"Dylan Smith" wrote in message

Even if the lake hadn't been so cold, he would be pretty much stuffed. 3
foot waves don't sound a lot, but when you're swimming only your head is
out. At night he could have had absolutely no idea which direction he
should swim unless he could astronavigate (which I suspect he couldn't).
There would be more chances of swimming in the wrong direction instead
of the most direct route to the shore if there's nothing to guide you.
The waves would have completely blocked his view of the land most of the
time, especially as he'd probably go under each wave regardless of how
strong a swimmer he was.

It's not that bad. You go up and down with the waves. As long as there's
some lights on the shore and no fog, you can navigate. Been out in it
plenty of times.

moo