Klaus Pechstein
Klaus Pechstein (born February 16, 1941 in Linz am Rhein ; † 2013 ibid) was a German swimming athlete who, in 1969, was the first person to swim across the Rhine from Ilanz to the mouth of the North Sea . It took him 30 days and he swam 260 hours.
Pechstein was a trained silversmith. In his youth he swam from Linz on the Rhine to Kripp and back. His daughter Christiane was three months old when he realized his plan to swim the 1200 km long distance. Pechstein started in Ilanz in Switzerland on September 24, 1969. The longest day's stage stretched between Kehl and Karlsruhe over 74 kilometers. In Mannheim , Pechstein got stomach pains with vomiting and diarrhea. Pechstein reached Hoek van Holland on October 23 at 5:23 pm. Pechstein had to break off a repetition in 1983.
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pechstein, Klaus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German swimming athlete |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 16, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Linz on the Rhine |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2013 |
| Place of death | Linz on the Rhine |