Quadruple amputee swims across English Channel

PARIS (AP) — A man whose arms and legs were amputated has completed a swim across the English Channel.

The 42-year-old Frenchman had expected the tough crossing to take up to 24 hours, but he finished in only 13 and a-half.

He used specially designed leg protheses, which end in flippers, to propel himself through the water, helped by the crawl motion of his truncated upper arms. He used a snorkel to breathe.

Three dolphins joined him for a while after he set off yesterday from the British side of the channel. His father says they took that as a sign of good luck.

The swimmer (Philippe Croizon) lost his arms and legs after suffering an electric shock in 1994 as he stood on a ladder adjusting his television antenna, which touched a power line.

He previously made headlines for parachuting from an airplane in 2007. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.