A British adventurer nearing the completion of an extraordinary 26-year walk around the world has been denied access to the Channel Tunnel for his final leg home. Karl Bushby, a 57-year-old former paratrooper from Hull, set off from Chile in 1998 and has since traversed over 36,000 miles across continents. Having reached Belgium, he now faces a significant hurdle in reaching the UK, as his formal request to walk through the Eurotunnel's service tunnel was declined on Tuesday.
Eurotunnel officials cited safety and operational reasons for their decision. A spokesperson explained that the Channel Tunnel's service tunnel is strictly a dedicated route for safety and maintenance. They stated that closing it for the estimated 15 hours to two days required for Mr Bushby's passage would pose a safety risk to passenger services and disrupt essential maintenance work. Furthermore, access to the tunnel is tightly controlled, requiring detailed planning and specialist support for any activity within it.
Mr Bushby, whose challenge terms prohibit the use of transport, expressed his initial reaction to the decision. While acknowledging it was early days and his team would need to engage in further discussions, he made it clear he is prepared to take extreme measures. "If I have to swim across the channel then I am prepared to do that," he stated. This wouldn't be the first time Bushby has resorted to swimming; in 2006, he navigated the Bering Strait, which involved swimming across gaps in the ice while wearing an immersion suit.
The adventurer expects to reach Calais, France, in September, where he will then need to find a way to cross the 21-mile stretch of water to the UK. Last year, concerns about potentially being refused tunnel access were first reported, with Bushby noting the irony that even Russia had granted him passage despite international tensions. Eurotunnel congratulated Mr Bushby on his incredible journey but reiterated that the safety of passengers, staff, and infrastructure remains their highest priority, with all tunnel activity needing to meet strict operational criteria.
The refusal highlights the unique challenges faced by extreme adventurers when their routes intersect with critical national infrastructure. While Mr Bushby's determination remains unwavering, the practicalities and inherent dangers of swimming the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, present a formidable obstacle for the final stretch of his unprecedented global expedition.