A Brit was nearly skewered by a monster marlin as he slept while taking part in a trans Atlantic rowing mission.
The fish’s razor sharp spike punched a hole in the cabin just inches from Glynne Dunn.
He, Dan Lewis, Dan Wooler and Paul Adams had set off in The Mayflower on The World’s Toughest Row from La Gomera, Canary Islands last month.
READ MORE: Historic collection from Winston Churchill’s famous aunt including snaps of King and Kaiser for sale
- Advertisement -
The challenge involves a 3,000 mile row to Antigua in about 40 days.
But The Mayflower crew is still suffering from the traumatic experience of their boat taking on water after the marlin strike – in a force four gale.
Dan Wooler said: “I was on the oars at the back of the boat there was an almighty crunch.
“It was like a car accident, a crunching, grinding motion accompanied with the biggest thud in the world.
“We actually thought we’d been hit by another boat – there was nothing around – but it felt like we’d hit a boat.
- Advertisement -
“Then I looked down and only a foot away from me the water was bubbling up and suddenly there was just blood everywhere.”
He also told What’s The Jam: “Marlin hunt tuna, I don’t know if it was hunting under our boat.
“Everyone was running around shouting ‘Marlin, marlin, marlin’.
- Advertisement -
“Glynne was asleep in the cabin and the marlin punched a hole right by his feet.
“If it’d been a foot the other way it would have gone through his leg unquestionably, I don’t know what we would have done.
“It would have been a serious injury, I don’t know how we would have dealt with that.
“The spike not only went into the cabin footwell but it also penetrated the deck of the boat from beneath, through the fibreglass and then a couple of layers to get to the deck.
“Glynne suddenly shouted, ‘we’re taking on water’ and started pulling kit out of the cabin,” Mr Wooler added.
“The hole was huge, there was water gushing in.
“Glynne shoved a rowing top in the hole.
“And then tried to put a wooden bung in, but it went flying through the hole.
“So Glynne found a bigger bung and with some putty eventually managed to stem the flow of water which had been coming in at quite a rate.
“All of this in a force four gale with 20-foot waves.
“It was a really traumatic experience.
“Glynn and Paul were grey from the shock of it.
“You do feel as if you’ve been attacked.
“We’re stripped bare out here and in many regards the challenge is your capacity to keep going, keep pulling the oars, keep driving yourself forward when all these things go on, that has been the test,” he said.
“You learn an awful lot about yourselves and about each other, it was very humbling.”
The crew is raising money for Star Scheme and the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre and is now on course to finish 12th overall in the rowing competition.
READ MORE: Shark spotted in the water at popular beach resort
