A daredevil adventurer claims he was hit with a “big thud in the chest” by something lurking in Loch Ness.
Duncan Roberts, 39, said he was swimming when a mysterious entity loomed up from the depths and whacked him. The chilling incident took place while he was crossing the icy waters, home of the Loch Ness Monster, for a charity challenge.
The Australian admitted the prospect of encountering whatever is lurking beneath the surface is more terrifying than facing a great white shark. He said: “The depth and the darkness of that water plays tricks with your mind.
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(Image: Jam Press/Duncan Roberts)
“There is some weird energy at play in that water. And during my swim I experienced a bump half way across. It was something big. The water is pitch black and I had my eyes closed a lot of the time as the depth and darkness terrified me so I didn’t see anything. I just felt it, a big thud in the chest.”
He admitted he would have had “second thoughts” if he’d known what was going to happen. The adrenaline junkie said: “I think anyone who swims in the deep part of the loch is lying if they say they haven’t thought about the monster.
“I was focused on getting across as quickly as possible so the hit was a shock. I was already nervous enough before the swim. If I knew something was going to bump into me halfway across I would definitely have been having second thoughts.”
He has travelled 870 miles around Iceland on a skateboard before, but found the swim far tougher. “It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done mentally,” he said.
(Image: Jam Press/Duncan Roberts)
“I live in Australia and surf all the time often with great white sharks. I was way more scared of getting in the Loch Ness water.”
There was little option of backing out as he had flown all the way from Down Under for the challenge. He said: “The loch is beautiful but definitely has a vibe about it that makes you freeze at the thought of swimming in it. It also has the sensation of pulling you under a little. I think because it is fresh water and so deep. I was hoping to not have an encounter.
“The deep dark water alone is scary enough, let alone worrying about what else might lurk below. There were definitely moments of awe and beauty as I caught glimpses of the length of the loch while I took breaths during the swim. But I wanted to get to the other side.”
After reaching the other side Duncan, of Fingal Head, near Byron Bay, got out, threw on a kilt and climbed Britain’s highest mountain Ben Nevis. He played the bagpipes at the summit and climbed back down before getting a tattoo of Nessie to remember the day.
His experience is the latest in a long line of mysterious encounters to have taken place in the legendary spot.
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