Rebecca Selkirk

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based crew, comprised of Paramedic Stew Ashburner-McManus and Paramedic Fiona Blaylock, was dispatched to the scene, joining the land crew on a narrow trail around five miles from the nearest road.

On arrival, Fiona and Stew found Caitlin conscious but not speaking, responding only with eye opening and movement to commands. With a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 11 and clear signs of a head injury, the team carried out a focused neurological assessment to establish the extent of her symptoms.

Stew said, “Given the speed she’d come off her bike and how limited her responses were, we were worried about how much her brain had been affected. In cases like this, you start thinking ahead about whether a patient may need to be placed in a medical coma to protect their brain from further deterioration.”

Caitlin’s reduced responsiveness suggested she might soon struggle to maintain her airway, prompting the crew to prepare for the possibility of performing a Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI), the procedure used to place a patient into a medically induced coma to protect their brain. As an RSI can only be carried out by a doctor, they requested the doctor-led critical care team from the charity’s Nostell Air Base to attend.

While waiting for the Nostell crew to arrive, Fiona and Stew began preparing Caitlin for their arrival by moving her off the trail floor and onto a scoop stretcher, making any onward transfer or medical interventions easier. Within minutes, the Nostell crew landed nearby, and Dr James Sen and Paramedic Tom Chatwyn made their way to the scene with the help of a local groundsman, who drove them part of the way up the woodland track in his pickup truck.

After receiving a full handover, Dr James reassessed Caitlin and found her condition had improved; she was now giving short answers, and her Glasgow Coma Scale score had improved.

Dr James said, “Caitlin hadn’t been responding earlier, but by the time we arrived she was able to answer our questions. That improvement was reassuring and showed us that her brain was receiving enough oxygen, meaning we didn’t need to put her to sleep.”

With her injuries including a deep facial laceration, chest abrasions from the impact and suspected spinal damage, the teams worked together to stabilise Caitlin and manage her pain before preparing her for rapid transport. Given the remote location and the fact that the nearest major trauma centre was more than an hour away by road, Caitlin was flown to James Cook University Hospital in a seven-minute flight.

Caitlin spent three days in hospital, where scans revealed multiple fractures including her jaw, nose, finger, and a T7 spinal fracture. She is now recovering at home and despite the seriousness of her injuries, Caitlin is determined to return to the sport she loves.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell-based crew, consisting of Dr Stuart Reid and Paramedic Tammy Williams, arrived at the scene within minutes. Landing in a nearby field just a few metres from the crash site, the team had to climb a fence to reach Kaiden, where they joined the local ambulance paramedics who had already moved him from the roadside into the back of their ambulance.

Kaiden had sustained facial injuries, a suspected broken jaw, shoulder pain, and was showing signs of confusion and agitation, both common symptoms of a significant head injury.

Dr Reid explained, “When we arrived, Kaiden was clearly distressed and showing signs of a head injury. He was restless, confused and wouldn’t keep still, which made it difficult to communicate or assess him properly. My concern was that he could deteriorate quickly, so we needed to stabilise him and take control of his airway to keep him safe.”

Tammy inserted a cannula and administered ketamine, a powerful pain-relieving drug commonly used in emergency medicine. However, when Kaiden showed no improvement and continued to deteriorate, the team made the critical decision to perform a Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI), a complex procedure used to place a patient into a medically induced coma.

Dr Reid continued, “An RSI is one of the most critical interventions we perform. It removes a patient’s ability to breathe on their own, so everything has to be done with absolute precision. In any high-stress situation, we rely on our RSI checklist to make sure nothing is missed. It’s a vital aid that keeps the whole team coordinated and ensures the procedure is performed safely.”

Kaiden was given a combination of three drugs to allow the crew to take control of his breathing. Once sedated, YAA Paramedic Tammy had only seconds to insert a tube into his windpipe, place him on a ventilator, and prepare him for transfer to hospital.

Dr Reid pre-alerted the trauma team at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital as the crew made the short journey by land ambulance to the nearby helicopter. He was then transferred into the aircraft and flown the six-minute flight to hospital where the waiting trauma team were ready for his arrival.

Kaiden spent three days in a coma and a week in hospital, where he was treated for a bleed on the brain, a broken jaw, and a fractured foot and is now recovering well at home.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedic Andy Armitage and Paramedic Stewart Ashburner-McManus, were scrambled to the scene, flying the 20-mile journey in just ten minutes. With the nearest major trauma centre more than an hour away by road, the helicopter was crucial to Edward’s chances of survival.

Paramedic Andy said, “When we flew overhead to try and locate the patient, we spotted a very large overturned quad bike. Seeing the size of it immediately raised concerns about the force involved and the injuries that could follow, from head and chest trauma to pelvic fractures or internal bleeding”.

