LONG POINT, Ontario — Butler native and former Connoquenessing Township resident Randy McElwain was scheduled to begin a swim across Lake Erie at 5 a.m. today.

McElwain, 47, now living in Lake Orion, Mich., is attempting the 32-mile swim from Long Point, Ontario, to Dobbins Landing in Erie to promote awareness for alopecia areata, an autoimmune skin disease affecting his daughter, Cassie. The disease is not life-threatening.

The swim was originally scheduled for early August, but was postponed due to heavy winds and unsafe lake conditions.

“It’s a go this time,” McElwain said Tuesday. “The wind is coming from the southeast and conditions are good.

“A wind shift could change things, of course, but I think we’ll be good.”

McElwain swam a 24.3-mile route across Lake Erie in 2009, completing the task in a then-record time of 11 hours, 23 minutes. That record has since been broken.

Now McElwain is embarking upon another mark.

“Only three people have done this (32-mile) swim and none have completed it in fewer than 20 hours. If all goes well, I’m anticipating coming to shore within 15 or 16 hours.

“Those are rough estimates, of course. You never know what’s going to happen out there.”

McElwain briefly tested the lake conditions Tuesday.

He logged 3,028 miles running, biking or swimming from January through June in preparation for this swim.