Skip to content

Biker with serious injuries 'saved' after air ambulance flew 50 miles

Ollie Conopo/BBC Daffyd Lee wearing a Christmas jumperOllie Conopo/BBC
Daffyd Lee suffered multiple injuries, which included a broken back, during the accident in 2017

A biker who suffered multiple injuries in a road accident said the air ambulance saved his life.

The 50-mile journey from the scene to a specialist hospital took just 19 minutes, which meant that Daffyd Lee, from Northampton, got vital care more quickly.

The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS), which serves five counties, has just celebrated its 20th year.

It flew 3,646 missions last year, up from 3,149 the year before.

Ollie Conopo/BBC Equipment packed in bags inside a helicopter. A seat is also visible.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Space is at a premium in the three-seater air ambulance which carries medical equipment and supplies such as blood

Daffyd Lee remembered very little of the accident which took place in 2017.

He has been told that a car did a u-turn in front of him on the A5 in Milton Keynes, and his bike collided with the vehicle

A road ambulance arrived at the scene, but it became clear that he needed specialist treatment in Coventry.

The Northamptonshire and Warwickshire air ambulance arrived 17 minutes after the callout, and, within an hour of the crash, Mr Lee was in the accident and emergency department at Coventry and Warwickshire hospital.

He said: "I got a head injury, a fractured jaw, a fractured C2 [vertebra] on my spine, both fractured wrists, fractured femur and a thumb, but fortunately the air ambulance was there to save me.

"It took 19 minutes to get from Milton Keynes to Coventry, which was way quicker than a car".

Ollie Conopo/BBC Yellow helicopter standing on the tarmac at a small airportOllie Conopo/BBC
TAAS helicopter for Northamptonshire and Warwickshire is based at Coventry airport

Mr Lee has made a full recovery and has been able to complete 25 skydives.

The air ambulance that helped Mr Lee is one of two operated by TAAS to cover five counties. The service also operates the national children's ambulance.

Each mission costs around £1,700, and TAAS has to find the money from voluntary donations.

Ollie Conopo/BBC Young woman with long fair hair wearing a lanyard sits at an office deskOllie Conopo/BBC
Camilla Raca from TAAS said the service was very busy in 2023

Camilla Raca from TAAS said: "We receive no government funding, we receive no funding from the National Lottery, we rely entirely on donations from the generosity of the people within our communities.

"We get called out about five times a day - this year our stats have gone up since last year, so we are very busy."

Among the fundraising events that help with the cost of each mission is the annual Chilly Willy motorbike ride-out, which is in its tenth year and has so far raised £27,758.

This year's ride-out will start from Northampton on 7 January.

presentational grey line

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830.