News from Dieppe...
"Thieves have stolen a hi-tech wheelchair belonging to French sportsman Philippe Croizon, the quadruple amputee who swam the Channel.
Croizon was staying with friends near the coastal town of Dieppe and had left the wheelchair in a locked trailer, which the thieves detached from a vehicle at some time in the night. He discovered it missing on Friday morning.
On Sunday Croizon said he was "feeling sad and angry". He appealed for the thieves to return the chair.
"They've not just stolen my wheelchair, they've stolen my autonomy," Croizon said. "Daily life is already difficult enough."
Croizon said: "Let them keep the trailer if they want it but at least give me back the wheelchair."
He said the wheelchair, a blue all-terrain Permobile X850 that cost €24,000 (£20,600), was brand new and made specially for him.
"Friends helped me buy it. This type of equipment is expensive and the social security doesn't reimburse much."
Croizon, a steelworker, underwent the amputation of his left arm above the elbow, his right arm below the elbow and both legs after an electric shock from a high-voltage power line in 1994.
In September 2010, aged 42, he swam the Channel in under 14 hours.
On Twitter, Croizon has received messages of support including from Marie-Arlette Carlotti, the junior minister responsible for the handicapped, who described it as an "unacceptable theft".
Dieppe police have appealed for witnesses."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/12/thieves-steal-channel-swimmers-wheelchairIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
