Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s critical care team was called to a wood near Skipton, after an elderly man, Bob Younger became trapped beneath a fallen tree while helping a friend clear storm-damaged woodland.
The accident followed a night of severe storms some years before, had brought down several large trees on the outskirts of a friend’s farm. The fallen trees had caused significant damage to fencing, which couldn’t be repaired until the debris was removed. Bob, a close friend of the farmer, had kindly offered to help with the clear-up.
During his fifth visit to the woodland, Bob began working on a large conifer tree that had been torn from the ground and was laid across the forest floor with its roots fully exposed. Resting on top of the pine was a large silver birch tree, which had also fallen during the severe winds. Bob cut several logs from the fallen conifer to clear a path to the birch. Once clear, he made a partial cut into the base of the birch, stopping short of cutting all the way through.
Bob explained, “I made a cut into the base of the birch, then walked away to set my chainsaw down safely before finishing the cut with a hand tool. That’s when I heard a loud crack.”
Bob returned to investigate the click, but before he could react, the tree snapped. As the conifer straightened, it pushed the silver birch downwards, catching it on his helmet. The movement knocked him two and a half metres into another fallen tree, where he came to rest against a stump. As he landed, the birch slid down the left side of his body, striking his shoulder and pelvis, and pinning him in a seated position on the frozen ground.
The impact left Bob concussed, but remarkably, his helmet had not broken. He said, “I didn’t feel any pain at first, but I knew I couldn’t move, and I was in serious trouble.”
Bob attempted to call for help using his mobile phone but had no signal in the dense woodland. With no way of alerting anyone and no one nearby to hear his calls for help, Bob remained trapped.
Over the next few hours, he drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to tell how much time was passing. After nearly five hours alone, Bob was finally discovered when his friend returned to the site to pick him up as planned. Recognising the severity of the situation, he raced to find phone signal and called 999 for help.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell based critical care team was dispatched alongside the local Fell Rescue Team. Upon arrival, YAA doctor David Driver was immediately concerned by Bob’s pale, clammy appearance and feared he may be suffering from internal bleeding into his pelvis.
Due to the complexity of both his injuries and the location, it took some time to safely free him. A total of seven people were needed to carefully carry his stretcher through the woodland, over fencing, and to the waiting helicopter. Bob was then flown to Leeds General Infirmary, arriving at around 6pm, nearly seven hours after the accident occurred.
Scans revealed Bob had suffered a fractured pelvis in four places, five broken ribs, a cracked shoulder blade, hypothermia, pneumonia, and significant internal bleeding. He was stabilised in hospital for two days before undergoing surgery to repair his pelvis.
After initial treatment in Leeds, Bob was transferred to Airedale General Hospital and later to Castleberg Hospital in Settle for rehabilitation. His recovery was far from straightforward. Within five weeks, he required a second operation after screws in his pelvis came loose, followed by a third due to a post-surgical infection. He spent five months unable to bear weight and had to relearn simple tasks like getting dressed.
Bob has since made a near full recovery thanks to regular physiotherapy and unwavering determination. He said, “I owe my life to both the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Fell Rescue teams. If they hadn’t been able to reach me and work together the way they did, I don’t think I’d be here today. I was fortunate enough to visit the YAA team after my accident, it was emotional, but it meant a great deal to see them again and thank them face to face. It was also incredible to see the helicopter up close and realise just how much goes into making each mission possible.”
Inspired to give back, Bob and his local metal detecting club hosted a rally to raise funds for both Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Fell Rescue Team, raising over £500. The event even uncovered hammered coins thought to date back to the 1500s.
Bob has since revisited the woodland with members of the Fell Rescue team to better understand what happened that day, which has brought him a sense of closure.