Jamie Hull, a veteran who suffered serious burns to 63 per cent of his body during a plane crash, is helping other veterans get in the water and learn to scuba dive. 

A former private in the Parachute Regiment, Jamie is now helping others injured in the line of duty to overcome their disabilities in water thanks to support from Help for Heroes.

An air crash in 2007 left Jamie severely burned and with life-changing injuries while he was training for his private pilot's license. He had to undergo 58 operations and fight depression during his recovery.

Jamie found that scuba diving helped him to overcome his injuries to some degree and is now a fully qualified diving instructor. He achieved his qualifications with the Army Sub Aqua Diving Association (ASADA) as part of a Sports Recovery programme funded by Help for Heroes.

The Sports Recovery programme runs diving exhibitions twice a year to the island of Gozo in Malta. The exhibitions allow ex-servicemen and women to learn to scuba dive.

“Diving is at the forefront of what I do now and believe in,” said Jamie. “Considering where I was physically and mentally post injury in comparison to where I am now as a result of pushing the boundaries, it has helped me enormously.

“I was going through a long and gruesome recovery in the early years and diving provided me with a tool to fight back.

“I’m in a much stronger place because of my efforts going back into the world of recreational diving. It did a lot to uplift me mentally.

“From my experience there’s no better way to help yourself than to help others and that’s what I’ve set out to do.”

Before he was injured in the plane crash, Jamie has served with the Army for seven years at various locations around the world. Following his accident, his family was told that his chances of survival were small and he was in a coma for six months.

As well as being a qualified scuba diving instructor, he is also a qualified mountain leader and runs global military-style expeditions.