Episode 2 Channel Patrol

Stretching from Land's End to Dover,

this is the busiest seaway in the world.

And come hell or high water...

Three, two, one... Firing!

No amount of training can ever prepare you for what

we faced that night.

..it's open for business 365 days a year...

Over 90% of the world's trade travels by sea.

It's not just TVs and refrigerators, it's everything around us.

..teeming with every type of vessel...

Everyone on board reckons their job is the hardest.

..and a rich diversity of wildlife.

It's kept safe by those who patrol its seaways.

Just drag it onto the boat!

Their actions standing between triumph...

-THEY YELL

-and disaster...

He's off, he's off!

..on the unpredictable waters of the English Channel.

Today, a maintenance crew gets to work deep under the channel.

I've never ever worked anywhere like it before.

It's an eerie atmosphere. It's very claustrophobic.

I suppose it's like the days of the pit,

when people used to work in the pit. They just couldn't do it.

A team of teenagers brave the ultimate open water challenge.

There's jellyfish everywhere!

And a helicopter gets a bit too close for comfort.

Keeping the Channel a safe place for all types of traffic to

traverse are its many beacons, buoys and lighthouses.

Skippers and pilots look to these navigational aids to guide them

safely to and from port as well as around hazards such as sandbanks

and rocky outcrops.

This is the Patricia,

the flagship of a 500-year-old corporation called

Trinity House, with the crucial job of maintaining over 600 aids

to navigation around the UK.

Today's mission is to resupply an unmanned lighthouse called

Wolf Rock out in the middle of the Channel -

eight nautical miles from Land's End.

It got its name for the howling winds around an infamous

outcrop that's wrecked ships and claimed lives.

There really is a steep piece of rock that comes up and breaks the water.

Wolf Rock is tricky to access, so supplies of water

and fuel for the generator must be airlifted from the Patricia.

John Jones is the most senior member of the deck crew, the bosun,

a position he's held for nine years.

All right, gang, today we're going to go to the helideck,

sort the helideck out.

Make sure you got all your PPE gear on and everything -

life jackets and that.

We'll drop the nets, drop the flag.

And Banksy, you need to get your fire suit, fire retardant, overalls.

We'll get all that sorted this morning for you.

22-year-old Steve Banks, or Banksy, has been

with Trinity for a year, but today will be the first time he has

the responsibility of earthing the helicopter as it hovers overhead.

The earthing process is just basically just touching

the bottom of the helicopter

and discharging the electricity it creates from flying over.

Slightly nervous, like, just to be underneath a hovering helicopter.

But it's a new challenge. I look forward to doing it.

It should be good fun. It's all part of the job, the training.

Banksy as well,

now he's in my helicopter team,

he can go under the helicopter once or twice as well.

We'll give him a go.

He can see how the other lads do it first and then Banksy can come out.

If we do earth the helicopter,

there's quite a dangerous risk of getting electrocuted.

That wouldn't be very nice, I suppose.

Once earthed, the helicopter will be whirling just a few

feet about the deck, which means the crew has crucial groundwork

to do before the operation can begin.

What we're doing now is prepping the helideck, ready for the helicopters

to come. What we've got to do is get the helinets down.

Get the flagpole down.

And we do a FOD plod because of the bits of debris

and that that could fly up into the helicopter.

FOD stands for flying object damage. That could be disastrous.

So what we've got to do after is give it a good FOD plod through

the shift and then we'll wash it down at the very end.

Make sure that there's nothing flapping around for the pilot

when he comes. He doesn't want to see nothing moving.

Everything's got to be super solid.

As a 28-year veteran of the job,

John has to make sure the more junior members

follow his strict orders.

Once she falls down, Joe, then we tie these lines back in then.

So it'll be just like before.

I've done hundreds of heli ops since I've been with Trinity,

from being an able seaman up to being the bosun.

So after a while, you get to know what you're doing.

Looking good, guys.

While the crew prepares the Patricia,

the helicopter is about to drop off a maintenance team who will

determine how much water and fuel are needed.

This job is carried out at least four times a year,

as the lighthouse is automated.

The helipad is only a few metres wide.

And at 41 metres above the sea, it is subject to gusts and crosswinds.

