Phoenix Man Swims 2 Miles From Statue Of Liberty To Manhattan Marina

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A man swam about 2 miles Thursday from the Statue of Liberty to Lower Manhattan while promoting his upcoming around-the-world attempt.

Martin Strel plans to circle the globe in about 450 days -- starting in San Francisco on March 22.

On Thursday, Strel, 60, took a demonstration dip in the choppy, rain-swept waters of New York Harbor to a marina near the World Trade Center site.

Strel previously swam the entire length of the Amazon River amid deadly piranhas. He also covered the whole Mississippi River and China's Yangtze River.

He said his swimming feats are meant to draw attention to the world's increasingly polluted waters.

Strel is a native of Slovenia. He now lives in Phoenix.

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