Trio takes morning swim across the river

The Mississippi River can be a daunting sight with its huge volume of water rushing south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Daunting to most, but not to Aki Busch, Onni Johnson and John Wyman. The three decided Friday midmorning would be a great time for a leisurely swim across the Mississippi in Cape Girardeau.

Starting just north of Honker's Dock, the trio braved the currents, drifting gradually south on their way as they traversed the river in about 15 minutes.

Their swim recalled the days of Fred Rawlins, a local doctor who used to swim the river once a year, all the way up to the age of 83. After Rawlins' death in 2000, swimming the river was mostly forgotten.

Then came Busch and Johnson -- who have crossed the Delware, Connecticut and Susquehanna rivers since making river-swimming a yearly summer activity in 2001.

"It's just something really great to do," Johnson said. "Since the Clean Water Act was passed about 30 years ago, our rivers are cleaner and more usable and swimmable. We want to make people aware of that."

Busch hails from Union Vale, N.Y., in the Hudson Valley, while Johnson lives in downtown New York City. Busch is a longtime friend of Chicago artist Tom Melvin, and decided to join him for the dedication of the floodwall mural and, while she was in town, swim across the river.

Thursday night Busch and Johnson were able to talk local Wyman into joining them on the trek, and the three-person swim team was born.

"It's an opportunity to do something I've never done before," said Wyman as he prepared for the swim.

The swimmers were trailed by a boat manned by experienced mariners Greg Sparkman and Jody Geiser. In case of any mishap, the boat was equipped with a long shepherd's hook to bring in a swimmer in trouble.

Also along for the ride was Wyman's 16-year-old daughter, Murielle. "Last night I thought he was just kidding," she said.

But Wyman wasn't. Actually, he ended up being the first one to reach the Illinois side of the river.

The swim will provide material for Busch's book "Eight Ways to Cross a River," and it may also be the start of a new tradition in Cape Girardeau.

"A lot of times it takes somebody from somewhere else to show us what we're doing," said Wyman.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182