Electrocuted in a Hot Air Balloon

Summary

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Real Survival Stories

Episode Summary: Electrocuted in a Hot Air Balloon

Host: John Hopkins
Date: July 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode spotlights the harrowing true survival story of Rebecca Hay, a 22-year-old who was given a private hot air balloon ride over Northamptonshire, England. What began as an idyllic, peaceful morning turned into a nightmare when the balloon struck high-voltage power lines, unleashing fire, pain, and the will to survive against all odds. Through first-person storytelling and vivid narration, Rebecca recounts her incredible journey—from the initial joy of flight to the split-second terror of disaster, through the ordeal of injury, and ultimately to the long, painful road of physical and psychological recovery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Calm Before the Storm

• Setting the Scene ([01:24]–[02:49]):
  John Hopkins details the tranquil beauty of a spring morning as Rebecca ascends in the balloon, marveling at the pastoral landscape below.

  • “It felt calm. It felt safe. I wasn't anticipating anything happening. I was just sort of taking in the scenery and I just felt very, very lucky.” (Rebecca Hay, [02:49])

• Rebecca’s Background ([07:19]–[13:48]):

  • Her relationship with boyfriend Brett, who arranged the balloon ride.
  • Rebecca’s unconventional path toward medical school—her struggles in school, her mother’s life-threatening illness, and her inspiration from healthcare professionals.
  • “I was inspired by doctors and nurses that literally saved my mum's life. And I felt like for the first time, I was somewhere I felt comfortable and I felt like I could belong there.” (Rebecca Hay, [12:03])

The Accident: Collision with Power Lines

• Moment of Impact ([16:29]–[17:51]):

  • Balloon, on a collision course with power lines. Rebecca recounts the hopelessness of having nowhere to go, bracing for disaster.
  • “All I really remember was noticing the power lines. And one minute I was calm, the next minute I wasn't.” (Rebecca Hay, [16:29])

• Electrocution ([18:32]–[20:32]):

  • “So it was like a massive flash, really, really loud cracking noise and a buzzing and light. So it was just like an explosion of light.” (Rebecca Hay, [18:32])
  • “I knew I was being electrocuted… I was just waiting for everything to just go black.” (Rebecca Hay, [19:07])
  • “Every single muscle in my body was contracted so tight... I thought it might snap my neck. It was that strong.” (Rebecca Hay, [19:25])

• Aftermath and Fire ([20:56]–[22:47]):

  • Rebecca regains minimal physical control, only to realize her body and the basket are on fire.
  • “My leggings are on fire. This is really, really bad.” (Rebecca Hay, [21:45])
  • The balloon, caught by the flames, ascends rapidly again before losing buoyancy and crashing.

Survival and Immediate Response

• Escape and Injury ([23:28]–[25:00]):

  • Wounded and partially conscious, Rebecca drags herself from the burning basket through falling debris.
  • “It looked a bit like black confetti, the way it was just like innocently floating around. It was almost pretty.” (Rebecca Hay, [23:55])
  • Details severe burns—skin degloving from her hand, loss of hair, fluid leaking from wounds.
  • “I am like in real trouble. I remember still thinking, I'm gonna die, this is gonna take me.” (Rebecca Hay, [25:00])

• Help Arrives ([26:01]–[27:03]):

  • A bystander helps, and Rebecca contacts her parents in a deeply emotional call.
  • “Well I'm a bit burnt dad, I'm probably not going to make it…I just want to tell you and mum that I love you and I'm sorry for going in the balloon.” (Rebecca Hay, [27:03])

Rescue, Hospitalization, and Recovery

• Medical Response ([27:34]–[29:44]):

  • Paramedics tend to her severe burns as the press gathers. Rebecca’s mind focuses on retaining any vestige of dignity.
  • “I don’t want to be naked in this field... I just felt really, really exposed.” (Rebecca Hay, [28:01])

• Touch-and-Go Prognosis ([30:00]–[32:09]):

  • Enters shock, airlifted to the Birmingham Burns Unit.
  • “It was just absolute hell… they were literally cutting off my skin with scissors and scrubbing my wounds.” (Rebecca Hay, [32:40])

• Psychological Impact ([33:41]–[36:23]):

  • Intense pain leads to wishing she hadn’t survived; complete dependence strips away her former identity.
  • “For me, that level of pain that I went through was not a reason that I would fight for again…” (Rebecca Hay, [33:41])
  • Develops PTSD, later diagnosed as bipolar disorder following a psychotic episode.

