A long-distance swimmer who calls himself "The Shark" is in the middle of a 30-hour, 22-mile dip in Lake St. Clair near the Michigan-Canada border.
Jim Dreyer is hauling two dinghies filled with 334 bricks weighing a total of more than 906 kg (2,000 lbs).
An online tracker showed him roughly half done early Tuesday morning.
He began Monday morning and plans to end Tuesday afternoon at Detroit's Belle Isle.
"Next stop, Detroit," he said, before hitting the water to the delight of the onlookers who had gathered to see him get started.
The soon-to-be-50-year-old planned to come ashore Tuesday afternoon to greet fans, well-wishers and representatives of Habitat for Humanity, the charity that inspired Dreyer to undertake his latest swim.
He's trying to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity.
One dinghy is equipped with a radar target so Dreyer will show up on radar screens. He has to feed himself and doesn't plan to leave the water until coming ashore in Detroit.
Jim Dreyer said he expects to set one this time around for longest distance swimming while towing a ton of bricks — a record that doesn't currently exist. (Carlos Osorio/Associated Press) Dreyer is swimming with a GPS tracking device that will post his position online. It also comes equipped with a messaging system that allows him to communicate with the outside world.
At the touch of a button, Dreyer can send out three pre-programmed messages.
One lets his crew know he's OK. A second tells them he's not and to send a boat to his position. A third shows that he's in a life-threatening situation and requires immediate assistance from the Coast Guard.
Dreyer has made direct crossings of the five Great Lakes.
He's been in tough situations before, overcoming high waves during his 60-mile (96-kilometer) crossing of Lake Superior and falling ill, vomiting repeatedly and dropping 20 pounds (nine kilograms) while swimming across Lake Huron.
He feels better about his chances for this swim.
Dreyer has been preparing for his current swim since October, doing strength training, completing 32-km (20-mile) swims and at one point towing a 2,700-kilogram (6,000-pound) boat in the water.
"I'm confident that if anyone on this planet can do this, it's me," Dreyer said with a smile before the swim.
Water temperatures are expected to remain in the 20- to 22-degree Celsius (68- to 71-degree Fahrenheit) range, which pleased Dreyer, and he's hoping the weather remains calm.
The holder of a number of world records for endurance swimming, Dreyer said he expects to set one this time around for longest distance swimming while towing a ton of bricks — a record that doesn't currently exist.
"Nobody has ever pulled a ton of bricks any distance," he said. "Pretty surprising, right?"
Records aside, Dreyer's true motivation is Habitat for Humanity of Michigan, with whom he has helped fund building projects for up to 75 affiliates through his swim fundraising, called the Cornerstone Strength Swim Campaign.
Engraved commemorative bricks, including the bricks towed by Dreyer, are being sold to support the building project of the purchaser's choice.
As for what's next on Dreyer's agenda following the "ton of bricks swim," he's not saying just yet.
"I'm always coming up with these crazy ideas," he said.
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