A VETERAN soldier has urged the public to help bring home a paratrooper who became critically injured in a freak accident when sky-diving.
Lance Corporal Lee Crudgington, a father of two, became seriously injured after he crashed while speed flying in France 13 days ago.
The experienced soldier was believed to have been on holiday when taking part in the highly skilled but dangerous form of advanced paragliding involving using small wings to descend mountain slopes at daring speed.
L Cpl Crudgington, who joined 2 Para in 2005, has since seen support from Government minister and veteran Johnny Mercer and a senior soldier after he underwent 12 hour surgery to stabilise his pelvis.
The 38-year-old is a veteran member of the daring Red Devils Army Parachute Display team and has made more than 5,000 jumps, having also served on operational tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A Tweet by Colonel Commandant of the Paras Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison implored people to back a fundraiser in aid of his “great friend”, which has seen more than £28,000 already raised.
“Please spread the msg [sic] and help the Parachute Regiment charity bring him home,” the Tweet stated. “Please, please donate and pass this on.”
Lt Gen Harrison added L Cpl Crudgington was off-duty practising his advanced freefall but unfortunately “it doesn’t meet the criteria for publicly funded defence repatriation”.
A British Army spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with LCpl Lee Crudgington and his family.
“Service personnel who take part in adventurous activities abroad while off-duty need their own private insurance cover as this is not provided by the Ministry of Defence.”
Military charity Support Our Paras stated it has supported the injured soldier but his family say they now need help from the public.
An army friend said: “On top of mounting foreign medical costs, Lee will need a specialist aeromedical team to fly him back to the UK, where he will undergo further surgery and start a long period of rehabilitation."
Since the fundraiser launched, paralympic gold medallist Major Jen Kehoe and Recruit For Spouses founder Heledd Kendrick have also offered their support.
Support the fundraiser via bit.ly/3PokkrY.
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