Ellesmere man dies trying to swim solo across the English Channel
An Ellesmere man, who was an endurance swimmer, has died after trying to cross the English Channel.
Nick Thomas, who was 45-years-old, set off from Samphire Hoe, near Dover, at 5.45am yesterday for a non-wetsuit solo crossing.
He was around ten miles from the French coast and had been swimming for around 16 hours when he passed out in the water.
A crew onboard a support boat pulled him from the water and began CPR. An ambulance was standing by to meet the boat and he was rushed to hospital in Calais were he passed away earlier today.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are offering assistance to the family of a British national following his death in Calais, France."
Mr Thomas had previously swam the Channel in 2014. He was an experienced endurance athlete, who has competed a number of ironman and ultraman triathlons.
Our friend Nick Thomas left us whilst doing what he loved - he just kept going. He'll always be a part of what we do and who we are. https://twitter.com/EnduromanEvents/status/769824862097604608
