'Devoted and caring' dad left paralysed from chest down after devastating mountain bike crash

A dad-of-two has been left paralysed from the chest down after after a 'devastating' mountain bike crash. Chris Williams was airlifted to hospital last after suffering serious spinal injuries on a woodland trail in North Wales.

The 'devoted' dad now faces a 'long and uncertain road' to recovery, North Wales Live reports. After a 'gruelling' mountain rescue operation that lasted hours, he underwent an eight-hour surgery at The Walton Centre, in Liverpool, which specialises in treating spinal injuries, to stabilise his neck.

His wife, Catrin, said it could take up to two years before he recovers and the plan is for him to be moved to the specialist NHS unit for his rehab before starting further private treatment.

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A fundraiser set up following the crash in Rhuallt, St Asaph, aims to raise money to support Chris and his family through this phase of his recovery. It has already raised more than £36,000 of its £50,000 target.

Writing on the page, Catrin said Chris is "desperate" to get back to his "active lifestyle" and that the treatment funded in part by the donations will help him achieve this.

Catrin said: "On Sunday the May 7, Chris had a devastating accident on his mountain bike. Unfortunately he has damaged his spinal cord at C6/C7 in his neck, this initially means he has limited hand movement and is paralysed from the chest down. For Chris and his loving family this is life changing.

"He was rushed to the Walton Centre by air ambulance after a gruelling rescue by Mountain Rescue and Air Ambulance, has had an eight hour surgery to stabilise his neck and has been in intensive care (in here he also had to recover from a nasty chest infection