Landing is a challenge for any pilot.

The engineers are safely dropped off.

Back on the Patricia, it falls to helicopter landing officer

Ian Hayward to guide the aircraft on and off the deck.

The wind and weather today is pretty good. There's a bit of a swell there,

but it's a manageable swell.

Even in reasonable conditions, landings at sea are never easy

and Captain David Cooper has an all-important role to play.

The challenges working with the helicopter are the fact that

we're a dynamic ship, moving all the time,

and obviously the helicopter pilot

has to assure that when he makes his approach and lands, he's

aware that we might move towards him or we might take a sudden roll.

So as the captain,

you're trying to minimise the movement of the vessel, the

worse movement, or the pitch,

which is the sort of movement of the vessel

in that direction, the roll, and then heave is the movement up,

as the helicopter pilot comes in to land.

Obviously, if the vessel is on a heave,

from the angle he's looking at,

he doesn't get an early indication of the vessel moving towards him,

so what was maybe two or three metres distance as he comes in,

suddenly becomes only a metre or so.

The pick-up threatens to be a bit hairy.

It's Banksy's last chance to watch and learn.

On the helicopter's next journey,

it'll be his turn to be in the eye of the storm.

The narrow bottleneck of the Dover Straights is the busiest

section of the English Channel.

The ferries, cargo ships

and sailing boats are joined from May to September

by cross-Channel swimmers.

Regarded by many as the Everest of swimming,

the 21-mile crossing is one of the world's toughest challenges...

..featuring jellyfish, choppy waters and a busy shipping lane.

Hundreds of swimmers attempt this uniquely demanding challenge

every year, and many fail.

It's 10am in late September and members of a local youth

swimming team have decided to take on this test of endurance,

something that few people their age have achieved.

They've already had two dropouts, so Mark Johansen has

stepped in at the last minute so the swim can still go ahead.

-HOOTER BLOWS

-Whooo!

Come on, Mark!

14-year-old Ella is feeling apprehensive.

I don't think I'm, like, mentally ready to get in yet.

I guess I'm just going to have to face my fears and just do it.

Ella is one of the more experienced members of the team, having

completed two relays in the past, the first

when she was just 12 years old.

The first one took how long?

18 hours.

Look how far we've come.

Got a long way to go.

But there's a reason for Ella's lack of confidence this time around.

I haven't really trained for this, to be honest.

-Ella.

-Yeah.

-20 minutes.

Cheers.

I really don't want to get in.

Ella gets into her swimming gear

and gets ready for her first 60 minutes in the freezing cold sea.

The team are supported by their coach, Tanya Harding.

She's controlling the throttle to keep to the swimmers' pace,

while the whining autopilot maintains the boat's course.

As a channel relay veteran herself, Tanya knows how this

challenge will build the young swimmers' confidence.

For me, a lot of the kids,

you just watch how the team comes together to really pull each other

through. It's really nice. And to actually show that they've stuck

with something, given a commitment...

And the teamwork that they build up.

-This is too scary!

-Oh, come on, you'll be fine.

-30 seconds before you go in.

-Thanks.

-Good luck, Ella.

-'Good luck.

'Wait for the hooter, Ella.'

-HOOTER BLOWS

-'Go! Whoo!'

Over the next five hours,

four more young swimmers will take to the water.

Kevin Murphy is observing on behalf of the Channel Swimming

and Piloting Federation to officiate the race.

My role here really is to make sure that the rules are adhered to.

That the changeovers are done at the start...at the right time,

and that the start and finish is all correct.

As a 34-time Channel swimmer and male record holder,

Kevin knows all too well that this sea can get the better of you.

This is the stretch of water by which

everybody all over the world measures themselves.

It's the toughest thing you could do psychologically and physically.

Here, you have a team of youngsters.

It takes quite a lot of courage to actually do that.

And when you're sort of only 13, 14, 15 years old,

it's...it is sort of quite inspiring, really.

One of the many challenges the swimmers have to contend

with are the jellyfish.

Although not dangerous,

they give a nasty sting similar to an electric shock.

-What is it, Ella?

-There's jellyfish everywhere!

-Oh, it's disgusting.

-Come on.

