Thieves steal wheelchair

THIEVES have stolen a €24,000 electric wheelchair from quadruple amputee Philippe Croizon, who last year became the first person to swim between all five continents.

Philippe was staying with friends in Martin-Eglise, near Dieppe, when the wheelchair was stolen and he has appealed for the thieves to return it and “give me my mobility back”.

He told reporters: “I don’t know if these people know what they have done: they have not just stolen my wheelchair, they have stolen my independence.”

The specially-made off-road wheelchair was stolen along with the trailer that he used to transport it. He said that it had taken a year to buy the chair, which he bought with help from friends.

Philippe lost all four limbs after suffering a massive electric shock trying to fix the TV aerial on his roof in 1994.

Last year he and swimming partner Arnaud Chassery became the first people to swim between the continents. The feat came after Philippe swam the Channel in 2010.

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