Thousands swim across Lake Zurich

STORY: Wearing pink bathing caps, the first swimmers left the shore on the east side of the Lake around 2 pm local time (1200GMT) and swam their way to the west side.

They enjoyed ideal condition, with an air temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit and a water temperature of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

The first lake crossing took place in 1985 and to date, more than 132,000 have participated.

One hundred lifeguards and police officers were on the Lake to keep an eye on the swimmers.