10-member TN police team swims across Palk Strait

In an effort that tested their endurance, 57-year old IPS officer C Sylendra Babu led a team of 10 police personnel in swimming across the Palk Strait today, covering about 18 nautical miles in over 12 hours.

Additional Director General of Police, Railways, Babu and his team set out on the arduous journey by entering the sea at Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka at 1.30 a.m and reached Arichalmunai in Dhanushkodi near here at 2.10 p.m, Government Railway Police officials said.

Though the team aimed to cross the distance in a lesser time, he said the choppy sea conditions and jellyfish menace resulted in them taking over 12 overs to accomplish the mission.

"Due to the rough sea and presence of jellyfish, I couldn't swim fast," he added.

The Railways ADGP had recently swam from the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) to Dhanushkodi.

Recently, a police constable from Andhra Pradesh Chaithanya had crossed the Palk Strait in eight hours and 25 minutes, Naval officials said.