On arrival, the crew were told by Edward’s familythat he had stopped talking around 20 minutes earlier. The outside temperature overnight had dropped to around nine degrees, putting him at risk of hypothermia, which can slow the brain, weaken the heart and quickly become life-threatening.

Andy said, “I was really concerned because his level of consciousness was low, he had blood around his head, and we knew he’d been there all night. When someone’s been exposed to the cold for that long, you’re thinking: is he unconscious because of hypothermia, because of a head injury, or both? Either way, we needed to move quickly”.

The team gave Edward oxygen through a mask to support his breathing and carried out an urgent primary assessment, cutting away his clothing to check for hidden injuries. With his Glasgow Coma Scale score at 11, indicating a moderate head injury, and his skin already cold to the touch, the priority was to move him fast and protect him from further heat loss.

Andy said, “We didn’t want to spend any more time on the moor than necessary. He needed scans, warmth and a specialist trauma team, and the only way to get all of that fast was by air”.

Edward was carefully lifted onto a scoop stretcher, before being placed in a thermal sleeping bag to help retain heat and begin gently warming him. He was then carried to the helicopter for the 12 minute flight to Leeds General Infirmary, where trauma teams were standing by.

Edward was treated for hypothermia and underwent scans that revealed two bleeds on the brain and a fractured shoulder blade. After four weeks at Leeds General Infirmary and a further two at James Cook Hospital, he returned home to continue his recovery and is now back on his quad bike.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, comprised of Paramedics Tom Chatwyn and Danny Cooper, were diverted to the scene while returning to base from a nearby mission. With the seriousness of the incident becoming clear, YAA’s Nostell-based helicopter, Helimed 98, was also tasked to attend, carrying a doctor and additional blood supplies to support the response.

Speaking en route, Paramedic Tom said, “When we heard the patient had been trapped under his tractor since that morning, we knew he could be suffering from a range of serious injuries, from fractures or internal bleeding to crush syndrome, which can cause the release of toxins into the bloodstream. We needed to get there quickly to assess and start treatment.”

Arriving at the scene, the Topcliffe crew made their way to Simon, who was conscious but in considerable pain. His neighbour had managed to drive the tractor off his leg, freeing him from where he had been pinned. The team carried out a thorough primary assessment to identify any internal or external injuries, closely monitored his vital signs, and performed an ECG to assess his cardiac function before starting treatment.

Paramedic Tom said, “With the tractor moved from off his leg, we were immediately concerned about the risk of cardiac complications. When a limb has been trapped for a long period, the compressed tissue releases toxins back into the bloodstream once blood flow returns, which can affect the heart and lead to dangerous rhythm disturbances or even cardiac arrest.”

Simon was given intravenous fluids and ketamine, a fast-acting pain relief medication commonly used in emergency medicine for its strong analgesic and dissociative effects. Once the medication took effect, the crew carefully placed his leg in a vacuum splint, which moulded around the limb to immobilise it and help prevent further tissue damage.

Shortly after, Helimed 98 from Nostell arrived, with Dr Steve Rowe leading Simon’s ongoing care and overseeing his transfer to hospital. Dr Rowe said, “Simon had been trapped for ten hours, and you could see the pain he was in. Farmers are notoriously tough people, so when they tell us they’re hurting that much, we take it very seriously. Our priority was to get him to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”

The two crews worked together to carefully move Simon onto a scoop stretcher and into a thermal sleeping bag to help raise his body temperature. He was then carried to the awaiting aircraft for the 22-mile flight to Leeds General Infirmary, where trauma teams were standing by.

Simon spent 33 days in hospital, undergoing six operations to treat the extensive crush injuries to his leg. Despite the ordeal, he made remarkable progress and continues his recovery at home.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedic Andy Armitage and Technical Crew Member Loz Lyles, were dispatched to the incident and arrived by air within minutes. Landing in a field beside the busy road, the crew made their way to the junction on foot, where local ambulance crews and police officers were already on scene.

Martin, who is deaf, was conscious but found it difficult to communicate with responders at the scene. A quick-thinking bystander stopped to help and used her phone to type messages for Martin to read, allowing him to explain his symptoms and respond to paramedics’ questions.

Andy said, “Martin was complaining of severe pain in his neck and arms, and tingling in his legs, which immediately raised concerns about a possible spinal injury. With motorcycle collisions, all that force from the impact is transferred directly through to the body, so our priority was to stabilise his spine and minimise any movement until we can rule out further damage.”

While assessing Martin, the team discovered a small QR code sticker on his helmet, a feature he had added himself, allowing emergency responders to instantly access his medical history and emergency contacts.

