A MOTORCYCLIST badly hurt in a crash in Northumberland will take on a cycling challenge in aid of the lifesaving charity that went to his aid.

James Fernback was riding on the B6341 in June, 2015, when he crashed into a wall.

A Great North Air Ambulance Service paramedic and doctor team assessed and treated Mr Fernback, before airlifting him to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The dad-of-one, 35, from Alnwick, said: “We’d been away at Fort William and we were heading back home through a rural area in Northumberland when I lost control of the bike. I remember waking up with the bike on top of me and then speaking to the GNAAS crew intermittently.”

Mr Fernback's injuries included a broken collarbone and pelvis, fractured vertebra and bruised lungs. He was in hospital for almost a month and spent six months recovering before returning to work as an electrician.

Despite still feeling pain, he signed up for the Hamsterley Beast in aid of GNAAS.

“Me and my friends were keen on doing something for GNAAS, and we saw the Hamsterley Beast as a good event to do.

He said: “GNAAS are a fantastic service and played a big part in getting to me so quickly on scene and taking me to hospital in the shortest time possible so I could get the treatment I needed.

“I think a lot of people in Northumberland appreciate GNAAS because we live in a rural type of area.

"Without this service, things could have been a lot worse for myself and other people who have had to use it.”

To sign up or volunteer for the Hamsterley Beast, on May 13, visit bit.ly/GNAASbeast