Penn State graduate Abby Fairman latest swimmer to cross Lake Erie

There was nothing remarkable about Abby Fairman's swim across Lake Erie this past Sunday beyond the fact she remarkably did it.

The lack of drama, though, was fine with the Northumberland County native and the Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association crew that helped her navigate throughout her 15-hour, 27-minute, 30-second attempt.

More:What does it take to swim across Lake Erie?

That's how long it took Fairman, a 1999 Penn State University graduate, to complete the lake's standard 23.8-mile course from Long Point, Ontario, to North East's Freeport Beach. She finally stood on its shore around 11:30 p.m.

“It was really flat (water) and there wasn't a lot of boat traffic,” swimming association co-founder Josh Heynes said. “Towards the end of the swim, the wind rotated all around. There were northeast winds, and then all of a sudden they were (out of the) west. But it was still a great day to be in the water.”

Fairman was the first person to swim the lake since Huntington, Indiana, resident Katie Blair on Aug. 3, 2019.

Heynes, a McDowell graduate who twice completed the course, was unable to schedule attempts the past two summers because of COVID-19 mitigation regulations. The Canadian government restricted foreigners from entering the country for such non-essential pursuits.

That ban was lifted April 1.

Fairman, a Los Angeles resident, was at the top of the swimming association's waiting list for those who sought Long Point-to-Freeport attempts as of that date. She chose to try during the first day of her eight-day window the association exclusively scheduled for her.

“We started looking at the weather the Thursday before,” Heynes said. “Abby's team arrived in Erie on Saturday, and when we sat down for dinner that night, we showed her all of the different variables. A storm was supposed to be coming in late Tuesday night, so we all pretty much said it was a go (for Sunday).”

Fairman's successful attempt also allowed her to complete Pennsylvania's triple crown of open water swimming courses. Five years ago, she finished Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Marathon Swim and the Schuylkill River's Charles Bender Memorial Swim.

Second crossing scratched

Fairman was the first of original three out-of-state swimmers who were to try Long Point-to-Freeport swims this month.

More:Three swimmers plan to attempt Lake Erie crossings in July

However, Heynes on Tuesday said that number was down to two. He canceled the scheduled attempt for Kerry Hills, a Washington state resident who had a July 17-23 window.

Hills arranged his attempt to double as a $10,000 fundraiser for the Mary Bridge Children's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Tacoma, Washington. That unit helped Hills' daughter recover from a coma in 2011.

Heynes, though, scrapped the attempt in the name of safety for the swimmer and crew alike.

Heynes said all potential Lake Erie swimmers are sent training packets that include minimum qualification standards for those who schedule their attempt through the swimming association. The primary one is documentation of their ability to swim a minimum of 10 miles in open water in less than 6 hours.

They also must do that without the use of a wetsuit.

“We don't want to put people out in the water who aren't prepared,” Heynes said. “If you train in a pool all of the time, (open waters is) a completely different animal. It's not safe if you can't adjust to the cold (water). But really, it's not worth the time, energy and money.”

Cleveland swimmer next

The cancellation of Hills' attempt means a wait until at least July 23 for the the next Lake Erie swim attempt.

That's the first day of a new eight-day weather window for Jeanne Debonis. The Cleveland resident, at 57, would be the oldest female ever to complete one of the lake's sanctioned crossings if she swims from Long Point to Freeport.

Paula Jongerden was 49 when she swam from Presque Isle State Park to Long Point on Aug. 22, 2002, according to swimming association records. Jongerden's course measured 24.3 miles.

Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.