The latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Really and discovery+ this Friday 6 June at 9PM, follows the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) team as they respond to an experienced equestrian who suffered serious leg injuries after falling from her horse on a remote bridle path near Darrington.
In early February 2024, Anne Woolley was enjoying her regular morning hack with her horse, Ted, when a group of off-lead dogs startled him. As Ted reared and spun, Anne was thrown from the saddle, landing hard on the ground. Fortunately, she was wearing a protective air vest, which deployed on impact, helping to cushion the fall and potentially lessen the severity of her injuries.
Despite being in significant pain, Anne managed to call 999 herself before losing signal. The accident was witnessed by a nearby landowner, who saw the fall and quickly came to assist, taking hold of Ted and borrowing Anne’s phone to confirm the call for help, remaining by Anne’s side until emergency services arrived.
YAA’s dispatcher immediately deployed the critical care team, comprised of Doctor Dave Driver and Paramedic Matty McCabe, who were responding in one of the charities two Rapid Response Vehicle’s (RRV’s) that day.
Dr Dave explained, “The information we had was limited, just that a lady had fallen from a horse and had potentially fractured her leg. While en route, we received updates that the location was inaccessible by road, so we also deployed our Topcliffe-based helicopter to the scene.”
As the crew arrived at the edge of the woodland, they were joined by Anne’s husband, Kevan, who she had managed to call before losing signal. Together, they followed fresh hoofprints to reach Anne’s location. Upon arrival, the crew found Anne crouched and unable to move, with the landowner attempting to control the startled horse, which was blocking access. Kevan stepped in to help manage the horse, allowing the medical team to assess Anne’s condition.
Anne was in severe pain, particularly in her left leg. As the team gently moved her to examine the injury, Matty felt crepitus, a telltale grinding sensation that often indicates broken bones. Dr Dave explained that, given the height of Anne’s fall and the severity of her leg injury, they could not rule out internal bleeding. He said, “Injuries like this can be so distracting that patients may not realise there’s something else going on”.
Topcliffe-based Paramedics Chris Gibbins and Tammy Williams soon arrived by helicopter and joined the team already on scene. Working together, they stabilised Anne’s condition, which required urgent intervention to protect circulation in her lower limbs. To manage the intense pain before realigning her fractured legs, the team administered gas and air, followed by ketamine -a powerful pain-relieving drug commonly used in emergency medicine. Once Anne was relaxed, Dr Dave carefully secured her legs in a vacuum splint to minimise further movement during the transfer to hospital.
Despite the trauma, Anne’s thoughts were still with Ted. Dr Dave said, “She kept asking if someone was looking after her horse. That was her main concern at the time.”
Once stabilised and placed in a scoop stretcher and thermal sleeping bag, Anne was carefully carried through the woodland to the waiting helicopter and flown to Pinderfields Hospital. There, scans confirmed she had fractured both her legs, requiring her right ankle to be plated and her left leg pinned from knee to ankle.
Now recovering at home, Anne is limited to light stable chores and has even started riding again, very gradually.
Reflecting on the incident, she said, “It was such a shock when I fell. I’d landed in such a remote spot, and all I could think was that no one would find me, especially when I lost phone signal. I was so relieved when I saw the YAA team walking up to me. I can’t thank them enough for how kind and professional they were. I just remember telling the paramedics not to cut off my riding boots and that they have zips – Any rider would have said the same! I’ll be forever grateful to Yorkshire Air Ambulance for getting me the help I needed.”
This week’s episode of Yorkshire Air 999 also follows the crew as they attend a driver with suspected spinal injuries after a car flipped on a rural road, a man hurt in a collision while riding an electric bike, and a patient in cardiac arrest at home.