A war hero has recalled the moment he lost his left arm in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan. Jaco van Gass, who lives in Sale with his wife, was on his second tour of the country in August 2009 when he and his team from the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, were dispatched by helicopter to capture the head of a Taliban terror cell.
The operation was a success but as they made their way back to the helicopter, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at them which tore off his left arm and part of his leg. Despite this, Jaco was able to continue firing his gun at the enemy.
"It was when I was trying to hold my rifle in the correct position that I realised something didn’t feel right," he told The Mirror.
READ MORE : Residents left without gas or electricity after 'shocking' flat fire
"Where my left arm should have been there was just empty space. Although I understood at once that I had lost my arm, the only thing I wanted was to be able to return fire.
"I let off a few loose bullets, not really aiming anywhere apart from the general direction of the enemy, the rifle jammed against my hip." His fellow Paras came to his aid and bullets ricocheted off the helicopter as they made their escape.
By the time he reached an American field hospital, Jaco had less than a pint of blood in his body. His heart stopped twice during surgery, but his fitness levels helped him survive.
After making a remarkable recovery, Jaco went on to compete at the Invictus and Paralympic games. Being confined to a wheelchair after his ordeal, he vowed to walk again, and did.
In April 2011 he joined the 13-day Walking With the Wounded expedition, and met Prince Harry along the way. Jaco's then learned to climb with a pickaxe fitted to his left upper arm, and continued extraordinary feats of endurance.
He scaled 26,781ft Mount Manaslu in the Himalayas, the world’s eighth highest mountain, and in 2012 joined the Walking With the Wounded ascent of Everest.
He developed a passion for cycling and became a full-time racer. In 2014, with an aerodynamic prosthetic arm, he won two golds at the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.
Then in 2020 he claimed three world titles, and last year landed two gold medals and a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics. His incredible feats led to him being honoured with an MBE, presented by King Charles at Windsor Castle.
As well as success in sport Jaco also found love. After once asking himself 'who is going to want to be with someone like me?', he married 28-year-old web developer Kathryn Pringle in February.
The couple share a love of sport and live in Sale. Jaco has released a book, Unequivocal, which is published by Mirror Books, and is on sale now.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- We spent a day at the huge Therme waterpark that's coming to Manchester - it's jaw-dropping
- Inside the manhunt team which snares killers, robbers, drug dealers and a dangerous stalker
- "We couldn't afford to close the pub on the Queen's funeral": The struggle to stay afloat on one Greater Manchester high street
- Man rushed to hospital after 'knife fight' at Piccadilly Gardens
- 'Ex-cop abused and assaulted in the office after blowing the whistle on 'toxic' GMP gun licence unit'
