The promenade at Portstewart was lined with motor cars and a huge crowd packed the vicinity of the harbour. The final preparations for the swim were watched with keen interest.  

Mercedes entered the water at 11.20 a.m. Her objective was Greencastle or Moville, but the conditions were not favourable. She made fairly good progress at the start of the swim and at 4 o’clock she was half way across the lough. At that point however, as predicted by local fishermen, she was met by a strong ebb tide which was accompanied by an adverse south-westerly gale. The wind was blowing against the run of the tide, making the water choppy. The waves began to break over the swimmer’s head and athough she battled hard her progress was slow.  

At 5 o’clock Mercedes was advised that it was futile to continue the effort, and she was obliged to give up after a six hours’ struggle against heavy rain and mist, strong head winds, adverse tides, and waves that were beating in her face.

Belfast Newsletter, 16 August 1929

Miss Gleitze, on Saturday, 17th August, 1929, left her hotel (McConnells, Moville) at 3 a.m. and journeyed by motor car to the Pilots’ Port, Innishowan Head.

After undergoing massaging and other necessary preparations she entered the water at exactly five minutes past four o’clock a.m. in the presence and view of the local pilots, those who accompanied her in the boat on her swim, and approximately one hundred other spectators.

At this time the sea was calm and a slight south west breeze blowing. A strong flood tide was flowing which Miss Gleitze had to contend against in crossing, until in about an hour and a quarter she had reached a position where the tide became slacker. Half an hour later she had reached a position where the tide had turned so as to favour more Miss Gleitze’s progress, and she shaped a course parallel to Magilligan Strand. After she had covered a few miles the wind changed to the north and the sea became choppy. This tended to make Miss Gleitze’s progress more difficult but she was still swimming strongly and making good headway until she reached a point opposite the entrance to the River Bann, where she had to battle with a strong contrary tide and a rough sea which materially impeded her progress.  

On passing the Bar Mouth the swimmer was greatly encouraged by the arrival from Portstewart of a number of motor boats crowded with holiday makers, who gave vent to their enthusiasm for the magnificent fight Miss Gleitze was making, by repeated cheering. Large crowds lined the shore, who watched with intense interest the swimmer’s progress; and at 12 o’clock noon, when she at last waded ashore at Bearnville Port, Portstewart showing little distress after her strenuous swim, the crowd waiting to receive her had reached such proportions that the assistance of the police was necessary to clear a way for Miss Gleitze to reach the motor car in waiting to convey her to the Montague Arms Hotel where she stays as the guest of Mr and Mrs McCambridge.

During the progress of the swim she was fed at intervals with hot coffee and milk. 

           

Document signed by John Kane, Charles Sweeney and Daniel Taylor

before E .F. McCambridge, Justice of the Peace for County Antrim., Portstewart, 17 August 1929.

At five minutes past eleven o’clock a.m. Miss Mercedes Gleitze entered the water at Bearn Port, Portstewart in the presence of the undersigned and in addition about four hundred onlookers including Sergeant McKenzie, R.U.C. Portstewart, and W.J. Marcus, Press Representative, Coleraine. The sea at this time was calm, and a light breeze blowing from the S.S.E.

Miss Gleitze made steady progress until she reached the Bar Mouth. Here she encountered an adverse tide from the Bann and a head wind. The swimmer struggled gamely against these conditions and in the space of forty minutes succeeded in gaining a position where the tide conditions were more favourable.  

Here the course was shaped to a north westerly direction, and Miss Gleitze continued to forge ahead in a steady and courageous manner until reaching the east side of the Yuns Bank where a motor boat with a band aboard arrived from Moville. Continuously after this other boats, both motor and row boats, arrived on the scene, until in a short time the number of boats following had increased to thirty two. The swimmer was greatly encouraged by the reception given her by the passengers in these boats and the music rendered by the Band.

In about fifteen minutes Miss Gleitze had crossed over the Yuns Bank, and then encountered a four knot tide, which she had to battle against in order to reach her objective, which she accomplished after about an hour’s strenuous swimming.

Amidst tumultuous cheering from those on board the boats, and some hundreds who lined the shore, Miss Gleitze walked ashore in the presence of, among others, Messrs E.F. McCambridge, Justice of the Peace, Francis Martin, Town Clerk, Portstewart Urban council, John Kane, Anchor Line Agent, Charles Sweeney, Peace Commissioner, Sergeant Taylor, Civic Guards, and two other members of the same force.

On five different occasions after passing the Bar Mouth, motor boats from Portstewart, carrying a large number of passengers, reached the scene of Miss Gleitze’s struggle and afforded the swimmer great encouragement. 

After an interval of a few minutes, after her walking ashore at the conclusion of her swim at the Black Rock Bay, Moville, Miss Gleitze went for a sprint along the beach. She then entered the pilot boat that accompanied her on her swim and was rowed out to the officials’ motor boat, by which she was conveyed to the Wharf, Moville, where she was enthusiastically received by practically the entire population of Moville. Mr A.J. Blake, Manager of the National Bank, Moville, was waiting here in his motor car, and conveyed her to McConnells Hotel, Moville. During the course of her swim, Miss Gleitze received the usual attention as regards feeding arrangements.

Document signed by Robert Millar, Dr A.E.M. Carleton, William J. Marcus, Patrick J. Murray, Robert Bacon, and E.F. McCambridge

before Charles Sweeney, Peace Commissioner for the County Donegal. Moville, County Donegal, 20 August 1929.