Loading…
Man who jumped in the sea and swam from England to Isle of Man had the perfect name for it
Published
| Last updated
It's always satisfying when someone has a name which is fitting to the thing they are most well-known for.
One man has joined the people who have had a name well-suited to their famous occupation. He is the first person to swim from the UK mainland across the Irish Sea all the way out to the Isle of Man.
This is an impressive and gruelling undertaking. It's not the physical prowess that you need to attempt the feat, but also knowhow of the tides and currents in the area. If you end up swimming against an outgoing tide, there's no way you'll ever make it no matter how hard you swim.
However, all this didn't stop one aptly-named former soldier to attempt the 32 mile swim. Or at least, 32 miles in a straight line.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple as to cross you have to zig zag, making the the crossing potentially more like 46 miles.
So what is the name of the first man to swim from the mainland to the Isle of Man? Adam Diver.
One Redditor pointed out that it even works on a double level, both the diver for the swimming, and Adam for the first man.
Diver found the crossing quite the challenge, despite being physically fit. He first got the idea from his 14-year-old son, and had previously attempted the crossing, only to be thwarted by a freak storm.
Speaking after the feat, he told the Guardian: “I am exhausted. But it was a great team effort. I’m going to take a couple of days to get my body back in shape because I am very weak and tired, as you can expect.”
There's a lot more to succeeding in this crossing than just putting one arm in front of the other. Tides are a huge factor, and that requires having people on hand who understand the area.
Diver explained: “It is very technical. You’ve got to work with the tides and if you don’t have people onboard who know the Irish Sea then it is pretty difficult to do.
"You need a boat, you need a crew and you need a kayaking team, so it is difficult to get it all together.”
As if the cold water, currents, tides, and bigger boats weren't enough, there was also the local marine life to contend with. Thankfully not sharks, but another dangerous marine creature, jellyfish.
Adam recalled: “I got stung in the face by a lion’s mane jellyfish and then I got stung on the legs and arms about every 10 minutes. I was swimming over them all the time.”
Lion's Mane Jellyfish can grow up around around half a metre across at the bell. Their stings can be very painful, though fortunately are very rarely fatal.
However, there were also more thrilling encounters, such as with a pod of dolphins.
Diver did the swim to draw attention to mental health awareness.
He said: “I work in mental health and I think it’s very important to raise awareness for common mental health problems like anxiety and depression
“I think people need to talk about it and if you do need help then speak to someone.”
