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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Entertainment
Chloe Parkman

Sir Ranulph Fiennes worst near-death experience happened at Bristol Airport

Explorer and adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has shared the moment in which he came close to death - revealing it actually happened at Bristol Airport. The 78-year old - who the Guinness Book of Records hailed 'the world’s greatest living explorer' - is the only man alive ever to have travelled around the Earth's circumpolar surface.

Sir Ranulph has lived a life of adventure but, according to The Telegraph, it appears the closest the explorer has ever come to death was when he collapsed at Bristol Airport back in 2003. He told The Telegraph: "I was at Bristol Airport on a flight to Edinburgh in 2003, about to take off, when apparently I suddenly collapsed and subsequently spent three days on life support in the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

READ MORE: Sir Ranulph Fiennes hails 'enchanting' festive Heathrow Express service revolutionising Christmas for jet-setting Brits

"The stewardess saw it happen and alerted the pilot who radioed for first responders, who arrived with a defibrillator, which I was on within minutes of having the heart attack. When I woke up my wife said, "Ran, you had a heart attack three days ago".

"I couldn’t remember a thing about it, and I still can’t to this day."

Among Sir Ranulph's other achievements during his life include reaching both the North and Sole Poles and travelling across Antarctica on foot, the first person to do so. He has also climbed Mount Everest.

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