- Marathon
Man
- Swimmer, diver and environ- mentalist
Harry Hauck keeps going strong at age 72.
By Devon Victoria
Antonelli
No one knows the waters around Puerto Rico like Harry
Hauck.
For more than 30 years this 72-year-old Detroit native has
been teaching people to scuba dive in the island's balmy waters.
He's taught so many divers-to-be, that he's lost count at around
1,000. Hauck has also instructed and coached swimmers and even
organized an Olympic water polo team.
But that's been only part of Hauck's work in the water. A
long-time advocate of keeping the environment clean, Hauck has been
organizing underwater cleanups here since the 1970s. In addition, he
has swum marathons, including a 325-mile, 36-day swim around the
island to help combat the use of drugs and the spread of aids.
| (Above right) Harry Hauck has organized
more than 300 under -water beach clean-ups since 1971. (Above)
He also teaches beginners to scuba
dive. | |
|
Considered one of Puerto Rico's best known swimming and
diving personalities, Hauck received his scuba training from
the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He was then a member of
the Underwater Demolition Team, known as the Frogmen,
the precursor to today's Navy Seals.
The Navy trans- ferred him to Puerto Rico in 1952 and
he fell in love with the tropical island. After returning to
Detroit and producing 125 all- American swimmers, and
one Olympian while working at a recreation center, Hauck
received a |
plethora of offers for coaching jobs. In
1964, he jumped at the opportunity to coach in Puerto Rico and
has called the island home ever since.
Island Adventures
In Puerto Rico, Hauck founded the Puerto Rico Olympic
water polo team, coached a swim team for the Caribe Hilton
Hotel and taught Fort Buchanan's U.S. Army personnel and their
families how to dive. While working at Fort Buchanan, he also
became known for his marathon swims, which he undertakes
wearing only a bathing suit, cap and goggles. Go to page 2
| |