A rower from Teignmouth who is taking part in the World’s Toughest Row across the Atlantic has described the hallucinations he is experiencing from sleep deprivation after a month at sea.

Tim Cox, a watersports instructor from Teignmouth, is halfway through his epic row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua with friend Andy Purvis as team Oar Mighty Mates 2C.

The pair said they have been seeing fields, fences and footpaths despite being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. And Tim said he even felt someone grab his arm while he was out on deck rowing solo.

But the pair are content that these are ‘all normal when sleep deprivation kicks in’.

Tim and Andy have adjusted their rowing schedule to 90 minutes per shift to enable them to remain fresh on the oars while still giving them enough time to eat and sleep.

Previously, the pair were rowing two hours on and two hours off during the night and swapping the oars every hour during the day.

‘No one said an Atlantic row would be easy,’ said Tim. ‘In fact, if we had an easy crossing, we’d probably feel we’d missed out somehow.’

The duo are making good progress and are closing the gap on three boats in front of them. They are now more than halfway through the 3,000 mile challenge.

Their sense of isolation was also momentarily relieved earlier this week when a passing ship radioed them a good luck message.

Tim and Andy hope their row across the Atlantic will raise thousands of pounds for two charities: Dementia UK and baby loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps. Donations can be made via the Oar Mighty Mates 2C website: https://oarmightymates.co.uk