I had a fight with a chainsaw” Plucky octogenarian Margaret Paramore didn’t think anything of chopping up trees in her garden for firewood, until her chainsaw had a ‘wobble’ and struck her in the face. Devon Air Ambulance paramedics were quickly on scene to help with her profuse blood loss

“I had a fi ght with a chainsaw – and the chainsaw nearly won!”

This was how Margaret Paramore from Woodgate near Culmstock described her accident in March last year.

with aircrew paramedic, Chris Saunders, Margaret left by road to head for the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.

John followed by car and, on arrival, he waited anxiously for three hours in A&E before being advised that Margaret would be in surgery most of the night and that he would be better off coming back the next day. “It was absolutely horrible,” John said. “It had been such a terrible shock. I could see that the chainsaw had gone right down to the bone of Margaret’s nose, and it was only her glasses that had saved the blades from taking out her eyes. I still get fl ashbacks now.”

During a six-hour operation, surgeons rebuilt Margaret’s nose. Her fi rst memory after the journey to hospital was waking up in Intensive Care the following day, and her fi rst thought was for her husband of 63 years. “I really felt sorry for poor John – who saw the whole thing happen. It was ‘just one of those things’ but because I’m on blood thinners, the blood loss was terrible.”

Since the accident, Margaret’s injuries have largely healed, with just a slight hare lip to contend with. “It makes eating awkward,” explained Margaret, “but I’ve been advised that I will be able to have it repaired when the COVID-19 virus is behind us. Without the expert help I had at the scene and in hospital, things could have been a whole lot worse.”

Since coming out of hospital nine days later, just ahead of lockdown, Margaret and John have spent the last few months at their home, with food and supplies being delivered by family members. They are now chomping at the bit, however, to get back out on their bicycles. Both are former top-amateur road racing champions and have missed the freedom of the open road since Margaret’s accident and the pandemic began. Despite both being octogenarians, they still have plenty more miles to do before they hang up their bikes and, from everyone at Devon Air Ambulance, we wish them both well. 

Margaret and John get ‘ready to ride’

Last March, 82-year-old Margaret and her 87-year-old husband John were in their garden cutting trees for fi rewood when, in Margaret’s words, “the chainsaw went into a massive wobble and fl ew up, catching my face in its path.” The incident caused such severe facial injuries that it was clear Margaret needed emergency help.

With Margaret bleeding profusely, John had to leave her at the scene to seek help before getting as many clean towels as possible to stem the fl ow of blood. The couple’s relief at the arrival of the fi rst responder and land ambulance crew was swiftly followed by further relief at the sound of the Air Ambulance landing in a neighbouring fi eld.

“I was conscious throughout,” explained Margaret. “I even remember saying to the paramedics that I needed to spend a penny before I could go anywhere!” All the medics on scene worked together to assist Margaret and, aware of how much blood she was losing, the Air Ambulance team decided it would be safer to transfer her to hospital by land ambulance so she could remain seated, instead of her laying on a stretcher in the helicopter. Along