A teenager from Petersfield who broke his spine in a 25ft fall has been dubbed a “miracle boy” by the doctors who treated him.

Nikki Walters and her son, Jack, will forever be in debt to the emergency workers who rescued and treated the 17-year-old after his rope swing snapped deep in the Buriton Chalk Pits site.

Paramedics and specialist crews took nearly three hours to stretcher Jack out before being taken by ambulance to Southampton Hospital.

He was put in a pelvic binder and had numerous scans before seven rods were fused into his vertebrae during a lengthy operation.

Surgeons were amazed Jack didn’t sever his spinal cord with the teen now in recovery at home and able to walk.

“It’s really difficult to say Jack will be in the long term,” said Nikki, adding they were “insanely grateful” to everyone involved.

“He has to wear a brace for three months, at least, and they say he may struggle with balance because he damaged his spinal cord.

“He fell down the valley side and landed on his bottom and the moment it happened he knew he had done something wrong.”

Jack was first checked out by Jamie the paramedic before specialists were called, with the air ambulance being unable to land nearby.

Nikki added: “All the guys from HART were amazing – they traipsed out into the forest and carried him out on a titanium stretcher. Everyone just made us feel comfortable, they looked after us so well.”

Jack spent nine nights in hospital while his mum has since launched an online fundraising campaign to aid her son’s recovery, as he faces a long wait before he can return to Sparsholt College or work, while he was also saving up for an August conservation project in Kenya.