BRITISH SURGEON RETURNS TO THANK DOCTORS

By Humphrey Carter THE Guy's Hospital plastic surgeon who nearly lost his arm in a water-skiing accident off the Port of Andratx this summer, will today be thanking all those who helped save his life and his limb. Dr. Andrew Lyons and his wife Francoise, also a doctor, returned to Palma last night and today Lyons will be visiting Son Dureta hospital to thank medical staff and the doctor who saved his left arm. Tonight, the 49-year-old surgeon and his wife will be taking the group of six people, who rushed to his aid in a Zodiac after spotting the Lyons and their 11-year-old son in difficulty, out to dinner. The group of students from the Balearic University were returning from a field trip and plucked Dr Lyons from the water and brought him to the shore in time for him to be rushed to hospital. It was in fact Lyons' 11-year-old son John who initially saved his life. Dr. Lyons recalled some days after the accident that the speed boat being driven by his wife, suddenly lost power and he sunk into the water. “The boat lost power, I was dumped into the water. “I thought I was OK but I felt a huge blow on the side of me,” he said. When the boat suddenly lost power, his wife was thrown to the deck and left concussed as the craft was spinning out of control. The boat spun over Dr. Lyons with the propellor slicing into his left side, severing the arm and part of his torso. Fortunately, his quick-thinking son quickly switched the engine off, preventing the spinning boat from causing any more damage to the doctor. At the time, the local police in Andratx praised John for his quick response. Dr. Lyons said “when I came to, I floated upwards, my arm was floating at a different angle from the rest of my body.” John leapt into the sea to help his father, but there was little the 11-year-old could do, however he managed to attract the attention of the students in the Zodiac.