FIREFIGHTERS hosed down a colleague to help him train to row across the Pacific Ocean. White Watch crew members, based at Oxford’s Rewley Road station, and firefighters from Eynsham used their hoses to create “waves” for their colleague Darren Taylor.

Mr Taylor, 41, from Charlbury, was blasted with cold water in a bid to recreate the “atrocious” conditions he will encounter on his 2,700-mile journey on June 7. He was hit by 3,000 litres of water per minute for the duration of the hour-long drill yesterday afternoon.

Mr Taylor and Alex Flynn, 41, from Goring, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago, will be the first Britons to attempt the crossing from California to Hawaii, which could take up to 70 days.

Mr Taylor said: “It was really good fun and demonstrated how the conditions will be when we are out there.”

Go to pacificrow2014.co.uk