Impressed by the idea, Andy said, “In all my years, I’d never seen a QR code like this on a helmet before, but I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It gave us his name, date of birth, address, medical details and his wife’s contact information within seconds. It made such a difference to how quickly we could gather key information and continue his care.”

Martin was given gas and air for pain relief as the YAA team worked with land ambulance medics to prepare him for transfer. Due to the risk of spinal cord injury, his helmet was removed using a specialist two-person technique, with one medic stabilising his head inside the helmet while the other carefully eased it away. His head was then supported with padded head blocks and secured with straps to prevent any movement during transport.

Andy commented, “With any suspected spinal injury, even the smallest movement can cause further damage, so everything we do is about maintaining alignment and minimising risk.”

Once stabilised, Martin was transferred to the awaiting road ambulance for the eight-mile journey to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, with Andy accompanying him to continue monitoring his condition on the way.

Martin spent six nights in hospital, where scans revealed swelling on his spinal cord. He is now undergoing physiotherapy and continuing his recovery at home.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Dr Dan Slane and Paramedic Sam Berridge, were dispatched to the scene, arriving by air within minutes. Landing a short walk from the crash site, they joined the local land ambulance crew who had arrived just minutes earlier and were beginning an initial assessment of his injuries.

Speaking en route, Paramedic Sam explained, “Motorcycle accidents can cause significant trauma. Even when the main injury looks obvious, like a broken leg, we always have to consider what else might be going on internally, as head, chest or spinal injuries can easily be masked by pain elsewhere.”

Greg was conscious and using gas and air to manage his pain as the team carried out a primary assessment. He had sustained a closed fracture to his femur, the strongest bone in the body, causing extreme pain and concern for potential internal bleeding or nerve damage.

With his pain escalating, the YAA team administered ketamine, a medication commonly used in emergency medicine for its fast-acting, dissociative properties, to provide stronger pain relief. Once the medication took effect, Greg’s leg was carefully straightened to realign the fracture and reduce pressure on surrounding blood vessels and nerves. The crew then applied a Kendrick traction splint, a specialist device that stabilises a broken femur by applying a controlled pulling force to keep the leg in its natural position.

Highlighting the importance of early leg realignment, Paramedic Sam said, “As the Air Ambulance, we carry a wider range of medications than a standard land ambulance, including ketamine, which works quickly to relieve pain and help patients relax. In Greg’s case, it allowed us to realign his leg safely and apply the traction splint. With a broken femur, the two bone ends can rub together, causing severe pain and sometimes damaging nearby nerves and blood vessels, so being able to straighten and stabilise the leg early makes a huge difference.”

Once stabilised, Greg was transferred to the awaiting land ambulance for the short journey to Barnsley Hospital. Despite his significant injuries, he stayed in good spirits, asking about the condition of his late father’s bike, which, to his relief, had survived the crash.

Sam added, “It always surprises us how, even in serious crashes, many bikers are more worried about their bike than themselves. Greg was clearly in a lot of pain, but he was still joking with us and asking if his dad’s bike was okay. He was lucky to have got away with the injuries he did, his positive attitude really stood out.”

Greg spent 11 days in hospital, where surgeons repaired his femur with a metal rod and plates. He is now recovering at home and undergoing physiotherapy to rebuild strength and mobility.

Speaking about the incident, Greg said: “The pain was the worst I’ve ever felt. I honestly thought I was dying at one point. A large piece of my femur had come away and was floating in my leg, so surgeons had to go through the side of my leg to retrieve it and pin everything back together. I’ve been told it could take a year before I walk normally again. Some days I can manage short distances, other days I can’t put my foot on the floor. But I’m staying positive and using my exercise bike every day to get my mobility back.”

Now lovingly restoring his late father’s first motorbike, Greg reflected, “It was my dad’s first bike, then my brother’s when he passed his test, and finally mine when I got my licence. After my dad passed away, it meant everything for me to ride it. I 100% plan to get back on it one day — just don’t tell my mum!”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedic Tom Chatwyn and Dr Paul Onion, were scrambled to the scene, flying the 16-mile journey in around eight minutes. They joined a local land ambulance crew already at the scene, who had requested YAA’s advanced medical support, including stronger pain relief, the capability to give blood at the scene, and the expertise of an onboard doctor

Landing in a nearby field, the team made their way to the property where Paul was being treated. He remained calm and composed, though his leg was still bleeding significantly despite the improvised tourniquet.

Dr Paul explained, “When we arrived, Paul said his leg felt wobbly, and that matched exactly what we could see. The saw had completely broken the bone, and the lower leg was barely attached by tissue. It was a serious, life-threatening injury.”

