Talk:July 1962

Fred Baldasare
This article says:

July 11, 1962 (Wednesday)[edit] ... The first person to swim across the English Channel underwater, without surfacing, arrived in Sandwich Bay at Dover 18 hours after departing from Calais. Fred Baldasare wore scuba gear and was assisted by a guiding ship and the use of oxygen tanks.

Implying that he swam from France to England (since Dover is in England). But this site:

https://www.todaysflashback.com/fred-baldasare-is-first-to-swim-english-channel-underwater-scuba/

Says he swam the other way (from England to France). I seek clarification as to which is right.

Also, I'd like to know how long it took. According to an old episode of I've Got A Secret, it took 35 hours and I'm not sure I trust the 18 hours quoted above. They didn't say on IGAS which way he swam.

Hoping someone can clear this up and fix the article. Thanks. 2601:582:302:E20:0:0:0:3690 (talk) 17:27, 23 May 2024 (UTC)


 * I checked as many sources as I could find. One contemporary source says he did it in June (!) but I think we can discount that as all the others say July, and I haven't found any that say he did it the other way. Of course he may have done that on another occasion. Some sources mention times, and 35 hours seems nearer the mark. Deb (talk) 18:16, 23 May 2024 (UTC)