People on bicycles wait for free helmets and reflective sashes to be given by members of a non-governmental organization in Manila, the Philippines on July 9, 2020. A non-governmental organization promoted bicycle safety awareness among cyclists by handing out helmets and reflective sashes as people turn to bikes, the primary mode of transportation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

A pair of anglers armed with powerful magnets pulled out 51 rental bikes from a stretch of canal on the edge of Paris, a surprising haul even for the veteran practitioners.

"It was incredible, we brought up 20 in the first half hour," Clement Charret told AFP on Tuesday.

For the past year and half he has been trawling the depths of canals that snake north and east from the capital "for fun but mostly to clean up."

With his sidekick Enzo, dubbed "Magneto," they also found a motor-scooter and traffic signs at the portion of the Ourcq canal which cuts through a rapidly gentrifying area outside the ring road that surrounds Paris. 

Charret, a 20-year-old student who lives in the nearby suburb, said that while the bike catch was unusual, it wasn't the most interesting item ever plucked by his magnet.

When asked about his favorites, he replied, "A bayonet from World War I and a revolver pistol from the era of Napoleon III," he said.

AFP