About 40 brave souls, including current and retired firefighters, set off from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park. They did the mile-and-a-quarter trek to raise money for cancer prevention.
One-third of San Francisco retired firefighters develop the disease, possibly because of the toxic smoke and fumes they're exposed to on the job. One swimmer says he was lucky to be escorted by his fellow firefighters.
"I got repositioned a couple of time, so I am very close to having done it for my first time," said San Francisco Battalion Chief Tom Abbott.
A 12-year-old daughter of a firefighter, Jessica Kauan, said the water was cold. She just one of several kids who made the famous swim from the rock.
The fastest time was about 35 minutes.
