Local pair masters Key West swim

Two locals completed first attempts at an "ultra" open water swim in Key West, Fla., on Saturday, despite facing water temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s.

Eric Ruckel, 43, of Mount Pleasant, and Nancy Haynsworth, 51, of Goose Creek, finished the Swim Around Key West, a 12.5-mile trek around the southernmost tip of the U.S. Both finished about 20 minutes faster than they had expected.

"It was incredibly awesome," said Ruckel of the experience, which included using his 15-year-old son, Ethan, as his mandated kayak escort.

Ruckel, a mechanical engineer at Behr, finished in five hours and 11 minutes.

Haynsworth, an aquatics and fitness director at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station, completed it in 5:38.

Ruckel chalked up their success largely due to training with veteran ultraswimmer Kathleen Wilson and coaching by both Wilson and Chris Rowe, a coach for Charleston's Southern Marlins Swim Team. Ruckel was so well trained that he even had time to take in the abundance of sea life.

In fact, between miles 2 and 4 of the race, Ruckel said a moray eel "latched on" to his thigh while swimming along with him. After trying to "swipe it off" for two minutes, he decided to ignore the eel.

"He wasn't hurting me ... I figured I had just been accepted by the sea."

Ruckel and Haynsworth already are planning to return to Key West next year and hope to bring more Charleston-area swimmers with them.