A Hull caravanning couple’s lucky escape will feature in the next episode of Helicopter ER – the reality TV series featuring the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Paul and Christine Johnson were inside their caravan at a farm site near Pickering when a freak wind during the tail-end of Storm Aurora flipped it over with the shocked pensioners still inside.
Christine banged her head but was able to crawl out of a smashed window to get help from other family members on site. But, 66-year-old Paul was trapped inside, wedged painfully between the seats and kitchen units which emptied their contents on top of him.
“When the caravan was blown over there was no warning,” said the retired engineer. “One minute, I was drinking a cup of tea and the next, I was just tossed around and everything just seemed to fall on top of me.
“I was pinned down, just couldn’t move. It was so disorientating as my glasses had been knocked off and my first thought was Christine. Thankfully she was OK, and I feel very lucky to be alive too as there was a vertical knife sticking up just six inches away from me.”
Paul, who has osteoarthritis in his spine making him vulnerable to spinal fractures, was only freed when firefighters cut through the roof of the overturned caravan.
The caravan – known as the ‘Love Shack’ – was propped up against the tail bar of Paul’s car which he believes stopped it from rolling over again and miraculously he only sustained minor injuries.
And, the drama has not stopped the couple’s love of caravanning – they are just wary of travelling and pitching in windy conditions.
Their story features in Tuesday night’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning Really channel programme which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
The programme also features a three-vehicle road accident which saw two people airlifted to major trauma centres, including a motorcyclist who was carrying his dog in a sidecar, and a man who suffered major leg injuries after slipping off the edge of a home renovation project.
Photo: Paul Johnson was trapped in his caravan after a freak wind flipped it over.