It's a battle of will, really, because the thing is, um,

when she's nervous and a bit frightened in there,

salvation is just a touch away, in this boat.

And she's resisting that urge.

She's not coming to the boat, she's not trying to get out.

However much she complains and stops or whatever,

she is keeping swimming.

Relays are a team sport and if one person gives up,

the whole team loses out.

Ella's not the only one struggling.

15-year-old Chris Clark, a national water polo player,

is falling prey to one of the other hazards of the Channel relay swim.

Sea sickness.

Ginger nuts. It's meant to help stop sea sickness.

Ella's managed to overcome her initial fears

and has nearly completed her first swim.

-Swim!

-You've got three minutes, swim!

-Swim!

Next up is 13-year-old Sam,

the youngest member of the team.

Like all the boys, this is Sam's first ever Channel relay.

It's actually... You have actually now just over four minutes.

Just over four minutes.

You have to be in there.

Just going to try and

jump in and swim, a bit like in training.

I mean, the water isn't that much different than the harbour.

-Swim!

-Swim!

Sam, go to the stairs now.

Good luck. Wait for the hooter to go.

-HOOTER BLOWS

-Go!

Take your time.

Take your time.

Swim with this boat now, come on!

Back on the boat, Ella has a chance to reflect on her first swim.

When you're in there, you think you're doing all right,

but as soon as you get out,

you feel like you could improve it or do something different.

Once a leg is complete, each swimmer has a few hours to recover.

Probably just sit up here, go sleep a bit later,

try and rest for a bit.

Not long till I get in again, really.

Next up is coach Tanya's 15-year-old daughter

and three-times relay swimmer, Alex,

the most experienced of the youngsters.

Count me every 15.

Go!

HOOTER BLOWS

-Come on, Sam! Quick, quick, quick!

-Sam, get out!

The crossover is clean.

And Sam finishes his first ever leg of a channel swim without a hitch.

-Brilliant swim, well done.

-Thank you.

-How was it, Sam?

-It was all right, yeah.

Well done, Sam.

Thanks.

Alex is off to a strong start.

Aces at the moment. She's doing quite well,

she hasn't stopped and yelled at anyone yet, so...

She's quite quiet.

Chris is next in line,

but the ginger nuts haven't worked.

HE MUMBLES

For the attempt to be recognised as an official Channel swim,

the order of the swimmers cannot be changed once it's started.

There's lots of relays where the teams have actually failed because

the swimmers have been

so ill they haven't been able to get back in the water.

It's an indication of just how much will it's going to take for him

not feeling well but he's got to get changed, he's got to get into

his swim trunks, hat and goggles and he's got to

go move down the steps at the back of this boat into the water.

Going down the back or the side?

Chris' swim coincides with one of the hardest

sections of the crossing.

Massive waves now.

We'll be in the shipping lane soon, so that'll be even worse.

The shipping lane makes up ten miles of the 21-mile swim.

The 500 commercial ship movements a day churn up colder water

and make the sea in this area choppier.

-HOOTER BLOWS

-Go!

THEY CHEER HIM ON

For newcomer Sam,

his first experience in the choppy waters was tough.

It's very hard to stay concentrated

when you're worrying about what's underneath you.

But it is a constant battle to try and stay with the boat.

Because they said to us,

if you touch the boat, the whole team is disqualified.

So there's quite a lot riding on you not to touch the boat,

even by accident.

So it's very hard to find that right distance where you're not

so close to it that you might touch it, but you're not so far

away from it that they're going to start shouting at you to come back.

Doing well, keep going. Come on.

I'm not particularly good at any other sport.

I mean, I do a lot of swimming, so, yeah,

I'm feeling immensely proud about what we're all doing today.

The proximity of the two different land masses - England and France -

results in an unpredictable

and variable weather system in this part of the Channel.

We've gone from some sort of force three

to now force four, five and occasionally six.

The boat's skipper Lance Oram will be keeping a close eye

on the weather.

He has the power to call off the attempt if conditions get too rough.

Good morning to you, sir.

Just information for the swim this morning.

Swim number is 142-Romeo.

And today we have 1-1, 11, POB.

Like I say, any problems, we'll speak to you soon.

If for some reason I feel that it's too dangerous.

