17 Feb 2026
Sadly, in London, trauma doesn’t stop. It doesn’t discriminate and it can occur at any time. Unfortunately, in May 2007, Adam Salter experienced this personally, when trauma struck mid act in a performance of The Lord of the Rings Musical.
The theatre rendition of the classic movie trilogy was one of the first West End performances to use complicated automation in the stage mechanics. But mid scene at the Drury Lane Theatre, the system malfunctioned and Adam’s leg was caught within a hydraulic lift.
“The system said it was fully shut, but between the two partitions was my leg, squashed,” said Adam.
“I remember shouting out for help, but Frodo had just been stabbed, so he was screaming too. Another cast member then saw me and stopped the show.”
Adam had sustained a potentially limb-threatening injury, meaning London’s Air Ambulance’s expert team of doctors and paramedics was dispatched to him.
On arrival, we quickly established that although Adam had an awful degloving injury to his left lower leg, he had pulses to his foot, which is a positive sign. Working together with LAS paramedics, our team prioritised administering strong painkillers to Adam, to enable him to be transported to hospital humanely.
“Clinicians initially informed me that they didn’t think I would ever walk again,” said Adam. “But I couldn’t accept never being back on stage.”
With the drive to get back to theatre, which Adam states he was “born and bred for”, and a lot of hard work, Adam pushed through his recovery.
“It was a long, long process, but I was determined to build back the strength to be able to do a full show again.
“After several operations and skin grafts, and months of rehabilitation, I broke down what I needed to do into steps.
“First step – wiggle toes. Second step – lose the crutches. Then I was able to work back of house and take on sitting, singing roles. Then I moved into aerial work as that didn’t require weight bearing. Finally, standing roles.”
Adam’s tenacity and desire to get back to the theatre fuelled his recovery and he has done remarkably well. Once The Lord of the Rings was finished, he secured a role in Walking with Dinosaurs, which helped further develop his strength, walking in an 100kg baby T-rex suit!
He’s also had roles in The Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Chorus Line and Cats.
“I still have bad nerve damage in my leg. It no longer affects my movement, but I do still have constant pain.”
To say thank you to the charity that helped him on that day, Adam decided to partake in the London to Brighton Cycle in September 2025.
“Their dedicated team not only provided essential medical care but also ensured I reached the hospital in time to save my leg. I am forever grateful for their life-saving work.
“On the day of the cycle, I arrived at Clapham Common at 06:00, surrounded by hundreds of other cyclists. It was great to see other people riding for London’s Air Ambulance Charity too.
“I set off at a good pace and thoroughly enjoyed the ride out of London. Then we hit the countryside with the first few hills to tackle. They weren’t too challenging but they definitely got my heart pumping.
“I stopped for water and energy bars a couple of times, then before I knew it I was attacking Ditchling Hill, the most difficult part of the ride. I made it to the top and then it was downhill all the way to Brighton Pier. My family was there to welcome me and it was such a wonderful experience and achievement.”
Adam enjoyed the challenge so much he has recently signed up to cycle from London to Paris in September 2026, once again raising funds for London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
We’re incredibly impressed with all his efforts – if you’re equally inspired by Adam, you can follow in his footsteps and sign up for this year’s London to Brighton Cycle today!
Trauma doesn’t stop. But neither do we. With your support, we can continue to bring hope to every emergency.