2023

Swimmers escorted by kayakers circle Alligator Reef Lighthouse during the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse open-water challenge Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, off Islamorada, Fla., in the Florida Keys. The 8-mile roundtrip race attracted almost 400 swimmers divided into categories including solo and two-, three- and four-person relay teams. The annual event helps raise funds to restore Alligator Reef Lighthouse, one of six aging Florida Keys lighthouses, that are some 150 years old and no longer needed for navigation. The beacon is named for the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner that ran aground and sank on the reef in 1822. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Bob Care/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Swimmers cross under the start gate as they compete in the solo division at the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse open-water challenge Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Islamorada, Fla. The 8-mile roundtrip race has attracted almost 400 swimmers who are divided into categories including solo and two-, three- and four-person relay teams. The event helps raise funds to restore Alligator Reef Lighthouse, one of six aging Florida Keys lighthouses, that are some 150 years old and no longer needed for navigation. The beacon is named for the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner that ran aground and sank on the reef in 1822. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Connor Signorin, 31, heads to the finish line to win top individual honors at at the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse open-water challenge Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Islamorada, Fla. It was the third consecutive win for Signorin. A Tampa, Fla., resident, the former University of Florida swimmer who won All-American honors five times, finished in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 44 seconds, a personal best for him. The event helps raise funds to restore Alligator Reef Lighthouse, one of six aging Florida Keys lighthouses. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Swimmers head for their kayaker escorts after beginning the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse open-water challenge Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, off Islamorada, Fla., in the Florida Keys. The 8-mile roundtrip race attracted almost 400 swimmers divided into categories including solo and two-, three- and four-person relay teams. The annual event helps raise funds to restore Alligator Reef Lighthouse, one of six aging Florida Keys lighthouses, that are some 150 years old and no longer needed for navigation. The beacon is named for the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner that ran aground and sank on the reef in 1822. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)