Morbidly obese man craned out of flat, says it was first breath of fresh air in six years

Scenes from Holton's rescue.
Scenes from Holton's rescue. Photo credit: The Sun/Screenshot

A 317kg man had to be craned out of his home to be taken to hospital, giving him his first breath of fresh air in six years.

Jason Holton from Surrey told The Sun he had gorged himself to the point where he "couldn't move an inch".

"I was happy to stay there without calling for help. I left myself to die and waited for my heart to give up."

The 30-year-old eventually did call emergency services, and was removed from his two-bedroom flat with the help of a crane.

"There was a risk I wouldn't survive the lift. There was issues with my oxygen levels but I told rescuers to go ahead - or else I'd end up dying inside my flat," he said.

Getting him out safely took seven hours, during which rescuers had to remove his bedroom window to get him through it.

He says being outside was "amazing".

"It was the first time in six years I'd experienced fresh air."

Structural engineers propped up the floor of the flat over fears it would collapse if Holton fell.

Once he was safely removed from the flat Holton was hospitalised with lymphoedema - a chronic condition causing water retention and swelling.