Farmer rows across Atlantic in memory of son

Rod Adlington (second from left) and his crew spent seven weeks completing the journey

A farmer has rowed across the Atlantic in memory of his son who died from meningitis.

Rod Adlington and his crew spent seven weeks completing a journey of more than 3,200 miles.

Mr Adlington’s son Barney died 18 years ago, aged three, and the trip has raised £125,000 for two charities.

“All of us suddenly burst into tears. It was just unbelievable,” Mr Adlington said of the moment when the four-person crew finished their trip on Sunday.

Mr Adlington, from Balsall Common in Solihull, set off with his crew from the Spanish island of Lanzarote on 3 January and arrived at the Caribbean island of Antigua on Sunday.

“Barney would have been 21 this year so it made sense to try and do this in his memory,” he told BBC Radio WM.

The crew called themselves The Brightsides, after The Killers’ Mr Brightside, Barney’s favourite song.

The foursome took it in turns to row in pairs for two-hour shifts, and the boat only stopped for a couple of hours to be cleaned during the entire journey.

Mr Adlington said the toughest parts of the trip included coping with three storms and managing sleep deprivation.

He said the trip had raised more than £125,000 so far for Meningitis Now and the Midlands based Get A-head Charitable Trust, and he had more activities planned to hit his target of £250,000.

A warm welcome

Mr Adlington said he had formed a lasting bond with his crew, which consisted of a fellow farmer, a soldier and a vet.

When The Brightsides arrived in Antigua, local residents stood outside their houses banging saucepans, cheering and waving to welcome them.

As the crew turned the final corner to the harbour, they saw their families and a large crowd of residents who had come to congratulate them.

“It will live with us for the rest of our lives,” Mr Adlington said of their arrival.

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