09-05-2025
UK Sewage Crisis Leaves Beachgoers Sick and Frustrated
Charlie Clarke fell severely ill in late summer 2023 after a swim at Clevedon Marine Lake in southwest England while training for a Triathlon. The next day he collapsed on the street near his home and was taken to the hospital, where after a series of tests he was diagnosed with myocarditis — an inflammation of his heart muscle caused by an infection.
The diagnosis was a shock for Clarke, an otherwise healthy 28-year old designer, and he had to stop training. It took him about six months to do sports again and a whole year to get back to the same level of fitness. Since then, he has been 'very cautious' and so far only trained in pools. He pulled out of a triathlon in September on the morning of the event after he learned of a recent sewage spill at the beach where the swim was taking place.