• Writing and Processing Trauma ([36:23]–[37:19]):

  • Writing becomes a tool for processing her trauma and reframing her story.
  • “Having it out in a timeline and reading it back really helped me sort of unscramble it in my mind, roll it up nicely and put it back.” (Rebecca Hay, [36:43])

Transformation and Moving Forward

• Changed Outlook and Acceptance ([37:39]–[39:18]):

  • Rebecca’s dreams of medical school are left behind; her focus shifts to family, living in the present, and being a mother.
  • “Life is more just about living. … because it can disappear, like, so quickly.” (Rebecca Hay, [37:39])
  • Ongoing flashbacks and trauma, but now with coping strategies.

• Message to Others ([39:18]–[40:20]):

  • “Everyone at some point has felt like they're not going to make it. And I'm the prime example that you will make it… and life will be better.” (Rebecca Hay, [39:18])
  • Rebecca’s drive to share her story is rooted in hope that it may help others battling trauma.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• “[It felt calm. It felt safe… I just felt very, very lucky.]” – Rebecca Hay, [02:49]
• “[One minute I was waving like a celebrity, next I was on fire.]” – Rebecca Hay, [04:03]
• “[I knew I was being electrocuted. I had electricity going through my body and I knew that and I was just waiting for everything to just go black.]” – Rebecca Hay, [05:02]
• “[I was so aware of the amount of people around me that I just felt really, really exposed. …I just wanted some sort of control, I guess.]” – Rebecca Hay, [28:01]
• "[I slowly started to heal, but that feeling of wishing that I had not made it still stands today...]" – Rebecca Hay, [33:41]
• "[Life is... about living for today and enjoying it, because it can disappear, like, so quickly. …I've now accepted that I'm different, and that's okay, and maybe it's better.]" – Rebecca Hay, [37:39]
• "[Everyone at some point has felt like they're not going to make it. And I'm the prime example that you will make it...and life will be better.]" – Rebecca Hay, [39:18]

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Key Timestamps

• Idyllic balloon flight and setting: [01:24] – [10:18]
• Rebecca’s backstory and motivations: [10:18] – [13:48]
• Accident and electrocution: [16:29] – [22:47]
• Fire, crash, and immediate survival: [23:28] – [27:03]
• Rescue, hospital, and pain: [27:34] – [33:41]
• Mental health struggles, PTSD, and recovery: [33:41] – [36:43]
• Reflecting, writing, present-day outlook: [37:19] – [39:18]
• Final message of hope and resilience: [39:18] – [40:20]

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Summary Flow & Relevance

This episode masterfully weaves Rebecca’s firsthand account with vivid narration, offering a rollercoaster of emotion and insight. Listeners are given not just the visceral details of her physical ordeal, but also an honest depiction of long-term psychological trauma, recovery, and life transformation. Rebecca’s courage to share her pain, uncertainty, and healing—honestly and without embellishment—serves both as a testament to human resilience and as an encouragement for others suffering through their own trials.

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If you want to hear from someone who wrestled with fear, pain, and lasting scars, but emerged determined to find beauty and meaning in survival, this episode is unmissable.

Transcript

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[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

it's around 7.30am on Sunday, 22 May 2016, a perfect spring morning in central England in the East Midlands county of Northamptonshire. The air is crisp and cool, though the fledgling sun promises to bring rising temperatures as the day progresses. The area's undulating terrain is carpeted by a tapestry of green and golden brown fields, interrupted here and there by narrow country roads and small villages. Sheep graze placidly in the pastures as their lambs frolic around them. It is an idyllic pastoral scene. Suddenly a shadow grows across the landscape, momentarily blocking out the sun before passing smoothly on its way. Right now, up in the soft haze of the morning sky, there is a tranquil, magical sight, a hot air balloon. Inside its basket are two figures, a 64 year old pilot and his 22 year old passenger, Rebecca Hay. As they glide through the air, Rebecca gazes down at the unfurling topography below, at once deeply familiar and strangely alien. When viewed from such a height, the earth and all its human problems seemed very far away.

