UPDATE
Apr 29, 2026 9:34 AM CDT
Well, he beat the record and he beat the crocs: Scottish-Australian swimmer Andy Donaldson swam 34 miles in a remote Australian river he was sharing with about 5,500 crocodiles in 11 hours and 51 minutes on Tuesday, reports ABC Australia. That beat the previous record handily by four hours, notes People. "I still have all my limbs," he joked after the feat, per the AAP. "I didn't see a single one, other than the Crocs that my coach was wearing on his feet. I don't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed." Donaldson said he was "blown away" by the scenery. "I think that swim could really become a bucket list challenge for any swimmers around the world."
Apr 28, 2026 11:25 AM CDT
If swimming with sharks sounds edgy, Andy Donaldson has gone a step further. The 35-year-old Scottish-Australian marathon swimmer set off before dawn on Tuesday in a bid to claim a new world record by covering 34.18 miles along Western Australia's Ord River, home to an estimated 5,500 crocodiles, per People. Dubbed the "dam to dam" challenge, the route runs through the Kimberley region to the town of Kununurra. In Instagram updates, Donaldson's team described the effort as less about distance than about preparation and adapting to "raw" and "unpredictable" conditions. They noted he looked strong a couple of hours in, flanked by a support boat and kayaker to help keep him safe, per 9NEWS.
If Donaldson finishes, it will be his longest solo swim and could earn him a fourth world record, making him the first man and second person overall to complete the feat, after Simone Blaser's 2024 swim in just over 16 hours, per People. Donaldson already holds three records from the Oceans Seven challenge, including the fastest overall completion time and a record Cook Strait crossing. He called the Ord River attempt particularly meaningful because it takes place in his home state, which he described as "a beautiful part of the world."
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