Three paraplegic adventurers, including a Cumbrian native, have managed the impressive feat of canoeing almost 300km down the Zambezi River in just seven days.

The trio, which counted Liam Morris, of Askam-in-Furness, among its number, spent seven days tackling the river - starting at Chirundu in Zambia and finishing at the Mozambique border.

The three adventurers faced dangers including hippos and crocodiles, as well as punctured boats and pressure sores.

They camped by the riverside each night, and the three, along with a local support crew, carried their wheelchairs, tents, and medical and food supplies in the canoes for the length of the 280km journey.

Mr Morris, who was paralysed from the waist down in a motorcross accident 11 years ago, works as an instrumentation engineer at BAE Systems.

He has not let his disability stop him from pursuing a number of sports, including adaptive rowing and wheelchair racing.

On his first day on the Zambezi, though, his canoe reportedly fell afoul of a tree stump and he capsized.

Mr Morris said of the scare: "We had been going so well and then suddenly one of the guides in a canoe in front shouted ‘hippo’ and the next thing we struck something and my guide and I were flipped into the water.

"The tents, wheelchair, everything went into the water.

"We had actually struck a tree stump but I didn’t know that at the time so it was pretty scary.

"I thought my time might be up, but thankfully the only thing the river took was my phone."

The Zambezi Canoe Challenge, created by paraplegic amputee Shaun Gash, from Morecambe, aims to raise funds for charities Spinal Research and Whizz Kidz.

The trio of adventurers also included Mr Gash himself and Michelle Moffatt, of Dumbarton, Scotland.

Spinal Research funds medical research to develop and deliver effective new treatments.

WhizzKidz is a charity for young wheelchair users.

A spokesperson for WhizzKidz said: "Shaun, Michelle, Liam and their team’s incredible journey down the Zambezi is a true testament to the power of determination.

"By taking on this challenge, they have not only raised vital funds but also awareness, helping us to provide life-changing mobility equipment to young people across the UK."

The trio's fundraiser can still be contributed to via GoFundMe at https://bit.ly/3KlkEr5