Man arrested over Hoover Dam stag go swim stunt

A MAN was arrested and fined after he swam across the Hoover Dam reservoir in the US while on a stag-do.

Arron Hughes, of Ruthin, became the first person in history to survive swimming across the reservoir – but he only managed to make it across without being dragged under because only one of the 10 hydroelectric turbines was turned on.

And following the 30-miniute swim, four police officers were stood waiting for him, which led to him being fined £250 ($330).

Arron decided to cool off and climb down below the 725ft-high structure to take a dip following a long journey in sweltering heat to the famous landmark.

The forklift truck driver said: “We rented out this big pick-up truck with 10 of us in it and were just flying down the motorway. I just wanted to cool myself off, and you’re only in Las Vegas once. It was amazing, absolutely awesome.”

Speaking about his arrest, he said: “They arrested me and took me to this police station on top of the Hoover Dam. One said to me ‘plenty of people have tried to swim across but no-one has ever managed to do it.’”

Arron was handcuffed and taken to a nearby police station where he was fined.

The Hoover Dam, on the border of Arizona and Nevada, provides water and electricity for Las Vegas. In the past decade, 275 people have died there.

Arron was fined for “jumping, diving, swimming, from dams, spillways or other structures” after his swim on August 7.

But Arron said he didn’t regret his decision saying it “was definitely worth it”.

During peak electricity periods, enough water runs through the generators to fill 15 average sized swimming pools in one second.