General

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to five million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire, and making sure everything is running smoothly in the cockpit is Chief Pilot Captain Steve Waudby.

In 2018, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended 1,858 incidents across Yorkshire and flew 416 patients to major trauma centres across the county.

Steve Waudby has worked periodically for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance over the last eight years in a freelance capacity, and in August last year he took up the permanent position of Chief Pilot.

In his role as the Chief Pilot of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, he is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and crew, staff development and training along with aircraft maintenance.  Not one to shy away from being behind the controls, Steve is also regularly rostered to fly both Helimed98 and Helimed 99 with the duty crew.

Steve’s passion for flying started at a mere age of 13, when he joined the Air Training Corps (air cadets).  He went solo in a glider at age 15, became a gliding instructor at age 16, and at age 20 won a Royal Air Force flying scholarship, where he obtained his Private Pilot’s license.

He joined the RAF in 1983 and worked his way up to Squadron Leader, qualifying as a flying instructor and later becoming the senior helicopter instructional standards examiner.  Throughout his 22 years of service, he has has flown all over the world including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Bangladesh and Hong Kong.

Speaking of what inspired him to be a Pilot, he said: “My dad influenced me greatly. He was an engineer in the RAF who also started with the air cadets.  The air cadets encouraged me and helped me to develop my flying skills.  Without their grants and scholarships I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today.”

Steve also has experience dealing with medical emergencies from a young age.  When he was 12, he was given a Royal Award for Gallantry for saving a four-year-old who had fallen into a flooded quarry.  “I was playing near the quarry when a lady shouted that a child was drowning.  I ran down into the quarry and saw a young child face down in the water about 12ft from the edge.  I jumped in and dragged him to the side but was unable to lift him out due to the steep clay banks which were very slippy.  I had to tread water with him until help arrived.  The lady who shouted to me and a teenage boy eventually dragged us both out of the water and the victim was quickly revived.  The 4-year old boy made a full recovery.  I was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Life Saving Award and the Scouting Gilt Cross for gallantry, I was also invited to meet Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip at Windsor Castle.”

During his tour in Hong Kong Steve carried out several air sea rescues in Typhoon and severe tropical storm conditions and was awarded the Edward and Maisie Lewis award for the best search and rescue mission of 1993.  He and his crew rescued the crew of a ditched helicopter and 13 Chinese fishermen from a fishing boat in distress in winds gusting to over 100 mph and waves of over 40ft high.

With Yorkshire’s vast rolling Landscapes, abundance of farm life and some of the biggest cities in the North, YAA Pilots often have their work cut out.  Steve said: “We are trained to handle almost any situation, but the most challenging aspects of our job are flying in bad weather, landing in built up areas and flying in mountainous terrain where the winds are unpredictable.  Now that we can fly at night, utilising night vision technology, we have to do all of the above in the dark.”

From call inception to being up the air, Steve said: “We aim to be in the air within 3 minutes of receiving the call, and 10 minutes in the evening due setting up our night vision technology.  The Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopters are able to travel at speeds of up to 160mph to transfer patients to hospital.”  Working with traumatic situations can be challenging, not only for the paramedics on scene, but also the Pilots who are in charge of ensuring the patient is safely transferred to hospital. “The incidents we are most apprehensive about are the ones involving children.  Until you get there you have no idea what the situation is going to be and it’s something that we all have to mentally prepare for.”

Speaking of why he loves working for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Steve concluded: “What I love about working for the YAA is the teamwork more than anything.  We have a wonderful bunch of paramedics and doctors who are second to none.  I like working in a team and the friendly banter that comes with it.  We see a lot of dreadful accidents and incidents each week, so it’s important to keep spirits lifted as much as possible and the team are fantastic at supporting each other.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity needing to raise £12,000 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances in the air and maintained.  This is equivalent to £4.4 million each year.

Former Yorkshire Air Ambulance patient Michelle Raine has raised an impressive £14,000 for the charity that saved her life after she hosted a ball at Tenants of Leyburn late last year.

