Channel swimmer Nick ‘died doing what he loved’, despite medics battling to keep him alive
FRIENDS post emotional tributes to endurance swimmer Nick Thomas who died during a 16 hour swim across the Channel
A DAD who died swimming the Channel was pulled from the water just a few hundred yards from shore.
Veteran endurance athlete Nick Thomas, 45, died while competing in the sport he loved, his grieving friends said yesterday.
Nick was just three quarters of a mile from the French coast when he was pulled unconscious from the sea.
The dad of two was in a triathlon-style Enduroman Challenge involving an 87-mile run from London’s Marble Arch to Dover, then a cross-Channel swim.
The final leg is a 180-mile cycle from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Builder Nick, who successfully swam the Channel in 2014, set out from Dover on the second leg just before 6am on Saturday.
He was pulled from the water 16 hours later by a support boat whose medics attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead in a Calais hospital early yesterday.
Organisers said later: “Our friend Nick Thomas left us whilst doing what he loved. He just kept going.
“He’ll always be a part of what we do and who we are.”
Devastated wife Karen, married to Nick for 24 years, yesterday paid tribute on Facebook, saying: “Can’t believe I am not going to see you again. Loved always xx.”
Son Ashley added: “You’ll never be forgotten.”
Friend Matthew Clarke read: “Rest in peace and keep swimming beyond this life and into eternity.”
A fellow athlete said: “Nick inspired and helped hundreds more — like me — to get into triathlon. Such a sad loss of a great bloke.”
Nick, from Ellesmere, Shropshire, was an experienced competitor who had taken part in Ironman and Ultraman events. He had completed the Enduroman before.
Enduroman Events tweeted pictures of Nick as he set off and updated his progress throughout.
One message posted on Saturday evening read: “Nick pulls onward ever closer to France. Nick’s swimming well and is very strong.”
At 8pm Nick, who in accordance with the rules was not wearing a wetsuit for the solo challenge, asked for a change of goggles as he began to struggle against the tide.
One tweet said: “Tough going for Nick.
“Still going, battling on. Dark now. Lots to do as Nick pushes for shore. We’ll update when we can.”
Two hours later the swim ended in tragedy. The events team tweeted: “Nick Thomas is being treated at Calais hospital after passing out in the water.”
The team later confirmed Nick had died.
The Channel Swimming Association said Nick prepared for his challenge by completing an assessment swim of at least six hours. He also passed a medical examination.
He had represented Great Britain in a a variety of endurance events.
Before the gruelling Ultraman contest in 2010 he said: “I like a new challenge. Nothing really beats me, so I’m confident I can achieve a good result.”
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