Sea swimmer hopes to try round-island swim again

David called the swim off due to swell and safety concerns

A man planning to swim around the Isle of Man to raise money for a local mental health charity is aiming to attempt the feat again in September after large swell curtailed his first try.

David Higson set off from Port St Mary lifeboat slipway at about on Wednesday morning but had to call it off at Perwick Bay amid safety concerns.

The sea swimmer, who was raising money for Isle Stand Up to Suicide in memory of his son Martin, had completed 3km (1.9 miles) of the 154km (96 mile) challenge.

Mr Higson said it was "like swimming in a washing machine" and his raft had started collecting sea water from the waves, making it more difficult to tow.

Settled spell

The decision to stop was taken amid concerns over the difficulty of tackling strong swell at The Sound in the conditions.

He said the first attempt had taught him things like keeping a closer eye on the weather before the swim itself and its ongoing effects on the sea state, packing less kit in his raft, and having plans for recovery in the event the swim had to be cut short.

The second attempt at the challenge would be dependent on another five to seven day window of winds under 10mph (16km/h) in September, Mr Higson said.

"I will keep an eye on the forecast and see if there is a settled spell and if I don’t get that then I might have to do it in smaller sections," he said.

"But I don't know if this year will let me do it," he said.

He was feeling "positive" about the decision to abandon the first attempt as he did not want to put himself or anybody else at risk, he added.