JOSH LEWSEY TEAMS UP WITH BRITISH SOLDIER FOR MOUNTAIN CLIMB

ABOVE: Rugby star Josh Lewsey will climb Mount Everest with a British soldier

AN Army pilot who cheated death in Iraq is teaming up with one of rugby’s biggest stars Josh Lewsey to climb Mount Everest.

Major Keith Reesby, 32, and Josh Lewsey, who met while training to be Army officers at Sandhurst, will together try to conquer the world’s highest mountain.

But testing himself on the deadly 29,000ft mountain will not be the riskiest thing the flier has done. He came under attack while piloting his Lynx helicopter in Iraq – and was only saved by the metal dog tags hanging round his neck.

Keith said: “I was hit by an AK47 bullet. It entered through my armpit and travelled into my chest and out again before ricocheting off the inside of my body armour.

“Fortunately, it bounced off my dog tags, otherwise it would have entered my chest again.”

After a spell in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, he was back in Iraq just seven months later.

Now the Nottingham officer is in Afghanistan, flying his Lynx and commanding 652 Squadron, 1 Regiment Army Air Corps.

And when his tour finishes he will team up with British Lion and World Cup winner Lewsey, 32.

He said: “There is a perception that even amateurs can conquer Everest now.

“I have a suspicion this is not the case but, as neither of us have any technical ability, it will be interesting to test the theory.”

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