On August 8^th, 2018, Michelle was a passenger in a tractor and slurry trailer, when it slipped down a hillside and overturned.

As a result of her accident, Michelle had broken her pelvis in five places and was flown immediately to Leeds General Infirmary, where she had surgery. During recovery, Michelle also suffered from a collapsed lung and pneumonia.

Keen to give back to the charity who helped save her life, Michelle and boyfriend Fin, who was also in the accident, organised and held a ball at the Garden Rooms at Tennants on the 24^th November 2018, which saw 431 people attend on the evening.

Guests dined on a three course meal prepared by Tennants and there was a raffle consisting of over 70 donated prizes, including helicopter rides, an Apple iWatch and a bottle of port. Stephen Jarmuz provided the disco.

Speaking of the event, Michelle, said: “We are so pleased with the final amount raised and the fact that we have raised enough to keep the Air Ambulance in service for a whole day is fantastic.”

She continued: “It was great to meet the paramedics at Topcliffe, especially Ant who was present at my accident, and even better to be able to present them with the money raised at the ball.  A huge thanks to everyone who attended the event and donated so generously!”

Lin Stead, North Regional Fundraiser, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Michelle for arranging the event. It was a great night and all Michelle’s hard work paid off and we’re incredibly grateful for the donation. It costs £12,000 to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service maintained and running and the £14,332.50 raised will help tremendously with the vital funding of our helicopters and help us continue to save more lives across Yorkshire.”

A former patient of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has raised an incredible £4.6k walking the route from the scene where he had his accident back in 2017, to the hospital he was airlifted to.

Sam Bolton- Gould, 51 from Halifax, was commuting home from work on a bicycle, when a bus pulled out a T-junction and Sam’s bike went into the side of it, causing him serious injuries.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Sam to Leeds General Infirmary, where it was revealed that he had sustained serious head injuries and had to endure a 10 hour operation to fix his fractured skull.

Keen to give back to the service which helped save his life and also gain closure from his accident, Sam embarked on a sponsored walk to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in August 2018.

Four people took part in the 10 hour walk along the A58 from Halifax to Leeds, including Sam and his wife Tess and two of their close friends. Their two sons joined in at the end to walk to the finish line.

The walk, along with other fundraising activities such as a raffle and donations from friends, raised an incredible £4,644.32 for the charity.

Sam said:”I have been amazed by how generous people have been and the support we received during our fundraising. Our initial goal was to raise £3,000 but we managed to beat our target by a further 50%.”

“It was great to see people cheer us on along the walk and support us through to the finish line – it just goes to show how greatly appreciated the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is in our area. We would like to thank everyone for their generosity.”

Jenny Jones, Regional Fundraising Manager for West Yorkshire, said: “A huge thank you to Sam for raising an incredible £4.6k. His donation will help tremendously towards the vital funding of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,300 missions every year. The charity needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep its two, state-of-the-art helicopters flying.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance announces a new partnership with Greenfinch, the online charitable investment platform. Support our vital emergency service with this novel fundraising channel.  

As a supporter of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, you directly contribute to a vital emergency service: one that rescues patients who require the most urgent care. These donations ensure that the charity can continue to do its best work for Yorkshire and the Humber.

But while direct donations are essential, they’re not the only way to contribute. Through Greenfinch, an online investment platform, you can help Yorkshire Air Ambulance continue its efforts – at no cost to yourself whatsoever.

Ethical investment

Research demonstrates that well over half (62%) of UK investors want to support companies that make a positive contribution to the world. It’s not hard to see why: many would like to make money and help society.

It’s this impulse that led to the creation of Greenfinch, which uses wealth management to raise money for charities like Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The You Give We Give (YGWG) scheme allows investors to donate up to 20% of any annual investment profits to a charity of their choice. TAM Asset Management, the FCA-regulated investment management company that runs Greenfinch, will match your contribution with an equal percentage from its annual fee.

