Man swims at North Pole to show global warming
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Man swims at North Pole to show global warming*
'The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire'
--BBC News
Lewis Gordon Pugh takes the plunge
Pugh on his swim
An endurance swimmer has completed a 1km swim at the North Pole to
highlight the effects of climate change.
Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, swam for 18 minutes and 50 seconds in
temperatures of -1.8C (28.7F), the coldest waters a human has swum in.
The City lawyer said the swim was a triumph but it was "a tragedy that
it's possible to swim at the North Pole".
"I hope my swim will inspire world leaders to take climate change
seriously," he said.
'Excruciating pain'
The challenge was conducted in accordance with Channel Swimming
Association Rules.
He took the plunge at 0200 BST on Sunday and swam along a crack in the
ice to the geographic North Pole.
Describing the moment he jumped in, he said: "The water was absolutely
black. It was like jumping into a dark black hole. It was frightening.
"The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire. I was in
excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few
occasions."
Pugh said he hoped it would influence the decisions made by world
leaders over the next few years to determine the biodiversity of our world.