The Highest Swim
Daniel’s LATEST World Record - The Highest Swim - has been years in the making.
Inspired by wanting to combine his passion for heights with his love of water, he came up with the idea of attempting ‘The Highest Swim’ – first reaching, and then swimming, in the highest lake on Earth.
The lake is so remote with only a handful of sightings, that it’s not marked on any maps and is yet to be named.
Daniel swam at an altitude of almost 6,400 metres or 21,000 feet, near the summit of the world’s tallest volcano, in the Andes in South America. That’s the equivalent height of 15 Empire State Buildings or 20 Eiffel Towers!
The volcano is named Ojos del Salado and is actually an active stratovolcano. It’s the highest peak in Chile and the second highest mountain outside the Himalaya.
Battling extreme altitude over a 25-day journey, on the brink of cardiac arrest, hypothermia, and WITHOUT a wetsuit, swimming in sub-zero degree icy waters, Daniel claimed the Guinness World Record for the World’s Highest Altitude Swim, in early 2020.
With less than 50% oxygen than at sea level, Daniel completed the 100m swim in breaststroke, in an attempt to manage his breathing. Prior to the expedition, a top cardiologist warned that the attempt was potentially deadly.
Using ice axes and his kayak, Daniel broke open enough ice to create a ‘swimming lane’ before removing his gear and plunging into the icy lake, swimming in deadly -2°C | 28°F waters.
A feat from which he is still regaining sensation in his toes!
‘The Highest Swim’ is a chilling assault on the senses and a remarkable story of survival and triumph against all odds.
