A British adventurer's epic 28-year journey is facing its most daunting hurdle yet: French law may prevent Karl Bushby from swimming the final leg of his global trek back home. The 57-year-old has traversed over 25,000 miles since setting out from Chile in 1998.
After reaching Belgium and planning to return to Hull this autumn, Bushby's options have dwindled. Initially barred from walking through a Eurotunnel service tunnel due to safety concerns, he had hoped to use the Channel swim as his only remaining option – but now faces another obstacle. French legislation, outlined in a 2018 "prefectoral order", states that swimming is tolerated only for crossings from the UK coast to the French coast.
Despite this complication, Bushby remains hopeful. His support team has made contact with the Channel and North Sea Maritime Prefecture, responsible for managing the order, and discussions are underway about an exception being made. Although a Channel swim is now his primary plan, Bushby still prefers to walk through the Eurotunnel service tunnel – should circumstances change.
Bushby is currently in Mexico, managing visa regulations and planning routes, but expects to return to Belgium by early September and France by late that month to prepare for the Channel swim. With a remarkable track record of overcoming water challenges – including walking across the frozen Bering Strait in 2006 and a 186-mile (300km) Caspian Sea swim in 2024 – Bushby remains undeterred by this latest hurdle.