Adam Diver: First person to swim to Isle of Man sets off from St Bees

Adam Diver, from Fleetwood, managed to complete the challenge in 'tough-going' two and a half days.

The 48-year-old set off from St Bees after staying over in Seacote Hotel, making it his second attempt at the expedition having been forced to cut the journey 14km out due to poor weather conditions last year. 

Adam, who has been on standby for weeks, set off at slack tide at 8 o'clock on Monday morning, arriving in Port Mooar on Wednesday afternoon.

The former army captain was followed by a well-versed safety team including two kayakers. 

Adam Diver completes record-breaking challenge (Image: Supplied)

He even managed to get himself an escort from a pod of dolphins along the way.  

"It was tough going, I've been swimming every single day, sometimes twice a day - ramping it up towards the end. 

"The trip was mentally tough, I'm quite physically fit but I'd say forty per cent of it was physical and 60 mental. 

"You couldn't see the Isle of Man until you got close, it didn't seem like I was pulling away from England. 

"It's tough on the head when you're swimming for hours, you think why am I doing this? But then you realise, you're doing it for mental health," he said. 

The journey is 31 miles but due to an ever-changing tide, Adam's skipper reckons it was about 46 miles all in all. 

Adam has caught the attention of some big names on social media, including England manager Gareth Southgate and actor Will Melor. 

The CBT therapist with the NHS, who served for 27 years in the army, has raised over £15,000 for Healthier Heroes. 

Smiles at the finish line (Image: Supplied)

The charity aims to raise awareness and help soldiers who are suffering from mental health problems such as PTSD, anxiety and depression. 

The avid swimmer will be going on to compete for Great Britain Triathlon World Championships in September. 

You can donate to the fundraiser via https://gofund.me/1d43354d