PAINFUL memories of the life-changing diving accident that left Witley-based charity founder Dan Eley paralysed, have finally been laid to rest.

Proving that being wheelchair-bound is no obstacle when your mind is made up, Dan has just returned safely from an epic journey deep in the jungles of Colombia to the scene of his accident, undertaken in order to get closure.

Dan was accompanied by two close friends Kevin McCaffrey and Terence O’Donnell, who were with him six years ago when he broke his neck and whose prompt actions helped to save his life.

They were part of an eight-strong team of helpers including a nurse, who accompanied Dan on the landmark trip, which will be the subject of a BBC Inside Out documentary to be screened early next year.

The documentary will also feature the work done by the Dan Eley Foundation in Cali, which has already helped 155 disadvantaged young Colombians turn their lives around.

One of the most perilous parts of Dan’s journey, involved him being carried in a hammock slung under a pole over a rickety makeshift bridge in order to board a boat up the Amazon for a trip of just under three hours to a remote jungle location.

He was also able to enjoy seeing the wildlife that he and his friends had originally planned to see on their ill-fated New Year holiday in 2009.

“We spent about an hour analysing if it was safe and in the end it was the locals who convinced us that it would be using a hammock and a branch,” Dan said.

“All I could see was a clear blue sky above me and I could hear the wood beneath creaking, which was very unnerving.

“The trip was the most important thing I have probably done in my life.

“It was very clear to me it had to be done. It was the right thing to do and I managed to come back unharmed, which was the big fear of my family.

“I felt very apprehensive about returning the lake and it hit me like a lightning bolt when I saw it again.

“It was a very disturbing feeling but I went back twice and in the end I made complete peace with what had happened.

“I got the closure I was looking for and I feel I can move on now.”

For more information go to www. daneleyfoundation.org