Escape from Spike Island

MANY of its inmates would have contemplated it over the years, but one man added the swim from Spike Island to Cobh to his list of aquatic achievements.

Gary Emich, 61, known as Mr Alcatraz among open water swimmers, became only the fifth swimmer in the world to earn the “triple crown” of prison swims having previously completed swims in Robben and Alcatraz Islands.

Over the past 18 years he has recorded 801 Alcatraz swims without the use of wetsuits or fins. His log book was recently requested for permanent display in the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Gary was also one of the swim organisers who helped commercialise the Alcatraz swim in San Franscisco.