Channel swim fail: 'Mother Nature beat me up!'

ConnectWise boss Arnie Bellini was just four miles away from France when he was stopped

ConnectWise chief executive Arnie Bellini's gutsy attempt to swim the English Channel at the weekend failed after he was stopped just four miles from France.

The Florida-based vendor is opening a UK office at the end of the summer, and Bellini was attempting the 27-mile swim to prove his dedication to the UK IT channel.

Bellini's heroic effort was cut short after a strong current steered him off course after swimming 23 miles in 13 hours.

After the swim, he said the experience had felt like having a boxing match with Mother Nature.

He said: "I could see [the French coastline], I could taste it! It just was not meant to be; the tide was pulling me. I am glad it is over because that water was very cold!"