Former Royal Marine proposes to girlfriend at Boxing Day swim

A former Royal Marine made his Boxing Day swim more memorable by asking his girlfriend to marry him.

As hundreds of bathers dashed for the water in Tenby, Philip Frith, 34, got down on one knee and asked Victoria Tansey to marry him.

Luckily for Philip, the 37-year-old responded with an ecstatic yes.

The carefully planned proposal also saw the couple’s special song, Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish, play in the background as the couple celebrated with a splash in the sea.

Speaking afterwards, the former Royal Marine said he had faced some scary situations in his life, but the proposal was up there with the most nail-biting.

‘When we first met, Victoria couldn’t wait to show me all around Pembrokeshire and we have made the trip as often as work would allow us, to visit her family, go beach hopping and take in the breathtaking scenery,’ the Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach said.

‘I absolutely love sea swimming, I believe that it is so worthwhile for your body and mind, however, Victoria has never been one to enjoy the cold.

‘So, on our first Christmas together as a couple, Victoria surprised me by taking me to Tenby for the Boxing Day Swim – it’s honestly one of my most fond memories from the start of our relationship.

‘I wanted to return her the favour of surprising her by proposing to her at this year’s swim.’

Victoria is originally from Milford Haven but now lives in Guildford, Surrey with Philip.

The distance doesn’t stop the professional dancer, who has appeared on The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and Pineapple Dance Studio: Survival Of The Fittest, returning to her Pembrokeshire roots whenever she can.

Her mother and her childhood best friend, Sean Griffiths, were on the beach to watch the proposal.

Fellow swimmers crowded around to congratulate the happy couple.

Swim chairman Sam Skyrme-Blackhall said: ‘Well, we said, ‘Come to the Tenby Boxing Day Swim and take the plunge’, but we weren’t expecting that.

‘Congratulations to the happy couple.’

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