[Rebecca Hay]

It felt calm. It felt safe. I wasn't anticipating anything happening. I was just sort of taking in the scenery And I just felt very, very lucky.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Guided by the breeze, the balloon drifts towards a small outdoor market which has been set up in an open field. Rebecca leans over to wave at the people below as they pass by. But when she straightens up, everything abruptly changes because there, immediately in front of them, is an ugly clump of thick black power lines lacerating the sky. They're getting closer, and with alarming speed. The balloon is on a direct collision course.

[Rebecca Hay]

We are going quite fast, so it was a really short time and there just wasn't really any time to react. All I really remember was noticing the power lines and one minute I was calm, the next minute I wasn't.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca watches in disbelief as the balloon continues on its doomed path. There isn't time to change altitude or alter direction. They're going to hit. All Rebecca can do is bracelet for the coming onslaught.

[Rebecca Hay]

It wasn't long until we were literally like upon them. So it was so short it escalated quickly. Put that way, one minute I was waving like a celebrity, next I was on fire.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to Real Survival Stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Rebecca Hay. In May 2016, the 22 year old gets a unique opportunity to enjoy a private hot air balloon flight over the English countryside. But the trip proves to be memorable for all the wrong reasons when the balloon becomes entangled in a set of power lines.

[Rebecca Hay]

I mean, I was conscious, I knew I was being electrocuted. I had electricity going through my body and I knew that and I was just waiting for everything to just go black.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

And horrifyingly, that will only turn out to be the start of Rebecca's ordeal. What follows is a harrowing battle to defy death in the most challenging of circumstances. It will feature lethal high voltage, a ferocious outbreak of fire and a stomach churning descent back to earth.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was completely convinced that I wasn't going to make it. Every breath in and out was another couple of seconds that I was alive. And I just remember holding onto that.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

I'm John Hopkins from the Noiser Podcast Network. This is Real Survival Stories. It's a beautiful spring morning on 22 May 2016. The sun has only recently risen over a large green field in central England. A distinct chill hangs in the air. The area hums with activity as people and vehicles make their way across the dew dampened grass and Buzz around colorful clusters of hot air balloons in various stages of inflation. Heading towards one of these is Rebecca Hay, A dark haired woman in her early 20s. She walks arm in arm with her boyfriend Brett, her heart fluttering with anticipation as they near the voluminous bulk of the red and blue checkered balloon. Waving gently in the breeze Inside it, the 64 year old pilot makes final preparations for the launch. The craft's basket is small, only large enough for a handful of people. And today, Rebecca will be the sole passenger. Getting the chance to experience a private flight like this is a rare opportunity, one she has Brett to thank for.

[Rebecca Hay]

So Brett was involved in hot air ballooning as a hobby. He used to quite often go and crew for a lot of his friends who were pilots. I was in the balloon because I had the opportunity to be basically, and I took it.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

After saying goodbye to Brett, Rebecca climbs into the balloon's basket. With everything set, the pilot gradually increases the burner to inject hot air into the colorful balloon above them, known as an envelope. As the air inside it heats up, the envelope becomes buoyant and rises into the sky along with the wicker basket suspended beneath it. Within minutes, the balloon is tugging at its moorings, Eager to become airborne. Rebecca watches proceedings in fascination.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember feeling that, like I was really lucky to be about to experience something that a lot of people want to do.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

When the temperature inside the balloon's envelope becomes hot enough, the pilot and the ground crew unleash it from its tethers. Slowly, the balloon becomes weightless and starts floating smoothly upwards into the sky. The movement is gentle, almost soothing. Yet they gain height with surprising speed. As they ascend, the details of the earth alter and a new view of the world opens up.

[Rebecca Hay]

Being in a hot air balloon is not really something that you can really describe to someone that's not been in one, but it's really, really surreal. It's quiet and peaceful and really strange because the world just looks so different from that height. You know, the bird's eye view of the world is just so different, a bit like being on a plane, but you're not quite above clouds, so you can still see enough detail to sort of recognize where you are.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Hot air balloons cannot be steered in a traditional sense. Instead, the pilot alters the altitude of the craft to catch different air currents, which then push the balloon in different directions. Therefore, although the pilot has some degree of control, the craft's flight path and speed are ultimately determined by the direction and strength of the wind. And its final landing point is unpredictable. But that element of uncertainty only adds to the experience. Inside the basket, Rebecca gazes out across the sprawling landscape spreading out below her. Tinged with pale gold by the early morning sun, it's a sight few people ever get to see. And if Rebecca hadn't met Brett in a local club just a year or so earlier, she may never have had the opportunity. Although their relationship is only in its infancy, it's something special. They are already full of plans for the future and have mapped out their lives together.

