Lewis swims complete length of Hudson River

PLYMOUTHBORN endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh has completed a 315-mile swim down the Hudson River in the United States to show the world that rivers can be cleaned up enough for people to swim in, fish in and drink from.

Averaging 10 miles a day in just his trunks, cap and goggles, the United Nations Patron of the Oceans arrived at the southern tip of New York’s Manhattan Island on Wednesday after a month of traversing powerful currents, with bald eagles and ospreys soaring above him.

The completion of the swim comes as New York City is set to host its climate week and government ministers from around the world gather at the UN General Assembly.

Mr Pugh, who grew up on the edge of Dartmoor and went to school in Tavistock, will speak to UN delegates about the importance of cleaning up pollution, saying “we cannot have a healthy planet without healthy rivers”.

Speaking shortly after getting out of the water in New York, he said: “This was one of the most polluted rivers in America.