Intro:

Quadruple amputee Philippe Croizon set off early on Thursday morning with an able-bodied friend in his bid to swim across the Straits of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco.

Script:

The 44-year-old uses specially designed leg protheses, which end in fins, to propel himself through the water. His truncated upper arms go through the motions of the crawl, and he breathes through a snorkel.

Croizon's arms and legs were amputated after he suffered an electric shock in 1994 as he stood on a ladder adjusting his television antenna, which touched a power line.
Cheered on by his support crew, Croizon completed the arduous 9 mile journey in a little over five hours.

The 44-year-old's family and friends - including fellow quadruple amputee Theo Curin - were there to greet him.

Croizon swam the English channel two years ago, and has since swum between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia as well as across the Gulf of Aqaba between Africa and Arabia.
"It's been the hardest of them and I succeeded," an exhausted Croizon said.

He says his next inspirational mission will be across a section of the Behring Straits, which although a shorter distance, is made harder by the near freezing water temperature.