Crazed Olympics Fan Swims Off The Deep End

It's definitely easy to get caught up in the excitement of the ongoing Olympics, with record-breaking performances and dramatic competition feeling like the norm. A London man took his "Olympic Spirit" overboard though, when he spontaneously dove into the Atlantic Ocean, en route for America.

The unnamed British man was vacationing with friends on the French beach of Biarritz when he announced that he was "off to New York to carry the Olympic spirit across the Atlantic," according to a Daily Mail report.

Beachgoers looked on as the man's presumed joke became a very real and inspired pursuit—that is, until lifeguards intervened with a helicopter and rescue raft after the swimmer crossed the beach's 300-foot buoy boundaries.  Even then, the merman-wannabe argued that he was a strong enough swimmer to make the grueling, near 3,600-mile journey.

"He was a bit naïve, but at a time when the Olympics are taking place in London, you have to see the funny side of things," said Laurent Saintespes, senior officer at the Biarritz airbase that sent the helicopter.

It seems we'll never know if our brave/crazed hero's spirit-spreading trek would have been successful (though we have a pretty good guess). But if you care to check out the real swim stars, check out our daily Olympic updates.