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It is always nice to hear how patients airlifted by the crew of Anglias One and Two are getting on. Each month, we hope to feature a different story.
Jon Gardner, Teversham, Cambs
Arriving at work by helicopter might be something that most people would imagine themselves doing only if they won the lottery – but when specialist nurse Jon Gardner was stretchered past his colleagues into Addenbrooke’s Hospital, having been airlifted by the East Anglian Air Ambulance, he found it ‘a little embarrassing.’
Jon, a cardiology nurse based at the Cambridge hospital, had been taking his dog, Indy, for a walk just before she was due at a vet’s appointment. He was at a former chalk quarry near Cherry Hinton when he lost his footing and fell down the slope to the bottom of the pit.
Explaining what happened, he said: “I’d walked back up from the bottom and was about three quarters of the way up when I must have slipped on some loose gravel and fallen down to the bottom again.
“I didn’t realise how badly I’d injured myself but I was in pain and had a look at my leg only to find I had completely twisted and dislocated my kneecap. Fortunately I had my phone with me – I’d only picked it up because I needed to be aware of the time and couldn’t find my watch – so I was able to dial 999.”
A local responder paramedic was first on the scene but couldn’t see Jon at the bottom of the quarry. It took some time with Jon shouting out, then speaking to the paramedic on the phone before he was found. Because the location was so difficult the paramedic immediately called for the air ambulance and administered painkillers, then caught Jon’s dog and tied her to a fence out of harm’s way.
The rescue involved all the emergency services as the police came to take the dog and Jon’s car away, while the fire service were called to get Jon on a stretcher and out of the quarry with ladders.
It was a very short flight to Addenbrooke’s where Jon had worked for six years. “The air ambulance crew were great,” he said. “Throughout it all they were telling me exactly what was happening and what they were doing.
“In fact the helicopter crew were the only medical people I didn’t know – the first paramedic on the scene Bob, was someone I know well and everyone at Addenbrooke’s who dealt with me were colleagues. But of course working at the hospital I knew about the work of the air ambulance and how it’s not funded by the Government. My experience has also shown me what a great asset the new helipad will be.”
Jon has since made a full recovery from his injury – although he was off work for three months. Indy the dog won’t be so fortunate – on the day of the accident she was booked into the vets to be spayed, and although she’s managed to have the operation put off three times, Jon is determined she will be back at the vet’s soon – but next time he won’t go for a walk at a chalk quarry on the way to the appointment.
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