RAF dog handler reunited with Chinook crew that saved his life

Mick McConnell was flown to safety and emergency medical treatment.
Mick McConnell, an ex RAF Police dog handler, at RAF Odiham to reunite him with the Chinook Crew that rescued him (Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund/PA)
Daniel Harkins8 August 2021

A former RAF dog handler who lost his leg after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has been reunited with the Chinook crew who saved his life.

Mick McConnell, 47, was patrolling a farmer’s field in Afghanistan in 2011 with his dog Memphis when he set off an IED.

He was rescued by a Chinook helicopter and spent years in recovery for a shattered left foot.

Despite the rehabilitation efforts, Mr McConnell, from Elgin later had his foot amputated.

Mick McConnell lost his leg in the explosion (Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund/PA)

On the 10th anniversary of the explosion, he went back to RAF Odiham in Hampshire to meet the Chinook crew who rescued him, flying him to safety and emergency medical treatment.

He said: “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, just say thank you. I was a bundle of nerves in the run up to meeting the crews.

“I wanted to say something so small, but it meant so much to me, to be able to say thank you for what they did for me.

“It was an honour to meet them in person, they have been constantly on my mind since that day. I think about what they did for me, putting their lives at risk.”

He added: “Before I met the crew, I knew nothing about them, I didn’t remember them from that day.

“I have some headcam footage that I’ve seen of my rescue which shows them running out of the aircraft and carrying me back in, but I don’t really remember it. Meeting the crew has put the day into a more ordered fashion for me.”

It sent shivers down my spine, what a coincidence

Mick McConnell

Mr McConnell said the crew were “adamant they were just doing their job” when they rescued him.

And standing in the hanger with the original Chinook, he noticed a coincidence that “sent shivers down my spine”.

“While we were chatting, the crew pointed out the Chinook in the hangar we were standing in was the one which had rescued me,” he said.

“Then I noticed the tail number of the Chinook. It was Z891 – the last three digits of my service number.

“It sent shivers down my spine, what a coincidence. I had to take a step back and everyone went quiet when they heard.”

Mr McConnell’s rehabilitation has been aided by the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, who helped him with a loan to buy a house.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in