A BRADFORD firefighter said he and his family had enjoyed a "milestone" festive period eight months after he was nearly killed in a mountain bike accident in the Yorkshire Dales.

Pete Lau, assistant district commander for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) in Bradford, was paralysed from the waist-down after a collision with a car in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, on April 5, left him with severe spinal damage, a fractured scapula, and 11 broken ribs.

He spent a month in a coma at The James Cook University Hospital on Teesside, before moving to Pinderfields Spinal Rehabilitation Centre in Wakefield to complete his treatment and recovery.

Mr Lau, from Queensbury, has now moved into a new bungalow in Baildon, and said being at home over the festive period was "extra special" this year.

"This Christmas is a milestone for my family and I," he said.

"Many times I dreamed and wondered if I would get to see another and share in the normal things that families do.

“Being able to give your loved ones a hug was a huge comfort."

Mr Lau, a 48 year-old father-of-two, said he remembers nothing of the accident, but can recall the aftermath when his biking pals, as well as a passing off-duty nurse and on-duty police officer, came to his assistance.

"I knew it was bad," he said.

"One of the things you learn in the fire service is how to do a casualty assessment and feel down the body for distortion or pain.

"I did that to myself and realised that I could not feel my hands touching me.

"I said to one of my friends, ‘I have done something major to my spine.’

"It was massive pain, that feeling of not being able to breathe, it was like I was drowning.

"I wouldn't say my life flashed before my eyes, but when you are laid there, you drift off into a dream and think about everything most dear to you.

"I thought, ‘this could be it, I could die’.”

As he was on a ventilator for about a month, Mr Lau needed a tracheotomy, and also contracted double pneumonia as he attempted to recover.

As a result, it was two months before he was able to speak.

"I can remember trying to communicate, but I could not speak because the tracheotomy was in," he said.

"All I wanted to say to my family was ‘how are you? I love you."

During his rehabilitation at Pinderfields, Mr Lau became a mentor for other patients at the hospital, and got involved in setting up a snorkelling club, his main passion prior to his accident, for people with spinal injuries in the hydrotherapy pool on site.

He, and other members of the WYFRS scuba section, will continue to give diving experiences several times a year for patients with spinal injuries.

"It’s true with a spinal injury you have to, in effect, mourn the loss of your legs and you go into a state of denial for a long period of time," he said.

"It was almost too unbelievable to get my head round because of the job you do, you are used to helping people, and never consider anything like this would happen to you.

"What I endured almost killed me, but I’m a fighter, I’m still here, still smiling, and looking forward to the new challenges ahead of me.

"My message to people is that you only have one life, so live it well, but if something like this happens to you, it’s not the end."

Mr Lau and his colleagues at WYFRS have raised more than £4,000 since his accident, holding a race night, charity car wash, raffle, and endurance cycling event.

To contribute to his £8,000 fundraising target, visit www.gofundme.com/dpaftc.