Indian police officer swims across Strait of Gibraltar

An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Rajiv Trivedi, from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, became the second Indian to successfully swim across the Strait of Gibraltar recently, reported the Indian news agency PTI on Sunday.

Trivedi, who is Deputy Inspector General of police achieved the feat on August 8 when he swam from the coast of Spain and reached the coast of Morocco in 5 hours and 28 minutes. This was much faster than the expected time of eight hours.

Mihir Sen, whom Trivedi described as his idol, was the first Indian to cross the strait of Gibraltar in 1966. Sen had taken eight hours and one minute.

Forty-year-old Trivedi had earlier achieved the unique feat of successfully finishing the 13-hour swim in the channel on July 29.

Narrating his experiences of swimming against all odds in the vast expanse of sea waters before a group of newsmen here Saturday, Trivedi who returned home two days ago, attributed his success to swimming across the English Channel and Strait of Gibraltar to rigorous practice sessions, advance planning and meticulous preparation.