A FATHER has taken the plunge to thank a charity which helped save his son’s life.

School caretaker Matthew Bryant says his son Robert would not be here today if it was not for the efforts of the Sussex air ambulance.

Mr Bryant, 50, from Seaford, has been supporting the service ever since the accident two years ago.

His latest fundraiser was a 12,000 foot skydive earlier this month.

Motorcyclist Mr Bryant and his son Robert, then 18, were on their way to the annual May Day Run at Hastings when Robert hit a pothole and came off his machine.

The 20-year-old plumber suffered multiple injuries and had to be given emergency treatment at the roadside by the helicopter’s doctor and paramedic.

He was flown to a London hospital where he spent the next three weeks but has now made a full recovery following the crash, which happened on the A267 at Horam.

Mr Bryant said: “Robert had 10 broken ribs, a damaged spleen, a punctured lung, a broken collarbone and lost a kidney.

“The doctors at the hospital said he was very lucky to be alive.”

In 2013 Mr Matthew abseiled King’s College Hospital to raise funds for its new rooftop helipad which is due to open later this year.

The father-of-three also did a bungee jump at Brighton Marina as a surprise 50th birthday present from his wife.

Mr Bryant and Robert are planning to visit the air ambulance base to meet the air ambulance team and hand over the cheque.

He has raised about £350 for the charity, which receives no statutory government or National Lottery funding.

The air ambulance service in Kent, Surrey and Sussex costs about £6.5million annually to stay airborne.

The charity relies almost entirely upon the generosity of the public to support the two helicopters based at Marden in Kent and Redhill in Surrey.