[Rebecca Hay]

We had this vision of I was gonna go to medical school, who was gonna work to help support me through that, and we just sort of had this, like, this dream of just it just being the two of us sort of against the world. Like, no matter what anyone said, we really didn't expect sort of anything to get in the way of it.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca's hope of going to medical school is a fairly recent ambition, but it's one she's passionate about. It wasn't something anyone expected, as for much of her life, she struggled to find her place in the education system.

[Rebecca Hay]

I found school really difficult. I didn't like school at all. I felt like I just didn't fit in anywhere. There was no sort of, like, group that I felt connected to. And at the time, sort of in my early teens, that manifested in me just feeling very outside.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

And then after Rebecca turned 18, her life was rocked by a traumatic family event. Her mother became seriously ill following an operation and was placed on life support in intensive care. Suddenly, Rebecca's outlook and priorities shifted, and she devoted all her energy and focus towards being with her mum.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was at her bedside every single day. I would skip college to be with her, and I was so scared of losing her that I felt like every moment was precious and the only thing in the world that mattered was just being there and holding her hand.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

During this extremely difficult time, Rebecca decided not to return to college. Instead, she secured a job as a healthcare assistant, having closely witnessed the dedication with which medical staff cared for her mother.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was inspired by doctors and nurses that literally saved my mum's life. And I felt like for the first time, I was somewhere I felt comfortable and I felt like I could belong there.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

However, she soon realized she wanted to go even further and pushed herself to achieve more.

[Rebecca Hay]

I wanted to try and better myself, so I took myself back to college. So I was working and studying full time, and I had this dream to become a doctor, which was a path lots of people told me was inaccessible to me because I hadn't gone the traditional route with A levels. I had more work experience than sort of academic experience, although I did have good grades. I didn't have traditional A levels, but I was very determined at that age. I was very strong minded and if someone told me I couldn't do it, that sort of gave me more motivation to try and I wouldn't stop until I did that.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca applied to every medical school she could, highlighting her practical experience in a working environment. She received rejection after rejection until, in April 2016, a conditional offer came through. Now, one month later, all that stands between Rebecca and her dream of being a doctor is passing an admissions exam. If she is successful, she will soon be heading to medical school and embarking on a new adventure. But in the balloon, all worries and thoughts of the future melt away as the craft glides effortlessly across the sky between the bursts of fierce flame from the burner. The atmosphere is tranquil and still, so silent that it's possible to hear the occasional distant noise from the earth below.

[Rebecca Hay]

You can hear a dog barking when you're high up, which seems a bit random because you can't hear anything else that you would expect that goes with that dog barking. You just hear it in isolation. It's kind of like it's filtered out. It's really, really strange and everything's a little bit hazy in the distance, but in general it's just really calm. And I would probably describe it as beautiful. You can't see the mess, you can just see the shapes.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Held in the sky by nothing other than a huge fabric envelope and a wicker basket, Rebecca is exposed to the elements. She stands virtually unprotected, able to feel the sun's rays on her face and every breath of wind on her skin. Though there is something delicate, almost ethereal about hot air balloons, accidents are rare and few of these prove to be fatal.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember something that was really strange. When I was really high up, it almost just felt like safe. I don't remember thinking of there going to be a really horrific accident happening while I was up in the air. It felt calm, it felt safe. I wasn't anticipating anything happening. I was just sort of taking in the scenery and I just felt very, very lucky.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca snaps a quick picture of herself to send to her parents. She smiles into the camera. Another balloon visible in the distance behind her left shoulder. Then she turns back to admire the scenery fanning out below. Following the whim of the wind, the balloon glides towards a large farm shop near the village of Earls Barton. They're flying low, low enough for Rebecca to make out the details of an outdoor market that's been set up in an adjacent field. It's a car boot sale. Vendors unload battered boxes of wares from their vehicles, setting up as the buyers start to filter in through the gates. As the balloon drifts over the scattered cars and knots of people, a few of them wave up towards Rebecca. She leans over the basket to wave back at them, her focus entirely taken up by the scene on the ground below. Then she straightens up, still smiling. She glances ahead, curious to see where they're heading next. And it's at this point that she is confronted by a terrifying sight. A series of chunky power lines slicing across the sky. Barring the way ahead,

