A freezing quest
Ice swimmer Melissa Kegler confronts the harsh reality of vanishing glaciers while risking her body to set a new world record
What is afterdrop?
The most dangerous part of ice swimming isn't the cold water. It's what happens to your body when you get out. As your extremities warm, cold blood flows into your core, cooling it further. This can trigger shivering, hypothermia, loss of consciousness, and in extreme cases, cardiac arrest and death. For competitive swimmers like Melissa, it not a question of whether you'll experience afterdrop. It's a question of how bad it will be, and can you survive it.
Featuring
Melissa Kegler
Melissa Kegler
Melissa Kegler
Melissa Kegler earned the triple crown in open water swimming before discovering her true passion: ice swimming. After setting the US record in 2022, Melissa has begun training for an attempt at the world record. But cold water is increasingly difficult to find near her home in Seattle.
Mauri Pelto
Melissa Kegler
Melissa Kegler
Glaciologist Mauri Pelto began documenting glaciers in the North Cascades in 1984, and since then has witnessed not only a 30-40 percent loss of ice, but the complete disappearance of several glaciers. He is a Member of the Science Advisory Board for NASA Earth Observatory.
Jill Pelto
Melissa Kegler
Jill Pelto
Jill Pelto grew up visiting glaciers with her father, Mauri, and today is art director of the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project. She has conducted research across the globe, and incorporates scientific data into her paintings to communicate environmental changes.