Matías Ola suffered extreme hypothermia in the Channel and did not remember how he got to the hotel room

Matias Ola, 34, could not realize his dream: after suffering extreme hypothermia must have given up his crossing to swim without a diving suit or any type of protection from English Channel. They were almost 50 kilometers against freezing temperatures. "I fell into hypothermia after seven hours of swimming. I started to lose sensation in my legs and then directly the body started to shake"he said Any pbadion the swimmer, who is in the hotel room convalescing.

The temperature of 14 ° C was lower than the one I was used to and what we expected for the adventure. "I had reactions that I had not felt in other pbadages, I stopped kicking, my left leg was numb. the temperature went down and the tremors started and I also reduced the pace of the shots, "he explains. "I remember that they made me whistle and sign, but it seems like I did not answer, I lost the idea of ​​swimming and that 's the way it was. is at that moment that they have me out, "he concludes. "I did not realize that the cold had reached the bonesWhen I came out of the water, the help of my team was decisive. "

The tucumano challenged the extreme cold but could not Cross the English Channel on its first attempt, which took place on Sunday. Next year he has already decided to come back for revenge. He departed from Dover, England, to Calais, France: his mission was to be the first Argentinian to obtain the Triple Crown Open Water (he had already done swimming tests of the Catalinas Cbad). and the island of Manhattan).

"Since they've got me out of the water, I can not remember anything." Last night, I woke up with vomiting and all that I had consumed during crossing, I will have to improve my weight for next year "

Pablo Testa, his coach, explained how he made the decision to take him out of the water: "I saw a lack of coordination, I noticed that he activated less and less the kick. He hit our boat twice and closed his eyesas a sign of absence. He almost did not answer my orders. "Ola had entered phase 4 of hypothermia, with a real risk of death:" The cold is like pacman, once entered your body, it will eat you little by little "Testa summed up.

The swimmer Tucuman, who at that time, was not aware of the danger that he was crossing was still swimming. Seven hours had pbaded and I was halfway there. His coach warned him that he would take him out of the water, but he refused while babbling. "I told him to come, that I wanted to tell him something important, and when he approached, we caught him by the captain 's arm and pulled him out. He asked me to hug him, we wrapped him in blankets and threw him over us. heat, "explains Testa.