Five Brits embarking on a mega 31-mile swim across the Channel had to abandon after being attacked by thousands of jellyfish.
Sara Harris, Nick Board, Stewart Douglas, Steve Copper and Jacqui Woodward were 15 hours into the mammoth crossing from Land's End to the Scilly Islands which they'd been planning for years - with just 3.8 miles to go when they were set upon by the rare jellies. The five needed urgent medical attention and were left with nasty rashes and swellings from the creatures' stinging tentacles.
Their impressive feat started early on Tuesday morning from the tip of the UK in Cornwall, with the swim expected to take up to 18 hours. But almost at the end of their ordeal, the five hit trouble when they swam into a bloom of mauve stingers as the sun set.
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The jellies are common in the North Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean, as reported by NeedToKnow. Sara said: "As it got later, the mauve stingers which we had seen all day came to the surface, so we were all getting stung.
"Then, literally, every stroke we were getting battered by jellyfish stings." Stewart added: "It always hurts more when you get stung on the face.
"We had wetsuits, gloves and boots on, which gave some protection, but you were stung every time you put your face in. The support crew shone a torch into the water after dark and I've never seen so many jellyfish."
"I put a balaclava on which helped, but between us, we probably accumulated 20 to 30 stings to the face each. It was horrendous."
Sara said they had to cut short their 40-minute stints in the water because of the stings, adding: "Literally every stroke we were getting battered by jellyfish and jellyfish stings. I was inconsolable when I got out of the water, I've never been in so much pain. For all of us, to go in again and again with those stings, it was pretty hard."
Stewart added: "It was the wind that stopped us. It really picked up after dark and it was only going to get worse. It would have taken another 12 hours or so to complete the crossing. The skipper said he didn't think we were going to make it so we called it off."
Steve added: "Unfortunately due to multiple mauve jellyfish stings and the tide being against us meant that after 15 hours we had to abort. We still took the boat to the island and swam the final 100 metres to touch land." They were then taken straight to the minor injuries unit at West Cornwall Hospital to be checked over.
Sara added: "It looks like we came down to Penzance to get Botox and lip fillers, I think that would be the best way to describe it. And it was the trainee doing it."
The group was carrying out the swim to raise money for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust at the time in memory of a family member who recently passed away from the condition. They have raised over £1,500 after hoping to rake in at least £1,000 on their JustGiving page.
Despite the horror jellyfish encounter it hadn't put them off retrying. Stewart said: "The jellyfish were a one-off. I think next year will be okay.”
