Open water swim
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Wrapped in blankets, Peyton Scott, right, is welcomed on shore by her mom, Jada, left, and other friends and family. Scott was pushed downstream by strong currents and, at one point in the race, got so cold her teeth were chattering. Despite that, she says she would do the event again.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Peyton Scott checks she has everything packed for her swim across the Columbia River at her home in Astoria, Ore., the day before the event.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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The commemorative swim cap, bright yellow for visibility. This is the first time a cross-Columbia group swim has been included in the Regatta in 90 years.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Jada Scott, left, and daughter Peyton Scott load a kayak as they prepare for the event.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Safety boats arrive at Knappton Cove, Wash., before dawn on Aug 11, 2024. The swim began at approximately 5:45 am to take advantage of favorable tide conditions.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Peyton Scott, first from right, wades into the waters off Knappton Cove, Wash., as her mother, on the white kayak, starts to paddle.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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A safety kayak leads a swimmer during the Swim Across the Columbia event, Aug. 11, 2024. Each of the 15 swimmers was required to have a safety boater accompanying them, to ensure their safety and help them stay on course.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Len Tumbarello, left, checks in with the Clatsop County Sheriff's boat about swimmer status near the end of the event. Several swimmers were swept downstream towards the Astoria-Megler Bridge by strong currents.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Len Tumbarello, a retired Coast Guard captain, scans the horizon for swimmers from the safety boat. Tumbarello served as swim captain for the event, responsible for on-the-water safety and risk management.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Spectators wait for swimmers to arrive at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Ore.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Peyton Scott catches a ride upriver to the Columbia River Maritime Museum after successfully completing the more-than-five-mile swim across the Columbia River.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Jada Scott helps her daughter Peyton Scott put on dry shoes after she arrived.
Anna Lueck / OPB
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Peyton Scott, middle, is wrapped in an emergency warming blanket and escorted away from the water after completing the Swim Across the Columbia challenge.
Anna Lueck / OPB
