A 73-year-old grandfather had a dramatic and heart-stopping escape after slipping on a hidden patch of black ice directly outside his front door, with the entire incident captured on his home's video doorbell.
A Chilling Start to the Day
Paul Kenyon, aged 73 from Nelson in Lancashire, was heading out to go shopping on the morning of January 7. As he stepped onto his driveway, he believed the surface was simply wet from rain. In reality, it was coated with a treacherous, near-invisible layer of black ice.
The retired loom repairer immediately lost his footing. "I walked out the door to go shopping and I went to put something in the bin," Paul recounted. "It just looked like the floor was wet, but I realised as I fell that it was black ice."
The Dramatic Fall Caught on Camera
Paul's video doorbell recorded the shocking moment he went head-over-heels, landing on the ground with a heavy thump. The father-of-one and grandfather-of-three described the sensation of the fall. "I felt myself going and thought 'brace yourself'," he said.
Miraculously, Paul avoided serious injury. He narrowly missed hitting his head on a nearby wall during the tumble. He credits his thick winter clothing for providing some protection against the hard, frozen ground.
Lucky Escape Amid UK's Icy Blast
This alarming incident serves as a stark warning as Britain continues to grapple with a spell of sub-zero temperatures and widespread icy conditions. Black ice, which forms when rain or meltwater freezes on pavements and roads, is particularly dangerous because it is so difficult to see.
Despite the scare, Paul maintained a sense of humour about the event after reviewing the footage. "Luckily, I wasn't injured - I'm almost 74 but I bounced!" he joked. "It wasn't funny at the time, but I found it funny watching it back."
His experience underscores the very real risks that icy weather poses, especially to older residents, and highlights the importance of taking extreme caution when venturing outside during cold snaps.
