Withy King partner raises £17,000 climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – despite not reaching the summit

A Withy King partner has raised over £17,000 for charity by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – despite not reaching the top due to illness.

Chris Kane, a partner at Withy King solicitors’ Bath office, aimed to scale the 5,895 metre Tanzanian mountain for Help for Heroes, a national charity which helps wounded service men and women.

He was on the final leg of the journey, which took place from 2-12 June, and at 16,000 ft, just 4,000 ft from the summit, when he collapsed from a combination of altitude sickness and acute dehydration.

A 20-man team strapped him to a stretcher and ran the 22 miles to the foot of the mountain, where he was rushed by ambulance to the nearest hospital.

[caption id="attachment_3285" align="alignnone" width="276"] Chris Kane, partner in Withy King’s dispute resolution team, on Mount Kilimanjaro[/caption]

Chris said: “The first I knew about what had happened was when I woke up 16 hours later in hospital with a drip in my arm. I then learnt that I’d lost consciousness and that medics had feared for my life as I was so seriously dehydrated.

“I am feeling much stronger now and am very thankful to those who came to my aid. I feel incredibly lucky – but also frustrated that I didn’t reach the summit. I had trained for months and really wanted to reach the top with the rest of the climbers, both for my own personal goal and for those that sponsored me and donated to the cause. However, I am just happy to be home safe.”

Chris was sponsored by various businesses across the region and today he praised them for their ongoing support. In total Chris has raised over £17,000 for Help for Heroes, and donations are still coming in.

He said: “I want to say a huge thank you to all of the firms in the area that have supported me, especially considering the unexpected outcome! Help for Heroes is a brilliant charity and I am proud to have been able to raise money for such a worthy cause.”

Chris was part of a 41-strong team including David Barnes, former England Saxon rugby player and chairman of the Rugby Players’ Association.
Help for Heroes was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded servicemen and women returning fromAfghanistan and Iraq and provides direct, practical support to those injured in the current conflicts.

If you’d like to make any last minute donations contact Chris Kane on 07976 573 013, email [email protected] or visit www.bmycharity.com/kilimanjaroJune2011.