Six Mexican prisoners managed to swim 60 miles from their prison island before being captured, after fleeing the island penal colony of Islas Marias, it has been reported.
Despite their marathon swim, the prisoners still had a further 58 miles to go before reaching dry land and freedom.
Inmates on the island, in the Pacific Ocean, are said to be given substantial freedom to roam and are not locked up.
In making their athletic escape they swam south towards Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on the Mexican mainland. Their journey would have been almost half the distance had they chosen to swim due east towards the coast.
The fugitives used empty plastic gas or water tanks to stay afloat before being picked up by the Mexican Navy.
Aged between 28 and 39 years, the men are reported to be relatively healthy despite their arduous journey. Mexico's interior department said they were returned to prison island "within hours".
The penal colony was established in 1905 and was the subject of the 1951 Mexican film 'Los islas Marias'.