Support floods in for amateur rower rescued in epic transatlantic attempt for WaterAid
Amateur rower Duncan Hutchison, who was attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a self-built wooden boat to support WaterAid, is safely on a freight ship headed for the States having been rescued after coming into difficulty during his epic charity challenge.
Duncan, a former RNLI Lifeboat man, was 101 days into his solo row from New York to the UK, having come within 900 miles of the Cornish coast, and has now raised over £22,000 for WaterAid - enough to help nearly 1,500 people access clean water.
Duncan Hutchison, 53, said:
"From the start, this project has been about wanting to do something extraordinary and to support the important work of WaterAid.
“Building the boat was a labour of love but I do love that boat – even though it seems determined to escape from me!
“The hardships on this journey have been difficult for us all. Despite this, I am so happy that these events, as well as my friends, family and people I don’t yet know, have all worked together to raise awareness of WaterAid’s work and to generate much-needed money.
“I’m satisfied I’ve done my best and beyond happy that I’ll soon be home with my family."
Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive at WaterAid, said:
“We at WaterAid are relieved to hear that Duncan Hutchison is safe after having been rescued.
“To take on one of the world’s most challenging oceans, in a handcrafted boat, to raise money for people living in less fortunate circumstances across the globe is an inspiration.
“Everyone at WaterAid is hugely grateful to Duncan for choosing to support our work, which transforms the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities with access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.”
The intrepid father-of-three from Scotland spent a year building his boat Sleipnir (named after an eight-legged creature from Norse mythology).
He initially set off for his transatlantic challenge from New York in May, but his voyage got off to a rocky start after storms meant he had to abandon ship just four days into his ocean adventure.
Undeterred, Duncan set out again in June, facing some extremely tough circumstances, battling rough seas and high winds in support of WaterAid’s work to bring clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene to communities living in poverty across the world.
Along the way, Duncan has befriended a lonely seagull - who came aboard to keep him company for four days - and has seen some spectacular wildlife including flying fish, whales, dolphins, turtles and a shark. He was even treated to a radio call on his 53rd birthday by a passing freight ship, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
To support Duncan’s fantastic fundraising efforts, please donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/duncanhutchison
ENDS
For more information, please contact: Anna France-Williams, Senior Media Officer, [email protected] or +44 (0)207 793 5048 Or call our after-hours press line on +44 (0)7887 521 552 or email [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
WaterAid
WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to clean water and sanitation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org/uk, follow @WaterAidUK or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.
-
844 million people in the world – one in nine – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
-
2.3 billion people in the world – almost one in three – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
-
Around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
-
Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
-
Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]
-
To find out if countries are keeping their promises on water and sanitation, see the online database www.WASHwatch.org
[1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[3] washwatch.org
[4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage
