Emma McEachan prepares for her abseil

A motorcycle enthusiast who was seriously injured in a road accident has braved a 585ft leap off a building to thank medics for saving her life.

Beckenham resident Emma McEachan, 25, was involved in a serious accident at Keston when she came off her motorbike at 25mph in December.

The human resources manager slid into the path of an oncoming car at Heathfield Road.

The London Air Ambulance landed in a nearby garden and fire crews had to cut through a large iron gate so that the injured Emma could be carried to the helicopter.

She suffered a severe leg fracture and chest injuries which impeded her ability to breathe and she had to be resuscitated.

Dr Timothy Lightfoot, and paramedics Jodie La Sage and Dan Ballard, had to anaesthetise her before performing a thoracotomy to allow her lungs to re-inflate because she had a punctured lung.

They then flew her to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

Emma has had to face operations and six months of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy and had got back on her feet in the past few weeks.

One of her first challenges post recovery was the 585ft abseil down the side of the Broadgate Tower in central London.

Emma, who lives in Beckenham Road, said: “They saved my life and I wanted to do something to raise money for them. They’re one of those services you hope to God that you’ll never need. ”

She joined a group of city lawyers and bankers on the abseil along with staff from the London Stock Exchange.

“I was the only patient on the abseil and they were keen to have a patient join in.”

She said it felt great to be able to take on the challenge and give something back.

“It was fabulous that I could do something like that for the Air Ambulance.”

n To sponsor her visit www.justgiving.com/Emma-McEachan