A CHAMPION kitesurfer who was left in an induced coma after a stunt went wrong has now woken up in hospital.

The four-time freestyle British champion Lewis Crathern, from Worthing, went for a "megaloop" manoeuvre but came down hard when his kite stalled in the wind.

He ended up freefalling 15 metres into the water at the Red Bull King of the Air competition in South Africa.

The 31-year-old was rushed to hospital, but yesterday his family revealed he had now come to after spending a week lying in a medically induced coma in Cape Town.

Dan Charlish, director of Kitesurf Armada, said: “Lewis is overwhelmed with the support - it has been fantastic.

“It was one of the longest weeks of my life and me along with the rest of the kite surfing community have breathing a collective sigh of relief.

“To see him smiling again was amazing.”