Fundraising campaign for Durham teen, 16, who lost his leg in paragliding accident in Turkey tops £20k

'It could have been a lot worse': Teenager suffered horrific leg injuries after paraglider crashed into him on holiday in Turkey

Fundraiser to help Durham teen seriously injured in paragliding accident in Turkey smashes £20k target

A fundraiser to help a Durham teenager who lost his leg in a paragliding accident in Turkey has smashed its £20,000 target.

Sam Wood, 16, a talented rugby and cricket player, was hit by a paraglider while sitting at the bottom of Babadag Mountain – a popular spot for paragliding and the fifth highest mountain in Turkey.

The teenager, from Maiden Law, County Durham, was rushed to hospital and underwent a seven-hour emergency operation, but medics were unable to save his leg.

Sam's family set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe with the initial aim of raising £20,000 to help cover the costs of his rehabilitation and a prosthetic leg.

But the fund has already surpassed that target and has now topped £31,000.

Sam's dad, Colin, told the Northern Echo: "It's unbelievable, thank you to everybody who has donated. It's not just going to benefit Sam, but a lot of people."

Sam and his family have thanked everyone who has donated to the fund and said the money will make a "huge difference" to his recovery.

Colin added: "Sam is stable and doing well under the circumstances. He's in good spirits and coming to terms with what's happened. He is absolutely overwhelmed with all the support he has received, he can't believe it."

Sam's uncle, Neil Wood, said the teenager had been excited to go paragliding and was sat at the bottom of the mountain watching others.

He said: "'A couple of gliders had taken off and were circling and one of them came down and clipped the back of Sam's legs."

Neil said it was a "miracle" that Sam had not suffered any other serious injuries.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said.

Sam is now back in the UK and receiving treatment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

He is expected to be fitted with a prosthetic leg in the coming weeks.