Dad rushed to hospital after swimming for 22 hours straight in freezing waters
09.10.2022 - 21:25
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A dad was rushed to hospital with hypothermia after completing a gruelling 31-mile swim from Devon to Swansea. Phil Warren endured freezing temperatures and jellyfish stings to complete the Bristol Channel challenge in just under 22 hours last month.
The 52-year-old started the mammoth journey at Ilfracombe before finally reaching Gower the following evening, Wales Online reports. He is the fourth person ever to take on the crossing wearing just Speedos and a swimming cap and is the first to cover the distance by only doing the breaststroke.
Challenge rules meant that he wasn't allowed to grab onto the side of his support vessel at any point, with all his food served in liquid form and tossed to him using a rope while he remained in the water.
Phil said: "It was hard but amazing - a pod of dolphins swam next to me at one point, checking me out. But after being in the sea that long, the strong tides having added an extra few miles to my journey, it did get very cold. Luckily my partner Nic is a paramedic and an A&E nurse, so when I finally arrived on the beach at Gower she took one look at me and went, 'Yeah, he's not right'.
"I was blue, completely exhausted and had a core temperature of 31°C. I was then rushed by ambulance to Morriston Hospital where they also found fluid on my lungs. They did blood tests, chest X-rays and set about warming me up slowly. I was in for about eight hours before getting the all-clear.
"All part of the adventure though, I suppose," said Phil, adding that there's a very good reason behind him pushing himself to the limit. "I'm raising money for Mind, the mental health charity. It's a cause that's very close to my heart because, about 10 years ago, I suffered a total breakdown.
"All the things