On the 22nd July 2017, the Air Ambulance was tasked for the very first time to eleven year old Conor who was working on the family farm when he suffered a serious head injury.

Conor was struck by a tractor trailer and shares his experience “I remember just dropping to the ground and then I wasn’t conscious.” A family member called the emergency services, and within minutes the Air Ambulance had been tasked to the scene of the incident in Castlewellan, County Down. Conor’s Dad John dad added, “At the time it was very settling to know that he was minutes away from the care that he needed.”

When the Air Ambulance arrived on scene, HEMS consultant Dr. Darren Monaghan and HEMS Operational Lead Paramedic Glenn O’Rorke immediately administered critical care interventions to Conor.

These interventions allowed the medical team to stabilise his condition and significantly reduce the chances of long term damage to his brain caused by his head trauma. With his condition now stabilised, the crew were able to airlift Conor to Belfast in an eight-minute flight compared with an estimated journey time of one hour by road ambulance.

Conor was treated by the excellent staff at Northern Ireland’s Major Trauma Centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Recognising how the Air Ambulance reduces fatalities and the long-term harm caused by trauma injuries, Conor reflected, “If they weren’t there, I could have still been lying in hospital or even died. I’m just very grateful for what they’ve done.”

Six years after his incident, HEMS Operational Lead Glenn visited Conor at his family’s farm to talk about that fateful day which marks the begining of our service. You can watch this video by clicking the button below.