Bristol 'mermaid' to attempt world record swim

Bristol's adventure mermaid and children's book author Lindsey Cole swims British waters to raise environmental awareness

A woman from Bristol says wants to set a new world record for the longest 'monofin' swim by travelling the length of the Bristol Avon.

Accompanied by a group of friends in canoes, Lindsey Cole will attempt to continuously swim in the river for 24 hours on 28 September for World River Day - all while dressed as a mermaid.

Ms Cole is known for her daring swimming adventures that aim at raising awareness about clean waters and plastic pollution.

“I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling and adventure to inspire change,” she said.

Ms Cole swam from Wales to England last year to highlight the need for clean waters

Before she tries to break the world record, though, she is headed to Edinburgh to perform her children’s show The Mermaid, the Otter and the Big Poo at the Festival Fringe.

The show was inspired by her swim from Wales to Clevedon last year when Ms Cole crossed the Bristol Channel with a big fake poo in tow to point out the need for cleaner waters.

Her adventure was then turned into a children’s book before she eventually adapted the story into an “engaging and educational performance” which already took her to this year’s Kidzfield at Glastonbury.

Her mermaid swims are supported by friends in canoes travelling alongside her

She started her mermaid adventures in 2018 after having cut herself on a piece of plastic while diving in Indonesia.

She said the plastic pollution made her “really sad”, so she decided to swim the length of the River Thames to raise awareness and “highlight how we’re choking our mermaids and their friends”.

Along the way, she rescued a cow from drowning in the river’s waters which is where the story for her first children’s book The Mermaid and the Cow came from.

Since then, she has undertaken several ambitious swims to “encourage others to protect our precious waterways”.