'Flesh Eating Bugs Nearly Killed Me'

What began as a normal evening for one driver turned into a nightmare that still haunts him more than a year later, having been saved only by his wife’s quick thinking

- Chris McCullough

A milk tanker driver from Northern Ireland is trying to get back behind the wheel following an horrific health scare that saw flesh-eating bugs bring him within minutes of losing his life.

Colin Smyth, 44, who collects milk from local farms in County Antrim, was due to return to work after a few days off in April 2016.

Colin had spent some time out with friends on Monday night, 18 April, but when he went to bed as normal ready for his usual early start on Tuesday he began to feel cold and shivery. No matter how many blankets his wife Linda-Jane put on him, he remained very cold.

Before long he was vomiting and at 3.30am was so thirsty he drank three pints of water. He also had severe pains in his left leg.

By 6am he was getting worse and Linda-Jane called the doctor. Luckily, Colin’s own GP was on call and arrived at the house at 8am.

Because there was nothing to see on Colin’s leg the doctor gave him two shots of morphine for the pain.

“The pain was excruciating,” says Colin. “I usually have a very high pain threshold but this was unreal.”

Close to death

What happened next shook the entire Smyth family as Colin came within minutes of losing his life.

“The doctor called for an ambulance immediately, which took me up the road to the Antrim Hospital,” he says.

“Nothing was visible on my leg but as the doctors were examining me it started to turn black from the ankle up, literally before my eyes.

“The surgeon, Dr Whiteside, told me I had to have immediate surgery, first to save my life, and secondly to save my leg.”