Abramovich yacht sails to the rescue of Maldives challenge swimmer

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has stepped in to rescue an environmental campaigner's epic swimming challenge, by lending him the services of his yacht.

• Pugh just can't stop swimming
• Abramovich resigns governorship 'because he's accomplished mission'
• Abramovich sets the hills alive with the sound of money

Lewis Gordon Pugh's mammoth swim across the breadth of the Maldives was in danger of being called off, when storm damage to his boat grounded the expedition yesterday.

But in "an amazing stroke of luck", organisers said, the Russian billionaire's yacht is also in the Maldives.

Mr Abramovich has offered the WWF-sponsored expedition the services of Pelorus.

Its 47 crew will form an addition to the expedition's seven-strong support team on the last leg of the challenge, due to be completed on Monday.

The maritime lawyer aims to demonstrate the plight of the island nation as the first country to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol and thought to be the first which would feel the devastating impact of rising sea levels and warming seas.

The 36-year-old swimmer has been battling through a succession of extreme weather conditions on his 160km journey.

Storms and strong currents blew him 50km off course.

Mr Pugh, who comes from South Africa and lives in London, has completed a number of aquatic feats, including swimming the length of the Thames last year to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Speaking at the launch of his latest adventure earlier this month, Mr Pugh said: "The Maldives is an island nation inhabited by people.

"Unless we are able to cut our carbon emissions dramatically we are going to have environmental refugees."

He added: "The Maldives is a classic example, they have nowhere to go and are stuck on the islands and the water will rise unless we are able to cut carbon emissions."

The swimmer highlighted the recent prediction in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports which stated that the Maldives would see a "probable" sea level rise over the next 200 years of 59cm each century.

Around 80 per cent of the islands, which number more than 1,190, are no more than 1m above sea level and it will take less than 100 years for many of them to become uninhabitable.

Mr Pugh is the only person to have completed a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, including the Arctic and Antarctic.

Wind Pushes Endurance Swimmer Off Course

Endurance swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh experienced disappointment this week as his attempt to swim the entire width (roughly 160km) of the Maldives was hindered by Mother Nature.

Pugh, 36, who is trying to raise awareness of the Maldives’ vulnerability to climate change, was blown off course by an unexpected storm half-way through his swim, which commenced on February 17.

Pugh’s planned feat, known as the “Investec Maldives Challenge”, has not been previously attempted.

Speaking of his recent setback Pugh said: “I am trying to swim westwards and I ended up being blown about 20km off course. I was pushed southwards. It may not be possible to counter this wind - as stronger winds are expected.”

“I will crack on,” Pugh continued, “but I may end up heading even further south and even further from my destination... it's impossible to tell.”

According to the rules of the Maldives Challenge, Pugh must begin his swim at the same point where he finished from the pervious day. Therefore, the distance he is pushed off course one day, is an extra amount he must swim the next.

Despite what happens, Pugh said his main goal is to raise awareness of the devastating effects that rising sea levels will have on low-lying countries like the Maldives.

“By swimming in areas threatened by rising global temperatures, I want to highlight the impact of years of government inaction on climate change,” said Pugh.

He continued: “Governments should not pass the responsibility for climate change to the unquantifiable acts of individuals, but should instead be taking tough measures and introducing dynamic legislation that will force polluters to start making genuine reductions in their carbon emissions.” [Read More]