Angela Brearley

Barbara Barnes, the widow of Holmfirth resident Norman Barnes who died of a sudden cardiac arrest whilst out for a walk less than a few miles from home has raised £2,500 for two local charities in memory of her husband.

The £2,500 was split between Kirkwood Hospice and Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the money was raised through the sale of raffle tickets. Barbara had organised an in-memory event with a raffle to benefit both charities, but due to COVID-19, the event was cancelled. Attendees decided that despite the event not going ahead, Barbara could still donate the money to charity.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched to Norman’s incident, but sadly they were unable to save him.

Barbara said: “I have had huge support from my wonderful family, great friends and caring neighbours who are all happy for me to donate £1,250 to each charity. It was a pleasure to support two very deserving charities, thank you for all your very caring hard work.”

Angela Vyas, West Yorkshire Community Fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to pass our sincere condolences to Barbara, her family and friends and thank them all for their generosity.

It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and the £1,250 raised will help greatly towards the vital funding of our service.”

ENDS

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is a lifesaving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to the five million people across Yorkshire. On average, the charity responds to five incidents across the entirety of the region every single day.

Between 1^st April 2020 and 31^St March 2021, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance treated 922 patients across Yorkshire, more than a fifth (21%) of patients were from South Yorkshire (196). Of those responded to in South Yorkshire, 8% were also flown to hospital for lifesaving treatment (15).

Road traffic incidents involving motorcyclists (22) and road traffic incidents (22) involving pedestrians were the most common incidents in South Yorkshire during 2020, followed closely by vehicle road traffic (21) incidents and then cardiac arrests (19).

July (23) was the busiest month in the South Yorkshire region and Fridays (33) were the busiest days for incidents. This is compared to April and Tuesdays the previous year. Weekend incidents rose by 4% in the last financial year (87).

The majority of incidents in the South Yorkshire region were in Doncaster (78), followed by Sheffield (38) and then Barnsley (32). The average patient age was 17-39 years old (74).

Of the 196 patients treated, Yorkshire Air Ambulance was the first emergency service on the scene for more than 1 in 10 incidents (19%) and 4% of patients were given a potentially lifesaving blood transfusion on-scene (7).

Nearly a third (28%) of missions resulted in our specialist Paramedics travelling with the patient in the land ambulance to the hospital (55), where it was deemed quicker or medically necessary to go by land rather than air.

Three times more men were treated than female patients and one in ten (10%) incidents involved children aged 2 – 16 (22).

Matt Syrat, YAA Clinical Operations Manager, commented: “Being a South Yorkshire lad born and bred, the region always holds a special place in my heart. I spent my entire pre hospital career serving South Yorkshire, before moving to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in 2012, and it ensured I had a well rounded and varied insight into life. South Yorkshire has one of the most expansive areas of motorway, rail and road networks in the region meaning that the Air Ambulance can make all the difference to rural areas and long distances to major trauma centres.”

*Data taken from the last financial year 1^st April 2020 – 31^st March 2021 and the previous financial year 1^st April 2019 – 31^st March 2020. The numbers in brackets refer to the amount of patients or percentage treated by Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Jean Dixon from Scarborough, has been volunteering for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for more than 18 years and has raised more than £750,000 through running the air ambulance’s only dedicated charity shop at the Scarborough Market vaults, and through public speaking.

A year ago, well-known Jean was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Honours for her services to charity, and yesterday, on the 7^th July, Jean alongside her family and close friends, finally received her medal at the Camp Hill Estate in Bedale which was presented by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner.

Jean has been running businesses from Scarborough Market Hall for over 57 years and in 2004, shortly after her retirement, she decided to take on an empty stall and raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as a volunteer.  She started off in the original market hall with one small stall, and over the years expanded to being a considerable part of the old market hall.  Then after the market hall refurbishment in 2017, Jean and her team relocated downstairs to the market vaults where they’ve been since.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance shop now consists of two vaults on the lower ground floor of Scarborough Market, with a dedicated clothing shop selling high-quality fashion donated by dress agencies. Over the last 18 years, with help from her dedicated volunteer team through attending various events, as well as being a public speaker for the Charity, Jean has helped raise over £750,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Jean was nominated for the award by Jim Goodman, a regular customer of the Scarborough Market vaults charity store, after him seeing Jean’s work for the Charity first hand.

