Bolton lawyer swims the Strait of Gibraltar to raise funds for charity

Avid swimmer Chris Murray, 52, has raised more than £3,800 for Ukraine Charity after swimming a perilous 15km journey between Spain and Morocco.

The partner at Manchester’s largest law firm Clyde & Co is no stranger to taking on extreme challenges, he has previously traversed the 21-mile-wide English Channel.

However, the Strait of Gibraltar is considered one of the world’s most difficult long-distance open water swims, with participants having to cross one of planet’s busiest waterways, contend with complex currents and tides and navigate marine life such as orcas, jellyfish, and sharks.

Safely crossing the Strait is entirely weather dependent, with Chris, from Heaton, a partner specialising in catastrophic injury and large loss in the firm’s UK casualty practice, having to abandon his original plan to take on the challenge last year after it was cancelled due to unsafe conditions.

However, after continuing his training regime over the past 10 months, and a five-day wait in Spain Chris was given the green light on the morning of Tuesday, September 12.

On the day, Chris and his support boat departed the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula, Punta de Tarifa.

During the swim, Chris faced a multitude of obstacles, with one of the biggest challenges being avoiding some of the 300 container ships travelling through the Strait of Gibraltar each day, not to mention the ferries and fishing boats crossing between ports in Spain and Africa.

If that wasn’t enough, Chris also faced an array of marine life including dolphins, sperm whales and shortfin Mako sharks.

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Chris during his swimming challenge (Image: Clyde & Co)After four hours and 50 minutes, Chris finally reached Cires Point, on the northern coast of Morocco, having raised a total of £3,855 to support projects helping disadvantaged children in Ukraine.

Speaking about his challenge, Chris said: “The first two hours were by far the hardest, when the swell and tankers churning the water made it feel like you were inside a washing machine at times.

“And even though my support boat was on hand in the event of an emergency, it was psychologically demanding knowing the Strait was 900m deep – five the times the depth of the English Channel.

“However, while the swim was personally challenging, I knew that at no point was my life ever truly at risk.

“Sadly, the estimated six million Ukrainian people displaced as a result of the Russian invasion cannot say the same.

“With no obvious end to the Ukraine crisis in sight, and with winter fast approaching, the situation remains dire for children and their families.

“Fortunately, thanks to the incredible generosity of colleagues, clients and family we’re able to provide much needed humanitarian relief to children in Ukraine.”

The work of Ukraine Charity includes funding orphanages and refugee shelters and providing medical equipment to children's hospitals. For further details about Ukraine Charity visit ukrainecharity.org.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.