Karl Bushby crosses Humber Bridge to crowds on final leg of 28-year trek

British adventurer Karl Bushby has crossed the Humber Bridge to a crowd’s welcome, completing the final leg of his 31,000-mile trek from South America to Hull. He is due to finish the 28-year journey on Monday, when he will be met by family in the city.

Bushby, 57, said he was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the people lining the bridge. He began his walk from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998, aged 29, with two self-imposed rules: he would not return to the UK until he had completed the journey, and he would not use transport to advance it.

He swam back across the English Channel on 5 October and has since walked through Lincolnshire towards Hull, pushing his handcart, known as The Beast. The BBC reported that he had crossed four continents, as well as deserts, mountains, jungles and a frozen sea.

On Monday morning, Bushby is due to set off from Hessle for Queen Victoria Square, where a reception is planned outside the Civic Hall. He said the Humber Bridge had long been an iconic landmark for him, recalling that it stood out in his memory when he first walked south from home to test his equipment.