Speaking of her award, Jean said: “I’m over the moon. I had a fantastic day out with my friends and family at the ceremony and I’m so happy to receive this award for my work.  I didn’t set out to do anything like this as not many people knew who the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were when I started.

I said to myself when I joined the air ambulance that I’d like to raise over £1 million pounds and my son said I was a little bit ambitious, but we’re now more than three-quarters of the way there. I just hope I live long enough to make the other quarter of a million.”

She continued: “It was very hard work, but worth every minute of it and I’m really proud of how far the charity has come. I’m amazed by the people of Yorkshire being so dedicated to the air ambulance, it really does help us raise the vital funds to keep the helicopters airborne and saving lives across the region.”

Peter Sunderland Chairman of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “On behalf of everyone from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, we would like to say well done and congratulations to Jean on receiving her British Empire Medal and a huge thank you for her continued support and dedication towards the Charity. Jean is a valued member of our volunteering team and a firm part of the YAA family. It is great to see her receive the recognition she deserves for everything she has done for us. It is an honour to have her as part of our team.”

The YAA provides a lifesaving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire. It costs £12,000 every single day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air.

For more information please contact Yorkshire Air PR and Communications Officer, Jessica McDonnell on j.mcdonnell@yaa.org.uk or 01422 237900/ 07384517193

Seven-year-old Harry who lives near Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s air support unit in Wakefield has raised an impressive £580 by shaving his beloved Mohawk for the lifesaving charity.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is a rapid response lifesaving charity serving 5 million people across Yorkshire. Last year the service carried out 1,365 missions across the region and treated 922 patients.

Harry has been a fan of Yorkshire Air Ambulance since he was three years old when he started watching Helicopter ER and seeing the helicopter fly over his home. He would often walk with his mum to the nearby fields to see the helicopter lift off and arrive back at the base after their lifesaving missions.

Everyone who knows Harry, knows of his iconic Mohawk. His distinctive haircut has been his pride and joy throughout his childhood. However, after his mum suggested he should have his hair cut for charity, he agreed to brave the shave for YAA.

Melinda, Harry’s Mum set up a Just Giving Page and waved goodbye to his distinctive haircut on Saturday 3^rd July. To date, the fundraiser has raised an impressive £580 and Harry is in awe of the support he has received from his family, friends and teachers and keeps telling everyone how he’s ‘helping save lives across Yorkshire’.

Harry can’t wait to get his hair style back and he said: “I did this for charity, not forever.”

Melinda, said: “Harry has suspected autism and we’re currently awaiting a diagnosis, so change can be incredibly difficult for him. Harry would often say he doesn’t feel like Harry without his Mohawk if his hair was left flat. I am extremely proud of Harry for shaving his hair, I can’t even find the words to tell you how proud I am. Not only has it lifesaving funds for charity, but it has hopefully shown Harry that change can often be a good thing.”

Helen Berriman, West Yorkshire Community Fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “Harry is a little superstar, he has really embraced the fundraising challenge and we’re incredibly thankful for Harry’s support.

It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and the money raised from Harry’s head shave will help greatly towards the vital funding of our service. Well done Harry!”

To support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and to donate to Harry’s JustGiving page, check out:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harry7

Former patients of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance have shared the reasons why they support the Charity as part of the new ‘What’s Your Why?’ campaign to promote Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s annual fundraising event, Yellow Yorkshire Day.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is a life-saving rapid response charity serving 5 million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire and carries out over 1,300 missions every year. The Charity operates two state-of-the-art Airbus H-145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

Yellow Yorkshire Day is an annual fundraising event held on the first Friday in July, to raise vital funds for the Charity.  Each year thousands of pounds are raised by people dressing in yellow or organising a yellow themed fundraising event.  This year it will be held on Friday 2^nd July.

