Second annual swim raises awareness of rare cancer

The second National Daily Dip 4 Dave Day took place on Saturday

A woman in Cornwall who has completed 733 days of a 1,000 day swim challenge invited members of the public to join her for the second National Daily Dip 4 Dave Day.

Ruth Hitchcock started swimming daily on 9 October 2023 after her husband was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer earlier that year.

Her husband Dave Hitchcock has neuroendocrine cancer, a rare cancer that starts in hormone-producing nerve cells.

Swimmers joined her on Gyllyngvase Beach earlier and she said: "I'm overwhelmed, I think it's brilliant... I think there's more people here than last year."

Ruth Hitchcock started swimming daily in October 2023

Mrs Hitchcock said her husband's cancer was incurable and "I cannot sit back and that destroy our lives without doing something".

She has raised nearly £45,000 for research but said the most important part was raising awareness.

"There are another three or 400 people around the country doing it with us which is just unbelievable," she added.

"We've got swimmers in Australia, Bali, Greece, Spain, they've already started sending their pictures in... it's just incredible what's happening."

After returning to land Mrs Hitchcock said: "I'm so grateful to everybody who came... it was a fantastic day."

Her 1,000th daily swim is set for 5 July 2026.

Her husband Dave Hitchcock said he felt a "combination of proud that she's doing it, worry especially if she's going on her own... overall just proud of what she's doing and achieving."

Dave Hitchcock said he was proud of his wife