Through Greenfinch’s non-advised platform – which allows you to select your own ethical and mainstream financial products and investments, without providing advice – you can see the returns each portfolio has achieved over a five-year period* and make a decision that’s right for you. You can then donate to a charity of your choice, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

How it works

The Greenfinch model is simple. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you have a portfolio valued at £200,000 on the first day of 2019. By New Year’s Eve 2019, this value has risen by 5% to £210,000.*

Because you’ve decided to donate 10% of your gain to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the charity receives a gift of £1,000, along with 10% of TAM Asset Management’s annual fee. You’ve made money, Yorkshire Air Ambulance has received a sizable donation, and everyone wins.

At any time, you can change your charity of choice and your donation amount. This gives you superior control and flexibility over your giving – without requiring direct involvement from you (unless you’re feeling particularly hands-on). TAM Asset Management will break down the precise structure of payments in a letter every year. If you choose to provide your details, Yorkshire Air Ambulance will also be able to claim Gift Aid, increasing the amount it receives even more.

Investment for good

If you’re looking to make the most of your nest egg while doing some good, Greenfinch and Yorkshire Air Ambulance can help. Your support for the charity can work in tandem with your long-term capital growth objectives, making you money and allowing Yorkshire Air Ambulance to continue treating patients across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Yorkshire Shepherdess is the focus of artist Anita Bowerman’s Christmas card collection for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Harrogate-based Anita has illustrated four paintings for the charity to use on this year’s Christmas card designs. In addition to two snowy scenes and one depicting York Minster, famous hill farmer Amanda Owen features on one of the cards with her flock of sheep and sheepdog.

Amanda, 43, is also a writer, photographer, public speaker and mother of nine! She lives with her husband Clive and their family at Ravenseat in Upper Swaledale, North Yorkshire – one of the highest, most remote hill farms in England.

Anita, who is an avid supporter of the YAA and has undertaken many illustrations for the chairy, said: “I immediately thought of Amanda when creating a wintry Yorkshire scene and was so pleased when she agreed to be the focus of the painting. She felt she could help promote the invaluable work the Yorkshire Air Ambulance does in rural areas.

“Amanda and her life as a shepherdess in this stunning scenery perfectly captures the essence of the Dales. I absolutely adored illustrating this winter scene featuring Amanda, her beloved dogs and sheep at Ravenseat in watercolours and gouache. I too, love animals and spent many hours working on each sheep and dog.”

After being featured in the ITV series The Dales, Amanda began documenting the incredible story of her farming life, before publishing two bestselling books The Yorkshire Shepherdess in 2014, and A Year in the Life of The Yorkshire Shepherdess in 2016.

Amanda said: “I am thoroughly delighted to be able to offer my support to the YAA. It was an incredible honour to be painted by such a talented artist as Anita and collaborate with her for such a worthwhile cause.

“It does make me smile wondering what exactly happened after the picture was painted, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is hovering above….I wonder whether I was trampled by the sheep or savaged by a sheepdog? The picture is already hung up and very high it is too, out of reach of the many grubby fingers at Ravenseat!

“We are very much aware that living as remotely as we do the YAA is a vital service than can make the difference between life and death. We have had our fair share of medical emergencies, though are fortunate to have never yet ourselves required the services of YAA.

“I’m very impressed with the quality of Anita’s artwork, she really has captured the individual features of the dogs and sheep which is very important to me – for all are very different characters and the picture reflects this personally.

“Hopefully this is just the start of an excellent fundraising project with Anita which I would love to be involved in.”

Abby Barmby,  Director of Marketing & Communications at the YAA, added: “We have worked with Anita for a number of years now on our annual Christmas Card collection and each year they grow in popularity. This year, having Amanda included on one of the designs has just added something extra special to the collection, and we are absolutely delighted to have her support.

“In fact, Amanda’s card has been one of our most popular selling designs ever!  Thank you to both Anita and Amanda for such a wonderful collaboration to support the YAA.”

Amanda’s 2,000-acre working farm, has more than 1,000 sheep and nestles in stunning landscape, about an hour’s walk west of Keld. It is exactly half way on the hugely popular Coast to Coast walk – but a two-hour drive from the nearest hospital.

