On June 5 Ben Lecomte entered the ocean off Chiba Prefecture to begin his attempt at a record-breaking swim across the Pacific, with the aim of shining a light on ocean pollution and plastic contamination.
Now, almost six months and 1,500 nautical miles into the attempt and approaching the Pacific Ocean¡¯s plastic accumulation zone (aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch), the 50-year-old swimmer has had to abandon his attempt after his support boat, Discoverer, suffered irreparable damage to its mainsail in unprecedented storms.
¡°We¡¯ve faced treacherous winds, rain and ocean swells that have forced us to alter our course, and the irreparable damage to the sail is an insurmountable blow,¡± Lecomte said recently from aboard the Discoverer.
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