Three swimmers plan to attempt Lake Erie crossings in July

It's something Josh Heynes has never dealt with over 10 years of coordinating Lake Erie swim crossings.

No, not an unexpected storm or a stronger-than-normal current.

It's a waiting list.

Heynes was the first person to twice complete the 23.8-mile swim from Long Point, Ontario, to North East's Freeport Beach. The McDowell graduate initially accomplished that in 2006 and again in 2011.

A year later, Heynes switched from swimming that course to aiding those who sought to do the same. He co-founded the Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association, which is now considered the sanctioning body for such attempts.

None were scheduled the past two summers because of COVID-19. The pandemic led the Canadian government to restrict foreigners from entering the country for such non-essential pursuits.

That ban was lifted in full on April 1. Thus, the return of swimmers entering the lake at Long Point and departing it at Freeport.

And thus, the double-digit backlog of those who sought the help of Heynes and other association personnel to do that.

“We have more than 12 swimmers who want to cross,” Heynes said. “Unfortunately, we can't assist everybody. The two years (off) built up the list and we've told them that. The three (at the top of the list) after the last swim initiated contact with us. They were the first three we picked through our vetting process.”

Katie Blair, 40, was the last swimmer who crossed the lake before the pandemic. The Huntington, Indiana, resident completed the course on Aug. 3, 2019.

2019: Indiana woman swims across Lake Erie

Abby Fairman, a Northumberland County native, will be the first to make the attempt since Blair. The Los Angeles resident, who graduated from Penn State in 1999, has planned hers between Sunday and July 10.

Fairman completed Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Marathon Swim and the Charles Bender Memorial Swim in the Schuylkill River in 2017. The Long Point-to-North East crossing would allow Fairman to complete Pennsylvania's Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Kerry Hills plans to follow the week of July 17. The Washington state resident, who has relatives in Cambridge Springs, arranged his attempt as a $10,000 fundraiser for the Mary Bridge Children's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Tacoma, Washington.

Members of that unit helped Hills' daughter recover from a coma in 2011.

Jeanne Debonis is the last of the lake's three scheduled swimmers. The Cleveland resident, at 57, would be the oldest female to accomplish the feat if she crosses sometime between July 24-30.

Paula Jongerden was 49 when she swam from Presque Isle State Park's Budny Beach to Long Point on Aug. 22, 2002, according to association records.

Budny Beach is named after Pat Budny, the first person who completely swam across the middle of the lake. He completed his 25-hour, 52-minute attempt on Aug. 20, 1975.

2019: Budny returns to site of historic finish

Heynes has wingman

If or when Fairman, Hills and Deonis depart, their attempts will be with Rob Cooney as Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association's new co-director.

Heynes promoted Cooney after his assistance with recent crossings. The vice president of Erie's Plastikos Inc. successfully swam the Long Point-to-Freeport course on July 19, 2018.

2018: Cooney completes swim across Lake Erie

“Rob and the rest of the crew ― Elliot Spaeder, Melanie (Nickou) and everyone who swam this before ― this is what we wanted,” Heynes said. “We've wanted to put Lake Erie and Erie, Pennsylvania, on the open water swimming map, and I think we've done that.”

Plaque honors past swimmers

Should the trio arrive at Freeport's shore from Long Point, they'll also have their names engraved in a plaque that honors those who conquered the course.

That plaque and accompanying metal art was created by Erie Native Metalheads USA. It was exhibited in Freeport Restaurant, located at the entrance to the beach, after Blair's 2019 attempt.

The family of Jerry and Judy Holdsworth owned and operated the restaurant for 45 years. They closed it this past January, but it was recently purchased by Red Letter Hospitality, which purchased Erie area restaurants like Molly Branigan's and The Cork 1794.

More: The Cork, Molly Brannigan's owners buy Freeport Restaurant in North East

Red Letter is owned by North East natives, Anne Lewis being one of them.

Lewis said it's unknown when the former Freeport Restaurant will open, but that the plaque and map honoring Lake Erie's swimmers remains within it.

“It's in our dining room and it's going to stay there,” she said.

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

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Three people plan to attempt Lake Erie swims in July