IT was third time lucky for a determined fundraiser who has become the first person to complete the nine-mile swim in the North Sea from Sealand to Dovercourt.

Terry Fay, 47, initially set out to complete the challenge of swimming from the offshore platform-turned-principality to Dovercourt Beach on August 18.

Unfortunately, due to some engine issues with the safety boat, the swim did not go ahead as planned on that date.

Terrys second attempt at the ambitious challenge was on September 1, but disaster struck five miles into the swim when the engine overheated.

However, his third attempt, last Sunday, was luckily a success.

Terry, who works for AGI Global Logistics and lives in Dovercourt, started the swim from Sealand at about 10.30am, having planned to come in with the tide to ensure there was enough water over Cork Sands for the safety boat to clear it.

He said: After about two-and-a-half hours of battling the high waves whipped up by the westerly wind, and tide pushing us towards Walton, the tide changed and we then were being pushed towards the shipping lane and Felixstowe.

We stopped a couple of times for me to take energy drinks and have a couple of bananas, and also to warm up a bit my triathlon wetsuit was clearly inappropriate for that amount of time in the water.

We finally arrived into Dovercourt West Beach at about 3.30pm, having swum the nine-mile journey in four hours 38 minutes, to a cheering crowd of about 100 people along the seafront also six kayakers, and a couple of swimmers came to join us for the last few hundred metres.

It was an emotional end to a very long campaign.

In all, Ive swum 55 open water sea miles these past three months, in readiness for - and including - the swim itself.

Terrys swim has raised more than 2,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital, which helped a close family member of his earlier this year.

Money raised by Terry will go towards the hospitals world-leading cancer centre.

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/terry-fay6.

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IN PICTURES: Terry is first person to complete nine-mile swim from Sealand to Dovercourt - Harwich and Manningtree Standard