Karl Bushby, a 57-year-old British adventurer, has received permission from French authorities to swim the English Channel, marking a critical step toward completing his 28-year journey home from Chile. The proposed swim is expected to take three to four days, tides and weather permitting, with Bushby aiming to enter the water on October 1.
Bushby, who set off from Chile in 1998, has covered approximately 30,516 miles of his 36,000-mile odyssey. Under the terms of his challenge, he is not permitted to use any form of transport. His journey has included crossing the Bering Strait and the Darién Gap.
Securing permission for the final leg has faced significant hurdles. French officials initially refused consent, citing a 2018 prefectoral order that permits swimming the Channel only from the UK to France, not the reverse. Additionally, Bushby's request to use a service tunnel of the Channel Tunnel was denied by Eurotunnel due to safety and operational concerns.
His team has been in close communication with French authorities to finalize the plans. Bushby, a former paratrooper, expressed his relief that the plan is coming together, stating his primary goal is to "get the job done and get home alive."
Bushby has undertaken long-distance swims previously, including a 186-mile swim across the Caspian Sea in 2024 to avoid traversing politically sensitive regions. However, he noted that he has had little time to train for the Channel swim due to ongoing route planning.
He anticipates being back in his hometown of Hull, East Yorkshire, by November 1. His mother, Angela, is preparing to greet him at her home.
