"He's never going to be the same": Family issues update on escalator plunge dad

Neil Anderson, 52, suffered horrific life changing injuries after he fell head first down the non-moving escalator on October 7.

And although he is making steady progress at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, his family have said he faces a “long road” and have organised a fundraising campaign to help raise vital cash for his fight in the years ahead.

More than £2,500 has already flooded in for the Edlington dad of two – with the family hoping to raise £5,000.

Nephew Grant Menzies said: “He can’t move the top half of his body and he’s got a lot of physio on his hands, fingers and back.

"He needs constant oxygen and he’s never going to be the same again, he knows that.”

Mr Anderson suffered spinal damage, internal bleeding and was pronounced dead at the scene for eight minutes.

Added Mr Menzies: “He’s been fed through a tube and laid flat but he’s awake. It is a long, long road.”

Mr Anderson had been for a meal with a friend when he stepped onto an escalator at Doncaster Interchange which was not moving at the time of the incident.

Neil, a B&Q store worker, had two cardiac arrests and was pronounced dead for eight minutes at the scene before being blue-lighted to nearby Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

His family has said there were no barriers warning people the escalator was closed.

Grant said: "We think he took his first step onto it and then realised it wasn't moving because it's quite thin. It was broken, but there weren't any barriers saying this, so then he just fell down. People have said he has done a forward roll from the top to the bottom, while screaming.

"One witness who tried to help him and rang the ambulance has said she's been having nightmares from seeing the fall and hearing him scream. He would have never walked down the steps if there was a barrier there."

Grant says security guards at Doncaster Interchange didn't help Neil until paramedics arrived. He claims they even laid a white sheet over his body and told witnesses to not help him.

Grant said: "He's hit the bottom and the security guards didn't help him - he was choking on blood and they didn't give him CPR. Security were pushing everyone away while he was choking and going through cardiac arrest.

"He's banged all of his body which we knew he was going to do because he fell. They watched him choke which is disgusting, they waited until he took his last breath and then put a sheet over him.

"He was pronounced dead for eight minutes and then the paramedics arrived and they brought him back but he had another cardiac arrest. He was starved of oxygen and they watched over him. I want answers.”

Doncaster Interchange has declined to comment on the incident.

You can donate to the appeal for Neil HERE