A former British paratrooper attempting to walk from Chile to Hull has been denied permission to use the Channel Tunnel, leaving him with the prospect of swimming the English Channel. Karl Bushby, 57, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998, aiming to return to the East Riding of Yorkshire without using any mechanised transport.
Despite surviving arrests, swimming the Caspian Sea, and overcoming complex visa issues, Bushby has been stopped by Eurotunnel operator GetLink. His formal request to walk the 31 miles through the tunnel was rejected on safety grounds. Bushby now faces the final 600-mile leg of his 36,000-mile journey, currently taking a break in Mexico after reaching Belgium in early June.
Bushby expressed his disappointment, saying the journey wouldn't have been possible without assistance from many people and organisations. He hopes Eurotunnel will reconsider. Last year, he joked about taking hostages to avoid swimming the Channel, describing it as colder and more challenging than the Caspian Sea, which he swam across over 31 days to avoid Russia and Iran.
The trek, initially expected to take 12 years, has been prolonged by wars, weather, and stints in jail. Bushby spent 18 days in a Panama prison for entering without a visa, had his trailer stolen in 2003, and was detained at the Russia-Alaska border in 2006. Visa issues and the Covid pandemic further delayed his progress.
A Eurotunnel spokesperson said they carefully considered the request but could not accommodate it due to safety risks. Closing the Service Tunnel for 15 hours would pose a risk to passenger services and essential maintenance. They wished Bushby well on his journey home.
