28-mile swim attempt underway in treacherous Kaiwi Channel

Although he started swimming later than most -- now 50 years old Sri Viswanathan has already crossed the English and Catalina Channels(Srikaanth (SRI) Viswanathan)
Published: Mar. 31, 2023 at 8:45 AM HST|Updated: Mar. 31, 2023 at 8:47 AM HST

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A swimmer is in the midst of a grueling challenge across the Kaiwi Channel.

Sri Viswanathan, 50, dove into the waters off West Molokai just before 6 p.m. on Thursday to attempt the swim to Oahu.

A boat captain monitoring the swim told us the conditions at the start were favorable for the 28-mile swim.

He learned to swim at 33. Now, he’s taking on the treacherous Kaiwi Channel

It would be a big feat for Sri who learned how to swim when he was 33.

We’ve reached out to the crew to get an update.

Sri had hoped to get to Oahu by about noon Friday for a finishing time of roughly 18 hours.

He’s dedicating the 27-mile journey from Molokai to Oahu to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research.