Climber scales new heights to support air ambulance heroes who saved him
A climbing enthusiast scaled new heights to raise funds for the air ambulance heroes that helped treat him after a hillside fall.
Adrian Lowe, 60, completed nine ascents of Earls Hill in Pontesbury in one day on Saturday, March 27 - the equivalent height of Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain.
The chartered civil engineer did the challenge to raise money for West Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, which treated him on the same hill in 2012 when he fell 30ft.
Adrian could have fallen even further had it not been for the quick reactions of his wife Catherine, who was belaying. Adrian believes that if she hadn't reacted, it could have been a fatal drop.
"I don't think I'd be speaking to you now," he said. "My wife saved my life with the rope."
Adrian fractured his ankle and sustained nasty injuries to his foot and knee. He was in too much of a bad way for Catherine to be able to help him off the hill, so an air ambulance helicopter went to his aid. Medics administered first aid, before he was eventually winched off by a Sea King from RAF Valley, as his position was so precarious.
"I was lucky," added Adrian. "I was able to get back to mountaineering."
Adrian and friends from the Shropshire Borders Mountaineering Group missed out on a trip to Scotland to tackle Ben Nevis due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he came up with the Earl's Hill challenge so he could do something for the air ambulance charity locally.
Adrian aims to raise £2,500. So far he has more than £1,000 in donations on his Just Giving page. To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/adrian-lowe3
