Great Western to the Rescue

I was sitting at home by the back door this afternoon when I heard someone repeatedly shouting for help. As soon as it sunk in that this was not children playing, I went out to the path by the cemetery, that leads down to the woods. A young man in great distress told us that, on the path, a tree had suddenly fallen down and struck a young girl of eleven, knocking her over. She was with her family.

A Green Spaces council worker phoned 999, while went down to the scene. The young man became too distraught to look, so I went back up the path with him, and eventually we heard sirens approaching. The young man ran off. I caught up with him, and he gave me the phone that he'd borrowed from a passing dog walker, and asked me to to speak to the ambulance crew. I explained that access was difficult, owing to the path being both steep and narrow. At this point I did not even know if the casualty  was conscious or breathing.

We waited, and within seconds we heard the sound of a helicopter arriving. I was rather surprised at this, particularly when they landed in the park, which is not very close to the path.

The young man had recovered sufficiently, after the magic glass of water I gave him, to head off down the path. It turned out that the family were friends of his, visiting from London for the day, out to see a local beauty spot. The irony was not lost on us.

I stayed at the top end, and tried to discourage dog walkers and children and random people from going down the narrow path. By this time the 'normal' ambulance crew and the Air Ambulance team had all gone down to the scene.

Eventually, I walked up to the park to view the helicopter, which was being guarded by two police officers. We heard in the end that the Air  ambulance was going to take off and reposition  itself in the fields nearer the path. The casualty was said to be breathing and responsive, but in need of sedation before she could be moved. She had sustained a broken leg at the very least.

We watched the ambulance take off and re- land, then eventually take off again. The girl was being transferred to Bristol. I found it a very sobering experience, and am still a bit shaken up.

Often I've bought second hand books in aid of  the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, but I'd never seen them in action until today. They respond to NHS calls, but are entirely funded by charitable donations. Kudos to them. I'm going to do a fundraising stall for their charity.


I'm also going to be sure to have the coordinates of the woodland path on my phone, in case I ever need them again. Over the years, there have been accidents, fights, fires and worse in this little corner of rural tranquility.

Great Western Air Ambulance: http://www.greatwesternairambulance.com