Would-be Atlantic swimmer spawns corrections

apIn stories on Feb. 1, 7 and 8, about Jennifer Figge’s long-distance swim in the Atlantic, The Associated Press reported erroneously that she had swum across the ocean. Figge swam only a fraction of the 2,100-mile journey. The rest of the time, she rested on her crew’s westward-sailing catamaran. Her spokesman, David Higdon, told The AP on Tuesday that her total swimming distance has not been calculated yet, but that due to ocean hazards including inclement weather, he estimates she swam about 250 miles. Link

That’s the official AP correction. Here’s how it looked in a few different newspapers:

newsday1In a story on Monday, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Jennifer Figge had become the first woman to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. She swam only a fraction of the approximately 2,600-mile journey, riding the rest of the time on a catamaran. Her spokesman, David Higdon, estimates she swam about 250 miles. See related story, A29.

denverpostAn Associated Press story that ran in Sunday on Page 2B incorrectly stated the distance Jennifer Figge of Aspen swam across the Atlantic. Figge swam only a fraction of the 700-mile journey. The rest of the time, she rested on her crew’s westward-sailing catamaran. Her spokesman, David Higdon, told AP on Tuesday that her total swimming distance has not been calculated but that due to ocean hazards, including inclement weather, he estimates she swam about 250 miles.

journ_sentAn Associated Press article Sunday about Jennifer Figge’s long-distance swim in the Atlantic incorrectly stated that she had swum across the ocean. Figge swam about 250 miles of the 2,100-mile journey. She rested on her crew’s westward-sailing catamaran the rest of the time, according to her spokesman.

washpost4An item in the Feb. 9 A-section reported that a 56-year-old from Aspen, Colo., had become the first woman to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. The source of that item, the Associated Press, said Tuesday that its report was erroneous. Jennifer Figge swam only a fraction of the 2,100-mile journey, resting the rest of the time on her crew’s westward-sailing catamaran, according to her spokesman, David Higdon. He estimated that, because of ocean hazards including inclement weather, Figge swam only about 250 miles.

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  • Whitecup

    It’s interesting the length of the swim is written as 2,100; 2,600; and 700.

    It’s much like trying to fine the actual distance of the Appalachian Trail.