Man dies in swimming event
Posted: June 24, 2014
Posted in: Public Place Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
A man has died taking part in a swimming event on Lake Windermere on Friday 13 June. He had been competing in the Great North Swim in the Lake District when he suffered a “medical emergency” and was taken to a nearby hospital by air ambulance. The 52-year-old from Wallington, south London, died shortly after reaching the hospital.
The Great North Swim is a three-day event and is one of the several open-water swimming festivals that takes place throughout the country. Those who enter can choose to swim several different distances, including half a mile, one mile, two miles and 5 kilometers. 2013 saw 20,000 swimmers taking part in the event, raising hundreds of pounds for charity.
“Our deepest sympathy”
A Cumbria force spokeswoman said: “At 4.40pm police at the event were alerted to a man who was taken by air ambulance to the Cumberland Infirmary, as a result of a medical emergency.”
The man had been taking part in a 2mile swim when he became unwell in the water. Accident and emergency medical staff attended to him to before he was transferred to Cumberland Infirmary.
A statement made by Nova International, the organisers of the event, read: “Nova International deeply regrets the tragic loss of life at the Great North Swim today and offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the individual concerned.”
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