[Rebecca Hay]

we are going quite fast. So it was a really short time and there just wasn't really any time to react. All I really remember was noticing the power lines. And one minute I was calm, the next minute I wasn't.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Panic immediately sets in. The pilot grapples with the balloon's burner, trying to change its course before they hit. But there isn't time. Dread spiking in her veins, Rebecca twists her head to look over the edge of the small wicker basket, down towards the hard concrete road they are now floating over.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember thinking about jumping out, but I didn't think concrete was the best material to land on. It was so quick. There was literally no space. Space for logic. There was just instinct.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Trapped some 50ft in the air with no way out of the balloon, Rebecca's only choice is to follow that instinct. Legs shaking, she bends her knees and adopts a modified brace position. She grabs hold of two ropes dangling nearby and grips them in her sweating palms. It's not much, but at least they give her something solid to cling to. There is no escape from this situation and no way to stop the balloon's disastrous progress towards the power lines. All she can do now is hold on tight.

[Rebecca Hay]

Just closed my eyes waiting for impact because I knew that we were going to hit.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Inside the wicker basket of the hot air balloon, Rebecca braces, waiting helplessly for the craft to collide with the power lines. She squeezes her eyes shut, her mouth dry with terror. And then all hell breaks loose. The balloon sails straight onto the electrical lines, slamming into the chunky cables and jolting Rebecca against the wall of the basket. The world around her seems to detonate in an instant.

[Rebecca Hay]

So it was like a massive flash, really, really loud cracking noise and a buzzing and light. So it was just like an explosion of light.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

33,000 volts of electricity Tear through Rebecca, sending a bizarre fizzing sensation around her body. Her teeth clench as it sizzles through her, bubbling down her throat and making her stomach, her sinews, tense. Each nerve is shot through with a stinging pain. The sensation is unbearable.

[Rebecca Hay]

I mean, I was conscious. I knew I was being electrocuted. I had electricity going through my body, and I knew that. And I was just waiting for everything to just go black because I thought, well, it's gonna kill me. I literally had no control over any of the muscles in my body.

[Home Depot Commercial Narrator]

So.

[Rebecca Hay]

So I was in that position where I was holding the ropes and my knees were bent and my eyes were shut, but every single muscle in my body was contracted, and it was contracted so tight, it made my neck, like, push back like that. And I remember I couldn't bring it back forward, and I could hear my neck, like, cracking. And honestly, I thought it might snap my neck. It was that strong.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

A blinding white light surges behind her closed eyelids, so intense that it seems to sting her eyeballs. She tries to scream, but the electricity humming through her veins doesn't allow her to open her mouth. Her jaw is clenched so hard that one of her teeth cracks under the pressure. Every second feels like an age.

[Rebecca Hay]

I know that I had that feeling for about six seconds, but it was the worst six seconds I think I've ever experienced. And it was painful. The fizzing in my tummy was painful. I could feel heat as well at that point. I wasn't. I didn't even think about fire.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

And then, just as suddenly as it started, it's all over. Somehow, the pilot has managed to deflate the balloon enough to disentangle it from the power lines. With the electricity suddenly gone from her body, Rebecca collapses on the floor of the basket with a heavy thud, her limbs limp and numb.

[Rebecca Hay]

My muscles have gone from being contracted to being relaxed, like every single muscle in my body. So I can't move, can't open my eyes, can't move my tongue. I can think. That's all I can do is I can think.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

As Rebecca lies shaking and panting at the bottom of the basket, a new, disturbing sensation starts to crawl across her skin. Her body is growing warm. There is heat building somewhere nearby. A second or two later comes the smell of smoke. With immense effort, she peels herself off the floor, her legs slow and uncooperative. She shuffles forward and slumps against the wall of the basket just as a wave of heat washes over her. The acrid stink of smoke fills her nostrils, and she forces her eyes to open, looked down.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was like, I'm on fire. My body's still half limp, I'm in the basket, there's flames around me, my leggings are on fire. This is really, really bad.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

But the situation is about to get a whole lot worse. With the wicker basket now on fire and the flames spreading rapidly, the intense heat is billowing up into the balloon's envelope. The effect is like that of a burner. Left on full power, the balloon shoots upwards into the sky with uncontrollable speed, gaining altitude with every passing second. Surrounded by flames and trapped in a rising balloon, any hope of survival seems to vanish.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember being so convinced I was going to die, I remember thinking by the time my mum and dad get here, I am literally going to be black. Like something you see in a horror film, black. With all my hair burnt off, skin burnt off, you could just see my teeth and my eye sockets. I was like, I'm going to be completely charcoal.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

