Border Great North Swim

More than ten thousand people are taking part in this year's Great North Swim.

Competitors braved the cold water to swim the one-mile course at Lake Windermere, in the Lake District today.

A 10k swim is being introduced on Sunday which is expected to take experienced swimmers around four hours to complete.

Thousands of swimmers will be in Windermere today and over the weekend for Europe's biggest open water swimming event.

The annual Great North Swim sees competitors take to the water in a range of different distances including a 10km race.

Thousands of swimmers have been taking to Windermere as part of the annual Great North Swim. Now in its eighth year, the event has ten thousand competitors. Some are raising money for charity, others, simply, for the challenge. See Samantha Parker's full report here:

The eighth annual Great North Swim is underway at Windermere. 10,000 swimmers raising money for numerous charities are expected to take the plunge this weekend.

The festival of swimming will also feature a world class elite race in partnership with British Swimming. That race will act as a selection event for the senior British team ahead of the World Championships. Alongside the elite are amateurs of all abilities taking in their own personal challenges over half a mile, one mile, two miles or five kilometre distances.

A 52-year-old man who died in a lake swim challenge has been named.

Colin Pringle, from Wallington, South London, died in hospital after participating in the Great North Swim in Windermere, Cumbria, on Friday 13 June.

He was taking part in the two-mile distance and fell ill in the water. He was transferred to Cumberland Infirmary by Great North Air Ambulance but later died.

A man has died after swimming in Windermere during the Great North Swim.

Police were called just after 4.30pm this afternoon, Friday 13 June.

The 52-year-old from Wallington was one of thousands taking part in Britain's biggest open water swimming event.

He was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary, where he died.

The Great North Swim has been a huge boost for tourism numbers around Windermere, organisers say. Around ten thousand people took to part in this year's Great North Swim at Windermere in the Lake District.

It's one of the biggest swimming events in the world and brought hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local economy.

A 54 year old swimmer had to be rescued from the water at Windermere and airlifted to hospital with a suspected heart attack during the Great North Swim.

The woman from Worcester was taken to Hospital in Blackpool for specialist treatment.

She had been treated at scene by the on site medical team on Saturday afternoon after taking ill during her swim and is reported to be in a serious condition in hospital.

Around 10,000 people have been taking part in this year's Great North Swim in Windermere.

It's one of the biggest swimming events in the world.

Watch Matthew Taylor's report here: