Austin Duncan from Plumbridge, Co Tyrone has raised £1700 for Air Ambulance NI after he needed the helicopter emergency medical service last year following a chainsaw accident.
Austin was logging timber on the 12th May 2025 on the edge of the Sperrin Mountains when the chainsaw bounced back, tearing his calf and fracturing his leg in three places, resulting in rapid blood loss due to the severing of a main artery. Austin managed to remove the belt of his trousers and use it as a temporary tourniquet before calling emergency services, as local men in the vicinity came to his aid.
On receipt of the 999 call in ambulance control, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) provided first aid support to Austin and despatched an Emergency Crew to the scene as well as the Helicopter Emergency Service (HEMS). The NIAS crew provided initial clinical care before HEMS landed in the north Tyrone village by air ambulance. The HEMS doctor and paramedic team carried out critical care interventions, including a blood transfusion, before transporting Austin to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast by air ambulance in a journey time of approximately fifteen minutes.
The HEMS carries blood on board each day, ready to provide blood transfusions if needed. The blood type carried is ‘O negative’ which anyone can receive, regardless of blood type.
Austin underwent three emergency surgeries on his leg whilst in hospital before being transferred to Ulster Hospital where he spent a further three weeks recovering.
One year on from this accident, Austin is making gradual improvements with mobility in his leg despite having nerve damage throughout and only 12% blood circulation in his leg which he hopes will improve with future surgeries.
During the recovery from this accident, Austin chose to support Air Ambulance NI by having donations in-lieu of presents from his birthday, raising £1700 for the charity. Austin, his family and friends recently visited the Air Ambulance NI operational base on the outskirts of Lisburn and met members of the aviation and charity team.
Austin pictured with his family, friends and Air Ambulance NI pilot Rich.
Damien McAnespie, Fundraising Manager, said, “It was lovely to meet Austin and to hear how the quick interventions from the emergency road crew and HEMS helped saved his leg following a split-second accident. Thank you to all those who supported Austin’s birthday fundraiser in aid of the charity, your donations will ensure the air ambulance can continue to reach and treat others in critical need of pre-hospital care. This service could not operate if it weren’t for the unique partnership that we have with NIAS as well as all those people who fundraise, donate, volunteer and support. Austin’s experience highlights the importance of the HEMS team carrying blood on board which is delivered on average twice per month.”
The charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, provides the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for Northern Ireland. The service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province, operating seven days a week for 12 hours per day. The HEMS team attend patients who are seriously ill or injured, bringing emergency pre-hospital care direct to the casualty with the aim of saving lives, brains and limbs. The aircraft can reach anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes.
As a local charity, Air Ambulance NI relies on the generosity of the public to maintain and sustain its essential services, aiming to raise £3 million annually. Public donations are crucial to supporting this lifesaving mission.
