UPDATE: Extreme swimmer who attempted monster Loch Ness challenge in hospital for checks but is "resting and well"
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- Extreme swimmer Ross Edgely in hospital
- WATCH: Environmentalist passes 48 hour mark in the chilly waters of Loch Ness
An extreme swimmer who is thought to have set a new local record after swimming for more than 52 hours in Loch Ness is in hospital for checks but is said to be "resting and well".
Long-distance swimmer and passionate environmentalist Ross Edgley finished his record attempt yesterday, having spent 52 hours and 39 minutes covering approximately 79km in the world famous stretch of water.
If his attempt is verified, Edgely will have broken the record for the longest ever open water swim specifically in Loch Ness (time and distance) in a wetsuit.
He was going for a world record but fell short of the time required.
However posts on social media show he is now in hospital as a result of his extended time submerged in the chilly waters.
A spokesman for him said he is being monitored following the mammoth ordeal but is said to be in good spirits.
Edgley swam continuously without touching land or a boat for a continuous period of more than two days and nights, overcoming challenging conditions: temperatures as low as five degrees Celsius, rising waves and gusts of wind up to 20 knots, and long periods of overnight rain.
He finally halted his swim at Fort Augustus on Friday afternoon, falling short of his original attempt to beat the world record for the longest ever open-swim in tideless water.
The challenge was undertaken to help raise awareness for new Talisker Whisky x Parley project to protect Scottish waters.
Talisker Whisky and Parley's project aims to protect the world beneath the surface of Scotland’s waves, through supporting scientific research that aims to better understand kelp forests’ role as a carbon sink.
At the end of the challenge Edgley said: "I wanted to thank everyone for their immense support and in particular the incredible hospitality I have received here in Scotland.
"The longer I’ve been working with Talisker and Parley the more I’ve learnt about sea kelp and how essential the preservation of these amazing sea kelp forests are.
"It was one of the biggest challenges of my career physically and mentally, but the important purpose behind it really motivated me to push myself as far as I did and I’m so proud to have inspired people to make a difference."
Talisker and Parley have set out to protect the world beneath the surface of Scotland’s waves, through supporting scientific research that aims to better understand kelp forests’ role as a carbon sink, and the value they play in the biodiversity of Scotland's fragile and beautiful marine ecosystems.
They say the findings will help to showcase how essential these underwater forests in Scotland and around the world are, to encourage greater levels of protection.
As part of the scientific research, experts at Plymouth Marine Laboratory are working alongside Heriot-Watt University to map the present and future distribution of kelp carbon in Scotland.
This research, supported by Talisker and Parley, is located currently in the Orkney Islands.
Lead scientist Dr Ana Queiros, of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said: “We are delighted to join Talisker, Parley, Blue Marine Foundation and Heriot-Watt University in pursuing a better understanding of the role of kelp in the ocean carbon cycle. The ocean has already absorbed over a quarter of man’s global greenhouse gas emissions.
"This project will seek to understand how the protection of ocean habitats like kelp beds and the seabed could be optimised to better support oceanic carbon stores, and with them, their rich biodiversity.”
