Another lighthouse benefit swim completed

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ISLAMORADA, Fla., Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The winner of a benefit long-distance swim in the Florida Keys says he did it to help save the lighthouse that marked the halfway point.

Larry Herlth completed the 8-mile swim in Islamorada in a little over 5 hours and said his ultimate goal was to rescue a half-dozen beacons in the Keys that have been deteriorating over the years.

"It's sad this is happening to our natural treasures," Herlth told the Miami Herald. "They are really in bad shape, and if something isn't done soon, we'll lose them."

Herlth and the other competitors used one of the endangered lighthouses as the out-and-back target for the swim. The Alligator Lighthouse is the most recent swim to raise awareness. Herlth has already paddled around four other lighthouses.