A LIMBLESS Frenchman planning to make four challenging swims around the world finally got his epic journey under way Thursday after sorting out paperwork problems in Papua New Guinea.

    Philippe Croizon, who lost both his arms and legs in an electrical accident in 1994, entered the water in the Pacific country’s remote west at 6 a.m. on his way to Indonesia’s Papua province.

    The swim was expected to take six to seven hours.

    Croizon, who swam the English Channel in 2010, hopes to make four swims over the next few months; joining Oceania and Asia, Africa and Asia, Europe and Africa, and Asia to America.

    In total he expects to cover about 85 kilometers, meaning he will be in the ocean for about 45 hours, facing sharks, poisonous jellyfish, icy currents and cargo ships.

    Croizon’s life changed dramatically in 1994 when doctors were forced to amputate his limbs after he was hit by a 20,000-volt charge.

    As he recovered in hospital he saw a television documentary about a Channel swimmer and his ambition was born.

    He used special artificial limbs with flippers to cross the English Channel and is being joined in his 2012 adventure by able-bodied long-distance swimming champion Arnaud Chassery.

    (SD-Agencies)