Richard Mosley, a 34-year-old motocross rider from Doncaster, is set to appear in the next episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Really at 9 PM on Friday, June 13th. The episode follows the swift response of Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s (YAA) critical care team after Richard was seriously injured in a high-speed crash at a local dirt track.
Richard, who has more than 17 years of motocross experience, was enjoying a day of riding at Uncle Eddie’s Motocross Park when he misjudged one of the larger jumps and fell an estimated 30 feet onto his back. On the way down, his chest struck the handlebars of his specially designed off-road racing bike, leaving him in severe pain and struggling to move or breathe.
He was quickly moved by staff from the track to the park’s café, where he lay on a sofa awaiting the emergency services.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s (YAA) Nostell-based Critical Care Team, made up of Dr Steve Rowe and paramedic Tom Chatwyn, were dispatched immediately in one of the Charity’s Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs).
Reflecting on the incident, paramedic Tom explained, “When we attend motorbike incidents, we prepare for a range of injuries, from minor grazes to life-threatening trauma. When we arrived, Richard was conscious and talking, which was reassuring, but he was clearly in a lot of pain and very anxious about how serious his injuries might be. With falls from height like this, there’s always the potential for spinal injuries, internal bleeding or broken bones.”
After carrying out a primary assessment of Richard’s injuries, the team administered ketamine, the strongest pain relief drug carried by YAA and commonly used in emergency medicine, to ease his discomfort and allow them to move him safely.
A local land ambulance crew arrived shortly after and assisted with carefully transferring Richard from the sofa onto a stretcher. He was also placed into a thermal sleeping bag, commonly used by critical care teams to help maintain body temperature and prevent shock in trauma patients.
Incredibly, despite the force of the impact, Richard had not broken any bones. He suffered a torn knee ligament, wrist swelling, and an abrasion to his collarbone, but was discharged the same evening.
Looking back, Richard said, “Everywhere hurt from my chest to my neck, back and legs, I just couldn’t move. That’s when it sunk in how bad it was. I honestly thought I’d paralysed myself. I was lucky. I thank my lucky stars – I think my nan was looking out for me.”
Now fully recovered, Richard is back on his bike and has returned to the same track where the crash happened, even completing the jump that caused the accident. He said, “I’ve been riding for 17 years, I feel like I have never not been on a bike — it’s a huge part of who I am. Coming back to the track afterwards was a huge mental step but I’ve since returned and completed the same jump. It felt like I’d truly put it behind me.”
Richard now plays the Yorkshire Air Ambulance lottery as a way of giving back. “I couldn’t believe they were a charity and how much they need to raise just to stay in the air,” he added. “I’m so grateful for everything they did – playing the lottery feels like the least I can do.”