Hiker Airlifted by Yorkshire Air Ambulance After Fall on Remote Coastal Trail

Gillian, 66, was on holiday with her Husband and friends when they set out for a walk along the RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, a renowned bird-watching spot on the Yorkshire Coast. The area is an important breeding habitat for migratory seabirds, including puffins, and the group had hoped to catch a glimpse of them along the trail.

As Gillian carefully navigated the narrow, muddy clifftop path, she suddenly lost her footing and slipped. She landed heavily, hearing a loud crunch as pain shot through her leg. Her ankle was severely fractured at an unnatural angle, leaving her lying on the ground unable to move and exposed to the elements. With the remote location making access difficult, her Husband immediately called 999 for help.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s critical care team, comprised of Paramedics Andy Armitage and Tom Chatwyn, were quickly dispatched from their base at RAF Topcliffe in Thirsk. With the remote location inaccessible to a land ambulance, the helicopter was the only viable option for reaching Gillian. Flying 50 miles to the east coast at speeds of up to 160 mph, YAA was first on scene, closely followed by the Yorkshire Coastguard.

The YAA team carried out a full assessment of Gillian’s injuries and quickly became concerned when she lost sensation in her foot, a potential sign of restricted blood flow or nerve damage. To prevent further complications, her ankle needed to be straightened urgently.

To manage the intense pain before realigning her ankle, the team administered ketamine, a powerful analgesic with dissociative properties, alongside gas and air for fast-acting relief. Working closely with the Coastguard team, they carefully prepared to move Gillian. As they rolled her onto a stretcher, Andy expertly realigned her ankle in one swift motion – a critical but painful procedure made more manageable by the medication. With her injury stabilised in a vacuum splint, Gillian was placed in a thermal sleeping bag to help regulate her body temperature before being carefully loaded into the helicopter for the flight to hospital.

Gillian was airlifted 17 miles to Scarborough General Hospital, a journey that took just seven minutes by helicopter. She was diagnosed with a trimalleolar ankle fracture and dislocation and underwent surgery to repair her ankle. Surgeons fitted one plate and five screws on the right side of her ankle, two screws on the left side, and a screw running from front to back through the middle of her ankle. She is now recovering and undergoing regular physiotherapy, with doctors estimating it will take several months before she is fully healed.

Reflecting on the incident, Gillian said, “We’d been looking forward to our walk and had hoped to catch a glimpse of the puffins and other wildlife that make the area so special. I never imagined it would end the way it did. When I fell, the pain was unbearable, and I knew something was seriously wrong. Seeing the helicopter land was such a relief! I can’t put into words how grateful I am to the YAA team and everyone who helped me that day. Their skill and care made all the difference, and I’ll never forget what they did for me.”

Yorkshire Air 999 continues to provide a unique behind-the-scenes look at the lifesaving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, showcasing the critical role the service plays across the region. This episode also follows the YAA team as they respond to a woman who suffered a stroke while hiking up Pen-y-Ghent, part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, a horse rider who sustained serious fractures and dislocations to both arms in a riding accident, and a motorcyclist who dislocated his shoulder in a fall.