Back for its third series, Yorkshire Air 999 airs this Friday at 9PM on Really and discovery+, giving viewers a unique window into the lifesaving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance as they race to help patients in need across Yorkshire’s diverse communities and landscapes.
The opening episode features 19-year-old Maddie Schaible from Northallerton, whose typical morning at the stables turned into a medical emergency when a horse-riding accident left her with a serious open ankle fracture.
Maddie, who has been riding since the age of two and now works at her local stables, had already ridden two horses that morning before taking Rebel, one of the stables’ young horses, out for exercise. When Rebel suddenly reared up, she was thrown to the ground. Landing badly, she immediately knew something was wrong. The impact caused a severe fracture, with bone protruding through the skin of her ankle.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedics Sam and Danny, were scrambled to the scene, arriving by air in just minutes. They joined a local land ambulance crew who had already begun a primary assessment of Maddie’s injuries and were providing gas and air for pain relief until the YAA team could deliver stronger interventions.
Speaking on the way to the incident, Paramedic Sam explained: “Sometimes with fractures you can get impingement of the nerves and blood vessels that supply blood to the extremities. If the blood flow is cut off significantly or completely and for long enough, that’s when you can lose a limb. That’s always in our minds when we attend these types of jobs.”
Once at Maddie’s side, the YAA team assessed her injuries and prepared stronger pain relief. Paramedic Danny administered ketamine, the strongest drug carried by the service which is commonly used in emergency medicine for its dissociative properties, helping patients detach from the pain and later forget the treatment they have received.
With the medication taking effect, the team began the delicate process of realigning Maddie’s leg. The fracture was complicated by the bone having broken through the skin of her ankle, making the procedure more challenging. By gently flexing her knee, they were able to manipulate the fractured bones back into position before securing the leg in a vacuum splint, which formed a rigid mould around the limb to keep it stable.
Paramedic Sam explained: “With an open fracture there’s an increased risk of infection as the tissue is exposed, as well as the danger of uncontrolled bleeding. Getting the bone back into alignment and securing it quickly is vital to protect the limb and improve patient outcomes.”
With her leg securely splinted, Maddie was moved off the ground and onto a scoop stretcher and placed in a thermal sleeping bag before being flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Following the short 10-minute flight, Maddie was taken straight to surgery to repair her ankle without delay.
Maddie is currently recovering with a surgical frame supporting her leg but remains positive about her recovery. Speaking about her experience, Maddie said: “The morning of the accident was just a typical day. When it happened, I was just in shock. I remember looking at my leg thinking, ‘oh god, this doesn’t look right.’ I’m very active and love being outdoors, so seeing my sisters riding while I couldn’t has been really hard. Recovery has been tough, but once I could manage the pain and start getting outside again, I felt so much better. I’m so grateful to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team for the care they gave me that day, and I’m determined to get back in the saddle as soon as possible.”
Alongside Maddie’s story, this episode also follows the YAA team as they respond to a farmer trapped beneath a vintage tractor in the Yorkshire Dales, a 55-year-old motorcyclist who broke his ribs and collarbone and sustained a punctured lung while green-laning, and a two-year-old child with breathing difficulties.