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Plane jump nets £1,500 in Ryan's memory
Two friends have raised more than £1,500 by jumping out of a plane in memory of Chorley teenager Ryan Acaster.
Jake Rossall, 20, and Debbie Stringfellow, 36, both from Brinscall, leaped 14,000ft from a plane in memory of the 17-year-old, who lost his life following a motorbike accident on a dirt track near Martin Mere in June.
The pair, who worked with the teenager at a builders merchants in the village, are donating the money to the North West Air Ambulance.
Speaking after the jump Jake said: "I met Ryan about 18 months ago and he became a really good friend of mine.
"After he died, me and Debbie came up with the idea of doing something in his memory."
Describing the parachute jump, Jake said: "I was a bit nervous at first, but once you get over the initial shock, it is the most unbelievable feeling ever."
The 20-year-old, who works as a builders labourer, enjoyed the experience so much he is even thinking about doing it again in the new year.
Debbie added: "I'm just so glad to have been able to do something. Brinscall is a small place and when Ryan died it came as a huge shock to everyone. It is an honour to be able to do something in his memory."
All the money raised will go to the North West Air Ambulance, a charity supported by Ryan's family and which helped save the life of Jake's father Ian after a motorcycle crash in 2001.
Mr Rossall was left unconscious for six days and suffered a collapsed lung, bleeding on the brain, a triple break of the pelvis and two broken vertebrae when a motorist pulled out in front of his motorbike on Blackburn Road.
Jake said: "The air ambulance saved my dad's life – without them he wouldn't be here.
"They don't get any government funding, so we decided to raise the money for them in Ryan's memory."
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
