Susan Taylor Dies Crossing English Channel

by SwimSwam Staff 5

July 15th, 2013 News, Open Water

Sky News reports that a British woman has tragically died atempting to swim the English Channel.

Susan Taylor began the open water swim in the early morning hours Sunday. She was only a mile from the French shore when she was pulled from the water by her brother, a paramedic. Her support team alerted emergency services from France. They airlifted her via naval chopper to a Boulogne-sur-Mer hospital.

Taylor died at 7:15pm Sunday.

Taylor father, Arthur Wright told Sky News: “I’m devasted. I’ve lost the best person in the world. She was just wonderful… She had swum 30 miles and she got to the last part and that’s when it happened. That’s as much as I know.”

Crossing the English Channel began in the 19th century. Captain Matthew Webb made it, swimming from England to France August 24-25, 1875. He did it in 21 hours and 45 minutes.  It is a daring swim, but the number of crossings ratified by the Channel Swimming Association (until 2005) was 982 by 665 people. Up until 2005 there had 24 two-way crossing and three three-way crossing.

See the entire Sky News report here.

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10 years ago

I am an Italian long distance Swimmer. Years ago a friend of mine , FANCESCO CACOPARDO, of Messina (Sicily) try ‘ to cross of the English Channel in vain.
il 1988 a brasilan swimmer, friend of mine, TAMARA AGONDI, encountered in many races, died
during the night attempting to cross the English Channel.
I am grief-stricken. I cry with you the great Susan .from heaven, the heaven of swimmers, will pray ‘for us. She continues to live in our hearts exhaust towards the good that we want all nio volerle.Ciao Susan and we continue to pray for us, we always pray for you. ‘I know ‘you’ can you hear me. I embrace you with all my heart… Read more »

10 years ago

I am an Italian long distance Swimmer. Years ago a friend of mine , FANCESCO CACOPARDO, of Messina (Sicily) try ‘attrraversare of the English Channel in vain.
il 1988 a brasilan swimmer, friend of mine encountered in many races, died
during the night attempting to cross the English Channel.
I am grief-stricken. I cry with you the great Susan .from heaven, the heaven of swimmers, will pray ‘for us. She continues to live in our hearts exhaust towards the good that we want all nio volerle.Ciao Susan and we continue to pray for us, we always pray for you. ‘I know ‘you’ can you hear me. I embrace you with all my heart and inseime to you… Read more »

My
10 years ago

I think many of the danger symptoms eg Nausea , pain , exhaustion , lack of mental clarity ,inability to speak are disregarded in the crazed desire to finish.

Swimmers should be stopped & quizzed every 20 minutes – by an objective person ( not a relative ) .

10 years ago

“She was raising money for Diabetes UK and the Rainbows Children’s Hospice in Loughborough.”
“More than £16,000 has been given on her Virgin Money Giving page for Rainbows, which relies almost entirely on donations, and Diabetes UK.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363941/Susan-Taylor-death-Husband-Stephen-watches-horror-support-boat.html#ixzz2Z9TABzEN
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liquidassets
10 years ago

She died raising money for two charities, which I’d like to donate to, if I can find more info about them. Of course we are left wondering what happened. Does anyone know, how often has this occurred since records have been kept on English Channel crossings?