Hero Taxi Driver leaves N. Ireland In His Cab to pick up regular in Benidorm Costa Blanca Spain

A hero taxi driver is on his way from Newtownabbey N. Ireland to Spain to pick up a very special VIP passenger.

The hero taxi driver Phil Hamilton set off to drive the 1,700 miles to the Spanish town after his best buddy Jim Moore suffered a head injury while on holiday last week in Benidorm Costa Blanca Spain.

Jim, 58, went missing in Benidorm for 72 hours after going to the destination on a club break.

Worried friends set up a search party and hit social media with a campaign launched to try to find him and eventually news came through the 58-year-old was in a Spanish hospital being treated for a serious head injury following a easy fall.

Due to the nature of the nasty head injury Jim whilst allowed to leave hospital – has been ordered by doctors not to fly. When the news filtered back to his best mate Phil the meter went off and the rescue mission commenced.

A number of friends and the taxi firm clubbed together to cover the costs of the journey and away went Phil.

Hero taxi driver/manager Phil said: “It’s just the right thing to do. Jim is out of danger but he has been advised by the medical team not to fly for a few months, so this is the best way to get him home.

“He has spent time in a Spanish hospital on his own separated from friends and family and now we’ll get him in the car and we can have a good chat on the way back. I’ll be driving myself but the family are keeping me company”

Jim went onto say “It was such a relief to hear that Jim had been found after he’d been missing, and even better news that he’s out of danger now.

“Jim is a regular customer of 365 taxis, and when we heard he was unable to travel by air we decided we’d send a taxi out to Spain to bring him back to Newtownabbey to reunite him with his family and friends.

“I can’t wait until the next fare I get asks me, ‘What’s the longest taxi journey you have done?’, to see their face when I say it was a waiting return from Newtownabbey to Benidorm and back.”

Meanwhile a spokesperson for 365 Taxis told Belfast live before the cab set off: “He can’t fly for a few months and he just wants to get home to his family.

“So we are sending a taxi. It’s fair to say here at 365 Taxis we really are more than just a taxi company. Phil should arrive in Benidorm on Saturday or Sunday to pick up his passenger and we wish them all well.”

Phil has so far travelled to Scotland by ferry to drive down to a main land UK port to get to France- then down through France and now into Spain and 4 hours ago Phil  had776 miles to go hoping  that the taxi will arrive in Benidorm around Midnight to meet his pal.

We the Euro Weekly News here in Spain will keep you updated of Hero Phil’s travels!