This year’s Yellow Yorkshire Day theme celebrates the reason why people support the Charity and include messages from former patients to their staff and volunteers who help to raise the £12,000 a day it costs to keep the air ambulances flying across the region.  Patients featuring in this year’s campaign include:

Charlie Gobedhere

On the 8^th August 2019, 10-year-old Charlie from South Yorkshire and his sister, 9-year-old Emma were travelling by car to Pickering station with their grandad, to catch the train over to Whitby for a day out when they were all involved in a serious road traffic collision

Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched with their Critical Care Team onboard, and due to the severity of Charlie’s injuries, he was flown directly to the major trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary.  Tests revealed that Charlie had sustained some very severe injuries, including losing 40cm of his bowel as well as skin tissue loss. Charlie spent 8 and a half weeks in hospital and endured 11 surgeries in total, including a tummy tuck and reconstructive surgery to build a new belly button.

Nick Gobedhere, Charlie’s dad, said: “The reason why I support The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is that they are a truly remarkable service funded purely by charitable donations, without them my son may not be here anymore, they saved his life. Thank you for everything you do.”

Algy Kazlauciunas

On 4^th September 2020, Algy from North Yorkshire was cycling in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire when his bike wheel skidded on an oil slick in the middle of the road and his body was thrown on to a grass verge. Algy was flown to Harrogate Hospital, where tests revealed that he had fractured his femur.

Algy, said: “Thank you Yorkshire Air Ambulance for assisting me last year when I had a cycling incident and broke my leg and thank you for getting me to hospital on time. Also, thank you for the fantastic advice you told me about always wearing a cycling helmet. You do a fantastic job.”

Charlotte Theobald

Charlotte from Helmsley began suffering from idiopathic anaphylaxis (severe, spontaneous allergic reactions) after being stung by a wasp in 2017. Her condition hugely impacts her life as the cause of her allergies is unknown and everyday items can trigger a life-threatening reaction, causing chronic spontaneous hives, rapid swelling, and anaphylaxis, narrowing of her airways causing breathing difficulties, asthma and vocal cord dysfunction.

In July 2020, Charlotte had one of the anaphylactic episodes and was flown to hospital by Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

“I support Yorkshire Air Ambulance because they are my angels in the sky”, said Charlotte.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance are also asking supporters to send their own messages of why they support the charity. This can be done via their social media channels @YorkshireAirAmb on Twitter and Yorkshire Air Ambulance on Facebook with the hashtag #whatsyourwhy

For more information about Yellow Yorkshire Day please visit: https://www.yorkshireairambulance.org.uk/get-involved/events/yaa-events/yellow-yorkshire-day-2021/

A former Yorkshire Air Ambulance patient is set to embark on a Leeds to Edinburgh cycling challenge to raise vital funds for the heroes that rescued him.

On July 20^th 2019 Chris Howie from Edinburgh had a cycling accident while cycling the ‘Etape Du Dales’ route on a cycling holiday with his friends.

It was a very wet day and during a fast descent, Chris lost control of his bike and it slipped on a cattle grid. He landed heavily on the ground.

Speaking of his incident, Chris said: “I was lying on the road for over an hour because we couldn’t get any signal to call the emergency services. Eventually, a few people were flagged down in their cars and they were able to help us. I was in a huge amount of pain and in a really bad way. I didn’t know what was happening with my arm.

I felt like I was battling to stay alive, every minute felt like an eternity and when the air ambulance arrived, it was finally the noise I had been waiting for. It was such a relief and I knew I was going to make it. At the time, it was the best sound in the world.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance assessed Chris on-scene and he was flown to Leeds General Infirmary for further treatment. Tests revealed that he had badly broken his arm and Chris endured multiple surgeries to fix it, including a bone graft.

After a couple of weeks in the LGI, Chris was transported by ambulance to Edinburgh, where he stayed in the hospital for a few more weeks. It was the ambulance journey from Leeds to Edinburgh that sparked his fundraising idea.

“I was told I wouldn’t walk for six months or cycle for a year and I might not ever race my bike again. It was a very difficult time, but the care I received was wonderful and I hope that by fundraising I can show my gratitude in a manner that might help others”, said Chris.

He continued: “The journey from Leeds to Edinburgh in the ambulance seemed quite epic, so I thought it would be a good challenge to do it again but on my bike this time, and in one day. My recovery was quicker than expected and I’m confident I could achieve this now- with the right wind!”

Chris and nine friends will set off on his epic challenge on Saturday 19^th June. He will start at the Leeds General Infirmary Jubilee Wing with Simo Turner, an anaesthetist he befriended when he was staying at the hospital and he’s hoping to reach Edinburgh by 3 or 4am the following day.