I can actually physically go, "End of story, game over. You've finished."

I'm responsible for people's safety.

With the weather conditions deteriorating,

it means the swimmers will take a lot longer to get to shore.

Time-wise, we were looking at about 13, 14 hours.

That has increased now.

At the moment, 18, 19 hours, but Who knows?

Some of these could sort of flatten out.

And as their attempt is towards the end of the Channel swimming

season, the days are shorter,

which means everyone will be swimming into the night,

something the girls, Ella and Alex, are particularly dreading.

In the dark, it's going to be even worse.

Like, the last... The Dover one that I did before yours, we had to

land in the dark and I think we lost the boat for about 20 minutes.

-All right, Harry, I'm going to get you...

-Go!

HOOTER BLOWS

Chris successfully completes his first leg.

Well done, Chris.

But once back on the boat, his sea sickness returns with a vengeance.

Well done, sweetie.

That's good. One, two, three...

The team is five hours in, but as day is soon to turn to night,

the hardest part is soon to come.

The Dover Straights are of strategic importance for the flow of trade

and passengers across the Channel.

But the Channel's traffic isn't just on its waters,

almost 346 million passengers have travelled under it.

Opened in 1994, the Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea

tunnel in the world and makes the crossing for passengers

and freight a mere 35 minutes.

After 20 years in action, this extraordinary

feat of engineering is in need of regular maintenance.

Mark Cornwall and his team are responsible for carrying out

these vital works to keep the traffic flowing.

I've never ever worked anywhere like it before.

It's an eerie atmosphere when you're on your own,

but it's nice, it's warm and it don't rain.

It is very claustrophobic.

I suppose it's like the days of the pit,

when people used to work in the pit.

They just couldn't do it.

This is UK Contenary.

We're in car 21, two men on board.

Their job is carried out at unsociable hours to minimise

disruption to the services.

It's 11pm on a Sunday, when all the routine maintenance is performed.

Any problems, give me a call, OK?

-I will see you down there.

-See you down there. Thanks very much.

-Take care.

-Bye-bye.

The tunnel is split into the north-going and south-going tunnels.

Tonight, Mark and his crew are heading to the north tunnel.

Away we go.

The team has just six hours to do as much maintenance as they can.

Mark's teams uses the service tunnel,

a corridor built in-between the north and south tunnels,

providing easy access for maintenance as well as

an escape route.

You have a different pressure in the service tunnel

than you do to the running tunnels,

which makes it a safe zone.

So if there's any incident in the tunnel, people can be taken

out of the running tunnel into the service tunnel...

..where it's a safe area.

The pressure difference maintained by these air locks

flanked by heavy steel doors

prevents smoke spreading in case of fire in the rail tunnels.

After a 20km drive through the tunnel,

Mark and his crew have arrived at the especially problematic section

where they'll be working tonight.

Much like any old structure,

not least 140 metres below the seabed,

the tunnel has a case of damp.

So you've only got a small area out of the whole 50km of damp.

But it's like any house,

if you had damp in your own house, you'd have to get that sorted.

No-one really knows why.

We think it's maybe cos it's where it first goes out to the sea.

It's all the salty air penetrates the equipment basically

and eats into it, so it's a bugbear, I must admit.

But at the end of the day, once we get on top of it, it'll be sorted.

The damp has corroded brackets that clamp down the high-voltage

wires powering the train.

It's a fairly straightforward job to replace the brackets,

but with just six hours to do their job, the team needs to get going.

First they must make the tunnel safe to work in, a job in itself.

Back above ground, the rail control centre that oversees

the entire Eurotunnel transport system

have turned off the 25,000 faults of electricity powering the area

where Mark will be working.

With the power turned off above ground, it now falls to

engineer Vincent Bradshaw to double and triple check below ground.

That's my earthing pole, that's my 25,000-volts tester,

they're my blue lights to show you where the earthing protection starts

and these are the earths.

That goes round the positive, that goes round the negative.

It makes it impossible for the catenary to be switched back on

while we've got men working on it and touching it.

Their second line of defence against electrocution is to manually

turn off the power.

Now I know why they don't last very long, Vince.

They let you touch them.

They'll lock it off, put a padlock

and a caution notice to make sure that no-one can actually operate it.

