Exhausted pollution campaigner completes 330-mile Channel swim
ENDURANCE SWIMMER Lewis Pugh has told of his relief at completing a “once-in-a-lifetime swim” along the English Channel in his bid to highlight the “crisis” of ocean pollution.
The 48-year-old swimmer, from Plymouth, was greeted at Dover’s Shakespeare Beach yesterday by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, his wife and campaigners after dozens of local swimmers accompanied him along the final stretch.
Mr Pugh said he was feeling “relieved and exhilarated” after completing the 330-mile swim.
He said: “It’s been very, very long, we’ve been going for 49 days and I’m exhausted, physically exhausted, mentally exhausted, so delighted to be here.”
Mr Pugh is estimated to have made 500,000 to 750,000 strokes along the journey and covered six to 12 miles)per day in the challenge overseen by the Channel Swimming Association.
The Long Swim is Mr Pugh’s latest “Speedo diplomacy” mission to highlight inadequate protection of UK waters.
The passionate campaigner repeated his warning that just seven square kilometres (2.7 square miles) out of 750,000 square kilometres of coastal waters are fully protected.
He said: “This is a crisis – be under no illusion that the combination of climate change, over-fishing and pollution altogether now are devastating the oceans,
“This is a message I conveyed to Michael Gove, that we need to take really urgent action.”
Mr Pugh who set off seven weeks ago added: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime swim for me, but there are plans now for other swims in other countries.
“It’s not just the UK that’s protecting so little of its coastline, there are other nations in similar situations.”