And with that final horrifying image, Rebecca loses consciousness. The flames continue to spread, tearing through the basket and darting up Rebecca's legs, burning through her leggings and searing her skin. It doesn't take long before they've reached the bottom of the balloon's envelope where they begin devouring the red and blue checkered fabric. As the envelope starts burning away, the balloon quickly loses buoyancy. It hurtles down through the sky and crashes back to earth so hard that it leaves a small crater in the ground ground. The impact jolts Rebecca awake.

[Rebecca Hay]

We are on the ground. I'm in a lot of pain. All I remember is having this again. Instinct kicked in, like, get out.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

With the capsized basket still burning, Rebecca drags herself forwards using her elbow, determined to pull herself from the wreckage above. The half burnt balloon still starts deflating, moving with a soft sighing sound as it floats towards the ground.

[Rebecca Hay]

I managed to get out of the basket and then like crawl under all the balloon and it was burning. There was like fragments of balloon just falling, like raining down, almost poetically. I remember thinking it looked a bit like black confetti the way it was just like innocently floating around. It was almost pretty.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

As the ashy shreds of the balloon settle around her, Rebecca crawls forwards until she has cleared the wreckage. They have landed in a field near the car boot sale. They passed just before the balloon struck the power lines, but there is nobody around to offer immediate assistance. Teeth gritted in pain, Rebecca manages to haul herself to her feet. Driven by fear and adrenaline, she Limps forwards until she's far enough away to be reasonably safe from the flames. When she turns back to survey the charred remnants of the balloon, she sees the pilot, apparently injured, trying to put out the fire. And then a sharp stabbing pain suddenly sears through her face.

[Rebecca Hay]

So I put my hand up to my face and then I was like, oh, I've got no skin on my hand. Like my whole hand had de gloved and I was like, oh my God, that looks horrific. So I'm having a little meltdown over my hand. And then I was like, with my other hand I like put my hand to my face and then my fringe came off in my hand and I was like oh my God, my hair, oh my gosh, I got my hair. And then I looked down, I've literally got no skin on my legs. I noticed that this fluid started to appear and then just like drip onto the floor this yellow fluid from my body. And I was like, I am like in real trouble. I remember still thinking, I'm gonna die, this is gonna take me.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

In the middle of the field, Rebecca stares in open mouthed shock of the injuries she has just sustained in the accident. Her visible burns are severe enough and there's no telling what kinds of internal injuries she may have suffered. Clearly she's in need of urgent medical attention. And at that moment a figure appears out of the corner of her eye. It's a woman running towards her.

[Rebecca Hay]

She was in one of the other fields tending to her horses and she came and she stayed with me. And I remember telling her that I was, I thought I was going to die.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Emergency services are needed as soon as possible and quickly the alarm is raised. While she waits, Rebecca just has to hold on, to fight with everything she has to stay conscious. Rebecca asks if the woman can help her find her phone. Eventually the Good Samaritan is able to recover it from the smoldering remains of the basket. And then Rebecca calls her parents.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember saying to my dad, dad, there's been an accident. And he thought it was Brett. He was like, is Brett okay? I was like, no, it's not Brett, it's me. I've been in an accident, I've been on fire. And he was like, what do you mean you've been on fire? I was like, well I'm a bit burnt dad, I'm probably not going to make it. There's been a fire and I've been burnt and I'm feeling really poorly and I just want to tell you and mum that I love you and I'm Sorry for going in the balloon.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Shortly afterwards, paramedics arrive on the scene along with Rebecca's boyfriend, Brett, and work begins to try to treat her injuries. In addition to the emergency services, the media start arriving in droves. One of the first things medics try to do is cut her remaining clothes off so that they can assess the extent of her burns. But despite everything she's been through, Rebecca is putting up a fight.

