Shropshire Star

Shropshire man's cross-Channel swim abandoned due to dangerous conditions

Shropshire sports teacher Ian Preece was today was forced to abandon his cross-Channel swim after three-and-a-half hours when officials from the Channel Swimming Commission ruled that conditions were too dangerous for him to continue.

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Mr Preece, from Dawley, was doing the swim to raise money for Telford Juniors Academy, which makes football accessible to disabled youngsters.

He was swimming Channel as a tribute to his home-town hero Captain Matthew Webb, who in 1875 became the first man to swim from Britain to France.

Ian was originally scheduled to start his swim yesterday, but it was put back a day due to choppy weather conditions.

He left Dover at 4am today, but at 7.30am, after swimming about seven miles, the pilot of his escort boat ruled that it was too dangerous to continue.

"I'm feeling very down at the moment, it will probably be next year now until I am able to do it again," said the 37-year-old.

"They said today it might be too dangerous, but I really wanted to do it. While we were out there they told me it was too choppy and that we should abandon it, but I persuaded them to give me another hour, and then another hour after that," he said.

"Eventually, the pilot in the boat said it was too dangerous and he was stopping it. At the moment I feel like I have spent 10 months of my life preparing for this, and it is all lost, but I am determined to do it.

"I said I would like to do it again as soon as possible, but the pilot said it might not be until next year now.

"We've all got work commitments as well."

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