Jenny Jones, South and West Yorkshire Fundraising Manager for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: ” We would like to wish Chris and his friends the best of luck in his epic cycling challenge from Leeds to Edinburgh.

It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and all of the support we receive is truly appreciated and will help us continue saving lives across the region.”

To support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and to donate to Chris’ Virgin Money page, check out: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=ChrisHowie4&pageUrl=1

• Road traffic incidents decreased by 10% during the lockdown.
• Falls and cardiac arrests most common incident type.
• Twice as many Men responded to by Yorkshire Air Ambulance compared to women throughout the year.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is a lifesaving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to the five million people across Yorkshire. On average, the charity responds to five incidents across the entirety of the region every single day.

Like many charities across the UK, the recent pandemic brought many new challenges to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the charity has had to adjust to a new way of working, flying in the face of COVID 19.

Between 1^st April 2020 and 31^St March 2021, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance responded to 1,365 incidents across Yorkshire, treated 922 patients and 123 patients were flown to hospital.  A 10% decrease in operations from the previous year, much of which can be attributed to operational changes due to the pandemic.

This trend followed throughout the year with April (16), November (72) and December (78) being the charities operationally quietest months as the nation obeyed the governments stay at home message and locked down once more.

After the three week deployment back to the frontline, the YAA crew then returned to their duties.  However, as lockdown measures were steadily eased and Yorkshire Air Ambulance became operational again, incidents quickly rose by 20% with August being the busiest month of 2020 with

165 incidents responded to – an average of five incidents a day. This was closely followed by 142 incidents in July.

To ensure crew safety and minimise any risk of COVID transmission, the YAA helicopters were adapted with safety measures, including Perspex screens to separate the cockpit from the cabin.  During this period, the YAA’s Rapid Response Vehicles came another crucial way of delivering vital care to patients, ensuring the Critical Care Team with their specialist skills could attend an incident. This led to an increase 58 % of incidents responded to by road (141 in 2019 vs 223 in 2020).

As more people continued to work from home, road traffic incidents dropped by 10% accounting for only 130 incidents out of 1,365, compared to 254 out 1,523 in the previous year. Falls from height, which also includes climbing and falls during leisurely pursuits such as walking, was the most common incident of the year, followed closely by cardiac arrests (111) which dropped by over a third (36% compared to the previous year (174)).

Farming incidents, which also includes incidents where walkers are attacked by cattle increased by 60% (16 in 2020 vs 10 in 2019) attributed to more people out and about enjoying their local countryside. Positively however, mental health related incidents dropped by 55% (40 in 2019 and 18 in 2020).  Stabbing and gunshot incidents added to 3% of the incidents Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended last year.

Men (610) were almost three times as likely to be involved in an incident responded to by YAA compared to women (233) and the patient group most frequently treated by Yorkshire Air Ambulance were the 40-65 age group.

North Yorkshire, one of the most popular tourist spots in the region topped the records for the most falls in the region (24), South Yorkshire had the most D.I.Y injuries (8) and West (38) and East (31) Yorkshire experienced the most cardiac arrests.

Mondays were the busiest day for incidents throughout the year with 223 incidents, a rise of more than 10% (13%) compared to 2019 and Thursdays were the quietest days. Weekend incidents also rose by 10% in 2020 (393) compared to the previous year (357), where incidents were more dispersed throughout the week.

Matt Syrat, YAA Clinical Operations Manager, commented: “The pandemic had a direct impact on the care we were able to deliver by air but its important to realise that the brief time away was spent helping the frontline battle of the first wave of infections, preparing us, mentally, physically and clinically, for the return to air operations. It has been an incredibly difficult 12 months but the resilience and professionalism our staff have shown have made me proud to be part of such an amazing team.”

*Data taken from the last financial year 1^st April 2020 – 31^st March 2021 and the previous financial year 1^st April 2019 – 31^st March 2020. The numbers in brackets refer to the amount of patients treated by Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

New data released by Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) reveals that the Charity was the victim of 14 hoax phone calls in the last financial year.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is an independent charity providing lifesaving rapid response emergency treatment to people across Yorkshire. The charity responds to more than 1,300 incidents a year, an average of four a day.

