Long Distance Swimmer No Worse For Wear After Taking Lungful Of Lough Neagh Water

14th July 2020

Alison O’Hagan training in Lough Neagh before her eventful swim last Saturday Credit: Ali’s Lough Neagh Crossing/Facebook

An open water swimmer has hailed her crossing of Lough Neagh as a triumph — despite being whisked to hospital after breathing water into her lungs.

As BelfastLive reports, Lurgan woman Alison O’Hagan was 13km into her 14km endurance swim on Saturday morning (11 July) when she inadvertently took a lungful of water in a sudden swell.

A paramedic on the RIB accompanying O’Hagan throughout her challenge was swift to act, and got her ashore and into an ambulance within minutes.

O’Hagan — who had trained for 18 months for her long-distance swimming feat — underwent a series of tests in hospital and was discharged yesterday (Monday 13 July), being told “everything is great and I have a good strong heart”.

BelfastLive has more on the story HERE.

Published in Sea Swim

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Lough Neagh

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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