Adventurer Claire Hughes 'could have lost foot' in ice slip

A record-breaking adventurer who rowed across the Atlantic has recounted a dramatic rescue closer to home when she seriously injured her ankle on a walk.

Claire Hughes and partner James Mackay were in Blanchland, Northumberland, when she slipped on ice after Storm Arwen hit just over two weeks ago.

Medics said she was in "real danger" of losing her foot and there were fears hypothermia could have set in.

She said she owes an "enormous thank you" to the Great North Air Ambulance.

An "emergency operating room" was set up inside a tent in the snow-covered hills where the team reset her ankle, before she was flown to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

The 41-year-old, from Wylam, said she was "overcome with relief" when the helicopter arrived.

The couple had spent the night in a hotel during the devastating storm on 26 November, that saw power knocked out to thousands of homes across the North East and Cumbria.

The next day they decided to go for a short walk to Bolt's Law in the Pennines.

"It was beautiful, thick, soft, crisp snow - a stunning sunny day," said Miss Hughes, who rowed 3,000-miles across the Atlantic in 42 days in 2019, setting a new world record as part of the fastest mixed-team of four.

"It's quite windswept up there, and I think what had happened was the snow had been blown away, it had been turned into sheet ice on one section... and unfortunately I just slipped.

"As I went down I heard my ankle break. I went to grab my leg and I could feel my ankle was dislocated."

Hearing his partner cry out, Mr Mackay called for an ambulance but was told they faced a wait of up to three hours due to the aftermath of the storm.

But minutes later it was decided that a helicopter team should be deployed due to cold temperature.

"She was holding her leg and looking nearly as white as the snow," the 38-year-old said.

"Claire was laying on the ice getting colder and colder. She's a very strong woman, and she was remarkably calm. Fortunately we had some good gear with us, waterproofs, lots of layers, we had battery on our phones.

"I wrapped her in pretty much everything I had and I was doing laps in my T-shirts at that point waiting for it arrive.

"It was scary being out there but the sound of the helicopter coming over the hilltop is one I will never forget."

The Great North Air Ambulance arrived around 40 minutes later, but it too faced challenging conditions while landing due to the strong winds and snow.

"I have never been so relieved to see anyone in my life," said Miss Hughes, a project manager with the Environment Agency.

Cumbria-based Dr John Ferris, who was on board the helicopter, said that given the snowy conditions and the weather, there was "absolutely no way" a land ambulance could have reached her.

"The injury to the ankle is serious enough but in those conditions probably with wind-chill of up to -20C it's a life-threatening situation," he added.

"Having been laid on the ice for up to an hour before we arrived, she was getting getting extremely cold and hypothermia is absolutely a problem in that point.

"Both the bones in her lower leg were broken and her ankle was pointing in the wrong direction. Given the clinical situation and the problems with the blood supply in the foot, it was imperative that we did some treatment on scene."

After she was flown to hospital Miss Hughes underwent surgery, including metal work, to treat breaks on the three main bones of her ankle.

"They said the air ambulance guys had done such a fantastic job of pulling my ankle straight they probably did me some major favours," she added.

"Looking at the X-ray it all looks incredibly neat, so I'm all very positive looking forward."

Miss Hughes now wants to raise funds and awareness as a gesture to the charity that helped her.

She has been training for the past two years for her next challenge which will see her team row across the Northwest passage - the Arctic crossing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - next summer.

It is a task which could see her face icebergs and polar bears.

"I have been saying to everyone that I know that it's dangerous activities only moving forward because I stay in one piece for those," she laughed.

"As far as I am aware I should be able to get back to doing all the things that I love.

"I am going to have to see how things go with my recovery. I have to consider the impact on the rest of my crew but at the moment I am very much set on being a part of that expedition."

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