[Rebecca Hay]

I remember thinking to myself, I don't want to be naked in this field. I want the little clothes I've got left on, thank you. Which is really, like, a bit silly to say, but I think I was so aware of the amount of people around me that I just felt really, really exposed. I just wanted some sort of control, I guess.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Eventually, Rebecca relents, forced to acknowledge that modesty is not a priority right now, though she does ask that police officers create a shield of blankets around her. Carefully, Rebecca's saviors start removing her scorched clothes. The flames were so fierce that they have fused sections of her leggings to her skin, and medics are forced to painfully peel them off. They douse her burns with bags of cold water and place a gel pad on her face beneath an oxygen mask. Having now surrendered control to the professionals, Rebecca tries to concentrate on her breathing, focusing on the fact that every inhale and exhale buys her another couple of seconds.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was completely convinced that I wasn't going to make it. So it was either lay there still in pain and let them do what they need to do or lay there calmly and die. So the only thing I could physically do was focus on my breathing. And that was what I did, was just literally breathed in and breathed out. That was it. There was nothing else special to it. I didn't do anything else to survive. I just kept breathing. I wasn't positive. I wasn't calm. I wasn't brave. I just knew that I had to let other people do what they needed to do.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

But despite all the efforts of the medical team, Rebecca's injuries are so severe that she starts to go into shock. An air ambulance is swiftly called. During the wait for it to arrive, she begins to fade away.

[Rebecca Hay]

Everything just went black and quiet and cold. It wasn't like cold temperature cold. It was really strange. It was like menthol cold. But it was calm and it was quiet, and I couldn't see or hear anything. I could just think. And I remember thinking to myself, okay, well done for getting to this point. But now it's time to go, and it'll Be okay. And I wasn't scared, wasn't scared at all.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

And yet, even as Rebecca's body shuts down, some part of her still clings to life. Refusing to give up, she suddenly opens her eyes again.

[Rebecca Hay]

The noise came back, the heat came back, the smells came back, the panic came back, the fear came back, everything came back. I just kept breathing and then there was points where I even was accepting of the fact that I was going to stop breathing. And then I started breathing again.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

As Rebecca continues to slip in and out of consciousness, the air ambulance arrives. She endures the agony of her burnt body being picked up and placed on a stretcher, followed by the terror of becoming airborne again.

[Rebecca Hay]

I had a big freak out because then I didn't want to go in an aircraft because I just wanted my two feet on the ground. After every stage of what happened, I was still completely convinced that I wasn't going to make it. So I was just so scared.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

The flight is a confused, chaotic blur of voices and sounds as paramedics try to keep Rebecca stable and minimize her discomfort. In just over 20 minutes, they arrive at Birmingham Burns Unit. One of the first things the staff at the hospital do is give Rebecca a CT scan to check whether her internal organs have also been burned by the ferocity of the blaze.

[Rebecca Hay]

The CT scan, I, like, have a freak out and massive panic attack because I remember thinking, like, what the hell happens if my inside's burned? Like, what did he do about that? This is just never ending. Like, I remember literally at that point thinking, I wish I should have, I should have died. I should have died. I can't do this. I just cannot do this.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

In a small mercy, the scan reveals she has no internal burns. As for her external injuries, however, they are much more significant. For the first few days that she spends on the Burns ward, it isn't clear if she'll even survive. She is losing so much fluid that her body cannot regenerate it fast enough and her organs are struggling to keep functioning. On top of that, Rebecca must undergo an intensely painful procedure to remove dead or damaged tissue from her wounds.

[Rebecca Hay]

It was just absolute hell. I thought I'd have felt pain before, but then had this happened to me where they were literally cutting off my skin with scissors and scrubbing my wounds. And then that happened, like daily to me. And then dressing changes, peeling off the dressings that were all stuck to my skin. And not one day I was free of pain for so long. I was pissed off, like, I didn't want to be going through the pain. I didn't feel like fighting, and I wasn't coping with the. I was resentful that I was in pain, and I was resentful that I hadn't died because I didn't want to go through this.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca spends several weeks in hospital and is given skin grafts to help repair the worst of her burns. Though the treatment is agonizing, day by day, her body does slowly begin to recover. The psychological suffering, however, is harder to endure.

[Rebecca Hay]

I slowly started to heal, but that feeling of wishing that I had not made it still stands today. And I know that sounds really, really morbid and, you know, not something you should openly admit because you should be grateful or whatever, but for me, that level of pain that I went through was not a reason that I would fight for again. Basically, it would have been easier if I died. At that point in my life.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

As well as the pain, Rebecca has to contend with being totally reliant on other people to help her perform the most basic of tasks.

