British man rescued by lifeguards after trying to swim to America

PA

Yesterday, Olympic fever inspired one London man to try to swim across the Atlantic to America, from a beach in Biarritz.

But despite his insistence that he was up to the challenge, he was rescued by coastguards who convinced him that it probably wasn't a good idea to continue.

The Daily Mail reports that the 34 year-old holidaymaker was visiting Biarritz with friends. He told them that he was planning to swim to New York to carry the Olympic spirit across the Atlantic.

They let him go because they thought he was joking, and knew that he was a strong swimmer.

However, according to RFI, the man was victim of a joke as his friends told him that he would be picked up by a boat.

At 3.30pm, lifeguards watched as he swam past the buoys 300 yards out to sea, which mark the legal limit for swimmers. He then continued to swim until he was out of sight.

At this point, lifeguards called out a helicopter and a diver dropped into the sea and explained to the man that it was a good idea to turn back.

At the same time, lifeguards arrived in a rescue dinghy. The man then realised that he might have made a mistake, so lifeguards threw him a line and towed him back to the beach.

Laurent Saintespes, senior officer at Biarritz airbase told Agence France Presse: "He was a bit naive. But at a time when the Olympics are taking place in London you have to see the funny side of things."

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