On Thursday, Pete canoed back to Stone to collect the car and was attacked by a swan. It threatened and then retreated, so Pete carried on and then to his horror, heard it flapping towards him from behind. He couldn't get out onto the bank because of moored boats, but after unsuccessfully fighting the thing, even having hold of its wing at one point, he decided to abandon canoe and get in the water using the boat as his defender. Apparently the swan continued to have a go at the canoe. Eventually, with the help of walkers passing by, he got pulled out of the canal and a boater fended the bird off with his boat hook and rescued the canoe which was floating free by this time. Pete arrived back to Ani very shaken, with severe bruising and swelling of his ribs and upper arm - so bad that we decided to go to Stafford hospital to get him checked out. 2 hours later with a stack of anti inflammatories, anti biotics and strong pain killers we went back to the boat.
In all his 40 years of canoeing, he has never had such an experience - the boater told him the swan was well known as being particularly aggressive even going for propellers on boats. She/he obviously had a nest nearby but Pete couldn't have been anywhere near it on the canal.
We all know that swans can be dangerous, but I never realised quite how much damage they could do. Later, talking to a chap at the boatyard at Great Haywood we heard that it is common for them to attack canoeists. Maybe they see the paddle motion as the flapping wings of some enormous predator.
Paddling Predator Pete won't be on the water again just yet, at least not until the swelling goes down!
In all his 40 years of canoeing, he has never had such an experience - the boater told him the swan was well known as being particularly aggressive even going for propellers on boats. She/he obviously had a nest nearby but Pete couldn't have been anywhere near it on the canal.
We all know that swans can be dangerous, but I never realised quite how much damage they could do. Later, talking to a chap at the boatyard at Great Haywood we heard that it is common for them to attack canoeists. Maybe they see the paddle motion as the flapping wings of some enormous predator.
Paddling Predator Pete won't be on the water again just yet, at least not until the swelling goes down!
Wow!What a frightening experience....Didn't realise canoeing could be so treacherous!Hope Pete is recovering now...
ReplyDeleteMy concern is the Kayak! Ribs mend pretty quickly but a carbon/kevlar kayak now that is a different matter. Of course on the bright side maybe just the excuse you need to buy a new one......
ReplyDeleteDear Unknown
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read our blog. It's a comfort to know that someone really cares about the welfare of an elderly canoeist! Your suggestion that it might be a good time to purchase a new kayak intrigued me. Given the fact that I can no longer even out-paddle a swan, what type would you suggest?! And indeed, where might I purchase such a craft?
Just for the record, I was going to batter the swan with my paddles but the pain of breaking them and having to buy new would have been far worse than my aching ribs.
Happy paddling