Blind adventurer still in hospital

The well-known blind adventurer, author and motivational speaker Mark Pollock remains in hospital after surviving a fall from an upper floor window while sleepwalking, but there has been some improvement in his condition.

A spokesman for Mr Pollock (34), who last year became the first blind man to reach the South Pole on foot, said he was now conscious and chatting.

Mr Pollock was reported to be "joking, giving out and crying a bit", particularly after he was informed of the large number of messages received from well-wishers.

The Belfast-born man is still in intensive care in the Royal Berkshire Hospital in England, having sustained multiple broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which happened last Friday.

He fell 25ft from a bedroom window in a house in which he was staying after attending the Henley Royal Regatta as a spectator.

Mr Pollock's parents, his sister and his fiancée Simone have flown to England to be with him.

Mr Pollock, who lost his sight at the age of 22, was recovering after having recently completed the Round Ireland Yacht Race at the time of the accident. He became the first blind man to co-skipper a boat in the event.

The spokesman said there has been no change in his physical status and added it would be a number of days before doctors are able to assess the full extent of his injuries.

Mr Pollock has taken part in a series of extreme challenges since going blind, when his retina detached in 1998.

These include completing six marathons in one week in the Gobi Desert as part of The Race of No Return, and participation in a number of other extreme running events on Everest and at the North Pole.

Last year, he took part in the Amundsen Omega 3 race, becoming the first blind man to reach the South Pole on foot.

Mr Pollock and fellow competitors, Dubliner Simon O’Donnell and Norwegian Inge Solheim, came fifth overall of six teams in the race.

He has also won silver and bronze medals in rowing at the Commonwealth Games in 2002.

In addition to being a professional adventure athlete, Mr Pollock also works as a motivational speaker and has co-authored the book Making it Happen with documentary film maker Ross Whitaker, which chronicles how he overcame the odds to rebuild his life after going blind.