Have you ever needed an air ambulance?

[Seiheiki]

Following on from the thread about have you ever called 999, have you ever needed an air ambulance, either for yourself or anyone that you've helped?

When my Mother had a brain haemmorhage and stroke the hospital she was blued via ambulance for said she was so unwell they possibly needed to airlift her to a London specialist hospital, and the air ambulance had been notified. We were incredibly lucky that she stabalised so it wasn't needed in the end, and are eternally grateful that it was an option available to us.

I saw one attend a road traffic incident when a van crashed into the central reservation barriers. It landed in a field as close to the road as it could & I saw a doctor running to the scene.

No, but a few people in our community have, and it’s the one charity I support regularly. None of us know when we might need it.

My husband was with his mates on their motorbikes a few years ago.

DH was last in the convoy on a twisty road. When he came round a bend, he just knew there had been an accident. It took a while to find him but his friend came off his bike which ended up down a ditch.

His friend is very lucky to be alive. Air ambulance was called for him.

The only reason he survived is that it had just been shift at the local hospital a short drive away. It just so happened that there was an A&E doctor and nurse a few cars behind DH.

My dh almost did after a accident at work. However the ambulance took about two hours on scene to make sure he was stable and then driven the 20 mile journey

I did, when I was a child. I fell out of a tree and they thought I'd broken my back.

I'm not sure why the air ambulance was called because the normal ambulance turned up first.

Very nearly

I went into preterm labour with dd at 27 weeks and the hospital I was at, had no room in NICU. Neither did any local hospitals

They were considering calling an air ambulance to take me to Scotland, but luckily a space opened up in Sheffield.

Ds also changed her mind and decided to stay in for another 10 weeks after being in hospital for several days and multiple drips and steroids given to me

Dd* (I’m in Lincolnshire too so show how far the air ambulance would have had to take me)

Nope but it's a charity i support with monthly contributions. They are utterly amazing and i'm so thankful we have the service.

No but I know 2 people who have (separate occasions ). Both live on the same island as its relevant.
First. Friend of the family went into labour with complications and the island midwife decided she needed to be transferred to hospital for an emergency c section.
Second. BIL needed to have his stomach pumped and admittance to a psychiatric hospital.

The island doesn't have an airport so the helicopter is the only way off in an emergency.

No, but my son did after a serious RTA

My family member did after a heart attack.

Well, they sent the air ambulance, but he sadly didn't make it. But we are forever grateful that they came and that they tried. It's a comfort to know that no more could have been done.

Amazing work from some amazing people.

Yes. both for myself, in labour at 6.5 months, my sis in law with bowel cancer emergency, husband critical, and grateful for all lifesaving flights. on an island.

@steelseries

I did, when I was a child. I fell out of a tree and they thought I'd broken my back.

I'm not sure why the air ambulance was called because the normal ambulance turned up first.

from watching the TV shows...

I think that air ambulance always has a doctor on board, and that they can perform roadside minor surgery, like putting in a tracheotomy tube.

road amulance drivers may or may not be paramedics, if not, they cannot do many procedures the doctor can.

DH feels privileged to work for ours, his most favourite ever post.

We wave as they fly over head! 🚁

Yes. I had a bad accident where I was galloping a racehorse on a sand gallop. He put his foot down a rabbit hole and broke his leg and I went over the top, landing on the sand at 40 mph. I had temporary paralysis and I've never been so scared in my life - the sound of that helicopter was the most wonderful thing in the world. I broke my back and my poor horse was put down, but because of the air ambulance I was in hospital within half an hour of it happening.

Utter madness they don't receive proper funding.

@DeathWinsAGolfish

DH feels privileged to work for ours, his most favourite ever post.

We wave as they fly over head! 🚁

I will never forget the team on the one who scrap me up. It's a haze of morphine but they have always stayed with me.

Fil did after a heart attack, lives rurally and would involve an almost 3 hour journey to nearest appropriate hospital otherwise. It's been 10 years and he talks about it every time a helicopter is on tv etc. Honestly, you would think he's a celebrity

Df did after a massive car crash, needed very obvious emergency surgery and icu.

My baby did after birth

Not very tech savvy so can’t link to previous comments but the reason they are called as well as a land ambulance is because there’s a doctor on board, usually if they think the patient requires an anaesthetic
I’ve been in both sides, worked closely with them fit decades and also eternally grateful to them fir attending my mum when she died
They are a very worthy charity to support, they do amazing work!

@OrlandointheWilderness DH loves it when previous patients go back to visit the teams.

I remember DH and I getting the biggest hug from the wife and mum of a patient when we bumped into them at the beach and they recognised him. They couldn't stop thanking him and the team for their husband / sons life.

Apologies for typos!

@steelseries

I did, when I was a child. I fell out of a tree and they thought I'd broken my back.

I'm not sure why the air ambulance was called because the normal ambulance turned up first.

Don't know about then... but these days because traffic can be unpredictable and until they've assessed you they have no idea if local general hospital or regional paed trauma centre is required. Children can deteriorate very quickly and falling out of a tree could easily have caused more serious injuries. My DD was hit by a car and the air ambulance medic was licensed to carry ketamine - used it to reset her dislocated foot, on the roadside, and restore blood flow. The nearest hospital was 40 minutes by car and wasn't licensed for ket apparently. If she'd lost consciousness we'd have been flown to the regional paed trauma hospital in the neighbouring county. Over an hour by road, easily. I travelled with her on the flight to hospital and will be forever grateful.

I called 999 when my partner had a riding accident in the middle of a large rural tract. Partner called me initially and that call went downhill in seconds due to their injuries. Partner made the wrong decision not to call 999, but that was understandable under their circumstances. I was in a town some distance away and called 999 was able to give grid references and advise - thanks to Google Earth - that there were pylons in the probable field location. I advised that there was crops and not livestock and given this was the first week in June they were able to send a helicopter as first response with an ambulance as back up. I was back to work within 20 minutes and carried on working until I got the call to tell me which ward to go to that evening. Not much else I could do other than to work, pay taxes, and do my bit.

Not personally but I know a couple of people who have.
A close friend was in a very bad car accident on the motorway, thankfully made a full recovery.
My aunt also needed one after a bad fall out hillwalking where she had two fractures to her leg, one being an open fracture and they couldn't carry her down to get to an ambulance because she was in the middle of nowhere.

A friend did in a road accident a couple of years ago, which she’s still recovering from. We often see it locally as we live in a rural area which has more than its fair share of motorbike accidents. I contribute monthly to the Air Ambulance.