Whakatane man fails Cook Strait record attemp 

High winds and strong seas have proved too tough for the 60-year-old man hoping to become the oldest person to swim Cook Strait.

Mike Bodger has failed in his attempt to complete the swim, being pulled out of the water just under six kilometres from the North Island.

He had been swimming for 9 hours and 22 minutes by that stage.

Support crew member Philip Rush says the wind had got up to 25 knots and the tide changed so they were being drifted backwards.

The Whakatane man entered the water 5km north of Perano Point, at the top of the South Island, about 7.30am.

Rush, who has completed the swim six times, said that Bodger has seemed "quite happy" when he started.

Bodger was challenging the record held by Pam Dickson, who made the swim at age 55 in 9 hours, 23 minutes and 10 seconds in March last year.

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