Overview
- Joseph Heß, a 39‑year‑old endurance swimmer from Dresden, began his Danube swim at the Kiesbänkle in Ulm/Neu‑Ulm in a start observed on Saturday.
- Heß plans to swim roughly 2,850 kilometers from the river’s upper reaches to the Black Sea and aims to complete the route in a maximum of 60 days.
- As he swims, Heß will collect daily water samples intended for laboratory analysis to map microplastic and other pollution along the river.
- A dedicated support team and camera crew are traveling with Heß to manage logistics across multiple countries and to film material for the documentary '2850 km - Invisible'.
- The expedition is now underway but the world‑record claim and scientific findings will only be confirmed after the swim finishes and samples and timings are independently verified.