Reegan Dickinson, a 12-year-old from Grimethorpe, will feature in the upcoming episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Quest on Friday, November 29th, at 9 PM. The episode showcases the rapid response of Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s (YAA) critical care team after Reegan was involved in a serious cross-bike accident.
Reegan had been riding with friends on a wet and muddy field near his home when he lost control of his bike as the front wheel skidded into a small ditch. Thrown from the bike, he sustained a serious open fracture to his lower right leg. His father, who was nearby at the time, rushed to his side to comfort him while they waited for help to arrive.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell-based critical care team, including paramedic Tom Chatwyn and technical crew member Alex Clark, were quickly dispatched to the scene. Explaining the seriousness of Reegan’s injury, Tom said “An open fracture is not just a break to the bone; it’s also a break to the skin, which risks infection, nerve damage, and significant blood loss. This can quickly become life-threatening if not treated urgently”.
Upon arrival, the team was relieved to find that Reegan had been wearing a helmet, minimising the risk of head injury. With his dad by his side for support, Reegan was assessed, and initial pain relief was administered via gas and air. However, the fracture required urgent treatment at the scene to reduce the risk of further complications.
To manage the intense pain of straightening his leg, the team administered ketamine, a powerful analgesic. Reegan’s dad played a crucial role in keeping him calm, sharing happy memories to distract him as the medication took effect. Once relaxed, Tom expertly straightened the leg, applied bandages to control the bleeding, before applying a vacuum splint to reduce further pain and movement.
Reegan was carefully loaded into the helicopter and flown to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), a major trauma centre, where a team of specialists were ready to perform surgery and repair his leg with a metal implant.
Throughout the ordeal, Reegan showed remarkable spirit, even jokingly nicknaming the YAA crew “Mr Orange” and “Mr Blue” after their distinctive uniforms. Tom said, “Despite the seriousness of the situation, Reegan’s humour and bravery brought positivity to a challenging job.”
Reegan began his recovery journey, which included intensive physiotherapy. Looking back on the accident, Reegan said, “The ground was so wet, and my bike just flipped when the wheel got stuck in a ditch. I’ve spent weeks playing video games while recovering, but I can’t wait to get back to riding—on a new bike! I even got to visit the Nostell air base with my family and see Tom again. My leg was still in its cage, but it was great to catch up and talk about everything that happened that day!”
The episode also follows the YAA team as they respond to a range of emergencies, including an elderly woman that had fallen from steep ladders in her garden, a cyclist that came off his bike on a country road breaking 14 bones including his neck and a serious equestrian accident.