2 Teen-Agers Climb Berlin Wall, Then Swim River to West
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WEST BERLIN — An East German teen-age couple climbed over the Berlin Wall and swam across the Spree River to escape to West Berlin, officials said Tuesday.
A West Berlin city official said the escape took place last month but was kept secret until now “in order to leave the same escape route open as long as possible.”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no other East Germans have used the route to flee their country, which bars most residents from traveling to the West.
The official identified the teen-agers as Mike Kussin, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, and Ulrike Honko, a 17-year-old glass worker.
He said the teen-agers used parts of a wooden fence to climb over the wall on the eastern bank of the Spree and then swam the short distance to West Berlin.
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