Jellyfish sting puts paid to epic swim bid

It was the fifth failure involving three women swimmers who have tried to make the marathon swim since 2011. Jellyfish stings and strong currents have been the main impediments.

Her support team released a statement saying that Ms McCardel had ended her effort to become the first person to swim across the Straits of Florida nonstop without a shark cage “due to a severe debilitating jellyfish sting”.

It said she had been taken on to one of her support vessels and was sailing to Key West. She would need 24 hours to recuperate, it said.

Diana Nyad, an endurance athlete who failed three times to make the same crossing and has said she would like to take another shot this summer, tweeted her commiseration.

“It’s a tough night for Chloe McCardel, a superior swimmer and an exemplary spirit,” she wrote.