Suffolk powerboat racer 'a lucky boy' to survive crash

Mr Warren needed stitches and eye surgery after the accident during a race in Suffolk

A powerboat racer said he was "a lucky boy" to have survived a crash that left him unconscious under water.

Alex Warren, from Henstead, Suffolk, noticed his steering had failed during a race and pushed his boat to full power to avoid hitting a competitor.

The vessel flipped over and hit the water on Oulton Broad at more than 100mph (160km/h), injuring his face.

He said: "I was under water, hanging upside down in that cockpit. I woke up and did my escape as I'd been trained."

He said he remembered "flying through the air" before his powerboat hit the water

As first reported in the Eastern Daily Press, Mr Warren needed stitches to his face and temporarily lost sight in one eye after spending up to two minutes submerged and unconscious at the event on 5 August.

"I remember flying through the air, then a massive impact," he said.

The 53-year-old was taken by ambulance to James Paget Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, and needed stitches and eye surgery.

He urged people to continue to support powerboat racing and insisted safety was taken seriously.

"You have to do training, you have to do a dunk test where they simulate crashes," he said.

The front of his boat was badly damaged but he said the safety cell protected him in the cockpit

"If you look at the safety cell on the boat, it's totally untouched, so that's what saved me. I'm a lucky boy.

"People in the past who had that accident have died because the boats weren't as safe as they are now."

He said he would have loved to continue racing, but has taken the difficult decision to retire.

"There's been a lot of tears and upset in the family. I've made some promises to the wife and my children and I don't want to go back on them."

The boat was travelling at more than 100mph (160km/h) on Oulton Broad near Lowestoft

The 53-year-old was taken by ambulance to James Paget Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea