We recently received this account of a rescue from a patient. We are incredibly grateful to him for allowing us to share his experience after a devastating accident.
In January, my wife and I were travelling back to Greymouth after dropping our daughter off at Canterbury University. We had enjoyed a lovely day and were cruising home to Greymouth as our son was cooking dinner for us. As we descended Porters Pass heading West a tourist crossed the centre line into our lane from behind a row of oncoming cars and hit us head on.
I don’t remember the impact and when I woke up I was trapped and my wife was already being resuscitated by passers by. My wife passed away at the scene whilst I held her hand. I remember the air ambulance medic beginning to work on me very calmly and asking me what hurt my reply was nothing (shock I guess), but I was in a bad way. He calmly looked after and cared for me throughout what I think was a lengthy extraction whilst I was cut out. He worked seamlessly with the paramedic until they had the roof off and carried me out on the spine board to the ambulance. I received an all over check and was then driven to the helicopter in the ambulance. Throughout the flight to Christchurch, he talked to me and made sure I was comfortable.
I spent 6 weeks in hospital in Christchurch and Greymouth and am now back up and walking on crutches. My wife and I received amazing care and support that day and my two teenagers still have one of us to look after them and I am in no doubt that without the first responders and the air ambulance and paramedic it is highly likely they wouldn’t have.
I just want to say a huge thanks to those involved.
