London, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/14/2013 -- The Danny Sawrij Twitter feed was filled with discussions of the chaotic charity swim which took place in Southwold over the weekend. The event was organised by Active Outdoor Sport. Rescue teams were called in to pull several dozen swimmers out of rough waters, as the race for charity ended in disaster. At one point, more than ninety of the total entrants could not be accounted for – a major sea and air rescue operation had to be launched, so that those in difficulty could be hauled back to the coastline. Fans of Danny Sawrij fundraising campaigner read that the ‘pier to pub’ swim in Southwold was supposed to begin at midday, but was postponed for two hours. During this time, the weather began to deteriorate and the choppy sea left many of the swimmers struggling to stay afloat. After an hour and a half, the organisers of the event decided that they would have to call in the emergency services.

Supporters of the Danny Sawrij Just Giving page read that an RAF helicopter, an air ambulance and five lifeboats arrived on scene at approximately 4pm. Three of the swimmers were suffering from hypothermia and were flown to Great Yarmouth’s Paget University Hospital for treatment. A lifeboat hut, located close to the pier, was then used by the emergency services as a type of makeshift medical centre; shocked and exhausted swimmers were given blankets to warm up. A spokesperson from the Maritime Coastal Agency explained that whilst the majority of swimmers were brought back to shore by the rescue boat and helicopters, there were a few who managed to swim back to the beach themselves.

One of the swimmers who participated in the charity event said that it was almost like trying to swim on a treadmill, as it was impossible to move very far due to the waves, cold temperatures and undercurrents. She added that she had ended up reaching the north side of the beach, even though she had been trying to swim to the southern end. Thankfully, there were no fatalities reported and everyone who was pulled out of the sea was still conscious. The lifeboat crews said that they rescued a total of fifty eight people from the waters, whilst the remaining swimmers were brought to shore by helicopter. However, despite the terrible conditions, the Danny Sawrij photos of the event showed that twenty swimmers still ended up finishing the race.

A swimming event for charity, organised by Active Outdoor Sport ended in chaos over the weekend. The cold temperatures and rough waters resulted in many swimmers having to be pulled out by the emergency services.

MEDIA CONTACT:
John Johnson
johnajohnsonuk@gmail.com
London