A paraglider who was involved in a hillside crash has thanked the “second to none” team who rescued him in the Black Mountains.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, has praised everybody who was involved in his rescue following the crash into Hay Bluff on Saturday, November 13, which meant he had to be airlifted to hospital after sustaining severe injuries.

The man, who is aged in his 20s, described how the inspiring team of volunteers put him at ease as soon as they arrived at the scene of the incident.

He told The Brecon & Radnor Express: “From the moment the first member of the mountain rescue team arrive with me, their level of care, communication and teamwork were second to none.

“No doubt their careful actions and teamwork helped to keep me at ease, later allowing for a smoother recovery.”

Longtown Mountain Rescue Team and a Maritime and Coastguard agency helicopter - pictured above - were both involved in the rescue of the man from the hill and so that he could be transported to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. .

The mountain rescue team, which has wished the man a fast recovery, was alerted to the accident by Dyfed-Powys Police.

After an assessment of the area - near the summit of Hay Bluff - the mountain rescue team realised it needed to get the man up the hill in order for him to be winched onto the waiting Coastguard Helicopter. The helicopter team - called Rescue 187 - also assisted the voluntary group to move quickly up and down the slope so the man could be treated as quickly as possible.

The man, who is understood not to be local to Powys, said: “A large team was required to move me off of the steep and slippy slope on a spinal board. The rescue team engineered a pulley system to assist in moving me up to level ground on the top of Hay Bluff to be later airlifted to Cardiff hospital by Rescue187.”

Now recovering from his injuries, the man was also helped by his friends - who stayed with him after the accident - as well as a passing paramedic.

The paraglider said he is “extremely grateful” to his rescuers who have inspired him to fundraise for both the Longtown Mountain Rescue Team and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopter.

He said: “I’m extremely grateful. The professional work of Rescue187 & Volunteers of Longtown Mountain Rescue have inspired me to try and give back once I’m back fit on my feet. I’d really like to do some fundraising for both causes.”

Longtown Mountain Rescue Team is on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and relies entirely on donations from the public to carry out this essential life-saving rescue service. You can support Longtown Mountain Rescue Team by donating through their Facebook Page, as well as by sharing their posts to raise awareness of the work they do.