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Hero train driver tells ´óÏó´«Ã½ of his fight back to recovery
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Hailed a hero, Cumbrian train crash driver Iain Black tells Inside Out on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One North West and ´óÏó´«Ã½ One North East & Cumbria of his amazing fight back to health.
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Iain's life changed forever in the blink of an eye when the train he was driving crashed in one of the most remote parts of Cumbria in February this year.
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Over the summer, Iain gave Inside Out exclusive access as he began the road to recovery and reveals the full impact that that one moment has had on his life and that of his partner Jan.
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He says: "The moment it all went wrong is still very clear ... all of a sudden the train just jumped through the air, and I knew I was in serious bother."
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Iain was seriously injured in the crash, breaking his neck. He is the only train driver to have survived such a high-speed accident and doctors say he is lucky to be alive.
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"Apparently there were spots of blood in every conceivable corner of the cab so I'm assuming when the train's rolled down the hill it was just like being in a tumble dryer basically.
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"I was frozen to the spot because I knew for a fact that my neck was broken so I didn't want to move. Fortunately I kept my own mobile phone in my pocket and I switched it on and phoned Jan."
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That was the start of an intense two-hour conversation.
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Iain's first thought was to stop other trains. He says: "I asked her to phone the controls because that was my main concern. I'd survived so far and if another train had come along it could have been a double tragedy."
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Throughout it all Iain was in tremendous pain and Jan could hear everything that was happening – including his screams – through the phone. As a result she has suffered nightmares about Iain dying but is now slowly herself beginning to recover.
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Iain says: "It was the worst pain I have ever had in my life ... and I knew I had a bad head injury because blood was flowing down the side of my head onto my mobile phone."
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Despite receiving such terrible injuries, Iain has remained positive and kept a sense of humour throughout. As he recovers, Inside Out reunites him with the people who saved his life on that dark February night and films him as he returns to the site of the crash at Grayrigg for the first time since the accident.
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The programme also records the moving moment when Iain receives some dramatic and emotional news from his doctors.
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Viewers in the North East, North West and Cumbria regions of England can watch Inside Out on Wednesday 3 October at at 7.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One.
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The programme is also available to viewers outside these regions at bbc.co.uk/insideout or on digital satellite channel 975.
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Notes to Editors
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Full credit should be given to Inside Out, Wednesday 3 October, 7.30pm, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One, if the above quotes from the programme are used for publication.
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A DVD and photographs of the programme are available by contacting the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Manchester Press Office.
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Inside Out, Wednesday 3 October, 7.30pm, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One North West, ´óÏó´«Ã½ One North East & Cumbria
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HH2
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