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"This swim is a triumph and a tragedy  a triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Lewis Gordon Pugh
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(AP) A British explorer has braved sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole.
Lewis Gordon Pugh took to the freezing waters on Sunday to highlight the devastating impact of climate change on the natural world.
It took him 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim 0.6 miles in waters created by melted sea ice at temperatures of 29°F  the coldest a human has swum in.
"I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy," the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water.
"A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole."
Pugh said he hoped that his swim will make world leaders take climate change seriously.
"The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world," he said.
"I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic  these creatures are on the front line up here."
Swimming has given him a unique perspective on climate change, Pugh says on his Web site.
"I have witnessed retreating glaciers, decreasing sea ice, coral bleaching, severe droughts and the migration of animals to colder climates.
"It's as a result of these experiences that I am determined to do my bit to raise awareness about the fragility of our environment and to encourage everyone to take action."
Calling it the hardest swim of his life, Pugh said Sunday that the water was black when he jumped in.
"It was like jumping into a dark black hole. It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire," said Pugh, who's an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund UK.
"I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions."
Colin Butfield of WWF UK called the challenge "a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change."
Pugh is known for his epic swims in waters from the Antarctic to the Indian Ocean.
His ability to raise his body temperature in anticipation of a swim in cold waters has intrigued top sports scientists and has earned him his "Polar Bear" nickname.
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Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, a man from the United Kingdom has become the first person to swim at the North pole. The water, 29 degrees F (-1.8 C), is believed to be the coldest waters any human has ever swam in on the planet.

"I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy. A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole," said Pugh who swam 0.6 miles in just under 19 minutes through cracks in icebergs.

Pugh says he swam at the North Pole to demonstrate the effects that global warming is playing on the Earth and is hoping that his act will gain the attention of leaders from around the world.

"The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world. I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic — these creatures are on the front line up here," added Pugh.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which sponsored the swim, states that the only reason Pugh was able to swim in the freezing waters was due to global warming.

"The swim was a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change," said WWF U.K. spokesman, Colin Butfield. The waters were completely frozen ten years ago and the swim would have been impossible to complete.

Pugh has also swum in the waters of Antarctica where he was credited to being the only person to swim so far south earning him the nickname "The Polar Bear." Pugh also swam the Indian Ocean.

"It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire. I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions. It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life," added Pugh.