Cardiac arrest swimmer's silver medals in race return

A veteran swimmer who suffered a cardiac arrest during a race in 2023 has won silver medals in the same event just 12 months on.

Nick Parkes, 63, had to be pulled from the water at last year's Swim England National Masters Open Water Championships and given CPR by the side of the lake before undergoing open-heart surgery.

However, on Sunday, a year on from the incident, Mr Parkes, who swims for Harrogate Swimming Club, picked up two second place titles at Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire.

Mr Parkes said he was "overwhelmed" to have done so well at what was a "fantastic day".

Mr Parkes, from Stokesley, only began swimming competitively aged 50, but soon racked up national championships wins in Germany, France and Austria.

By July 2023 he was hoping to defend his Swim England National Masters Open Water titles for the 10th year.

However, three-quarters of the way into the 5,000m race he was spotted by a kayaker motionless with his face down in the water.

He was taken to hospital where doctors discovered he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

On Sunday, following surgery and lengthy rehabilitation, Mr Parkes once again took part in the National Masters Open Water Swimming Championships, where he took second place in both the 5,000m and 2,000m races.

"I have succeeded and it is overwhelming to have done that 12 months to the day," he said.

Mr Parkes said his return to the race was a day of "mixed emotions".

"People were pleased to see me and hopefully I've helped a lot of people overcome what they saw happen to me last year when I left the planet," he added.

Mr Parkes said: "I entered this year's event with no expectations, but I needed to do it.

"Everyone was over the moon and fantastic to me - it was a fantastic day."

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