The British adventurer swam across the English Channel and came ashore near Dover; he now has about 400 kilometres left to reach his home city of Hull.
Karl Bushby, 57, has returned to Britain after an almost 28-year journey around the world without using transport. On Monday, 5 October, he came ashore at Shakespeare Beach near Dover, swimming the final leg across the English Channel. His entourage announced his arrival; ITV and AFP also reported the crossing.
Bushby set out from Chile in 1998. The former British paratrooper aimed to reach his home city of Hull using only walking or swimming. He has covered more than 50,000 kilometres and crossed 29 countries. ITV reported that visa restrictions and the refusal of permission to use the service tunnel beneath the Channel were among the factors that prolonged his route.
Visa problems, the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the journey. Bushby told AFP that these circumstances had cost him about 14 of the expedition’s 28 years. The swim was coordinated with the French and British coastguards and kept secret for security reasons.
Relatives and German filmmaker Werner Herzog, who brought a film crew, met Bushby on shore. He said it felt good to be back on British soil. The journey is not quite over: about 400 kilometres remain before he reaches Hull. After completing it, he plans to document the expedition and give talks.