The profits from the sale of each pack of Christmas cards is donated back to the charity, helping them to raise the £12,000 they need each day to keep both of their helicopters in the air, and helping to save lives across the region.

Christmas cards can be bought directly from the YAA website: www.yaa.org.uk £4 for 10 cards and envelopes and includes postage.

The print and cards are available at anitabowerman.co.uk and yorkshireshepherdess.com or call into Anita’s working studio The Dove Tree Art Gallery & Studio, Back Granville Rd, Harrogate HG1 1AB. Telephone 07760 157046.

 The Yorkshire Air Ambulance held their inaugural North Yorkshire Fundraising Regional Awards at the Devonshire Arms Hotel near Skipton on 19^th September 2018.

The event is part of a series of regional award ceremonies the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is running to thank fundraisers across the County for their dedication to the charity, with the main Yorkshire-wide ceremony taking place in October in Sheffield.

Regional staff selected eight of the most deserving solo and group fundraisers from the North Yorkshire region and awards on the day were presented by Peter Sunderland, Chairman of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Helen Callear, Regional Fundraising Manager for North Yorkshire, said: “We have a lot of incredible, dedicated fundraisers in North Yorkshire and these awards have been a great opportunity to show our fundraisers & supporters how grateful we are for their hard work and helping us raise the funds for our air ambulance service which is vital in rural areas such as North Yorkshire”.

Individual Fundraising Champion – Michael Saxby

Michael Saxby, from Bedale, raised just over £6,500 walking events such as the Lyke Wake Walk with friends Anthony Soulsby and Andrew McDonald, and he also became an event volunteer during the Tour de Yorkshire. His award was collected by his son Robin on the day, who is aspiring to follow in his father’s fundraising footsteps.

Patient Fundraising Family award – Ellie Peacock

Ellie Peacock, 11, from Bainbridge, suffers from Brittle Bone Disease and needed the help of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance when she was airlifted to hospital in March 2016 after breaking her leg. With the help of her friends and family, she raised £3,800 by holding a fundraising breakfast at their café in the village.

Outstanding Fundraising Award – The Heritage Boys

Harrogate based The Heritage Boys have been travelling around the UK and Europe playing hits from the 60s at various events, with all the proceeds going to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Andy, Ian and Peter, along with their manager Anne have raised over £19,000 since they began supporting the YAA.­­

Business Fundraising Champion – Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park

Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park in Winksley, Ripon have raised just under £12,500 through fundraising events at the holiday park.  Marie Laverick and her team including one of the holiday park owners, Alison Laverick have been keen supporters of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and have put a lot of work into increasing the awareness of the charity with support posters around the park. Events this year included coffee mornings and hog roasts around the Tour de Yorkshire.

Community Fundraising Champions –The Scott Trial (Richmond Motor Group)

Richmond Motor Group has supported the Yorkshire Air Ambulance since 2008 and have raised over £13,000. Funds were raised during the ‘Scott Trial’, one of the UK’s most challenging motorcycle trials.  The trial takes on 80 miles of cross-country racing in some of the most picturesque parts of North Yorkshire.  Funds are raised from the entrance fees for the event.

Community Fundraising Champions – The ‘Early Birds’ Swimmers

The ‘Early Birds’ swimmers are a group of swimmers who attend Knaresborough Swimming Pool at 7.30am most mornings for the Early Bird session.  So far they have raised £11,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance by setting themselves swimming challenges such as swimming the equivalent of Loch Lomond.

Special Recognition – Katy Hutchcraft-Stott

Katy Hutchcroft-Stott from Stockton on Tees started raising money after she sadly lost her father in 2017.  Although the YAA were able to care for him and get him to hospital, Katy’s father sadly passed away the following day. Since then, Katy has raised £4,000 through a series of events held her at her pub, The Garrick Hotel, Teeside in her father’s memory.

