Sep 7, 2021 - Energy & Climate

Extreme swimmer crosses ice fjord in Greenland

Andrew Freedman

Lewis Pugh swims in Ilulissat Fjord, Greenland. Photo: Lewis Pugh Foundation/Olle Nordell via Flickr — Lewis Pugh swims in Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland. Photo: Lewis Pugh Foundation/Olle Nordell via Flickr

Extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh completed a treacherous swim across the five-mile wide mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland on Tuesday.

Driving the news: Pugh's swim, covered in 14 frigid sessions over 12 days in 32 to 37-degree waters, sought to raise awareness of the upcoming UN Climate Summit.

Threat level: This fjord is where the fastest-moving glacier in the world, Jakobshavn, deposits its massive icebergs into the sea.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the top contributor to global sea-level rise. It exhibited extreme behavior this summer, with rain observed for the first time.

What they're saying: "I don't want world leaders to worry about what's happening here," Pugh says.

"I want them to have sleepless nights over the issue."

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Extreme swimmer crosses ice fjord in Greenland

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