POORLY pensioner Frank Hayes is counting his blessings after falling out of his wheelchair 15-20ft down a steep embankment near Linden House Nursing Home in Wellington and escaping with just a few scratches.

Frank, 83, who lives at Drakes Park in the town with his wife Christine, was out in his battery-powered wheelchair showing his sitting service carer Sue Pardoe where he used to live and had moved to the side of the road to let a car pass when the incident happened.

Christine said: “He set off to go but the wheels didn’t go the way he was expecting. The wheels spun, the chair went and tossed him out, and he tumbled down the embankment.

“Thank goodness the chair didn’t land on top of him because it’s so heavy and could have broken his neck, a leg or a hip. Luckily he also stopped short of the stream that feeds the river – if he had got wet it probably would have been pneumonia.

“He has so many things wrong with him and his resistance is very low to infection. He’s really got away with it and is incredibly lucky.”

The manager and a member of a staff from Linden House about 50 yards away came to help and after about 40 minutes an ambulance with two female staff arrived. They called for assistance and eventually four ambulance cars were at the scene.

Frank said: “I had a good audience but none of them asked me to do it again! They had to get me – and I’m no lightweight – and the wheelchair safely up onto the drive.

“The ambulance people carried me up the bank on a stretcher and took me home – they wanted to take me to hospital but I don’t like hospitals and I won’t go there.”

He was left with what he said was the minimum of injuries – a badly scratched hand, scratches on his face and his head, and a slightly bruised knee. The ground was soft after rain and brambles broke his fall.

Christine said: “He has been so ill this year and everyone has been so pleased he has been using the wheelchair and getting out.”

Christine said wheelchair provider Millbrook Healthcare had told her the chair is not designed for the kind of uneven and heavily-cambered surface where the accident happened. Christine added: “Sue – from Way Ahead Care – had a real fright – it was a horrid thing to watch someone else have an accident.”

Frank, an ex-lorry driver and former employee at Fox’s and Swallowfield in Wellington, added: “The accident was no-one’s fault and I would like to thank the people from Linden House, the ambulance staff and especially Sue for their help. I would also like to thank Millbrook for checking over the wheelchair after the accident and making sure it was safe.”

Linden House said it wants to invite Frank to tea when he’s better – but he doesn’t know if he will go the Linden Drive way!