Horse fall man in hospital after serious injury

A man who was seriously injured after falling from a horse in Coleraine has been described as being in a stable condition in hospital by the Belfast Trust.
Simon Fleming who suffered injuries in a horse accident on SaturdaySimon Fleming who suffered injuries in a horse accident on Saturday
Simon Fleming who suffered injuries in a horse accident on Saturday

The man, aged in his 40s and named locally as Simon Fleming from the Killowen area of Coleraine, is believed to have fallen from the animal on Saturday evening after it was spooked by a dog.

Mr Fleming is believed to have been working with the horse near St John’s Church on Somerset Drive in the Waterside area of Coleraine on Saturday. Reports suggest he was dragged a considerable distance by the animal.

Paramedics from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended to his injuries for over an hour before the charity air ambulance arrived and he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

He was described as being in a “critical condition” in hospital on Saturday, but a spokesperson for the Belfast Trust described his condition as “stable” but no longer critical on Monday.

DUP Councillor George Duddy said Mr Fleming was from a “well known and long established family” in the Killowen area.

“They have been in the town a long, long time,” Mr Duddy said. “I wish him a full recovery and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

SDLP Councillor Stephanie Quigley attended the same Primary School in Coleraine as Mr Fleming.

She said: “It is good news that he is now stable. They are a big family in the Killowen area. Simon was the youngest of the family. He went to the same primary school as me. It is very tragic what happened.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. I was in the house on Saturday and we could see the Air Ambulance coming in, so we were saying prayers that whoever it was they were attending to would be okay.

“We pray now that he makes a full recovery.”

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