In the last financial year, between April 1^st 2020 and 31^st March 2021, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance responded to 14 hoax calls, and in 2021 so far (January 1^st – 10^th May) the charity has responded to 10.

The bogus call outs were mainly in West (10) and South Yorkshire (4) with October 2020 and January 2021 being the busiest months with three per month.

Matt Syrat, Clinical Operations Manager, commented “There is no way of knowing if a 999 call is a hoax when it comes in.  We have to treat every call as if it is an emergency situation and respond rapidly.  When a call comes in there are no significant indicators that it might be a hoax as the caller is asked a series of questions about the emergency by the 999 call handler – that doesn’t become apparent until emergency responders arrive at the scene to find no emergency.”

Matt added “There is nothing more frustrating for our crews than landing at a scene and establishing that the call was in fact a hoax.  Not only has it wasted our time and put ours and the public’s life at risk, but there will always be other emergency services involved too – the ambulance service, police and even the fire service depending on the alleged nature of the hoax.  Committing all these emergency services to one hoax call could risk us not reaching a real emergency fast enough and puts other lives at risk.  Then there is the cost of calling everyone out and tying up our resources.  None of us can comprehend why someone would want to do this to the emergency services.”

Four hoax calls were responded to by Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) and 10 incidents involved the aircraft being dispatched.

Matt concluded “We would urge people to never even contemplate making a hoax 999 call as it could have devastating consequences.  Every time our aircraft is dispatched to a hoax incident, it prevents us from attending genuine emergencies where our care could be the difference between life and death for someone’s loved one.”

The work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance can be seen on the TV documentary series Helicopter ER which is broadcast on the Really channel.

ENDS

A North Yorkshire farmer who was rescued by Yorkshire Air Ambulance earlier this year after being trapped against a gate by his own tractor has donated £10,000 to the life-saving charity.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is a life-saving rapid response charity serving 5 million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire and carries out over 1,300 missions every year. The Charity operates two state-of-the-art Airbus H-145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

On 11^th February 2021, farmer George Houghton, 84, was carrying bales when his tractor rolled forward and pinned him against a gate post. As it veered towards him, it also ran over his right leg.

George laid trapped for almost an hour and couldn’t breathe as the front wheel was wedged behind his shoulder. Luckily, George had his phone on him and was able to call 999 and alert the emergency services.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance initially dispatched their Topcliffe aircraft with two of their HEMS Critical Care Paramedics, but once the extent of George’s injuries were revealed, they dispatched a second aircraft with a Critical  Care Doctor on board to administer powerful analgesia.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew assessed George and he was flown to Preston Royal Hospital for further treatment. He was rushed immediately for surgery on his right leg.

George has since returned home for recuperation, however, he is still under the care of the team at Preston Royal Hospital and is due to have further plastic surgery on his leg later this year.

The money donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance is on behalf of his late wife Betty and his children, Paul, Richard and Maxine. Speaking of his donation, George said:” I hope this donation will help to save other lives as I wouldn’t like them to have the pain that I have been through. No one knows if they will be the next victim.”

Linda Stead, North Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser, said: “We would like to thank George for his very generous donation to Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The £10,000 donated will help many other major trauma victims like George receive the best rapid response care that we provide.

It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and support such as George’s is the life-blood of our Charity.”

George’s accident will also feature on the hit TV series Helicopter ER, which follows the day to day work of the YAA, later this year.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) are delighted to confirm that they will be replacing their current Airbus H145 D2 helicopters with the next generation aircraft by the end of Summer 2023.  The YAA will be the first organisation in the UK to receive the brand new, 5-bladed H145 D3 model.

The two current YAA helicopters, G-YAAC and G-YOAA, which came into service in 2016, will be replaced by a more advanced and state-of-the-art version of their current model, the Airbus H145.  The decision to replace the helicopters is to ensure the people of Yorkshire receive the best operational and medical service from the life-saving Charity.

Steve Waudby, Director of Aviation explains: “Our two current helicopters, G-YAAC and G-YOAA have served us well since 2016 and will continue to do so for another few years.  However, the typical effective lifespan of an air ambulance helicopter is somewhere between 7 to 10 years, so we are placing a timely order now for delivery in 2023, whilst taking advantage of early Airbus production line slots, as this helicopter has become very popular within the air ambulance community.  There have also been a lot of advancements made to the H145 since we bought our current aircraft – both technically in the cockpit, and medically with regards to the equipment we carry.   We had the choice to look at retrospectively fitting these technological advancements or upgrading to brand-new helicopters that include everything as part of their specification.  Given the complexities of helicopter mechanics, we would have also faced a longer lead time with having everything retrospectively fitted rather than buying new, so it was sensible for the Charity to upgrade the helicopters for new ones.”

