Paragliding horror crash survivor thanks air ambulance team

Michelle Bray has since recovered to take part in a charity trip to the Alps

A woman has thanked the air ambulance team who helped save her life when a paragliding crash left her with 25 fractures and two bleeds on her brain.

Michelle Bray, from Ashby in Leicestershire, smashed into the ground shortly after taking off from an air field in Derbyshire in September 2019.

Within minutes the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) was at the scene.

The crew treated her life-threatening injuries and flew her to hospital.

Ms Bray had sustained 25 fractures, including to her ribs, hip, pelvis, femur, and ankle.

Her back was broken in three places, her arm was so badly damaged it needed to be completely rebuilt and she suffered two bleeds to her brain.

"I took off, but I can't tell you much after that," she said.

"All I remember is having a 10-second glimpse of knowing something horrific was happening but not knowing what.

"Suddenly, people were running across the field towards me and there seemed to be panic on everyone's faces."

Ms Bray has raised nearly £700 for the air ambulance team

The air ambulance crew arrived within 12 minutes and the crew gave her advanced pain relief and saline solution before carefully moving her into the helicopter and flying her to a major trauma unit in Sheffield.

Despite a gloomy initial prognosis, Ms Bray has gradually regained the ability to walk, run and hike.

'Darkness lifted'

Earlier this year she took part in a week-long expedition in the Alps to raise money for the air ambulance team that helped her.

She was also recently reunited with critical care paramedic Rich, who was on board for her rescue mission and helped to fill in the blanks in her memory.

"I can't put into words how awful it is to have your body smashed to pieces and to undergo years of recovery, yet never know what happened," she said.

"I spent a few hours with Rich and went away feeling 10 tonnes lighter.

"He remembered everything about my accident and to be able to talk to him and get all the information I'd been missing was incredible.

"He was able to help me put the pieces together and lift that darkness."