With Nyad at sea: 'Her constant moans were discomforting'

Diana Nyad was almost 24 hours into her Cuba to Florida swim and losing the battle with the Gulf Stream, which flowed perpindicular to the direction she needed to go. She was stopping more than she was swimming. "Something has to give," she told the crews escorting her. Good story inside the last hour, from the website The Daily News of Open Water Swimming.

Whether it was her injured left shoulder, asthma attacks, the increasingly lumpy sea, the numerous jellyfish stings or the sheer distance of the swim, it could not be determined. But her constant moans were discomforting for all; the guttural sounds filled the night air with a gloomy prognostication of the swim. With everyone on edge and the Caribbean Sea eerily quiet at night, her moans pierced the tranquility with the moment...and her obvious pain lingered over the sea and crew.

Despite the best wishes and intentions of the crew, her troubles blanketed everyone without escape. It was becoming increasingly evident that the totality of problems were starting to be too much for even her own iron-clad spirit. "My God. They hurt," groaned Diana about the stinging jellyfish that plagued her in the warm 82-degree waters.

But the eyes of her crew scattered about five escort boats were glued to her, their hearts figuratively reaching out to her...to no avail. Diana was given all kinds of food, medicine and hydration by her crew. Their support was immediate, undeniable and genuine, but nothing could stop the obvious pain that Diana was bearing.

Previously on LA Observed:
Diana Nyad ends Cuba to Florida swim
Diana Nyad is in the water, swimming toward Florida