NORTHAMPTON — As he fought to swim to the shore along the Oxbow of the Connecticut River Tuesday afternoon, his lungs taking in heavy amounts of water, thoughts of his own mortality began to enter the mind of James Roberts.

“That’s the point were I thought ‘this is the way people die,’” Roberts later recalled. “It was something I never experienced before. I never want to experience it again.”

Roberts, a 78-year-old Westhampton resident, was canoeing on the Oxbow to train for an upcoming flatwater marathon canoe race scheduled for this weekend. The waters were calm when Roberts departed from the Easthampton Boat Ramp, but unusually strong gusts began to pick up along the river. A canoeing veteran of more than 20 years, Roberts recognized conditions were quickly becoming perilous on the Oxbow.

“I went to turn around, but the wind pushed me out to the middle [of the Oxbow],” Roberts said in an interview with the Gazette a day after the harrowing experience. “That’s when I dumped.”

Roberts’s canoe capsized and he fell out, the wind continuing to push the canoe away and leaving him stranded in the water. Roberts still had his paddle, but soon had to abandon that too in order to use his arms to try and swim to shore.

As he swam, the strong winds continued to blow, creating large waves along the Oxbow. Roberts was wearing a small floatation device around his waist used by canoers, but the waves meant his body was taking on water as he tried to swim to shore.

“It was life or death at that point,” Roberts said. “The waves didn’t give me any time to breathe. I kept getting mouthfuls of water.”

But Roberts miraculously managed to persevere, and arrived on shore near a thicket of trees. Wading through the thicket, Roberts suffered several cuts on his legs from the branches, before making his way through a nearby cornfield toward the Oxbow Marina. Once he arrived, he was greeted by Northampton Police and Fire Rescue, who were waiting for him. A woman fishing nearby saw Roberts fall from his canoe and called 911.

Roberts gave credit to the first responders for being quick to arrive on the scene and fully prepared to help treat his wounds. He was offered an ambulance ride, but he declined as he only had minor lacerations on his legs. The local game warden also helped Roberts find his canoe, which had washed up along the shore.

“They were right on the ball,” Roberts said. “They were all really helpful, they had all the equipment to bandage me up and take me to the hospital if it was necessary.”

The experience however hasn’t deterred Roberts from his love of canoeing. He still intends to take part in the flatwater marathon race this Saturday and signaled he would be back out on the Oxbow later on Wednesday to train.

“As long as it’s not windy, I’m going come back,” he said. “I lost my paddle, and they cost 400 bucks almost. So I’ll see if I can find it near the shore somewhere.”

Alex MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.