Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Radio 5 Live,2 mins

Ray Mears: How I survived a helicopter crash

5 Live In Short

Available for over a year

The TV presenter Ray Mears is famous for his survival skills, but when a helicopter he was flying in crashed, he called on lessons learnt in school judo class to help him handle the situation. He was in the United States filming Ray Mears' Bushcraft for the BBC, flying over the dramatic landscape of Wyoming. Flying over a ridge, heading downwind, the pilot suddenly found he didn't have enough power to maintain a safe height, and the helicopter hit the ground. Ray describes how lucky he was to survive as fuel from the damaged helicopter "blew onto us like a cloud". In that moment he says lessons learned from his school Judo teacher, Kingsley Hopkins, came into his mind: "if you're ever in an accident, relax". He also stressed the importance of first aid training because "it takes the fear away, because it gives you something to focus on". Ray says everyone should learn first aid. This clip is originally from 5live's Peter Allen and Caroline Barker on 10th Febuary 2019.

Programme Website
More episodes