'I'm used to the cold' says Danish tourist who rescued men from Yukon lake

Jeppe Lyngaa Aaquist went to Yukon's spectacular Kathleen Lake last weekend hoping to reel in a fish or two.

Instead, he helped land a couple of canoeists who had dumped into the dangerously cold and choppy waters.

• Canoeists say man saved them from frigid Yukon lake

"I knew that if Ijust took my clothes off,I could swim out there and pull them in," said Aaquist, a Dane who has been travelling around Canada on a work and travel visa.

"Back in Denmark when it's wintertime, we go in [swimming] sometimes. So, I'm used to the cold water."

Aaquistwas on shore with a couple of friends on Saturday afternoon when they spotted Frank Glass and Donald Francis paddling their canoe a ways offshore. It was windy and the waves were building, so the three friends decided to keep an eye on the canoeists.

They were about to head back to their car when they sawthe canoe had capsized.

"We could see that they [were]trying to get in, but it was hard. So we knew we had to react fast," Aaquist said.

"[Glass]was not swimming so much anymore, and there was still maybe 20, 30 meters to the shore."

'I was so high on adrenaline'

Aaquist stripped down and plunged into the water, swimming to the elderly men and helping pull themto shore.

"I was so high on adrenaline, Ididn't notice how cold the water was," he said.

They were soon outof the water, but not yet out of danger. It was still a hike back to shelter, and Glass in particular "looked very bad".

AaquistdressedGlass in his dry clothes and the three friends slowly helped the cold canoeistsback to where an ambulance could reach them. Glass was taken to the nearby Haines Junction health centre, where he was checked out.

On Monday, Glass and Francis both uninjured, though a little rattled expressed their gratitude for Aaquist'squick and brave actions. Glass said he's convinced he would not havemade it to shore alone.

Glass, who lives in Quebec, also said he wantsto send his rescuer a bottle of maple syrup every year, as thanks.

"That would be sweet," saidAaquist.