Tuesday 14th July 2015 – 6.50pm – Murray MacGregor.
A group of friends used jumpers and jackets to help guide an air ambulance to a friend who was lying injured in a remote location.
The incident happened near Thor’s Cave in the Dovedale National Nature Reserve in Staffordshire at about 11.15am this morning.
An ambulance and the Mayfield and Ellastone community first responder were dispatched along with the Midlands Air Ambulance from Staffordshire and the local mountain rescue team.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The 22 year old from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, was out with a group of friends when he tripped, stumbled and dislocated his right knee cap.
“Unfortunately, access by road was not possible so the helicopter was well placed to get to the location quickly. The group were well prepared and were able to give a good location using an Ordnance Survey map reference and visual marks such as being by a cliff on top of hill.
“When the air ambulance got there, the friends had identified a good landing area and were able to flag their location to the aircrew. No other resources reached the scene before the helicopter arrived.
“The man had his knee cap put back by the aircrew paramedics after he had been given pain relief. He was then airlifted to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital for further treatment.
“Whilst not a serious injury, this was an excellent use of the helicopter to get to a patient quickly, who could have been left in the elements for a considerable period of time.”
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