San Francisco Bay

9-Year-Old to Attempt Record-Breaking Swim to Alcatraz

James Savage wants to break the world record held by a 10-year-old

Al Capone might have made a great escape from Alcatraz Island if he had the tenacity of a young boy ready to make the three-mile swim to the famous former prison and back.

Nine-year-old James Savage is on a mission to become the youngest person to make the trip, according to NBC affiliate KSEE. The record is held by a 10-year old.

Some prisoners tried to escape the notorious prison in San Francisco Bay before it closed in 1963, but no attempt was successful — officially at least.

"They weren't able to make it," Savage told KSEE with a smile. "I just kind of laughed."

Difficult swims are nothing new to Savage, who started swimming at 5 and, according to the report, often swims in open water where sharks are known to travel.

"He comes out here and it's almost like he's home," Savage's mother, Jillian, told the station. "He just wants to swim."

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