Special Recognition – Ian McDonough

Ian McDonough along with his family, and close friend Paul Arnold, raised more than £10,000 for the  Charity after Ian’s brother Pat died following a bike accident near Buttertubs Pass, where the Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended. Their first fundraiser for the charity was a 20 mile walk along the Cleveland Way, starting at the Ship Inn in Saltburn and finishing at the Angel Hotel in Whitby. They have since taken part in further walks, bike rides and held social events in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The event was hosted with support of The Devonshire Arms Hotel, who are currently supporting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as their Charity of the Year.  Guests enjoyed afternoon tea at the hotel prior to the awards ceremony taking place.

A newlywed couple from Doncaster are lucky to be alive following a horrific motorbike accident just days before their first wedding anniversary.

Ian Werret, 52, and his wife Clare, 44 were on a bike ride in the Selby area, when Ian was overtaking a car turning off a motorway, resulting in the collision.

Ian and Clare were flung from the back of the motorbike and ended up lying 10 yards away from each other on a grass verge.

Clare said: “I remember being on the bike, then being in the air and then I woke up on the grass – I must have passed out. “

With the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in attendance, it was down to the paramedics on board to assess the severity of both parties injuries.  Subsequently, Ian was flown to the Major Trauma Centre at Leeds General Infirmary as he was deemed the most seriously injured of the two, and Clare was taken by land ambulance to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Clare continued: “I remember the air ambulance crew checking over my knee and I didn’t know how Ian was. Then I overheard that his stats were dropping and he needed to be airlifted.”

Assessments at Leeds General Infirmary revealed that Ian had cracked two vertebrae, nine broken ribs,  fractured his shoulder and had two collapsed lungs. Clare suffered from leg injuries, a broken rib  and also a collapsed lung. They both went on to make a good recovery considering their injuries.

Despite their horrific accident, biker of 37 years Ian, has not been put off riding. As soon as they returned home from hospital, his first priority was to assess the damage of his prized bike.

The couple returned home just in time to celebrate their first wedding anniversary together, recovering on the sofa – it wasn’t quite the celebrations they both had in mind.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Clare said: “If it wasn’t for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, I don’t think my husband would here today.”

Ian and Clare’s story will feature in episode 10 of Helicopter ER. Helicopter ER, which airs at 9pm on UKTV’s real life channel Really, also features a woman who accidentally stabbed herself with a knife, a man who fell two storeys at a local post office and a child who had a serious fall in a North Yorkshire woods.

Helicopter ER is made by York-based Air Television who have won two Royal Television Society awards for their work on the compelling series.

Claire Walton, aged 28, was riding her horse at a farm near Ingleby on 27^th March 2016, when she got her foot stuck in a gate post and as the horse bucked, she was thrown to the ground, leaving her with her spine broken in seven places.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called to the farm and Claire was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she underwent emergency spinal surgery.

Surgeons had Claire walking the very next day. However, they stressed that if it wasn’t for the initial treatment and speedy transfer by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, she may not have been so lucky.

A year after her accident, Claire got back in the saddle and decided to fundraise for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  It was there when she met the man who helped save her and also inspired her career change.

Paramedic Andy Armitage has had a varied career from starting out as a postman to becoming a fitness instructor. He now works for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as one of their fully trained aircrew paramedics.

Andy impressed Claire with his reassuring and calm nature on the day he attended her, accident and when  Claire mentioned that she had always wanted to work as a paramedic, but she thought she was too old to retrain, Andy inspired her by saying: ‘it is never too late.’

Claire has now been accepted on to a BSC Hons degree studying Paramedic Practice at Teeside University and will be starting this month. Her goal is to one day work for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Claire, said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance service is invaluable and I hope that one day like them, I can make a difference to someone’s life.”

A man who was airlifted to hospital following a serious heart attack, is now walking at least 30 minutes per day in order to help keep his heart healthy.

Ken Allanby, 75, from Baldersby, North Yorkshire, always led an active lifestyle riding motorcycles, cycles and walking with his family. He had always been generally fit and healthy, until one day he suddenly suffered a serious heart attack.

Catherine, Ken’s wife, had just returned home from walking their dog when her husband started complaining of chest pains.  She left the room to book him a doctor’s appointment, but when she returned, his condition had rapidly deteriorated.