So now, once that is locked,

everyone knows by that caution notice and the lock...

..that it's not to be touched.

The crew uses a live line tester to check.

We'll actually put it on the catenary...

And check again.

..to make sure...

..it's dead. Right, confirmation is dead.

The third and final step is to earth at the cable.

Put on the earth side first.

That's the feed side.

And they'll do exactly the same the other side as well.

OK, lovely.

These just tell you where the isolation ends.

So you know past this is classed as live.

Up to there is earthed, past that is classed as live.

Now that the power has definitely been disabled, Mark, Vincent

and the team have just five hours in which to do their job.

Right, that's the isolation sorted.

Now we're going to head down to the work site to take the DPT.

They're in the French section of the tunnel.

Thankfully, Vincent is fluent.

OK, c'est bon pour le depoter pour deux plus quatre maintenant.

Mark has arranged a train to meet them with all their supplies

and equipment.

There's our driver.

This is our work train.

So, as you can see, we have all our spares in here.

As well as carrying equipment for all eventualities,

the train is topped with a platform for them to work from.

HORN BLARES

The train will transport them from bracket to bracket.

This is where we're going to start, on this location here.

The team starts to remove the first corroded bracket.

This is the equipment we're going to change.

As you can see, they're not in a great state.

The wet, salty, atmosphere, isn't it?

It doesn't feel it

but obviously you can see there is areas that it's coming in.

But it's a different damp cos it's salt air, so that's why it eats it.

MACHINE BUZZES

It's 22 years old, so it's done its time.

If you go into other parts of the tunnel where it's not damp,

they're perfect.

The new brackets have been specially coated in noncorrosive paint.

So basically it's a sealed unit.

And you'll have to break into that to get actually condensation

and the atmosphere into it.

It always makes sense in principle.

We'll see in 20 years' time when you come back.

Now then push it just up a little bit, Tom.

Back about ten mil, that's it. Perfect.

Installation of the brackets is down to the millimetre.

Everyone is aware of the importance of precision.

Any error could result in the high-voltage power line being

pulled down by a running train.

So they'll take the measurement and, once they replace it,

they'll put the cables back in the same place.

It's got to go down 20 millimetres.

-Right. Down there? Down?

-Bit more.

-That's it. Yep.

-There you go.

With one new bracket successfully installed,

it's time to move on to the next.

We don't just say, "Oh, that one's OK.

"Not that one, not that one."

If you're doing the whole area, you know then the whole section

that you've done is up to the best standard you can get it.

Diverting the busiest railway line in the world

does put the team under time constraints

because their work cannot hold up the commercial service.

We have to judge when we get to each signal location

how long it's going to take.

Cos once we start, we can't stop.

It's 5am, and after six hours of safety procedures

and solid work, the boys have replaced two brackets.

But with a damp zone 7km long and containing 800 brackets,

the job will take another year to complete.

There's the isolation removed.

Away we go. Yeah, good job tonight.

I love a good job.

Every night is a good job.

Luckily, Mark and his team are as patient and dedicated as they come.

We can all go home to bed.

HE LAUGHS

There are 24 lighthouses

dotted along the coast of the English Channel.

Some of which are the oldest and most famous in the world.

They help keep collisions with treacherous coastline

and rocky outcrops at bay.

Wolf Rock is famous for being the first rock lighthouse

to be topped with a helideck.

Today, Wolf Rock is being maintained by a team from Trinity House

via helicopter.

Light deck. Bridge, copy.

The responsibility of earthing the helicopter falls on the shoulders

of 22-year-old trainee Banksy.

Today is the first time he's been given this crucial task.

Yeah, not long now for the helicopter to come.

The helicopter will fly in, hover over above the deck.

Myself or another guy will be here standing underneath it as it hovers

to earth in and hook in to the load beneath.

Then clear out from underneath

and the helicopter will lift up with the loads

and fly off to the lighthouse.

A bit apprehensive about going underneath the helicopter

and hooking in and earthing it.

A helicopter, as it's travelling in the air,

potentially might build up an electrostatic charge.

So as the helicopter approaches in, the first part of hooking in

is to earth the hook so that the guy doesn't get an electric shock.

