A FORMER Royal Marines Commando who survived a horrific accident while completing his 379th skydive has thanked the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team for saving his life.
On Sunday, October 8 Michael Oakes, who lives in Goodworth Clatford, took to the skies 15,000 feet over the Army Parachute Association at Skydive Netheravon.
As the 47-year-old attempted a manoeuvre, approximately 200 feet high he ended up hurtling toward the ground at maximum speed.
When he hit the floor, he thought he was okay but, just 10 seconds later, he was unconscious in a heap on the ground.
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He said: “As time went on, I knew I was in trouble. The pain just kept increasing and with it the volume of my screams. I consider myself quite stoic, but I’d never felt anything like it before.”
Michael had actually suffered a burst L4 spinal fracture, which can be potentially life-changing. He has now thanked the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team who came to his rescue.
He continued: "We’d seen the air ambulance fly overhead on its way back to base from a separate incident. It must have been retasked because they suddenly turned around and made straight for me.
“When the ambulance landed, I remember just thinking thank God, I’m safe now. I knew that whatever happened next the outcome would be the best it could possibly be. I trusted them completely.”
The crew asked Michael some questions before cutting away his clothes and administering strong pain relief so he could be safely loaded onto the helicopter, ready to be flown to University Hospital Southampton.
He spent the next seven days in the specialist spinal unit before being discharged home.
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Michael said that "by some miracle" his spinal cord appears unaffected.
He continued: “I find it hard to articulate how grateful I am. My hope is that somehow, the crew go home every day knowing that they’ve tangibly impacted lives for the better.
“We donate to these charities hoping that we’ll never need them, but without your donations and support, I’d have been on the ground, perhaps for hours, in a pain, I can’t describe – left unable to walk again. So, thank you, everyone."
Michael said he is now "determined" to work hard to recover.
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