Beeline: Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance Magazine, Spring 2016

why we do it
DSAA paramedics
Claire Baker
(right) and Paul
Owen were
given a lift on the
final leg of their
journey by
a helpful postie
instead we found a safe landing site next to the River Axe
in the low ground of the estuary.
“Carrying our heavy bags, we began to run up the hill.
Fortunately, a local postman was delivering mail in the
area. He pulled over in his Royal Mail van and offered us
a lift, delivering both us and our equipment to the scene.
At this point our ambulance service colleagues had also
arrived and were starting to assess Mike’s condition. He
had suffered a fall from a potentially dangerous height
so it was important that we recognised and treated his
injuries quickly.
“We assessed Mike’s consciousness level. His airway and
circulation were normal, however, he was complaining of
pains to his chest and ribs. We were concerned that one
of his lungs may have been damaged in the fall but, after
further monitoring and assessment, it was determined
that his condition was not life-threatening. Working with
our ambulance service colleagues, we tried to make him
comfortable, immobilised his head, neck and back as a
precaution and administered pain relief as required. The
land ambulance was then used to transport Mike back
“An accident like this
really helps you focus
your mind on what .
is important in life”
to the helicopter before he was flown to Royal Devon and
Exeter Hospital.”
Mike underwent a series of x-rays and CT scans.
These showed that he had fractured five of his ribs and
fortunately suffered no further breaks or injuries.
“The doctors informed me that broken ribs have to heal
in their own good time and thus 24 hours later I was back
at home. The first six weeks were the worst as I had to
‘sleep’ in the spare room with ten pillows behind my back
to make sure that I was sat in an upright position. As you
can imagine, not much sleep happened over that period.
“About ten months after the accident, I noticed that I
wasn’t able to lift my arms above my shoulders and when
I mentioned this during my yearly medical, I was advised
to see a shoulder specialist. Further X-rays diagnosed that
I had torn tendons in both of my shoulders, which was
likely to be a result of my incident.
“Injections were tried at first and although this gave
me some mobility, it began to wear off so we opted for
keyhole surgery (rotator cuff procedure) to repair both of
the shoulders. I was informed that it could take anywhere
between nine and 18 months to repair my shoulders,
depending on the severity of the tear.
“My left shoulder was operated on in November
2015, where the specialist found a small tear, some
compression and a torn biceps tendon as well. Part of the
recovery has meant a course of physiotherapy and more
than 210 daily exercises at home.
“I am due to see the specialist again soon and am
hopeful that he will sign me off in order that I can go
salmon fishing in Canada later this year. The plan is to
have another operation on the other shoulder after that.
“An accident like this really helps you focus your mind
on what is important in life and I am eternally grateful
for the care and assistance that Dorset and Somerset Air
Ambulance gave me. I am now a keen fundraiser and
organise the annual Rousdon Quiz, which raises funds
for both DSAA and Devon AA.”
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance @dsairambulance 19