Yeah, so you're quite happy with all the things you got to do?

-Yeah, no problem.

-Yeah, so they're all new to you but

bosun will be keeping a good eye out and I will,

so nothing to worry about.

-Just keep up your good work.

-Yeah.

-Well done, mate.

-Super-duper.

-That's it, enjoy.

-Thank you.

As the helicopter makes its approach,

Banksy gets into position.

This is the most dangerous part of the operation

and Banksy's holding the earthing cable.

He must earth the metal hook on the helicopter to discharge

any static electricity.

When the lads are underneath the helicopter working,

as the ship moves up

towards the helicopter and they're stood underneath,

they got to be quite quick on their feet

and aware of the movement of the vessel.

If they're not alert to the situation,

then obviously they could potentially make contact

with the helicopter.

As it hovers just a couple of feet from his head,

Banksy successfully earths the helicopter.

But a second later he's caught out by a heave in the swell

and the helicopter gets a little too close for comfort.

He came down a bit close there, didn't he?

Thankfully his training has paid off.

Seen it come down quite quick and went, "Whoa."

-Good fun though.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Something to tick off the list, not everyone has done that before.

The helicopter now makes its way back to the lighthouse

to drop off the tank of water on the landing deck.

The final job of the day is to remove waste from the lighthouse.

The co-pilot leans out to get the helicopter as close

as possible to an engineer perched on the helideck,

braving the wind and the downdraught from the rotors.

In just a matter of seconds, the engineer has to earth

the hook himself and attach a net full of used jerry cans.

The waste material heads back to the Patricia.

With all supplies now airlifted to Wolf Rock,

Banksy's task and the operation is over.

Well, ladies and gents, thanks very much. Worked very smoothly.

Nice to see Banksy now getting involved

in all the helicopter work as well.

And he was very cool and job's a good'un,

so obviously you can do lots more of it now.

Definitely a good experience to say you've been there and done it

under the helicopter, and hooking in and earthing it.

Very good. Excellent.

Yeah, Banksy did me proud, really,

cos he's one of my youngest lads on the deck.

Obviously from now on he'll be doing heli ops

and he's in that gang as well now, so very, very happy with him.

Yeah, all in a day's work.

For all the crew on board the Patricia,

it's mission accomplished.

The Dover Straits marks the boundary between the English Channel

and the North Sea,

and over 500 vessels pass through daily.

These towering cargo ships cut a smooth path through

the strong tidal flows.

But for smaller traffic,

the powerful tides have a massive impact.

On board this small boat in the middle of the Straits,

a team of five young swimmers are nine hours

into one of the world's toughest challenges,

the cross-Channel relay swim.

Ready? Get set, go.

HORN TOOTS

And among them, 15-year-old Chris Clark is suffering with seasickness.

It's his turn to swim next, but if he pulls out,

then the entire fledgling team will fail.

..all right?

For Alex, who's currently swimming, it's a real fight to stay calm.

GIRL SQUEALS

It's OK, keep going! Good girl!

Good girl. Chris is just getting changed.

Go on, Alex!

Soon passed. I don't want to get in.

Good girl.

Swimming at night, you can't see the water around you,

so it feels really surreal.

And you can't see anything apart from the light,

this light in your face.

And it's so scary.

There's definitely like a battle in your mind between, like,

whether you want to get out but then you can't because you've come

so far, but you just can't deal with it.

Like, when you're in there, you just panic about anything,

you feel so, like, you feel so unsafe in there.

You feel so alone.

Chris hasn't been able to keep any food down, so he's running on empty.

If he doesn't get up soon, he'll miss the crossover

and the race will be over.

Just remember, it's just an hour and you can do it, all right?

I reckon if he's going next, he's not going to be great.

Cos he doesn't look that great.

Chris finds the strength to drag himself off the deck.

You're going to wait for the hooter. That's OK, take your time.

CHRIS GASPS Chris, Chris, look at me.

Right, it is no different, all right?

When you jump off, you're going to come round the side

-and I'm going to watch the whole time, OK?

-Yes.

All right? Don't worry about it.

Watch, there's a little clip. OK, jump, Chris! Now.

Go. Jump.

-Lovely.

-Amazing.

