Paraic Casey: English Channel swimmer dies with less than a mile to go on his first attempt

July 23rd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED:

14:29 EST, 22 July 2012

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UPDATED:

11:54 EST, 23 July 2012

Swimmer Paraic Casey, 45, died attempting to swim the English Channel

A swimmer who died on a 21-mile-long crossing of the English Channel had just one kilometre left to go when tragedy struck.

Paraic Casey, 45, from Co Cork, Ireland, had been swimming for more than 16 hours when he took ill just over half a mile off the coast of France early this morning.

Several attempts to resuscitate him at the scene were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead.

The support boat’s pilot, Paul Foreman, said he spent 90 minutes ‘pumping the man’s chest’ trying to revive him.

His heartbroken wife Riana today paid tribute to her husband whose biggest passion in life was swimming.

Mrs Casey said: ‘Paraic was an amazing, healthy, tough, loving husband, friend, brother, uncle, son, nephew and cousin whose recent passion for swimming brought him to great places.

‘I would like to thank everyone for their love and support.’

Mrs Casey was on the Pace Arrow support boat next to her husband when he fell ill in the water in the early hours of this morning.

Mr Casey had begun his swim from Dover shortly after 9am on Saturday and was just 1km from the coast of France when he took ill at around 1.30am.

Mrs Casey had been updating his Twitter page on his every stroke.

Her final message, sent at 1am, read: ‘He IS gonna do this, his pilot is happy with how he’s going. Picking his landing spot as I type!’

Moments before she said he was ‘exhausted’ but ‘pushing hard’.

Michael Oram, chairman of the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation, said: ‘Attempts were made by crew to resuscitate him before a French rescue helicopter arrived with medics who tried further resuscitation.’

A speedboat of rescuers from Calais also rushed to the scene but despite several attempts medics were unable to revive him.

Mr Casey was just one kilometre - a little over half a mile - off the French coastline when he fell ill

Mr Casey was just one kilometre – a little over half a mile – off the French coastline when he fell ill

A post-mortem examination is due to be held to establish the cause of death.

Mr Casey travelled to Dover with his wife and support team during the week but he had to wait until the weather improved before he could begin his endurance swim.

He was raising money for two charities, Marymount Hospice in Cork and the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

Mr Casey, who worked at Fota Wildlife Park, was a member of the Sandycove Swimming Club in Kinsale, Co Cork, for the last five years.

His close friend Ned Denison said Mr Casey was an excellent swimmer and a great man.

‘He was a lovely bloke,’ said Mr Denison, who previously swan the Channel and was Mr Casey’s training partner.

‘He loved the water and he was in an environment where lots of other swimmers were pushing the distance and Paraic started to swim further and further and further.’

Mr Casey signed up for the 35km – 21-mile – Channel swim two years ago and intensified his training.

Previous achievements include a 16km swim between Cork and Cobh and a relay swim with his wife in Lake Zurich.

‘In Dover he was fit and healthy and in great shape, with the appropriate amount of confidence and caution,’ added Mr Denison.

‘He was an excellent swimmer.’

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed staff from its consular office in Paris were assisting the family.

A spokesman for the French emergency helicopter team which attended the scene said an inquest would be held to establish the cause of death and other circumstances.