A REMARKABLE Romsley veteran has launched a fundraiser to mark the anniversary of the day he survived against the odds after he was blown up in Afghanistan.
On May 27, 2010, Dave Watson was on foot patrol in Helmand Province and was going through a stream when he stepped on a hidden device that tore off both his legs and an arm.
Having survived his life-changing injuries, the 36-year-old went on to marry his wife Becky, whom he coincidentally met at a charity event on May 27.
Dave now has two daughters with Becky, Erin and Paige, and a stepson, Josh.
A keen angler, Dave is the Ambassador of Hooked for Heroes, a group which holds regular match fishing events whilst raising thousands of pounds for Help for Heroes.
And to mark the anniversary of his life-changing injuries, Dave has asked people to donate £1 to the charity to help support its new ‘the veteran’s war’ campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness for veterans who are still suffering from physical and internal battles long after a conflict ends.
“I remember on that day my mate behind me slipped and as I turned to help him, I stepped on something,” Dave said.
“I heard a click and the next thing I knew I was being dragged out and I could hear the guys telling me not to look down.
“All that was left were my shin bones and my kneecaps. I could feel pins and needles in my arm and when I looked, the skin had separated from the bone.
“My arm was dangling, held on by its tendons, and I knew straight away that I’d lost it.”
Dave was pulled to safety after suffering his horrific injuries, but he died and was resuscitated three times on the helicopter as it flew to a nearby hospital.
Remarkably, he began walking on prosthetic limbs within weeks and the following year he competed in his first Invictus Games, where he won a gold medal in discus and a bronze in shot put.
He said: “The days leading up to the anniversary I think about the guys I served with and the ones we lost along the way, but it is not a day I am bitter about, that’s just not me.
“I celebrate May 27 every year because if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have my wife and children, so we go out and do fun things and enjoy being together.”
Click here to donate to Dave’s cause.
