‘I am still alive because of the remarkable team that flew to me’ – Air Ambulance completes 12,000th flight

Doctors, paramedics, pilots and dispatchers from the charity responded to a patient who required emergency critical care following a road traffic collision in Basingstoke.

The team provided treatment to the patient before transferring them to hospital in a road ambulance.

Since its first take off on July 1 2007, the charity has responded to more than 17,500 emergency missions across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas by air and road. These included cardiac arrests, falls from height and assaults.

Advancements in the service means that today the doctors and paramedics on board can carry out procedures that are usually only found in a hospital setting.

These include a thoracotomy – a surgical incision to the chest wall used to treat life-threatening conditions – or an amputation, and all at the side of the road, in someone’s kitchen, a busy shopping centre or a rural area.

One of those 12,000 patients was Steph Blake, who was hit by a car as she was crossing the road near her home in 2018.

Steph, who was 20 at the time, had sustained a severe head injury and was critically ill. The team flew to Steph and were by her side within eight minutes of the first 999 call.

They put a cannula in Steph’s arm, gave her medicine to calm her down, sedated her and put her onto a ventilator, all before flying her to hospital.

Steph, who has now started volunteering for the charity, said: “I am still alive because of the remarkable team that flew to me.

"I couldn’t be more thankful to them for giving me a second chance at life. Their skills, strength and abilities still amaze me.

"Every time I see the helicopter fly overhead, tears build up in my eyes.

"I love volunteering for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance as this has given me an opportunity to thank the service for still being here today.”

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance CEO, Richard Corbett, commented: “To reach 12,000 flights is a remarkable achievement. But every single one of those calls for help is to a husband, wife, brother, sister, mother, father, friend, colleague.

"The truth is, nobody knows if or when they’re going to need an air ambulance. For many of those patients, it will be the worst day of their lives.

"But thanks to the extraordinary dedication and generosity of our supporters, we can try and make that day slightly better and give those patients the best possible chance of survival and recovery.”

To help keep the charity flying and saving lives, visit www.hiowaa.org