Pilot wins life saving medal

Pilot Colin Bodill was also injured in the crash

An adventurer whose helicopter crashed in the Antarctic in a blizzard has been given a life saving award.

Colin Bodill, 54, from Nottingham was flying around the globe with his co-pilot Jennifer Murray, 63, from Somerset, when the accident happened.

He rescued his unconscious co-pilot in temperatures of -55C despite serious chest and spinal injuries.

The Royal Humane Society described the crash as a "nightmare scenario" and said he deserved his bronze medal.

Broken spine

Mr Bodill wrapped his co-pilot in a sleeping bag, erected a tent for shelter and lit a stove for warmth before collapsing from chest injuries.

The pair were flown to hospital in Punta Arenas in Chile where they were treated for their injuries.

Mrs Murray dislocated an elbow and some ribs, while Mr Bodill fractured his lumbar 1 vertebrae.

The Polar First mission was expected to take more than five months and included 160 stopoffs en route to highlight the work of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Chinese warplane

The pair had reached the South Pole in Mrs Murray's helicopter, a Bell 407, at the start of their 33,000-mile (53,000km) trip when the helicopter crashed.

In 1998, Mr Bodill broke a record by flying a microlight from London to Sydney in 49 days.

And in 2000 he was forced to land his microlight by Chinese warplanes as he attempted to break a round-the-world record.

Mrs Murray was flying alongside him in a helicopter during the trip.

He had strayed into military airspace, but was later released.