A keen swimmer had to be rescued by her two friends after strong currents in the Bristol Channel left her being swept out along the coast. Ann Hailwood, 72, was enjoying a morning dip with friends at Sugar Loaf Beach in Portishead when the drama unfolded
Ann, who has been cold water swimming all her life, had ventured into the water with friends Elaine Hall and Rose Skuse on the morning of April 7 and had become momentarily distracted when she realised the current had started to take her out into the channel. Despite continuing to try and swim back to shore, the current kept pulling her out, leaving her brave friends to stage a dramatic rescue.
“We had our swim and were still in the water and were chatting,” said Ann. “But after being distracted for just a short while I realised that I had been caught in a strong current and was being pulled out into the channel.
