AN experienced Colchester paratrooper who was critically injured in a freak sky-diving accident is learning to walk again.
Lance Corporal Lee Crudgington, 38, crushed his pelvis after he crashed while speed flying in France in early July.
The father-of-two was believed to have been on holiday when taking part in the highly skilled but dangerous form of advanced paragliding.
It involves using small wings to descend mountain tops at daring speed.
L Cpl Crudgington, who joined Colchester-based 2 Para in 2005, has now been moved to a Ministry of Defence facility in the midlands.
A statement from Support Our Paras said the veteran soldier has “recovered sufficiently” enough to make the move to Loughborough.
It reads: “Lee, who crushed his pelvis in the accident, is currently learning to walk again with the support of the team at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall.
“The charity would like to extend their thanks to each and every donor who supported our Crudgington Appeal to get Lee back home to the UK.
“We will be closing this appeal at the end of the year now that his French medical bills and aeromedical bills have been paid for.”
The Colchester charity stated all money donated to the appeal will be used to support the soldier through his journey back to full strength.
The fundraiser has gathered more than £53,000 since its inception back in the summer.
It came in response to the need for a specialist aeromedical team to fly L Cpl Crudington back to the UK, on top of mounting foreign medical costs.
The appeal attracted widespread support, including from paralympic gold medallist Major Jen Kehoe and Recruit For Spouses founder Heledd Kendrick.
A Tweet by Colonel Commandant of the Paras Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison implored people to back the fundraiser in aid of his “great friend”.
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 service personnel who take part in “adventurous activities” abroad while off-duty need their own private insurance cover.
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