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Hypothermia stops Susan Simmons in long-distance swim

Susan Simmons was forced to call off her long-distance swim late Saturday when hypothermia set in. Simmons left the beach by Ogden Point at 1 p.m.
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Hypothermia stopped Susan Simmons in her long-distance swim attempt

Susan Simmons was forced to call off her long-distance swim late Saturday when hypothermia set in.

Simmons left the beach by Ogden Point at 1 p.m. Saturday to head for Port Angeles with the goal of then swimming back to Victoria, aiming to arrive today. No one has completed the round-trip swim before.

"After swimming 8.5 hours in nine Celsius choppy water, Susan halted her swim," said Charla Huber, a friend and member of Simmons' support team.

"We are so proud of her. This is the longest Susan has ever swam in water this cold.
"She is being treated by her team enroute to Victoria."

Simmons has multiple sclerosis and was swimming to raise money for creation of a MS swim program.

At hour fours, Simmons said, via Huber, that she was in some "pretty bumpy water and having a hard time."