Quadruple amputee swims English Channel

This is Philippe Croizon, 42, a quadruple amputee who swam the English Channel this weekend. Using prosthetic legs outfitted with flippers, he made the swim in 13.5 hours, almost half the time he expected to take. From the AP:

Croizon's specially designed leg protheses, which end in flippers, allow him to propel himself through the water. His truncated upper arms go through the motions of the crawl, and he breathes through a snorkel.

The swimmer lost his arms and legs after suffering an electric shock in 1994 as he stood on a ladder adjusting his television antenna, which touched a power line.

"Quadruple amputee swims across English Channel"

• [Anonymous]

  Eyeborg thoroughly approves!!!! Way to go Phillipe. :)

• [Prufrock451]

  Eat THAT, Ahab.

• [Anonymous]

  Off subject I know but…

  What sort of power line was running near his antenna?
  I just can’t imagine normal domestic current, even
  multiphase doing that kind of damage to a person.
  Especially considering that the ladder should have
  taken most of it straight to ground.

  • [Atvaark]

    According to his web site, that was a 20 kV line.

    I can hardly figure out how such a high voltage power line could run so low. Maybe the antenna was on a very high mast.

• [Maddy]

  Okay, you shamed me into picking up those clothes off the floor …

• [ransom notes]

  This is inspiring David. He is a textbook example for The WILL = The WAY.

• [Anonymous]

  Does using a wooden leg make you a swimmer or a captain?

• [Art]

  Good Lord!!!

  What an amazing and inspirational accomplishment.

• [ill lich]

  I thought maybe his name was “Bob.”

  (sorry, couldn’t help it.)