THE parents of the Gwent traveller who almost died in a New Zealand motorbike crash say they want to thank a local girl who helped save his life.

Norman and Jackie Willbourne, from Risca, say they owe a debt of gratitude to a mystery 17-year-old Maori girl who was first on the scene of the accident involving their son, Noel. (pictured).

Noel, 21, was riding his 250cc motorcycle along a highway in Whangarei, near Auckland, after eight months of travelling through New Zealand when an Austrian man driving a camper van on the wrong side of the road crashed into him.

Noel's right femur was broken and his knee cap smashed, and the lower part of his helmet was hit into his jaw.

That left him with serious head injuries and in a coma for four days.

Without hesitating, the girl cleared Noel's airways of broken teeth and smashed bone fragments from his jaw and placed him in the recovery position.

She also kept talking to him while they waited for medical attention in order to stop him losing consciousness.

They are now trying to track her down - and the Argus is hoping to enlist the help of a local paper.

Mr Willbourne said: "This local girl kept shouting in Noel's ear for him to squeeze her hand - without her presence of mind and the attention of an off-duty nurse and doctor who happened to be in the area, we are in no doubt that we would have lost him."

Mrs Willbourne added: "We didn't even get chance to thank her for saving our son's life - money can't buy what we owe her and the fantastic medical staff who treated Noel." The Willbournes also wished to thank their close friends, Chris Jones and Catherine Williamson, for raising cash through several fundraising events so they could stay in New Zealand.

When the Argus first ran the story on Noel's accident at the end of November, we received many calls from people wishing to pledge money to allow Norman and Jackie to remain in New Zealand while their son slowly recovered from his horrific injuries.

Mrs Willbourne said: "People have been so kind, it is unbelievable. It is during times like this you find out who your friends are."