Ray Cossum

Athlete IDATH-1000793

NIRUnited Kingdom (Northern Ireland)Sport:Swimming

Biography

Ray Cossum grew up near the English Channel in Folkestone, Kent, and settled in Derry after serving there in the Royal Navy. He taught crews how to escape from submarines and later worked as a commercial diver. Off the Donegal coast he helped salvage artefacts from the wreck of the Laurentic. Above the water, Lough Swilly became his training ground. In 1964 he swam from Buncrana to Rathmullan in 2 hours 15 minutes. Two years later he made the return journey without stopping in 4 hours 14 minutes.

A 2020 interview with Cossum dates his departure from France to 31 July 1970 after two earlier Channel attempts. He landed near Folkestone after 13 hours 41 minutes, with H. Reed piloting Accord. The Irish Long Distance Swimming Association recognises him as the first swimmer from Ireland to make the crossing. The Channel federation records his country as Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.

In 1978 he and his son Des helped coach an Irish junior Channel relay. The under-16 team crossed in 8 hours 40 minutes after a year of training and fundraising. Cossum later served as a director and vice-president of the Channel Swimming Association. The Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame named him among its 2021 Honour Swimmers. He died in 2022 at the age of 91.

English Channel record

France-to-England solo in 13:41 and coach of Ireland's 1978 junior Channel relay

Also recorded as Raymond Cossum.

Crossing details, recordings & verification

Full name in the swim record: Raymond Cossum
Born: 17 September 1931 in Folkestone, Kent
Federation country and nationality: UK [Northern Ireland]
Residence: Settled permanently in Derry in 1951, according to Tower Museum.
Maritime work: Submarine escape instructor, commercial diver and salvage engineer
Irish swimming history: ILDSA credits his 1970 solo as the first by a swimmer from Ireland.
Channel service: Channel Swimming Association director and vice-president
Died: 17 November 2022, aged 91

Selected Channel swims

France to England, finishing near Folkestone

Solo · 1-way

France → England

Friday, 31 July 1970 (recorded swim date)

Friday, 31 July 1970 (departure)

Elapsed time · 13h 41m 0s

Start clock · 17:15:00 · Time zone not specified

Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed

Qualification · The 31 July 1970 departure is reported explicitly. Other accounts date this swim to 1 August or give the year as 1971. The recorded time is 13h 41m.

Sources disagree · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.

Other events & swims

Lough Swilly, Buncrana to Rathmullan

Open water swimming · Solo

1964 · exact day not confirmed

Lough Swilly, County Donegal, Ireland

Completed the crossing from Buncrana to Rathmullan.

Published distance · 5 miles

Published elapsed time · 2h 15m

Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.

Lough Swilly, Buncrana to Rathmullan and back

Open water swimming · Solo

1966 · exact day not confirmed

Lough Swilly, County Donegal, Ireland

Completed the continuous outward and return swim.

Published elapsed time · 4h 14m

Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.

Career milestones

Buncrana to Rathmullan

1964

Swam the five-mile route across Lough Swilly in 2 hours 15 minutes.

Lough Swilly return swim

1966

Completed Buncrana to Rathmullan and back in 4 hours 14 minutes.

Departure from France

1970-07-31

The federation's 13:41 France-to-England swim is dated 31 July. Cossum's anniversary interview identifies that day as his departure.

Junior Channel relay coaching

1978

Helped prepare the Irish under-16 team for its 8:40 Channel crossing.

Irish Hall of Fame

2021

Named an Honour Swimmer in the Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

Death

2022-11-17

CSA commemorated its former director and vice-president, aged 91.

English Channel questions

Which English Channel swims are included for Ray Cossum?: This profile includes 1 selected solo performance. A continuous multi-way crossing counts as one performance.
When was Ray Cossum’s first listed Channel swim?: The reported departure was Friday, 31 July 1970.
How long did the first listed swim take?: The recorded 1-way solo lasted 13h 41m 0s. The 31 July 1970 departure is reported explicitly. Other accounts date this swim to 1 August or give the year as 1971. The recorded time is 13h 41m.

Achievements & next milestones

Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.

No eligible completed results are linked yet. Link a completed result to start the achievement collection.

Next milestones

First recorded finish
1 more finish needed
0 of 1 recorded

Latest results

Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.

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