I died for four minutes!

Despite looking death in the face she has refused to give up her passion and is currently preparing for the biggest challenge of her life - so far. RACHEL LAMB reports.

SARAH Donohue's mum probably wishes her 28-year-old daughter had stuck to modelling. Every time she feels safe in the knowledge that her little girl has seen sense and taken a "normal" job when she receives a video through the post showing Sarah jumping from a plane or diving from a cliff in her pursuit of the most extreme sports.

"I never tell my mum what I'm doing, she'd just go mad and try to stop me. Instead, I get someone to film my activities and then I send my mum the video,'' said Sarah, of Hedge End.

"It's naughty really and I get a lecture every time I do it but she knows I'll never change. I bet she was hoping the accident in Italy would have finally knocked some sense into me but it has only made me more determined to do what I want to do.

"I died for four minutes and that's no laughing matter. I thank God I'm still alive to tell the tale and I'm going to make the most of life, because I was so lucky to have survived the accident. I don't remember much of the accident, most is what I was told afterwards, but I know I was travelling at quite a speed in my first competitive race in the two litre European Championships near Venice, Italy, last September.

My racing partner and I were running in second place about a lap from the finish when the engine came loose tipping our huge boat over.

Erico, my partner, went over the side but I was crushed and trapped in the cockpit unconscious.

"I suffered a smashed shoulder, ribs and jaw and my lungs were literally filled with water, you can die from just a little liquid in your lungs so I amazed everyone by surviving.

"Erico and two other crew had to physically turn the boat over to try and free me, this would usually be impossible but they were determined to get me out and used all the strength they had. When they eventually freed me I had no pulse and was given chest compression and mouth-to-mouth by my friend Giuseppe. His determination saved my life. I eventually came round and was in intensive care for five days. One of the first things Giuseppe did was get me to look in a mirror to see how awful I looked. My face was practically black and so swollen, the pain was unbelievable - I never though the human body could withstand so much.

"I still have pain and I can't feel anything in the bottom of my face but I have just one little scar on my right wrist and that's it - amazing really.

My jaw is still broken and I will still have to have treatment - but I'm alive.

"I went back to Italy earlier this month to thank the nurse who looked after me and the man who rescued me and it was here I found out just how lucky I was. No doctor expected me to survive my injuries and the damage I had sustained to my lungs.

"If anything, the accident and dying for four minutes has given me an even stronger zest for life. It certainly hasn't put me off my extreme sports. In fact ideally my dream over the next five years would be to get my own extreme sports show on terrestrial TV.

I love the rush, the adrenaline, the excitement of it all.

"I would also love to do a bit more stunt work. Before my accident last year I stared in the latest Bond movie where I was a stunt double in the pre-title opening sequence.

"That was excellent fun and I met some great people including John Cleese, who has become a good personal friend.

"The only trouble with doing more stunt work is I need to be on a register and to get on that you have to get all your qualifications. I have them all, except one, kickboxing.

"Since my accident my shoulder is still weak and I could risk serious long-term damage if I were to punch and miss. Shoulders take such a long time to heal but this is the only thing standing in my way.

"Should the same crew need a powerboat racer for another film I know they won't hesitate in hiring me because we worked well together but, as for getting any more, time will tell.

"At the moment I am concentrating on my next competition where I will finally be able to get back behind the wheel of a powerboat. At the moment I am navigating with Ricky Hill and we are running second in the championships but I can't wait to drive again.

"And the first challenge I face is with some of the biggest, most powerful boats in the world - the Ultracatz.

"They are awesome. It's like Formula One, but in boats. Twin 850hp, V8 engines with tops speeds in excess of 130mph they are definitely awesome machines. I watched a video of them racing and my eyes watered and a lump came to my throat. They are huge and very powerful but I know I can handle them and the competition - which will take us all over the world - is going to be great fun.

"I'll be working with a woman navigator, Tina Hawkins from New York, and we'll be the only females in the competition. Wait 'til my mum hears about this one. She'll hit the roof!

"Life is for living and, if my accident has taught me anything, it's to live everyday to the full. Of course the accident has had an amazing physical effect on me but I am itching to get my life back in full swing. There is so much I haven't done that I want to do. There will be no challenge too big. I'm ready for anything now.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.