Back in 2014, Mike Lecomber from Winchester was on holiday with his family in Higher Rew Campsite near Salcombe.

The morning began fine and dry, but unluckily for Mike he somehow managed to slip on a gentle grassy slope, fell awkwardly and broke his right leg in three places with an open fracture. Says Mike,

A paramedic was with me in about an hour followed by an ambulance some time later. I was given gas & air and morphine and I must admit I don’t remember much after that! Because the fracture was an open wound it was decided that I should be airlifted as soon as possible to Derrisford hospital, Plymouth. 

As the campsite is on a farm there were several open fields nearby, so the air ambulance was able to land fairly close, much to the excitement of Mike's Grandchildren and the other children camping at the site. 

Mike had to be carried over two fields on a stretcher to the helicopter where he was strapped in. Mike doesn't recall his arrival at the hospital where he was quickly attended by the medical staff.

Here he had an emergency operation to pin his leg and after a stay of a few days he was conveyed by road-ambulance back home to Winchester where he has since made a full recovered, except for a little stiffness in the ankle.

I have no idea who the medical staff who attended me were,' says Mike, 'But I would like to thank them all because I was told later that with an open fracture on farmland I could have been infected, developed Sepsis and might have lost my leg, so their prompt actions prevented that from happening.

Support patients like Mike by getting on board with out Lift A Loved One appeal!

Have you been airlifted by us? Because of patient confidentiality we only hear from around 15% of those we airlift. If you have a story you'd like to share then we would love to hear how you are now. You can thank you the crew too. Our Patient Liaison Officer, Debbie, is available to support patients and invites those we airlift - and their families - to an airbase visit.

  

Photographs from Mike's airlift at the campsite.