Australian Associated Press 30/03/2001 (3)

March 30,2001 (3)

FRIDAY STORY

by Dale Paget

GOLD COAST, March 30 AAP - English adventurer Jim Shekhdar ended his crossing of the Pacific Ocean in dramatic fashion today when he was thrown from his rowing boat and forced to swim the final 200 metres to Australia in heavy surf. The 54-year-old former computer salesman was rowing towards a beach at North Stradbroke Island off the Queensland coast when he was hit by a two-metre wave and thrown overboard. Mr Shekhdar was able to climb back on board but was dumped again by the surf. He decided to swim to the beach where the exhausted rower was comforted by family members, including his wife and children. His row boat also washed ashore undamaged. Mr Shekhdar has travelled more than 13,000 kilometres since leaving Peru in June last year. He described seeing the Australian coastline after 274 days alone at sea as "absolutely wonderful." In addition to being the only Pacific Ocean crossing in a row boat without assistance, Jim Shekhdar can also claim to be the quickest, finishing 20 days faster than an assisted row from San Francisco to the Great Barrier Reef by Englishman Peter Bird in 1983. Mr Shekhdar was also given a cold beer on the beach - something he had been wishing for during his past months at sea. Mr Shekhdar said his most dangerous encounter during nine months at sea was with a tanker that came within ten metres of running him down. He also fought off a large shark that attacked his boat six times. Tonight Mr Shekhdar will swap his cramped row boat quarters for a soft bed at a luxury hotel in Brisbane.