Video: Spratt battles back from huge crash

LEWIS Spratt has endured a painful and challenging fortnight during which he has overcome a punctured lung after a frightening crash at Desertmartin before sealing a top 10 finish at the first round of the British Championship just two weeks later.

The Omagh teenager competed in the National Youth Championship at Desertmartin a fortnight ago as a shakedown ahead of the British series opener, but disaster struck when his engine seized on the fastest part of the track just as he was heading for the biggest jump on the circuit.

Aware of what had happened, the 16-year old decided to bale from his machine at high speed, but unfortunately he and his bike then became tangled when they landed.

He somehow managed to walk back to the pits, but when blood appeared in and around his mouth he and his family sought advice from the staff at the track, after which he was taken to hospital for further checks and treatment.

Their first stop was A&E at Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex from where they were sent to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen where staff sprang to life after seeing video footage of Lewis’s crash.

On the back of that, Spratt was sent for a CT Scan and an X-Ray after which he was diagnosed with a punctured lung. Because of the severity of his crash and on the basis of the injuries diagnosed in County Fermanagh, it was suggested that Lewis be transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast but with a similar medical team in situ in Altnagelvin, he and his family made their way there.

Fortunately, his injuries didn’t worsen over the next 24 hours and he was soon home to convalesce, much to his parents relief.

Just a week after that off and his fortuitously short stay in hospital, Spratt was back in action at the second round of the National Youth Championship where he and his repaired 125cc machine somehow managed to qualify first and win the opening race of the day before deciding to call it a day and rest up for round one of the British at Hawkstone over the weekend.

And that decision proved fruitful as, despite still nursing a previous ankle injury and bruised sternum as well as recovering from the Desertmartin crash, he again performed beyond expectations, qualifying seventh out of 40 in his class before coming home 12th in race one and then eighth in race two to seal 10th overall for some useful championship points after a very difficult week or two.