The airborne saviours

Jul 21 2008 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Deputy News Editor ANDREW HIRST spent a day with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team and here he illustrates what faces the pilots and paramedics on a day-to-day basis

THE six-year-old boy’s survival chances seemed hopeless.

The youngster had been hit by an army truck which had then run over him.

The paramedics on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance at first thought they had no chance of saving him.

Paramedic Darren Axe said: “There was not a part of his body that had not suffered a traumatic injury, including a fractured spine, skull and terrible internal injuries.

“Normally we stabilise patients at the scene before flying them to the nearest specialist hospital – but such were his injuries it was a simple case of scoop and run.”

The youngster was flown from the accident scene at Dishworth to Harrogate District Hospital in minutes – and Darren thought he would never see him again.

He was in a coma for a month.

Six months later the door at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance headquarters at Leeds Bradford Airport was flung open and the boy came in with his parents.

“It was one of the best moments of my life,’’ said Darren. “I never thought he had any chance of making it. I was just so pleased to see him again and it shows the wonders this helicopter can do.

“In this case it wasn’t just what we do as paramedics – it was the speed of the helicopter that got him to hospital so quickly.’’

Darren was part of the crew which also saved the life of Top Gear TV presenter Richard Hammond after a dragster-style car crash in September 2006.

The car, capable of reaching speeds of about 300mph, crashed at Elvington airfield near York, leaving Richard critically ill with head injuries.

“Richard was out of the car when we got there,” said Darren. “Outwardly he looked all right. He had bumps to his face and jaw which were starting to come up in bruises and he was drifting in and out of consciousness."

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