To control the bleeding, Paramedic Tom packed the wound with a special gauze called Celox, designed to rapidly stop severe haemorrhaging. The treatment, often used by the military encourages blood to clot on contact. The team also applied a pressure bandage before replacing the improvised tourniquet with a medical-grade one, positioned higher on the leg for full control.

Dr Paul continued, “Before we arrived, Paul’s son had done an excellent job applying a tourniquet. It had already reduced the blood loss significantly. Without that quick thinking, the outcome could have been very different. Injuries that damage the major arteries or veins can cause catastrophic bleeding in seconds, and the body simply can’t stop it alone.”

Once the bleeding was under control, the team administered ketamine, a powerful pain relief medication commonly used in emergency medicine, known for its dissociative properties. As the drug took effect, the crew carefully realigned Paul’s leg to restore its natural position and reduce the risk of further damage to surrounding blood vessels and nerves. It was then secured in a vacuum splint, which moulded tightly around the limb to keep the broken bones stable during transport.

Dr Paul said, “In Paul’s case, he had two significant injuries, one to the blood vessels, which we managed with the tourniquet, and another to the bone itself. Realigning the leg early gives the best chance for those bones to heal properly once in hospital.”

With the leg stabilised, Paul was transported to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, where surgeons were waiting. He underwent a five-and-a-half-hour operation to save his leg, during which metal plates were fitted to repair the fractures. He spent ten nights in hospital and is now recovering at home, able to walk short distances with crutches but still facing a lengthy rehabilitation.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedics Danny Cooper and Andy Watson, were scrambled to the scene, flying the 17-minute journey to provide advanced medical support.

Speaking en route, Paramedic Danny explained, “With the information being quite limited before we arrived, we were anticipating anything. A collision between a cyclist and a van could mean broken bones, spinal injuries, or severe burns. What we did know was that he was in significant pain.”

Landing in a nearby field, the YAA crew made their way to the scene, where they joined the rescue efforts. Tom had been freed moments earlier, covered in oil and coolant fluid from the van, with visible burns and lacerations to his back and legs. He was conscious but in significant distress, struggling to breathe and experiencing pain in his chest and back.

Paramedic Danny said, “We could tell he was in a lot of discomfort, and we needed to work out exactly what was going on. Because Tom was covered in oil, it made assessing his burns and injuries quite difficult, so we prioritised getting him into the back of the land ambulance where we could properly examine him.”

Once inside the privacy of the land ambulance, the YAA team carried out a thorough assessment, checking Tom’s vital signs and looking for any additional injuries. They carefully cut away sections of his clothing to examine the burns, which extended across his torso, lower back and side, before wrapping him in a thermal blanket to prevent hypothermia, a common risk in trauma patients. Concerned about possible full-thickness burns, the team worked quickly to wash and dress the wounds while continuing to monitor his breathing and overall condition.

With concerns about possible internal or crush injuries, Paramedic Andy administered morphine to keep Tom comfortable during transport for urgent hospital scans.

Tom was transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary, where he was diagnosed with deep second-degree burns, broken vertebrae, five fractured ribs, and breaks to both shoulder blades. He underwent a procedure under anaesthetic to clean and treat the burns and spent four days in hospital before returning home to continue his recovery.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedics Sam and Danny, were scrambled to the scene, arriving by air in just minutes. They joined a local land ambulance crew who had already begun a primary assessment of Maddie’s injuries and were providing gas and air for pain relief until the YAA team could deliver stronger interventions.

Speaking on the way to the incident, Paramedic Sam explained: “Sometimes with fractures you can get impingement of the nerves and blood vessels that supply blood to the extremities. If the blood flow is cut off significantly or completely and for long enough, that’s when you can lose a limb. That’s always in our minds when we attend these types of jobs.”

Once at Maddie’s side, the YAA team assessed her injuries and prepared stronger pain relief. Paramedic Danny administered ketamine, the strongest drug carried by the service which is commonly used in emergency medicine for its dissociative properties, helping patients detach from the pain and later forget the treatment they have received.

With the medication taking effect, the team began the delicate process of realigning Maddie’s leg. The fracture was complicated by the bone having broken through the skin of her ankle, making the procedure more challenging. By gently flexing her knee, they were able to manipulate the fractured bones back into position before securing the leg in a vacuum splint, which formed a rigid mould around the limb to keep it stable.

Paramedic Sam explained: “With an open fracture there’s an increased risk of infection as the tissue is exposed, as well as the danger of uncontrolled bleeding. Getting the bone back into alignment and securing it quickly is vital to protect the limb and improve patient outcomes.”

With her leg securely splinted, Maddie was moved off the ground and onto a scoop stretcher and placed in a thermal sleeping bag before being flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Following the short 10-minute flight, Maddie was taken straight to surgery to repair her ankle without delay.