7 year old escapes from Alcatraz

[Stinger]

Boy Swims From Alcatraz to San Francisco

By KIM CURTIS, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 6 minutes ago



A 7-year-old Arizona boy swam from Alcatraz Island to the city in 47 minutes Monday, where his father lifted him from the chilly waters.

Braxton Bilbrey was joined by his coach and two other adults for the estimated 1.4-mile swim. The second-grader was greeted at the finish by reporters, photographers and well-wishers.

"I think it's pretty cool," the wetsuit-clad boy said shortly after his father grabbed him under the arms and out of the water, which was in the mid-50s Monday.

Braxton said his next ambition is to swim the English Channel.
Stacey Bilbrey originally wasn't sold on the idea of her son swimming from Alcatraz, but she accepted it once he proved he was dedicated to his goal.

"For a 7-year-old to be that motivated and stick with a goal that long is amazing," she said.

Alcatraz, once a notorious federal prison that housed some of the nation's infamous criminals, including Chicago mobster Al Capone, is now a tourist site that attracts about 1 million visitors a year. It also draws a fair share of swimmers who attempt the crossing as part of the annual Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

Braxton, who lives in Glendale, Ariz., got the idea when he saw a magazine story about a 9-year-old boy who made the swim. Johnny Wilson, a fourth grader from Hillsborough completed the swim in 53-degree waters last October.

Coach Joe Zemaitis said Braxton, who has completed several short-scale youth triathlons, planned to rest up after his swim.

"He did great," said his dad, Steve Bilbrey. "He looked so strong. He did so awesome. I'm so proud of him."

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[ArrowheadHawk]

i can't even get my eight year old to clean her room

[JBucc]

And the "experts" said those two guys that escaped could have never made it to shore

[Rain Man]

Why would you let a child that small try something like this? Even if you have a boat next to him, it seems a bit irresponsible.

It reminds me of the dimwits that were trying to get their daughter to be the youngest person to fly across the U.S. a few years back. It was going great until she crashed and died.

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

i can't even get my eight year old to clean her room

That was my first thought as well when I read this

[Rooster]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

i can't even get my eight year old to clean her room

[Ultra Peanut]

WHAT THE ****

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Why would you let a child that small try something like this? Even if you have a boat next to him, it seems a bit irresponsible.

It reminds me of the dimwits that were trying to get their daughter to be the youngest person to fly across the U.S. a few years back. It was going great until she crashed and died.

Oh yeah, I remember that. What was her name?

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by JBucc

And the "experts" said those two guys that escaped could have never made it to shore

There was more than one time where someone made it off the island, but was eventually recaptured, or am I mistaken?

[Eleazar]

In 2003, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, the co-hosts of the television series MythBusters, sought to prove whether the escapees could have survived. Using similar materials to those used by the three convicts, they constructed an inflatable raft from a large quantity of rubber raincoats and made plywood paddles. Hyneman and Savage selected a date when the tide direction and rate matched that of the escape attempt. With another crew member, Will Abbot, standing in for the third prisoner, they were able to paddle with the outgoing tide to the Marin Headlands, near the North tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Both Hyneman and Savage agreed that the escape could have succeeded, though the actual fate of the prisoners is unknown.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Donger

Oh yeah, I remember that. What was her name?

No idea.

I do remember that the whole thing was bogus, too. There was some setup where she was only flying a small proportion of the time that the plane was in the air, too. Apparently the wrong proportion.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

i can't even get my eight year old to clean her room

Nice.

[JBucc]

I guess it was three then. I saw that episode btw.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

No idea.

I do remember that the whole thing was bogus, too. There was some setup where she was only flying a small proportion of the time that the plane was in the air, too. Apparently the wrong proportion.

Aha. Doesn't say she died, however:

In 1993, Victoria Van Meter, 11 years old, became the youngest girl to fly across the United States. Her flight instructor sat alongside her the entire way, but never once took the controls.

[kaplin42]

Hmmm, 7yr old in a wet suit, swimming in the cold pacific waters off of San Fran. You ever watch shark week where they show a great white shark come rushing up to the surfice after a seal and go rocket launching out of the water, sometimes grabbing the seal in mid-flight? I bet that in a wet suit, at about 7 yrs old, you probably look just like a seal. I wonder how pleased mom would have been then?