WHY WE DO IT


“I would not have survived”


The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance helped save farm worker Alex Page after he was crushed by a loading shovel A


farm worker who did not think he would see his family again after he was crushed in a farm accident has thanked the air ambulance crew


he says saved his life. Alex Page, 26, of Radstock, was left with life-


threatening injuries after the incident in Ston Easton in February. He is in no doubt that his recovery is down to the air crew as well as the other emergency staff who responded so quickly. Says Alex: “It was all pretty dramatic and I did not


think I would see my six-month-old son Oscar or my wife Kelly again. Because of the internal bleeding I would not have survived without the air crew who airlifted me to hospital so quickly.” Alex had been working on a loading shovel when the


arm came down, trapping him between the arm and front axle and crushing him. His spleen was ruptured and with internal bleeding and broken ribs he thought he was going to die.


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“I want to remind people about the air ambulance and what a vital service it is and ask people to keep the donations going. They are quite incredible and I didn’t think I would feel so affected by what they did for me.” Alex also praised the rest of the NHS staff for their immediate response and the high standard of care. “The first responder was on the scene within minutes


and then the paramedics. When I got to hospital, a trauma team was waiting for me. It all seemed to happen in such a short time.” After an emergency operation Alex was in intensive


therapy for a few days and is now at home recovering. Tracy Bartram, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance’s Communications Manager, says: “We really hope that Alex’s recovery is a good one. We are delighted to have been a crucial part in Alex’s rescue and wish him and his family well.” With thanks to the Somerset Guardian for sharing this story and to Laura Zaky for the photograph.


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