5 minute read
Crash landing When a mountain bike jump went wrong and left teenager Harry Adam with three broken limbs that needed treating by Devon Air Ambulance paramedics, one of his first thoughts was about the excitement of a free helicopter ride
Harry strapped in tightly ready for the flight to Bristol
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Imagine the exhilaration of approaching a jump on your mountain bike, taking off, flying through the air and landing cleanly and smoothly, as your friends watch and prepare to follow on behind. Then, as you leave the ground to do the jump again, imagine the realisation as you fly through the air that the landing is not going to go well this time, and you crash into the ground with a nasty bang!
Harry Adam, aged 13, from Sidmouth, had both experiences in June 2020.
Harry was out with some friends and their dads for an afternoon of mountain biking in a popular area on Woodbury Common when things went horribly wrong. As Harry crash-landed, it was immediately evident that he had suffered some serious injuries to three of his four limbs.
“Surprisingly, I wasn’t in too much pain to start with,” Harry said. “I guess it was the adrenalin that helped. And I knew I could move my chest and my head, which was a real relief.”
As his fellow mountainbikers rallied to call the emergency services and to reassure Harry that help was on its way, no-one realised just how many people would attend. By the time Harry’s parents Emma and Gary arrived, just a short while later, the scene was crowded with medics, including a Critical Care Car crew from Devon Air Ambulance, along with a land ambulance crew and personnel from HART (Hazardous Area Response Team).
Harry’s accident had happened in a densely wooded area of Woodbury Common. Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care paramedic, Liam Kilbride, explained, “It was clear straight away that Harry had broken both his arms and wrists and his left leg and, although the land ambulance crew had already given Harry ‘Entonox’ to manage his pain, we needed to administer further pain relief as quickly as possible. But, for various reasons, it wasn’t possible to canulate by an intravenous line and we had to use an intra-osseous injection, straight into Harry’s shin, through which we could then administer the drug, Ketamine. While Harry was sedated, we were then able to splint his limbs and prepare him for the flight to hospital. The whole time, however, Harry was the bravest patient I’ve met. He was such a trooper and never once complained about anything!”
With Harry having had such major trauma, back up was called for from Devon’s Air Ambulance, to convey him to Bristol Children’s Hospital. Gary and Emma were at the scene and were grateful for the expertise and skills of the medics to ensure Harry was as comfortable as possible. It was all hands-on deck to help extricate Harry from where he’d fallen and take him by stretcher to the helicopter in a nearby clearing.
Mum Emma explained, “When we arrived, I could see that Harry’s limbs were really deformed but I was so reassured that he was absolutely in the best possible hands. He was talking to us so, even though it was really hard not to be able to go in the helicopter with him to Bristol, we knew he’d be ok.”
When asked what he’d
thought when he knew that the Devon Air Ambulance was on its way, Harry said, “Oh good, I get a free helicopter ride! I remember I had a great view of the sky, but I think I was still a bit sedated from the Ketamine.” Harry was well looked after in the helicopter, with Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care paramedic Mark Hawley saying, “He was such a hero. He’d obviously done quite a lot of damage but was so brave!”
The following day, young Harry had surgery lasting eight hours, to wire, pin and plate both arms and his left leg. The COVID restrictions still in place at the time meant that, while Emma was allowed to stay and his dad was allowed to visit, Harry didn’t see his 11-year-old brother George for nearly a week, something that both boys found tough. After eight days in Bristol and a further four days in Royal Devon & Exeter, Harry was discharged and moved in with his grandparents – who live just around the corner from his home - for two weeks. With two broken arms and a broken leg, not surprisingly, Harry’s mobility was severely restricted.
Harry was still using crutches when he returned to school at Sidmouth College in September but is now back doing almost all the things he loves. “I rode my bike last weekend for the fi rst time since the accident,” he explained. “It wasn’t even damaged! But my helmet has been replaced as that was completely shattered. Seeing my broken helmet was a real reminder that, if I hadn’t been wearing it, it might have been my head that was smashed!”
Since his recovery, Harry is now planning a challenge to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance. “I’m not sure how, where or when yet,” Harry explained, “but I really want to pay back some of the cost of everything they did for me last June.”
Paramedic Laura and pilot Jesse at work on the scene
