Updates from Jim's ground crew during the event:

Date: August 5, 2005
Time: 3:05 a.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

Jim arrived home safely in Byron Center around 2:30 a.m. Crew unloaded some of the gear and headed back North to NE Grand Rapids. Please note that Jim will take media calls today, Friday, August 5 at this phone number: (616) 878-1650. He is doing remarkably well, went in and out of sleep on the way home and looks forward to recapping in better detail and clarification all of his Lake Superior Solo swim. I was at the Visitor's Center in Wawa on a computer to get Internet Access and trying to recap many details in a very short period of time, as Jim needed to get some food and get to sleep and we needed to start our 10 hour journey back home....we appreciate your patience. Again, please note that Jim appreciates all support and contact from media, family and friends but understand that much of the time on his event and at campgrounds we did not have access to internet or any cell phone coverage or really no way of knowing how Jim was doing until someone could go out on a boat to check on his status. Jim had requested that he do this event without a lead boat. The area that he was planning to come into was very remote down a very long winding road without any cell phone coverage and definitely no Internet Access available to me. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Please continue to try to reach Jim for interviews.

Date: August 4, 2005
Time: 1:25 p.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

He did it! Congratulations to Jim....what an amazing feat of human endurance! Special message to the media: Jim is having a day of rest and will start taking media calls tomorrow a.m. and is really looking forward to talking about his journey! Sorry for the delay in the update, we are hoping that the news media has already picked up the great news and everyone knows he is safe. We had been at Cape Gargantua since the last update down at the beach, setting up camp hoping to see some sign of Jim. Eva actually spotted the light from Jim's zodiac from the beach and everyone was extremely excited. But, at first we thought it couldn't be Jim yet, because he had made such incredibly fast time. Then we played with all the numbers again (as we didn't have transponder access down at the Camp Ground or at the beach) and doubted that what we were seeing was really him that early. Again, we determined it had to be Jim, who else would be out there coming into the bay. The media from Wawa was at the beach, Brenda from the newspaper, along with a very special visit from Mark, the local radio/news and the Mayor of Wawa, Rod Morrison, who were all hoping to meet Jim on shore. Very quickly a storm had moved in out on the lake and we saw Jim's light moving very quickly across the bay area he was supposed to come into and then we both doubted if it was really Jim or if he could really go that quickly....we soon realized that Jim was in trouble, as the current was taking him past his destination. There was an island out from the mainland that we did not want him to finish his swim on, as he had worked so hard to make the solo swim and was within a few miles from the shore of the outer tip of Cape Gargantua. Tom Farnquist, Chris and another the Captain's Mate (sorry, I don't have your name yet, sir) were out on the David Boyd. Jack and Shelly on shore had marine radios provided by West Marine (thanks to West Marine for your great sponsorship) and we were able to confirm that in fact Jim was being pulled by a horrific current and could not fight it to get into the bay area where all were waiting on shore. Members on the beach continued to shine lights to show him where we were, but the current was too strong. Tom was able to pull in close to Jim to discuss the best plan and encouraged him to get to land to complete his "Solo Superior" crossing. There were several radio transmissions, including the coast guard trying to determine if Jim needed rescure. Tom Farnquist alerted them that he thought he could keep the situation under control and to give him 45 minutes and Jim reached shore at 11:25 p.m. (official time)at the far tip of Cape Gargantua, past the planned area that is remote, no car access, only availabe by hiking. But, a huge success had just occurred nontheless. Jim stepped on shore, got swept back out to sea, and Tom pulled up to Jim again and then convinced Jim to get on his boat, and probably saved his life at this point, I do believe he would have gone back out to sea and traveled another 60 miles before hitting the next shore (WE CAN NEVER THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR ALL THAT YOU DID, TOM AND CREW)that the swim was a success and it was over! The fifth Great Lake, finally under his belt. There were cheers and tears on the beach for happiness for Jim for all of his hard work, discipline and training and perserverance over the past years to achieve this goal. The next task was to try to determine how to get Jim off the boat. Vince Deur (Unsalted) had come up to also film Jim and stayed several days with his two children Alex and Zack (who did extremely well with the long days and not much to do sometimes). Vince had his shirt and shoes off (he is a surfer of the Great Lakes) and was willing to go get Jim and lead him in (but we had to tell him it wouldn't be a world record if he was helped