Long-distance swimmer Lewis Pugh tackles the Hudson River

Long-distance swimmer Lewis Pugh is swimming the Hudson River to highlight river water quality.

The swim started on 13 August at Lake Tear in north-eastern New York State and is expected to end on 13 September at Battery Park, Manhattan.

The swim will cover 315 miles (507km) and Mr Pugh, from Plymouth, Devon, says it is one of his most challenging swims.

Mr Pugh is known for swimming across the North Pole in 2007 with the aim of highlighting the melting of the Arctic sea ice.

In 2018 he swam the full length of the English Channel.

Mr Pugh said his latest swim is timed to reach New York before the United Nations begins ratifying the High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect biodiversity in international waters.

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