Modest hero tells of blast worry

Steven Alderson at the crash site, with the Delph hillside behind him, near to where he was working

A modest hero freed the pilot of a crashed helicopter and stayed with him despite fears that it could explode.

But when emergency services arrived, Delph farmer Steven Alderson slipped away and went back to work digging foundations.

Mr Alderson, who lives in Dobcross but owns Blue Bell Farm at Delph, spotted that David Cummaford’s helicopter was in trouble as he helped a friend dig foundations for a new livery stable on Monday afternoon.

He rushed to the field above the A62 at Delph where he saw the Robinson R44 four-seater spiral to the ground.

Mr Alderson (51) said: “It was only about 50yd away, and I could see the helicopter on its side and the pilot dangling with one of the belts around his neck and the other round his waist.

“I hesitated at first but when I saw he was still alive I thought I had better go and help.

“I could see his leg was broken, so I cut the belts so he could sit back in his seat.

“He kept saying he had to reach the knock-off button, a red button, but that had already been ripped out and it was outside the helicopter. We were both worried that the fuel was still pumping, and I had hesitated at first in case it went up, but I thought I’d better get him out or do something.

“I managed to make him more comfortable and kept chatting to him and stayed until the emergency services arrived. Then the place was absolutely swarming with people. I’ve never seen anything like it before, but I’m relieved he was okay.”

After giving his name to police, Mr Alderson went back to work, helping his friend, Graham Tibbot, at Belle Vue Farm, Delph.

Mr Tibbot didn’t know what had happened when his friend rushed off down the hill.

He said: “Stephen shouted but I couldn’t hear him above the noise of the equipment, and by the time I got there he had freed the man. Stephen stayed with him all the time.”

The pilot, Oldham business man David Cummaford, who lives at Pack Horse Slack, at Delph, was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, with suspected broken legs.