Top racehorse trainer and owner injured among four people injured in horror helicopter crash

2 November 2022, 14:03 | Updated: 2 November 2022, 14:31

Sam Thomas (left) and Dai Walters were involved in a helicopter crash on Tuesday
Sam Thomas (left) and Dai Walters were involved in a helicopter crash on Tuesday. Picture: Getty/Alamy

By Daisy Stephens

A top racehorse owner and trainer have narrowly escaped death after their helicopter crashed into a forest.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Welsh Grand National-winning trainer and former jockey Sam Thomas, 38, and owner Dai Walters, 76, were among four people injured when the chopper plummeted from the sky.

Witnesses described the crash as looking "like something out of a film", claiming the propeller broke off once it hit the trees.

Read more: Matt Hancock's lover Gina Coladangelo to fly to Australia to see him - as 20,000 sign petition to boot him off I'm a Celeb

Read more: 'Stop leaving socks on the beach' National Trust warns Harry Potter fans over tribute to slain Dobby the house elf

Mr Thomas, who won the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup riding Denman, has already been discharged after suffering minor injuries.

Mr Walters is believed to be seriously injured and remains in hospital near the village of Llanelidan, Ruthin, North Wales.

But police said none of the passengers sustained "life-threatening or life-changing injuries".

Dai Walters (left) with horse Oscar Whiskey and National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson (right) in 2012
Dai Walters (left) with horse Oscar Whiskey and National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson (right) in 2012. Picture: Alamy

Businessman Huw Howatson, who witnessed the crash, said he had to run for cover because debris was "flying everywhere".

"I could see [the helicopter] was in trouble and it hit some trees and I had to get out the way," he told Wales News Service.

"A piece of propeller came away.

Read more: Man dies in sea trying to rescue dog after it was ‘spooked by fireworks’

Read more: Christmas is coming: Britain's festive markets listed and the big one that is not going ahead

"We had to scarper because there was lots of debris, it was just flying everywhere - it was like a movie."

Police, firefighters, ambulance officials and a coastguard helicopter all attended the scene at just after 5.30pm on Tuesday.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but Wales has seen a day of heavy rain and high winds.

Sam Thomas celebrates winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup race in 2008
Sam Thomas celebrates winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup race in 2008. Picture: Alamy

Inspector David Cust from North Wales Police said: "Officers attended alongside colleagues from Welsh Ambulance and North Wales Fire & Rescue as part of a joint emergency response.

"All the occupants have been accounted for, with four people having been taken to hospitals across the area.

"None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening or life-changing at this time.

Read more: Migrant centre firebomber Andy Leak, 66, shared far-Right content online ‘and lost penis to cancer’

Read more: Cross-party alliance to ensure Matt Hancock undergoes worst I'm A Celeb jungle experience

"Whilst a multiple agency response remains at the scene, the ongoing investigation into the cause will be dealt with by the Civil Aviation Authority."

It is not yet clear who owned the helicopter or the route it had been taking.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The NHS needs one million regular blood donors to maintain its blood supply, officials have said.

'I felt betrayed': Victims of infected blood scandal to get access to new NHS psychological support service

Israel's Foreign Ministry portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, earlier calling it "the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities'.

Passengers on Greta Thunberg's 'Freedom Flotilla' bringing aid to Gaza arrive at airport to return home, Israel says

Many of those polled by the GMB union reported being too scared to work, while one said they carried a baseball bat in their car to ward off attackers.

'I don’t feel safe in the UK anymore': Private hire drivers speak out over violent attacks and rising fear

Lynch syndrome is a rare condition which runs in families which puts people at a higher risk of developing cancers of the bowel, womb and ovaries.

'Too many women are being missed': Cancer risk warning as families left in the dark over genetic testing gaps

Passengers walking past a class 374 Eurostar train at London St Pancras International train station, London, UK

Eurostar unveils plans to launch direct trains from UK to Germany and Switzerland

Woodland Trust warns UK forests are failing nature and climate

'Alarmingly few ancient trees left': Woodland Trust warns UK forests are failing nature and climate

A father and son at the water's edge on Brighton Beach

UK has one of 'worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world', Equalities boss says

x

Mum of autistic teen 'obsessed with Hitler' who took her own life slams agencies over 'missed opportunities'

Meg Moore - Love Island star

'Too glam for a 9-to-5 job': Love Island star’s remark irks viewers in first episode of hit reality show

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Speaks At Chatham House

Brits 'better learn to speak Russian' if UK does not ramp up defence spending, Nato secretary-general warns

‘Freedom Flotilla’

Greta Thunberg's 'Freedom Flotilla' arrives in Israeli port

Sly And The Family Stone

Legendary funk rocker and soul musician Sly Stone dies aged 82

Protesters help news photographer Nick Stern after an injury during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations.

'US police want to win', says British photographer injured by 'plastic bullet' in LA protests amid immigration crackdown

Morin-Briton, of Rosehill, Sutton, was found guilty of murder and possession of a knife

Killer jailed for life after 'senseless' stabbing of man in South London car park

Women who experience domestic violence are at higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions almost 30 years after escaping their abusers, a study suggests.

Women who experience domestic violence 'at higher risk of brain injury almost 30 years after escaping abusers'

Ada Bikakci

London bus driver who killed girl, 9, on bike after falling asleep at wheel while on drugs jailed for four years