Cambridge beats Oxford in dramatic boat race interrupted by swimmer

London, Apr 8 (ANI): Cambridge has won a dramatic Boat Race against Oxford after a protester deliberately jumped into the River Thames and swam between the crews to disrupt the race between England's two oldest universities.

Trenton Oldfield, an Environmental campaigner, was pulled out of the water and arrested on public order offences, after his actions halted the prestigious 158th annual University Boat Race for half an hour.

According to The Daily Mail, after nine minutes into the race, a former Olympic rower and race official, spotted Oldfield in the water.

He had plunged into the Thames, apparently in protest to highlight his unorthodox political views, the paper said.

The Oxford University Boat Club President lashed out at Oldfield via Twitter.

"My team went through seven months of hell. This was the culmination of our careers and you took it from us," the president tweeted.

The university crews were reportedly almost neck-and-neck, when they were forced to stop, after the blades of the Oxford team's oars narrowly missed Oldfield.

After the event restarted, which was the first time a restart has been required for 11 years, an Oxford oar snapped when blades from the two teams tangled, giving way to Cambridge, cruising to victory.

Troubles didn't end for Oxford as, at the finish line, Dr Alexander Woods, a 27-year-old Pembroke College medical student and a member of the Oxford crew, collapsed in the boat.

He was taken to the hospital, and has apparently suffered from exhaustion. (ANI)