Mystery as man feels 'big thud' during charity swim in Loch Ness

Duncan Roberts experienced a heart-stopping moment as he swam across the deepest part of Scotland's infamous Loch Ness , claiming to have felt a mysterious presence in the water.

During his icy charity swim, he recounted: "The depth and the darkness of that water plays tricks with your mind.

"There is some weird energy at play in that water. And during my swim I experienced a bump halfway across. It was something big. The water is pitch black and I had my eyes closed a lot of the time as the depth and darkness terrified me so I didn't see anything. I just felt it, a big thud in the chest."

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Speaking to What's The Jam, the 39-year-old daredevil shared: "I think anyone who swims in the deep part of the loch is lying if they say they haven't thought about the monster. I was focused on getting across as quickly as possible so the hit was a shock. I was already nervous enough before the swim."

He also admitted: "If I knew something was going to bump into me halfway across I would definitely have been having second thoughts."

Despite being one of only five people globally to skateboard 870 miles around Iceland, Roberts claimed that swimming across the legendary loch, rumored to be home to a monster, was a far greater challenge.

He stated: "It was one of the toughest things I've ever done mentally. I live in Australia and surf all the time often with Great White Sharks. I was way more scared of getting in the Loch Ness water. It was one of the toughest things I've ever done mentally."

He then added, "I flew all the way from Australia so it would've been tough to back out. The loch is beautiful but definitely has a vibe about it that makes you freeze at the thought of swimming in it."

"Not to mention that it is roughly six to 10C. It also has the sensation of pulling you under a little. I think because it is fresh water and so deep. It is very different to salt water. I was hoping to not have an encounter. The deep dark water alone is scary enough, let alone worrying about what else might lurk below."

"As for the actual swim, there were definitely moments of awe and beauty as I caught glimpses of the length of the loch while I took breaths during the swim. But I wanted to get to the other side at Urquhart. Swimming into the castle shores was pretty magical."

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Completing the swim wasn't his only feat; Duncan from Fingal Head, north of Byron Bay in New South Wales, accomplished the extraordinary task of emerging from the waters of Loch Ness, donning a kilt, conquering Ben Nevis the UK's tallest peak where he played bagpipes at the summit, before descending, all within the span of a single day.

He concluded his adventure by getting a Nessie tattoo as a memento of the challenge. Last month, a hydrophone device, which detects underwater noise, picked up an unusual sound that has experts pondering what could be hiding in Loch Ness's depths.

The regular heartbeat-like pulsing detected by underwater sensors has created quite a stir. This rhythmic sound was picked up by a hydrophone, a device that measures sounds from all directions underwater, deployed about 100 feet below the surface of the Scottish lake.

While the origin of the sound remains a mystery, it has nevertheless sparked excitement among experts. Loch Ness is renowned for reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie.

According to the Loch Ness website, there have been over 1,153 official sightings of the legendary beast.

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