UPDATE Briton dies in Channel swim

A BRITISH woman has died while trying to swim the Channel.

The 34-year-old, who was named as Susan Taylor, from Barwell, Leics., got into difficulties yesterday just off Cap Gris-Nez, in Wissant Bay, and her helpers on the accompanying boat Pathfinder radioed the Channel Maritime Prefecture (Premar) for a defibrillator.

A French Navy helicopter airlifted her and medical personnel from the Pathfinder to hospital at Boulogne, where Ms Taylor died at 19.15.

She had been trying to swim between Dover and Calais to raise funds for Diabetes UK and East Midlands children’s hospice Rainbows.

Premar said that the conditions were good for the swim, with a 9kph wind and water at 15C.