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Prince of Wales invites car crash victim he helped rescue to Windsor Palace for fond reunion

Jack Beeton shook hands with the Prince of Wales and hugged some of the EAAA team members
Jack Beeton shook hands with the Prince of Wales and hugged some of the EAAA team members

The Prince of Wales has met a car crash victim he rescued while working as an Air Ambulance pilot in a touching reunion.

The Prince invited Jack Beeton, 25, to Windsor Castle after his girlfriend, Olivia, wrote to him to ask for a meeting so that Jack could express his gratitude to the Prince and the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) crew who saved his life.

Mr Beeton, from Littleport near Ely, made a miraculous recovery from the head-on collision between his uncle’s van and a 20-tonne tipper truck, which drove into them at nearly 50 mph in 2015.

The Prince was part of the helicopter crew who rescued him that day as he was working as a pilot for the EAAA.

The then 17-year-old Mr Beeton died twice in the air ambulance in the aftermath of the crash, which killed his uncle.

His leg was broken in four places, and he also suffered a shattered elbow, cracked pelvis, smashed jaw, collapsed lungs and a bruised heart.

The Prince later described it as one of the most “daunting” rescues he attended during his two-year career flying medical crews to emergencies.

‘I’m a very, very lucky man’

Now, eight years on, the Prince invited Mr Beeton, his girlfriend and their parents, as well as the former EAAA crew members to Windsor Castle last week for tea in the Green Drawing Room.

In a video of the reunion posted on the Kensington Palace social media accounts, Mr Beeton said: “From what I’ve been told, and from all the photos and whatnot, I’m a very, very lucky young man.

“Me and my uncle on the way home from work, and a lorry driver fell asleep and then hit us head-on. Then I was saved by these guys and everyone on the shift.”

Shaking hands

Mr Beeton can be seen shaking hands with the Prince and hugging some of the EAAA team members, who were wearing their working uniforms.

In the video, he said: “My girlfriend, she wrote a letter to William, basically explaining that I’ve obviously thanked the other team, but he wasn’t there on shift. Then we were invited to Windsor Castle to meet him.”

The Prince invited Jack Beeton to Windsor Castle after his girlfriend, Olivia, wrote to ask for a meeting so that Jack could express his gratitude to the Prince and the EAAA crew
The Prince invited Jack Beeton to Windsor Castle after his girlfriend, Olivia, wrote to ask for a meeting so that Jack could express his gratitude to the Prince and the EAAA crew

The caption on the video reads: “Eight years ago, the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the NHS saved Jack’s life following a horrific accident. We reunited for a catch-up with Jack at Windsor Castle.” The words are followed by a red heart emoji.

After the accident, Mr Beeton spent 100 days in hospital recovering, which included being placed in an induced coma for two weeks and having multiple surgeries to piece his body back together.

Making a difference

In an open letter to colleagues when he finished his two years of service with the EAAA, the Prince wrote of the accident: “Another rescue that sticks in my mind was to a young man who was involved in a road accident.

The Prince, a former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, started working with the EAAA on July 13, 2015 - WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe
The Prince, a former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, started working with the EAAA on July 13, 2015 - WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe

“His uncle, in the car with him, sadly didn’t survive, and I was sure that from what we were faced with he wouldn’t either – but thanks to the skills of our medical team he is alive today.

“We were first on scene and in such circumstances we all had to pitch in to fight to save the young man’s life. It is days like this, when you know you have made a difference, that give you the determination to keep going.”

Mr Beeton had previously paid tribute to the Prince when he finished his service in 2017, saying: “If it wasn’t for Prince William and the East Anglia Air Ambulance team, I wouldn’t be alive to talk to you now. I owe them my life.”