Catherine, a retired nurse, said: “He suddenly went grey and started gasping for air. As soon as he started crying I knew something was wrong and he told to me call an ambulance.”

Paramedics who were first on scene assessed Ken and told him that he would need to go to hospital for some bloods tests. However, moments later Ken went into cardiac arrest.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were immediately scrambled given Ken’s serious condition, and when they arrived at Ken’s home, he was in a critical condition. Paramedics had already managed to restart his heart, but time was of the essence and he needed immediate transfer to hospital.

YAA medics helped to stabilise Ken then they flew him to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.  During the 15 minute journey, which would have taken 45 minutes on the road, the team were on standby in case of any further deterioration in Ken’s condition. Only 5% of cardiac arrests are successfully resuscitated, and Ken had already defied the odds earlier that day.

Luckily, Ken arrived at the hospital and was quickly handed over to cardiac surgeons, who managed to successfully remove a blockage from his heart, and he was well on the road to recovery within four days.

Since his distressing ordeal, Ken has been able to go back to the things he enjoyed doing such as riding his motorbike, but he also vowed to make sure he does 30 minutes of exercise daily to keep his heart healthy.

Catherine added: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the local paramedics were absolutely fabulous. From the speed that they arrived, to how they handled the situation, you really couldn’t fault them.”

Strewth! Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s favourite Aussie pilot Chris Attrill is leaving the rapid response emergency service after a decade of life-saving.

Chris, who was born on the Isle of Wight, moved to Australia as a toddler. After a period serving in the Australian Army Infantry he came to the UK and ‘fell into flying’ when he joined the Army Air Corps in 1983.

“Flying was not part of the original game plan but once I got into the air I knew I had found the right role for me and within two years of joining the British army I was flying,” said Chris, who became an Air Crewman in 1985, completing his Pilots course four years later.

“A crewman in the army is the best apprenticeship you can have as it’s all the fun without the responsibility – if anything goes wrong it’s the pilot’s fault.

“But you were 50% hands-on most of the time and it was one, long mentoring process which prepared you so well.”

Chris spent 21 years in the Army serving everywhere from Belize to Bosnia, and from the Falklands to Northern Ireland. After leaving the military he became a HEMS pilot, joining Yorkshire Air Ambulance in October 2008.

“Army pilots tend to slip into HEMS flying quite easily as we are used to flying smaller multi-role aircraft into small places,” he added.

“You are also part of another very close-knit team. As the air ambulance paramedics all take an aviation module to become Technical Crew Members, it means it really is a team effort. If you need a hand getting the aircraft in and out and refuelling they can help, and if they need a hand on the ground the pilots muck in.”

Chris, 60, was a member of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew which responded to the Cumbrian massacre in 2010 when lone gunman, Derrick Bird, killed 12 people and injured 11 others before killing himself.

He added: “Doing this job is a very humbling experience and on some days it’s just really very hard. With the Cumbrian shootings unfortunately every job that day was a fatality which was tough.

“But I have been very blessed during my time at Yorkshire Air Ambulance to work with and meet a lot of great people. Not only that, we get to fly in such a fantastic and varied landscape.

“The charity is always looking to provide a better service for the people of Yorkshire – whether it’s new aircraft or night-time flying – and it really has been a privilege and a pleasure to be a YAA pilot.”

In line with HEMS rules, which mean single pilots have to retire at 60, Chris has left Yorkshire Air Ambulance but will continue his flying career at Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance which runs dual pilot operations.

Director of Aviation Capt Andy Lister said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside Chris and he will be sadly missed at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. On behalf of everyone here I would like to wish him all the best with his new opportunity working with our colleagues at Lincs & Notts.”

Cyclist Dave Jefferson has got back on this bike saddle a year after a serious cycling accident, and raised more than £1,300 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Just over a year ago, Dave, 54 from Market Weighton, suffered a bleed on the brain, a broken collar bone and ribs and burns to his shoulders and knees after a cycling accident near North Dalton.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted Dave to Hull Royal Infirmary where he underwent intensive treatment and told that if it wasn’t for the air ambulance service and the fact that he was wearing a helmet, he possibly wouldn’t be here today.

