The latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Really and discovery+ this Friday 24th October at 9PM, follows the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) Critical Care Team as they respond to a serious motorcycle collision on a busy road near Barnsley, where a small QR code sticker on a helmet provided crucial information that helped the crew deliver swift, informed care.
70-year-old Martin Eaton had been out running errands on the day of his 29th wedding anniversary when his motorbike collided with a car in the village of Tankersley, South Yorkshire. Travelling at around 30 miles per hour, the impact threw him from his bike and left him injured in the road.
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.
Speaking about the accident, Martin said, “It was actually my wedding anniversary that day, and I’d just gone out on the bike to pick something up. The next thing I remember was the impact and then lying on the ground against the car. My legs and hips were painful, but my arms were still locked in the riding position, and I couldn’t move them. The spinal consultant told me it could take 18 months to two years to recover fully, if at all, so I know it’s going to be a long road.”
After 53 years of motorcycling, Martin has decided not to ride again and is instead focusing his energy on a new passion project restoring a vintage car. Martin continued, “I’ve always been around engines and bikes, so now this car is my new baby. Working on it in the garage has given me something positive to focus on and has really helped my recovery.”