The first of the two new helicopters is expected to arrive in Yorkshire in Spring 2023, with the second following shortly after in Summer 2023.

Steve added “If we had taken the decision to retrospectively fit all the extra technology and equipment we needed, by the time that had been completed we’d have been at a point where we would have been starting to look at replacing our current helicopters.  Bringing our plans forward by a year or two means we get best value, as well as bringing two even better state-of-the-art helicopters to the people of Yorkshire.”

Advancements to the new model includes a 5-bladed rotor head which will provide a smoother flight for the crew and patients, on board Wi-Fi to allow patient records to be updated inflight, and a cutting-edge secure communications system which will allow the crew to send patient data ahead to their destination hospital, allowing Doctors and Nurses to start evaluating and assessing the patient before they arrive.  There will also be an improved medical fit alongside some of the most advanced and innovative equipment for treating patients at scene and in-flight.

Peter Sunderland, Chairman of the YAA commented “We are delighted to be able to announce our plans for these new helicopters.  The H145 has become the most popular new aircraft globally and we are very much looking forward to welcoming the two new models to Yorkshire in Spring and Summer of 2023.  Our current H145 D2 helicopters have served us well, so there was no question about considering other makes or models – it is fast becoming the air-ambulance helicopter of choice within the air ambulance sector.”

Peter continues: “We have been financially planning for these replacements since G-YAAC and G-YOAA commenced their operations in 2016 and with prudent, planned savings, careful budgeting, and building our reserves we are now in a position to move forward.  This has only been made possible through the generosity of individuals, groups, businesses and organisations whose support is so gratefully received. Our aim has always been to provide the people of Yorkshire and its visitors with the best possible air ambulance service, and by upgrading our helicopters in 2023 we can continue to ensure we are futureproofing and modernising our operations and service delivery.”

The new helicopters, complete with full medical fit out, will cost approximately £15.3M which is being funded through careful financial planning and reserves.  Current aircraft G-YAAC and G-YOAA will be sold to offset some of these costs.

Gary Clark, Head of Civil Business, Airbus Helicopters in the UK added: “We greatly appreciate this show of confidence from Yorkshire Air Ambulance in once again selecting the H145 to replace its current helicopter fleet. The new version of the H145 with its five-blade, bearingless rotor gives an even smoother ride and 150kg greater useful load, plus the potential for longer endurance without refuelling – all important factors in helping air ambulance operators do their vital work more efficiently than ever. We wish YAA well in their daily operations.”

The YAA documentary series Helicopter ER, providing an insight into the vital work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is to air a special Critical Hour episode next week detailing one real-life emergency minute by minute with first-hand commentary from the crew who were on the frontline.

On 15^th October 2018, Aaron Hill, a bus driver from York, was driving to work in his vintage Jaguar, when his car skidded in the wet weather and careered off the road into a ditch.

The impact of the crash immediately shattered both his thighs and trapped both of his legs and an array of emergency service personnel had to work against the clock to extract him, in fear that he would lose both his legs.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was deployed to help Aaron, which included a team of specialist medics. Dr Brian White, an off duty YAA Consultant and a member of BASICS, an association of doctors that respond to emergencies in their spare time, rushed to the scene.

Al Day, YAA HEMS Paramedic who treated Aaron, said: “One of the things about working on the air ambulance is that time is really important and one of the biggest advantages of having a helicopter is that you can get to the scene of an incident quickly.”

Dr Brian White, YAA HEMS Consultant, said: “When I got there, it wasn’t carnage, but you could see the huge amount of energy being transferred into this car which was deformed. It was laying on its side and the gulley to access it was very difficult. Having a look in, I couldn’t see where his legs were going. The gearbox seemed to be moulded around them.”

“It’s really difficult arriving on scene and seeing someone trapped in pain and not being able to do anything until he is extricated. The longer he was trapped, the more concerned I was getting. He wasn’t bleeding torrentially, but a slow bleed could have still translated into Aaron suffering a cardiac arrest”, he continued.

