A SOLDIER has survived a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan.
Ex-professional footballer turned soldier Stephen Healey escaped injury when his Mastiff armoured vehicle saved him and his soldiers from a roadside bomb attack.
Lieutenant Stephen Healey from the Chester-based The 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (The Royal Welch Fusiliers) was commanding a convoy from the turret of the lead vehicle in Helmand, Afghanistan, when it hit an improvised explosive device (IED).
Stephen, 27, said: “We were driving along and then suddenly I felt a massive explosion and got thrown up into the air by the blast.
“I fell back into the turret and then all the debris and dirt from the explosion rained down on my head.
“My first thought was for the blokes in the vehicle and I felt sick thinking what I would find below me.
“There were eight of my soldiers and an interpreter down there.
“I dropped down into the cab and amazingly everyone was OK.
“Obviously they were all shaken and shocked but no-one was injured.
“The force of the blast was incredible. “The pressure wave actually snapped a couple of the machine guns in half.
“We had taken a direct hit under the belly of the Mastiff.Š
“The wagon was un-driveable but it had done its job and saved us.”
Stephen, from Cardiff, joined the Army in 2007 having already had a career as a professional footballer.
He played centre back for Swansea City before his career was cut short with a succession of injuries.
After the blast Stephen’s team went through their drills to protect each other from any secondary attack.
He said: “I know it is a cliché but in situations like this you really feel the training kick in. The soldiers’ reaction and courage does allow you to step back and make the right decisions and everyone slots in and does their job.”
