Paralysed RAF man to sue MoD
Cornishman Robert Uren, 25, was trying to collect plastic fruit from an inflatable pool when he slipped while diving at RAF High Wycombe, where he was based.
Last night, in an exclusive interview with the Western Morning News, Mr Uren, who is paralysed from the waist down and is confined to a wheelchair, described how he was coping with his ordeal.
He said: "I hate pity and I don't want to feel sorry for myself. I have received a lot of support from people and I just want to get on with my life as best I can. Yes, this has been a life-changing incident, but there are things I still want to achieve."
Mr Uren, from Tehidy, near Camborne, joined the RAF at High Wycombe where he served as a senior aircraftman for three years. But he was medically discharged from the RAF following the incident in 2005, and his legal team are now seeking £6 million from the MoD.
Mr Uren said he remembered the immense pride he felt when his family watched him during his passing out parade.
"When you are standing there, you are proud of what you have accomplished.
"It was always in my head to join the RAF. I didn't want to go down the university route and leave with a load of debt and no job.
"I wanted to travel, to learn, and so I joined the RAF."
Mr Uren's paralysis means he is only able to move his arms slightly.
But he revealed his secret dream was to return to the forces. He also said how, despite his injuries, his confidence had reached new levels.
"I know that if I could jump up, I would be straight back in the RAF. I loved it.
"It wasn't until I joined the RAF that I came out of my shell. It made me very confident, because I was very shy and kept myself to myself before I joined up.
"The RAF gave me confidence, and that confidence is probably higher now that I have had the injury."
Mr Uren now lives with his partner of one year, after having been friends for a number of years.
He said that he received great support from the RAF Benevolent Fund and other forces agencies.
Members of the public had also paid tribute to the brave serviceman.
Mr Uren said: "My parents have had a lot of people coming up to them saying that they should be proud of their son.
"On the other hand, I also get people who talk about me when I am there. That annoys me because I can still do things."
Mr Uren also revealed his determination to get back into regular employment and training.
He said: "I used to be into computers, and so people drop around computers for me to take a look at.
"But I want to get back into electronic engineering – that's what I was doing in the RAF."
Mr Uren's case came before Mr Justice MacDuff at London's High Court this week in a pre-trial clash between lawyers over the nature of the evidence to be admitted at the hearing.
Much of the factual evidence may turn on the exact manoeuvre Mr Uren executed before landing in the shallow pool, the court was told.
His QC, Sir Geoffrey Nice, said Mr Uren had no memory of the incident but added that "the precise manner in which he entered the pool is likely to be a matter for determination".
One issue may be "the manner in which he entered the pool, and whether a head-first entry was encouraged or permitted by the defendants", added the barrister. The case is now expected to be heard on November 23.
In the meantime, Mr Uren said he would get on with his life as best he could.
"If this incident has taught me anything, it is that anything can happen – so what's the point of moping around?"
Cornishman Robert Uren, 25, was trying to collect plastic fruit from an inflatable pool when he slipped while diving at RAF High Wycombe, Bucks, where he was based