Once in, Chris gets his head down.

That's it.

Coach Tanya is determined to help the teenagers succeed,

but having swum the race twice herself, she knows all too well

that the mental challenge is almost more difficult than the physical...

..defeating adults many times their age.

Sometimes it's just a case of having a bully on board to say,

"Get in and swim."

Unfortunately.

Tanya is also on hand to give a bit of mothering support.

Here we are. Put it up top.

That's it, Chris. Go on, really stretch, we're nearly there now.

With plenty of encouragement,

Chris manages to complete his second hour in the freezing and choppy sea.

Go on, Chris! Out you get.

Right, we'll get that in there. Get you...

Go on. One, two, three.

Well done for keeping going.

Despite the physical and mental struggles, the team of

youngsters are steadily making their way through the Channel's quarters.

Ella is up next.

Go! HORN TOOTS

Oh, it's freezing! Oh, I want to get out.

No, it's not.

HORN TOOTS

-Go on, Mark, out you go.

-OK.

Bloody proud of them.

Couldn't ask for more from them.

Well done, Ella.

You're doing so well.

After 14 hours

the team is just a few hours away from reaching the French shore.

But the darkness and disorientation has caused Ella to panic

and come to a halt.

-Go!

-If you don't swim, you're going to have to go in again.

ELLA TALKS INDISTINCTLY

-Keep swimming.

-No, you won't, you can swim! Come on, legs!

Tanya must get her back on course or the whole attempt could fail.

Good. Swim. Now. Move it. Come on!

It's a strong wind, so it's not very pleasant in there

and they're suffering because of it but they're carrying on swimming.

If you can take the fear out of them,

then you can achieve it, they will give you their all to do it.

After 15 hours of collective swimming,

the team is within touching distance of France.

In his next hour's swim, Chris could be the one to finish

but this will be his third leg and his seasickness hasn't abated.

I just feel really sick.

Once I've done my hour, hopefully we'll finish soon after.

Thought it was going to be easier.

Remember, nice, slow, steady.

Chris knows the entire team is now depending on him for victory.

OK, wait for the hooter before you jump off.

All right?

HORN TOOTS Go!

Whoo!

Go on!

Well, we're almost there.

Don't think anyone else is going to have to get back in.

I'm certainly not going to have to get back in.

Right, Chris, the dinghy's going to come round.

You're going to go in with the dinghy, OK?

CHRIS TALKS INDISTINCTLY

Yes, you're going to be landing! Off you go.

As Chris nears the shore,

the end of their gruelling marathon swim is finally in sight.

'Hello, can you hear me?'

I can.

I fought through all of the sadness and the annoyance and, you know,

the complaining, it is nice,

you know, to know that you carried on.

And to know that you've done it, you know?

HOOTER BLARES

THEY CHEER

The hooter finalises the end of the race.

The team has successfully swum over 21 miles to France.

Official time was 16 hours, 38 minutes and 48 seconds.

So well done.

-Congratulations. Well done, girls.

-Well done too, Mark.

Well done.

THEY APPLAUD

-Well done.

-Oh, well done.

Amazing, strong finish, Chris. Well done. Well done.

-Yeah, amazing.

-We done it.

-Yes.

CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

We did it, finally, let's go home.

We did it?!

I didn't think I'd make it.

It just seemed to be getting closer and closer,

so I thought I'd keep going.

I put my hands up and I swum back.

Just happy that we've done it now.

One of the best feelings in the world

and I just want to go home now and see my mum.

I hope my parents will be very proud.

I just sort of looked at the beaming smiles when they sort of,

"We've done it." It's sort of watching people achieve a dream.

And that's...that is, for me, why I keep coming back.

Three-time Channel swimmer before I'm 15, that's something to say.

I don't think I'd be doing it again though.

Same time next year.

THEY LAUGH

Just as dawn breaks, the boat pulls into the Port of Dover

and the young swimmers' proud parents welcome them ashore.

APPLAUSE

It's a huge achievement for anyone to swim across the Channel,

and for these young teenagers, it's a real triumph.

Well done. Good lad.

-..and then the second one was, like...

-That was me shouting at you.

Well done, everyone!

And I'll see you Sunday for training.

THEY LAUGH