Posted at 6:28 p.m., Sunday, September 2, 2007
Swimming: Record-setter released from hospital
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Marathon swimmer Skip Storch was released from the hospital today after two days recuperating from the hypothermia, muscle tears and scrapes he picked up on a record-setting swim around Manhattan.Storch went home today, his publicist, Irene Savine said.
Family members took Storch to the hospital hours after he finished circling the island of Manhattan three times in 32 hours, 52 minutes, 30 seconds on Thursday night.
Storch, who became sick during the swim after swallowing salt water from the choppy Hudson river, did the swim unassisted, meaning he wore only a bathing suit, cap and goggles.
The previous record for the 85 1/2-mile trip was 33 hours, 30 minutes, set by Stacy Chanin in 1984.
Storch was swimming to raise money for the sarcoidosis treatment program at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Many New Yorkers — Storch among them — contracted the disease since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 sent clouds of contaminated dust into the air around the city.
Sarcoidosis is an inflammation that produces tiny clumps of cells in various organs that can eventually affect their functioning.