[Rebecca Hay]

I felt like every single ounce of who I thought I was or was comfortable with beforehand had just been completely stripped. If it hadn't burnt off, it had been stripped away in that hospital room because, yeah, I didn't have any dignity left. It was really, really a really dark time. And I think probably the start of extreme mental health struggles from then, really.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

When Rebecca is finally considered recovered enough to return home, a whole new battle begins as she tries to overcome the trauma of what happened to her. Despite the support she receives from both her family and Brett, it isn't easy for her to resume normal life.

[Rebecca Hay]

I was struggling with noises, sounds, being on my own. I just felt really, really scared all the time. I felt like I was in this constant state of panic where I felt like my heart wasn't settling down and everything was just stressing me out. And then I later got diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. My wounds were healing that my brain was still acting as if I was, like, mid disaster. So my brain was still suffering when everything else was healing faster around around it. Like everything felt suspicious, noises felt suspicious, smells were suspicious. I would smell a smell and be like, fire, you know, or I'd hear a noise and I'm like, fire.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca starts therapy to begin working through her trauma. However, what nobody realizes at this point is that her PTSD is masking another condition.

[Rebecca Hay]

My mental health was deteriorating in a different way that wasn't being recognized. I basically got so unwell at one point that I become psychotic and ended up spending quite a bit of time in hospital sectioned they then diagnosed me with bipolar.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

It's during this hospital stay that Rebecca begins scribbling down her thoughts and feelings as a way of trying to cope with everything she is going through. Later, when she reads these musings back, she is inspired to begin writing a book detailing her experience in the balloon accident and her extensive recovery afterwards.

[Rebecca Hay]

It really helped because I was able to put everything into sections chronologically and write about a certain section and then finish it and move on to the next one. And what I quickly realized was what I'd been through and my experiences before the accident and after the accident, they all link in like it's all one story. Having it out in a timeline and reading it back really helped me sort of unscramble it in my mind, roll it up nicely and put it back.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

The accident and its aftermath have altered the course of Rebecca's life forever, forcing her to put her dreams of going to medical school on hold. However, she says the experience has also taught her the value of living in the present. This becomes even more important after she and Brett get married and they have a son together, Harley.

[Rebecca Hay]

The accident sort of stopped any of those plans, and it's not something that I've been able to return to, but nowadays, I mean, I don't have career aspirations in, you know, a traditional sense. Life is more just about living. It's important for me to be a good mom and to live with a healthy outlook on life, because I haven't had that for such a long time, which has consumed my mental health. So now my life isn't built around having a career as such is built around just living, just living for today and enjoying it, because it can disappear, like, so quickly. I'm very different to how I was. The Rebecca that probably would have been if the accident didn't happen is very different to the Rebecca now. I was very remorseful of it. I grieved that Rebecca, and I wish I could get that Rebecca back. But I've now accepted that I'm different, and that's okay, and maybe it's better.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Rebecca still suffers with flashbacks and trauma as a result of the accident and everything that happened afterwards. However, she now has coping strategies to manage them and is determined that these scars will not stop her from living life to its full. Her hope is that by sharing her story, she may be able to help other people who have also endured trauma and hardship and show them that after pain and suffering, it's still possible for joy to bloom.

[Rebecca Hay]

Everyone's been through something traumatic, and everyone at some point has felt like they're not going to make it. And I'm the prime example that you will make it sometimes, even if you want to or not, but you will and life will be better. And that's what my life is now, is just trying to stay positive and have a positive outlook on life and be grateful for what I have survived. I just hope that if I can just take a little bit of darkness away from someone like me, then that that would be enough. I do battle with it creeping into my mind almost every day, but I don't see it as the worst thing that's happened to me anymore. It's just something that happened to me and it's just part of my story. And I've just got to learn that whatever happens now is a bonus.

[Narrator (John Hopkins)]

Next time on Real Survival Stories. We meet James Osborne. In 2008, the outdoor sports enthusiast embarks on his first winter hike, guided by his friend and colleague Fred. With the White Mountains of New Hampshire on their doorstep, the pair take on a popular, well trodden loop. But a combination of bad luck and bad judgment means a simple day hike soon snowballs into a desperate battle against the fury of nature. Caught in the middle of a blistering winter storm with no tent, no provisions and no chance of quick rescue, their only hope is to try to descend back down the mountain as the cold bites. It isn't long before things spiral out of control, leading to devastating life shattering consequences. That's next time on REAL SURVIVAL stories. Listen right now without ads and without waiting a week by joining Noiser Plus.