John Crosby, Jim Oxenham and David Priddis had been enjoying a weekend kayaking beside the Quiberon peninsula on Brittany’s southern coast with other members of the Jersey Canoe Club when they went to the man’s assistance.
‘We had paddled to our lunch spot – a small beach below cliffs,’ said Mr Crosby.
‘A group of French spear fishermen rushed out of the sea asking for our help because one of their number had got into difficulty.
‘One of the fishermen had noticed that the man had been coughing up blood, and explained that there was no way he would be able to get off the rocks and reach the beach without help.’
Mr Crosby says that although the fishermen called the French ambulance service, the paramedics would not have been able to reach the fisherman unless he was helped back to land first.
He added: ‘We laced our kayaks together so they formed a platform to put him on, and we had to reverse up to the rocks so he could be helped on to the back of our kayaks.
Mr Crosby and Mr Oxenham paddled him to shore, where he was met by fellow fishermen and other members of the canoe club, including Mr Priddis.
‘His face was ashen grey and he was still coughing, in a state of shock and he looked cold. He rested on the beach before the ambulance arrived, and then three or four of us helped him up to the car park to get into the ambulance,’ Mr Priddis said.
