A former lawyer on the Island was seriously injured while hiking in Spain.

Simon Farmer, who lived on the Island for 22 years before leaving in 2003, was doing research for a travel book on the Pyrenees Mountains in July when he fell down a deep ravine and severely injured his spine.

Since then he has been treated at the Zaragosa University Hospital in the northeast of Spain.

Currently he does not have any feeling in his arms or legs and is waiting to be transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital in UK, which specialises in spinal injuries.

Mr. Farmer worked at Marshall Diel & Meyers law chambers while he was on the Island.

Four years ago he was acquitted on charges of prowling and an indecent act. A magistrate found he had no case to answer for a variety of reasons, including the fact his DNA did not match that found at the scene.

His demands for an apology and expenses from Police have gone un-answered. Another man was later charged and convicted of the offences.

Yesterday his sister Karen Mitchell, who also lived on the Island for two decades, said her brother had a long road to recovery ahead of him.

"He has already had one surgery," she said from her home in Devon, England. "The doctors have said it could take 12 to18 months of physical therapy but even then the prognosis is not good."

"From what he has told us he was hiking along a trial in the Pyrenees when he stopped to look at something. He then moved his foot a fraction and part of the ground fell away, and because of the weight of his rucksack he somersaulted down the ravine.

"He told me that he thinks he yelled for help for an hour-and-a-half before people came to help. He was then taken by helicopter to the Zaragosa University Hospital."

The accident happened on July 26, but Mr. Farmer's family did not hear about it until July 31 after Mr. Farmer recuperated from an operation and was well enough to call them.

Since then he has been treated at the hospital but his family is working to bring him to the UK, though Mrs. Mitchell said the process is more complicated than they first thought.

She added that a number of his Bermudian friends have been in contact sending cards, calling or visiting Mr. Farmer and she thanked everyone for their support.