waters of Antarctica, Barbara Hernandez is planning the Seven Oceans Marathon, during which she will swim across seven straits and channels around the world, finishing in Japan this August.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.