As an avid cyclist, Dave regularly used the Strava app to monitor his progress and record his miles. The app was left switched on when he was taken by air from the scene of the accident to HRI, recording him travelling 154 miles.

The distance Dave allegedly travelled created a buzz within the Strava community and many people began asking him how he did it, unaware that he wasn’t actually cycling at the time, but in the back of an air ambulance helicopter.

To show support for the service that helped save his life and to give himself a challenge, Dave decided to replicate his journey via helicopter on land and cycle 154 miles to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Dave rallied around a team of 16 cyclists aged from 22 to 54 years old and travelled from Market Weighton to Malton and Flamborough Lighthouse, then back through Bridlington, to Driffield, Walkington, North Cave, arriving back at Market Weighton. The journey took ten and a half hours of cycling, starting at 5am and finishing at 6.30pm.

“I just wanted to think of some way to thank the crew and charity for what they did for me on the day I had my accident, and a bike ride sounded like the best idea”, said Dave.

“The charity is absolutely fantastic and you never know when you might need them. They are amazing people and what they do every single day is outstanding.”

Ian Dawson had just come off Junction 5 of the M18 on his way home from his job as a postman in Brigg when very low blood sugar levels caused a ‘hypo’ attack.

The Type 1 diabetic was catapulted 30 metres through the air, smashed his legs into a road sign before landing on the other side of the motorway junction roundabout barrier.

“My sugar levels must have plummeted on the ride home but I was concentrating so much I didn’t realise it was affecting me until I heard a loud bang, which was me hitting the sign, and I remember lying on the ground and pretty much accepting death,” said 51-year-old Ian.

“My legs were just in a knot but there was an angel on my shoulder that day who literally saved my life.”

That ‘angel’ was off-duty District Nurse Sister Kathryn Bebb who pulled over to help. “I just grabbed my nursing bag from the boot of the car and followed this girl over the barrier to where Ian was on the ground,” said 30-year-old Kathryn from Cusworth.

“When I got there his legs were really badly smashed. I got a couple of lads to call the ambulance and these other two girls helped me as I cut his trousers off.

“He was bleeding quite heavily out of one of his legs where his artery had been severed so I tourniqueted his leg and we applied compression and just kept talking to Ian. He said he was a diabetic and needed some sugar so someone got a can of coke from their car which helped.”

Kathryn, who works for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), added: “His injuries were very gruesome with a lot of bones protruding but these girls, and everyone who stopped to help, were amazing and it just goes to show what people can do.”

Ian was airlifted to the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, by Yorkshire Air Ambulance but doctors were unfortunately unable to save his shattered left leg which was amputated below the knee.

The accident happened in April last year, and Ian has gone through months of painful hospital treatment and physiotherapy with more to come.

“Everyone from the Air Ambulance to the hospital staff have just been fantastic and I can’t thank them enough but this has just completely changed my life and it has been very hard at times,” added the father-of-two Ian.

“My false leg is OK but I still have a lot of pain with my right leg because of the tissue scarring and it’s very difficult to walk, but while I don’t think I will be able to walk without crutches, I’m hoping things will improve a lot.”

He and partner of 20 years Karen got married in June and the couple are looking forward to a new life when they move into a bungalow in Wheatley, Doncaster.

Ian’s accident features in Monday night’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning UKTV programme which follows the life-saving work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The programme, which airs at 9pm on UKTV’s real life channel Really, also features the dramatic attempts to save the life of a grocer who collapsed and stopped breathing while loading his van and a boy’s daring jump into the water at Whitby harbour which ends in a serious injury

Helicopter ER is made by York-based Air Television who have won two Royal Television Society awards for their work on the compelling series.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,300 missions every year. The charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

Photo caption:  Ian Dawson being treated at the scene of the crash and Doncaster district nursing sister Kathryn Bebb who stopped to give life-saving help.