After being trapped for several hours and extracted by the fire service, a decision was made to fly Aaron to Leeds General Infirmary.

Tests at the hospital revealed that Aaron had broken his thigh bone, vertebrae in his spine and sustained neck and skull fractures. Doctors battled to save Aaron’s foot, but unfortunately, it had to be amputated.

Speaking of his injuries, Aaron said: “The road to recovery was long and rough. I was in Leeds General for Infirmary for around a month and I was told that I would be bed bound for nearly a year and I just wouldn’t have it, so I got myself a wheelchair and started moving as much as I can.

The longer half of my leg was partially severed. The doctors made a big effort to save as much as they could, but after a couple of days, they said they would have to start operating. I made the decision to lose my foot because I was told by a lot of experts that it would be very specialised to have a prosthesis made up for just a small portion of my foot. I just said take everything off so I can get back to normal as quickly as I can.”

Aaron defied medics and has now learned to walk again, drive again and he’s now back to work as a bus driver.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Aaron said: “Easingwold was part of my bus route and I used to see bucket collections for the YAA and spare the change from my lunch.  Little did I know that I would need them in the near future. It must have been a horrible day for them. They turned up and made some very difficult decisions, but I’m here today. I have a huge amount of respect for the emergency services. You never realise how much you need them until you have an incident.”

The episode airs on Channel Really at 10 pm on Tuesday 20^th April.

On 4^th September 2020, Algy Kazlauciunas was cycling in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire when his bike wheel skidded on an oil slick in the middle of the road and his body was thrown on to a grass verge.

“It was one of the most unfortunate things that has happened in my life. An old truck had disposed of oil on the road and I hit the oil and that was it, I had no chance. I immediately realised that I couldn’t move and that no-one was there to help me”, said Algy.

Luckily, two cyclists that were not far behind him stopped to offer assistance.  Struggling to work out their exact location, one of the cyclists, luckily had the What3Words app installed on their phone. The What3words app can pinpoint a location within a three-metre square radius by giving the user a unique three-word code. It can save crucial minutes when searching for causalities at the roadside.

Whilst calling 999, Peter Jackson, one of the cyclists, quoted the What3Words reference ‘INFLATION, SURFER, INNER’ which led the emergency services straight to Algy’s location. Due to the severity of his injury, Yorkshire Air Ambulance also dispatched their Topcliffe aircraft.

Speaking of the air ambulance’s arrival, Algy said: “I remember the helicopter arriving and landing in the field and I wasn’t on the ground for too long before they took me to hospital. I was impressed by the people who stopped and were so helpful with everything. It was a real joy in terms of humanity.”

Algy was flown to Harrogate Hospital, where tests revealed that he had fractured his femur. He endured a long operation to pin his leg back together and have a rod inserted, and spent four days in the hospital recuperating before being sent home.

Unfortunately, Algy hasn’t been able to get back on his bike just yet, but he’s planning to cycle again once the weather is warmer.

“I’ve been cycling in the garage for the last three months and I nearly went out for the first time one day, but I couldn’t do it. As soon as the weather is decent, I’ll be back on my bike again”, said Algy.

Algy, who wasn’t wearing a cycling helmet at the time of his incident, said: “Since the accident, I have realised what a dangerous situation it is to be cycling without a helmet. I will definitely be wearing one in future.”

Matt Syrat, Clinical Operations Manager for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “There’s a lot of rural areas and less identifiable roads in Yorkshire and if a person cannot distinguish where they are, it can delay the time it takes for emergency services to reach the incident.  What3Words enables us to pinpoint a nearly exact location of the casualty using the three words given to us by the call taker and we can dispatch immediately. The What3Words app is invaluable to saving lives, especially in remote areas of Yorkshire.”

Algy’s incident is set to appear on the reality TV series Helicopter ER on Channel Really at 10PM on 23^rd March 2021. The episode also features a 50ft fall in the Three Peaks and a patient trampled by cows in Coverdale.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5 million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,500 missions every year. The Charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

ENDS

For more information please contact YAA PR and Communications Manager Jessica McDonnell on j.mcdonnell@yaa.org.uk or 01422 237900/ 07384517193