Essex officer ‘celebrates with a beer’ after epic Atlantic journey

AN Essex police officer has become the second fastest woman to row solo across the Atlantic.

PC Dawn Wood, who works on the force Marine Unit, rowed an incredible 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Barbados in just 53 days.

Her trip aimed to raise awareness of ‘heartbreaking’ ocean plastic pollution, evidence of which she saw throughout her trip.

Dawn posted regular pictures from her journey on board her solar powered boat via social media, and said she celebrated with a beer when she arrived in the Caribbean.

She told the BBC she hadn’t suffered from loneliness.

“I’m quite good with my own company,” she said.

“I think I made about three phone calls on my satellite phone… I think that’s one of the things that really got me through it – if you’re not comfortable with yourself, then you’re not going to be able to do something like that.”

Her marathon efforts have so far raised more than £10,000 for the Marine Conservation Society and she’ll be visiting schools in the county to educate youngsters about the perils of plastic pollution.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-47370832