in before he touched shore) and we also couldn't worry about his safety. Thanks to Dale at the Mad Moose Lodge also for putting people up and being available if we needed you. We requested that Tom go to Wawa to retrieve Jim to take him to the Wawa Hospital as planned and discussed that Jim would probably need to do after such a long and challenging swim. To our surprise and concern, Tom was requesting to beach the boat, as there was a severe storm in the area and he was not familiar with Wawa and did not want to move Jim in the boat after three days fighting Lake Superior. Ground crew respected boat crews decision not to travel to Wawa, but were concerned about Jim's real physical condition, as we were not there to look at him and assess heart, vitals, etc. There was oxyten on board, which Jim received. They assured us they had Jim's wet suit off and that he was resting comfortably and did not want to go anywhere. We weren't sure Jim was in any condition to actually realize this and figure out what he really needed, so ground crew requested that Tom get the Coast Guard to come retrieve Jim from his boat. Tom put Jim on the marine radio and much to our surprise, Jim sounded extremely good and assured us that he just needed to sleep, that he was feeling okay and that he was receiving oxygen and we would work out details to retrieve Jim in the a.m. So, we did not call the coast guard as he sounded so good. All who had arrived at the beach stayed in their vehicles until day break. Matt VanderSys, John Teunis, and Bob Johnson (Jim's friends and ultra marathon/athletes) had arrived just after Jim had determined he was going to sleep on the boat off Cape Gargantua. In the morning they walked over to the boat area through the trails, got on the boat and radio contact was made from Jack to Tom to determine that in daylight with calmer seas he could get his boat in close to shore and that Matt would transport the zodiac in, as well as Bob, John and Jim. They were close to shore and able to bring everyone in to a warm welcome on the beach. Jim was walking! and doing incredibly. Yes, he is sleep deprived, sun burn and extremely tired but he looks great. There is a lot more to tell, but for now. We are in Wawa and need to get back on the road. Jim has showered and is heading for Chinese. Thanks to everyone for all of your support. Sorry about cell phone coverage (lack thereof), laptop that would not work, etc. But, did the best we could to cover the story. Thanks to all of Jim's supporters...and a very special thank you to Tom Farnquist and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. You were crucial to Jim's safety after accomplishing the world records he set out to accomplish and all of your efforts were appreciated!!!! Jim will be doing his recap soon, so stay tuned for the real story. I didn't include all details I have heard, so he can share the different adventures he ran into. Thanks to my husband, Jack for all he went through with all the stress, driving with no sleep, throwing stuff in and out of the camper and trucks time and time again, for being such a good PR man for Jim. Special thanks to Jim for keeping his promise to me (to make it to the shore on the other side) and for being a "best friend." Again, thanks to everyone and congratulations to Jim! The Drive for Five is complete and your dream came to fruition. Stay tuned for Jim's update and more pictures. David Alan Wolters, website man and photographer (thanks for setting all up and putting pictures on, etc.) will download more of our pictures as soon as we can get them to you!

Date: August 4, 2005
Time: 8:15 am
Update_by: David Alan Wolters

Update

Based on the transponder tracking, it looks like Jim made it! Unfortunately we don't know for sure until we get word from Jim's ground crew. From experience I can say that there is a tremendous amount of work that is going on right now, tending to Jim's medical needs. Obviously they need to prioritize that. The crew is in a remote region without cell phone coverage and Internet access and they were likely up all night so maybe they are getting some sleep. I'm sure we will hear from them as soon as they have an opportunity. Three cheers for Jim Dreyer! I for one learned something about perseverance this week.

Date: August 3, 2005
Time: 6:01 p.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

We are tracking Jim's progress on the Internet, but have not had communication with him for some time. Tom Farnquist from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is heading out in his boat to check on Jim's status. We will update as soon as we can communicate with the boat. It appears that Jim will arrive sometime Thursday a.m. Crew has arrived at Rabbitt Blanket Provincial Park. We were greeted by Bernie Dreyer (Jim's mom) and Linda Klunder (Jim's sister). We are setting up camp here instead of the Mad Moose Lodge to be closer to Jim's final destination and we have found Internet access at Wawa. Dan Klopp (Keyhole films) is with the gang, but took a side trip to Wawa for supplies and plans to camp out on the beach tonight, most likely with the rest of the crew and family that are anxiously awaiting Jim's safe arrival. We will try to update again when we can get to Internet access, we had a busy travel day without any news from Jim from the lake and no boats yet out. We are all praying for Jim's safety through his third night of swimming.

Date: August 3, 2005
Time: 8:20 a.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain
 

Update

As you can see by the transponder and Jim's continued progress, Jim is doing well and seems to have made up time from the first day. Peter Chan has advised that Jim should have the southernly component to the wind that he was hoping for and he should continue to make good time today. There is a chance for rain Wednesday evening and Thursday a.m. followed by a cold front, so we are hoping that Jim is able get in by Thursday a.m. We will continue to monitor this, in case he really picks up speed and is able to arrive late Wednesday evening, but anticipate Thursday a.m. sometime. It is hard to pin point, as you can imagine, not knowing exactly the current and winds and how tired Jim really is (he has been up for almost two days now). The ground crew is going to leave the Tahquamenon Falls State Park and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (thanks Tom Farnquist for your great hospitality, use of internet, helping Jim through shipping lanes, monitoring and filming Jim drop the memorial yesterday morning, and being on stand by in case of an emergency). Your support is greatly appreciated by Jim, crew, his family and friends! Some of the crew will be going to Rabbitt Blanket Provincial Park, close to Wawa and Cape Gargantua, the other part of the crew will be stopping at the Mad Moose Lodge to be able to continue to monitor Jim's progress through the day on the internet. Thanks again to all of Jim's sponsors....he couldn't do this without your support!

Date: August 2, 2005
Time: 2:59
Update_by: Dan Klopp /Shelly McLain

Update

Crew has arrived back at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, reporting that Jim is doing well and is in good spirits. This morning Jim dropped the memorial for lost mariners on the Great Lakes. He gave a very moving speech and watched as the urn sank over 200 feet. This was captured on film for his documentary by the museum's robotic underwater camera. Thanks to Tom's crew who assisted in the filming and robotic control. Jim is seeming to make better time right now with a light southernly wind and current heading for Canada. His zodiac is now 20 pounds lighter and hopefully his speed will continue to improve. We won't be seeing Jim again for longer period of time, unless it is clear that Jim is not making forward progress. Be patient for the next update. At the current speed, we don't expect to see Jim at the Cape until at least very late Wednesday, but more probably Thursday a.m.

Date: August 2, 2005
Time: 7:45 a.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

Tom from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and crew left out early on the boat to check on Jim, take out media (Channel 9 & 10), Dan from Keyhole Films and Jack McLain (Jim's crew chief) to see how things are going. We spoke EARLY with Dale Kirby (Flagship Integration Services, Inc.) to get Jim's latitude and longitude. Thanks! It appears that Jim's pace is picking up this morning. Yesterday Jim was swimming fighting the current pulling the heavy zodiac through the fog. The sun is shining and the lake looks calm and we hope that he will continue to have good speed. We will update again when the news crew returns.

Date: 8/1/05
Time: 11:20pm
Update_by: Dan Klopp - Keyhole Films

Update

I left Jim at 9pm about 4.6 nauitcal miles directly north of his starting line at Whitefish Point. A very dense fog surrounded us for the majority of the nine and a half hours in the water. It finally lifted, then came back, then cleared up again towards sunset. Jim is doing great physically. His swim looks very strong and he has stopped only about five times to eat and test his radio. He is experiencing some minor cramping in his legs when he stops, but it goes away quickly. Thanks to Tom and Bob of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum who safely watched over Jim as he passed through the freighter lanes in the fog. We saw two freighters out there, both two or three miles away. Jim is traveling with a radar dish, but is not very visible to 1,000 foot ships. Thanks to Jack and Shelly for coordinating all the details of this event. You can continue to watch Jim's progress through the navigational tracking capabilities of FlagShip Integration Services, Inc. Tom and I will be heading back out to check on Jim tomorrow morning. More updates then...

