Girls 'ill' after training for Bristol Channel swim

Two 14-year-old girls who swam the Bristol Channel to raise awareness of sewage pollution as part of a world record attempt say they became unwell after training in the sea.

Best friends Izzy Shewry and Susy Havenhand-Iago swam nearly 20 miles (32km) from Penarth in Wales to Clevedon, North Somerset, in under six hours and 30 minutes on Wednesday.

Their coach Hamish McCarthy said he was confident the pair had broken the record for the youngest people to swim the c and they would have confirmation in September.

But while training for the swim, which they did to raise awareness about sewage pollution, one fell ill after swimming in the sea in Devon and the other from the Bristol Channel.

McCarthy said protecting swimmers from sewage in English waters was the main reason the teenagers launched their attempt, adding: "We'd like an end to the indiscriminate dumping of raw sewage into the sea."

McCarthy said Susy became ill after swimming in the sea off Babbacombe in Devon on 19 August.

"Susy swam through an area which smelt terribly," he said.

"The sea was all milky. Susy was ill for about three days just a week before this swim."

He said he had reported the incident to the Environment Agency and South West Water.

A spokesperson for South West Water said: "We have no storm overflows that impact Babbacombe Beach, and we had no operational issues in the area at the time Issy and Susy were swimming.

"It's important to note that water quality can be affected by a range of factors, including rainfall, agricultural run-off and urban drainage."

Issy, who was unwell for about two weeks, eventually had to see a GP.

Speaking after the world record attempt, Susy said: "It hasn't fully sunk in yet for me. The visibility wasn't very good - you can't see your hand in front of your face."

Izzy said: "It feels amazing. It's pretty surreal."

The trio are waiting to hear from the Bristol Channel Association which is due to ratify the record in September.

The youngest person publicly recorded to have swum the Bristol Channel was 15-year-old Harrison Owens, from south Wales, in 2024.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said its monitoring shows Devon and Cornwall continue to have some of the cleanest bathing waters in England.

According to the latest Environment Agency figures, water companies spilled raw sewage into England's rivers and seas for 1.9 million hours last year.

Ageing infrastructure has been identified by the industry, government and campaigners as one of the main reasons for sewage spills.

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