Infidelitas
August 30th, 2011, 11:01 PM
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/08/30/257481_fun-weird-news.html
EIGHTY swimmers had to be rescued in England after they were hit by strong tides - while taking part in a charity open water race to raise money for the lifeguards who saved them.
According to media reports today, only three of 93 entrants completed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution fundraising swim at Broadstairs -- 110km east of London -- and 80 needed to be rescued.
Gordon Wise from Dover Coastguard told the BBC: "It could have potentially been a very serious event, a very serious problem. In the end through a search between two inshore lifeboats, rescue boats, and some paddle boarders which were part of the event, all people were brought ashore and accounted for.
"There are some bad tides that run along there, rip tiding. Especially at the moment we are coming up to some of the highest tides of the year."
The RNLI's Peter Barker told the London Daily Telegraph: "Our inshore lifeboat at Margate was on exercise in the area when they spoke with people and it seemed very clear that a number of swimmers were experiencing difficulties in swimming against the tide."
Entrant Mike Jennings said the tide was so strong it took him "10 minutes to swim 50 yards [46m]" before he withdrew from Sunday's race.
A reader at Kent Online revealed one swimmer was forced to catch a taxi back to the race location after the tide washed him to Kingsgate Bay, more than 1.5km to the north.
EIGHTY swimmers had to be rescued in England after they were hit by strong tides - while taking part in a charity open water race to raise money for the lifeguards who saved them.
According to media reports today, only three of 93 entrants completed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution fundraising swim at Broadstairs -- 110km east of London -- and 80 needed to be rescued.
Gordon Wise from Dover Coastguard told the BBC: "It could have potentially been a very serious event, a very serious problem. In the end through a search between two inshore lifeboats, rescue boats, and some paddle boarders which were part of the event, all people were brought ashore and accounted for.
"There are some bad tides that run along there, rip tiding. Especially at the moment we are coming up to some of the highest tides of the year."
The RNLI's Peter Barker told the London Daily Telegraph: "Our inshore lifeboat at Margate was on exercise in the area when they spoke with people and it seemed very clear that a number of swimmers were experiencing difficulties in swimming against the tide."
Entrant Mike Jennings said the tide was so strong it took him "10 minutes to swim 50 yards [46m]" before he withdrew from Sunday's race.
A reader at Kent Online revealed one swimmer was forced to catch a taxi back to the race location after the tide washed him to Kingsgate Bay, more than 1.5km to the north.