Air ambulance crew honoured for saving life of Shropshire farmer impaled on spike
An air ambulance team that saved the life of a Shropshire farmer when he became impaled on tractor spikes has been honoured for its outstanding work.
The Midlands Air Ambulance (MAA) team, based at Cosford, was awarded a Chief Officer Commendation for outstanding work in saving 52-year-old Graham Heatley's life at the Long Service and Excellence Awards.
Kerry Hemus and Thomas Waters, both critical care paramedics, and Doctor David Balthazor were presented with the award for the life-saving work they performed when Mr Heatley was impaled by a 45-centimetre long tractor fork at his farm, The Grange at Lyneal, near Ellesmere, in February last year.
The 40-millimetre thick spike had gone straight through the right side of his lower back, across his abdomen and was sticking out of the left side of his stomach after the tractor, with its handbrake not properly applied, slowly pinned him with the forks.
Chief executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service, Anthony Marsh, said: "It is right that we take time out of our busy schedules to pause for a moment to reflect on all the great things that our staff, volunteers and colleagues from the other emergency services and our partners do to support the ambulance service in providing a really good service for the public and saving lives."
Two MAA teams were part of a full medical team and crews spent over an hour removing the machinery to free the farmer. More blood supplies were airlifted to the scene and eventually the farmer was released and taken by air ambulance to a nearby trauma centre.
Mr Heatley has since made a rapid recovery and has since returned to work on his farm – his shocking story has been broadcast on television and radio. He said: "I would like to congratulate them – I can't praise them enough. Without their fast action we don't know what would have happened."
Sir Graham Meldrum, chairman of the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "The awards are all about the value that we place upon the people who are receiving those awards."
Paul Sabapathy CBE, the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, made the presentations on behalf of the Queen.