Date: August 1, 2005
Time: 7:18 p.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

Sorry for the long delay in update information, but unlike his other swims with a support boat with a satellite phone for connections direct to a laptop on board, we are only able to receive information when the museum boat transporting media provides us with an update. We just received our first phone call. The museum boat, media and film crew is still filming. Jim is doing really well and swimming strong. He has stopped four times for nutrition breaks. There was some heavy fog that has lifted that should allow for better visibility and not having to stop so frequently to check GPS for positioning for a while. He is almost through the shipping lanes and they will stay with him until he is safely through that area. As this is a "solo swim" and they cannot escort him or help him...they are not allowed to lead him, but they are able to monitor him and also film the event and keep big freighters away from him. This also means that during fog it will be more difficult to stay on course without having to stop frequently to check his compass or GPS. Jim is swimming with a diver's down flag, which alerts boat to stay away and he has a bright 360 white light that will also be very visible in the night. The forecast is indicating some fog may roll back in this evening, but then Jim should have favorable weather conditions for the next couple of days. I will update you again when the museum boat and media crew come back this evening. I do not know exactly what time they will be in. But, we are staying at the museum to be able to do the update.

Date: August 1, 2005
Time: 12:40 p.m.
Update_by: Shelly McLain

Update

Hello. First update from the Shipwreck Museum. Had a safe trip up from Byron Center leaving Saturday at 11:30 p.m. Swim was moved up a day ahead of time, so lots of last minute details and packing were taking place. Drove all night, arrived with Jim at River Mouth Campground at Tahquamonen Falls State Park and crew crashed about 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Only slept four hours and Jim was up to start day of more final details and putting things together in the Zodiac. He wanted to be sure to thank all those who wrote and called and wished him well before his swim and Jim apologizes for not being able to answer all messages before departing. Dale Kirby from FlagShip Integration Services, Inc. arrived bright and early Sunday morning from Chicago to hook up the Transponder for Jim's Zodiac. Thanks Dale for all your help! We hope the transponder will track him through the website, giving updates approximately once every hour. Jim met members of the Fox Valley Scuba Club at the campground, who helped throughout the day and night with minor zodiac and equipment adjustments. Jim thanks you very much for your team work and assistance. You rock! Some of the Dreyer family was waiting for us at the camp, including Al Dreyer, Jim's cousin and Paramedic for the event. Al's wife, Darlene; Bob and Thelma Dreyer (Jim's aunt and uncle) and Evangelic Marie (Eva), Al and Darlene's granddaughter, were also all helpful throughout preparation for launch. Thank you! Dan Klopp (Keyhole Films) arrived from Wisconsin early evening on Sunday to begin filming. Thanks Dan for all of your efforts to make it a day earlier than planned, also. Jim finally got a shower and chicken fettucinne alfredo for dinner, nutrition and sleep just passed midnight. He woke up in good spirits and said "Hey, I think I'll swim Lake Superior today." He packed the final items, ate Wheaties and Chicken Fettucinne Alfredo (again), and did a live radio interview with the Bob and Tom Show and then headed for Lake Superior and the shipwreck museum. Upon arrival and after unpacking all of Jim's gear, Tom Farnquist informed him that the fog was thick and the coast guard was advising to delay the swim, because the first part of his swim is through the shipping lanes and with heavy fog it would be unsafe. Jim consulted with weather meteorologist, Peter Chan (thanks from Jim for all your assistance and the constellation study that could help as a navigational tool) and found that the storms they were watching for Tuesday, should still go South of his swim route and that the fog should lift. It was determined locally that the fog was indeed going to lift and Jim began his final preparation, tv interview, photo shoots, placing of items in his zodiac, and finished greasing up and getting dressed in his wetsuit. There were lots of spectators at the beach area at the Shipwreck Museum to help send Jim off on his journey, including his new friends from the Fox Valley Scuba Club. Jim officially got in the water at 11:35 a.m. The water temperature was in the mid-upper 50's, 6 knot winds, 1 foot waves. Watch for further updates. Several of the media were going out on the musem boat with Tom Farnquist to film Jim and will report back to us in a couple of hours. Thanks for the Coast Guard cooperation and help to get Jim through the busy shipping lanes (especially with a little fog still).