Update On John

John is up and walking AND smiling!

Got a phone call from Mike and he was able to speak with John's family.  John is doing well and has a good positive mind set.  John keeps talking about how his last 6 hours with his right arm were some of the best and he is thankful for the joyous moments he spent with Mike, each swimming their solo swims across the Maui Channel.  John is a true inspiration!  I believe, in my heart, that he will swim again, though he has a long road ahead.

Keep sending prayers and love for his recovery.


Note:The News Papers don't always get it right!  (see below)

Boat propeller cuts channel swimmer off Maui

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 03:54 p.m. HST, Sep 04, 2011

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources continues to investigate a collision on Saturday between an escort boat’s propeller and the hand of a long-distance swimmer nearing the end of Maui Channel Swim, DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said.

She had no information on the age, gender or hometown of the swimmer or his or her condition.

Race director Ian Emberson declined to provide the Star-Advertiser with any information on Saturday’s accident, but insisted, “I’m not trying to hide anything.”

Ward said the escort boat’s propeller struck the swimmer’s hand around 2:30 p.m. near a spot called Black Rock, which is located near the finish of the Lanai-to-Kaanapali Maui Channel Swim.

The operator of the (escort) boat had turned off his engine “and we think he may have had some things to do in the cabin of the boat,” Ward said. “The people conducting the race notified him on a loud speaker that he was drifting into a restricted zone. When he started up his engine to get out, his prop hit the hand of one of the swimmers.”

The swimmer was taken to Maui Memorial Hospital.