Torbay man to swim four miles after father's life-saving treatment
Gordon Scott is taking on a four-mile open water swim from Brixham to Torquay after his father's life was saved at Torbay Hospital.
A Torbay man is preparing to swim four miles across Tor Bay to raise money for The Heart Campaign, which is campaigning to retain services at Torbay Hospital.
Gordon Scott will swim from Brixham to Torquay later this summer in the hope of raising £10,000 towards the campaign's fundraising target for potential legal action.
He said the challenge is deeply personal after his father survived a cardiac arrest in 2016 thanks to treatment at Torbay Hospital.
Mr Scott said paramedics quickly transported his father to the hospital, where emergency cardiac treatment was carried out.
"It was immediately apparent to me that the loss of emergency cardiac care here in Torbay could result in the deaths of many people," he said.
The swim will be Gordon's biggest challenge yet after taking up swimming to improve his own health following his father's illness.
"I reduced my drinking and stopped smoking," he said.
"When you first stop smoking your lungs feel bad, so I started swimming in a pool during my lunch break.
"Over a few years I became fitter and took up challenges. I'm not a good runner, so swimming was definitely the one to do."
He has been training by swimming between 250 and 350 lengths each week and recently completed his first open water training session at Abbey Sands with coach Tracy.
The Heart Campaign says it remains concerned about proposed changes to pathology services at Torbay Hospital and wider changes to acute services.
However, the NHS has previously said that time-critical pathology services will remain at Torbay Hospital, following public concern over the proposals.
Susie Colley, chair of The Heart Campaign, said the group believes continued fundraising is important as it seeks to challenge changes it says could affect the future of services at the hospital.
Looking ahead to the challenge, Gordon said he hopes the swim will not only raise money but also encourage people to support the campaign.
"I've always had an affinity with the sea," he said.
"If this helps protect services for future generations, it will be worth every stroke."
People wishing to support Gordon's fundraising can donate via the campaign's fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gordon-scott-torbay-heart?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL&fbclid=IwY2xjawTJeS9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEzcVRaWElhVU5KR1M5OEcyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkh3t8hRPfVV6zcw8syuglrb21Ezxv9Jl4xNHjN-tlo_qrC5wQlJfUsvAcK0_aem_-PHwhFDKqEO1IM_4OTgGPw