48 hours later, Nyad ends New York swim for charity

Eleven-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte swims with Diana Nyad during her 48-hour continuous "Swim for Relief" to support Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York's Herald Square. (Diane Bondareff/Invision for P&G/AP)

NEW YORK – Spectators whooped and cheered as endurance swimmer Diana Nyad ended her 48-hour swim in Manhattan to benefit victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Nyad came out of the pool at 8:48 a.m. Thursday after raising a little more than $103,000.

She said it was tougher than she had imagined. Her words were drowned out by the cheering crowd.

Nyad started the marathon swim Tuesday morning in a 40-yard pool set up in Herald Square. Her aim was to raise money for people still struggling a year after Sandy.

Last month, the 64-year-old New York native became the first person confirmed to have swum from Havana to Key West, Fla., without a shark cage.