“I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I knew it was the top half of my body that was really hurting.”
A headteacher who abseiled from the roof of Murrayfield Stadium to raise money for a lifesaving air ambulance was stunned when the very same service came to her rescue just four days later. Kat, 50, had taken part in Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance’s biggest-ever fundraising event in Edinburgh on May 16.
But could never have imagined she would soon find herself relying on the service she had helped support. Just four days after completing the challenge, the Turriff Academy deputy head was driving home near Banff when a campervan suddenly pulled out of a junction directly in front of her.
Kate was travelling at around 50mph along the A95 and the force of the collision flipped the campervan on its side. The front of Kate’s truck was badly crushed.
Kate was able to climb from her truck to safety and was relieved to see those in the campervan managed to get out safely, but she quickly realised she was in significant pain and needed to sit down. An off-duty newly qualified paramedic happened to be nearby and stopped to help, sitting in the back of Kate’s vehicle and holding her head steady.
She was suffering pain in her neck and chest and was unsure of the extent of her injuries. Kate said: “I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I knew it was the top half of my body that was really hurting.”
Police Scotland and ambulance crews arrived at the scene before Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) helicopter landed nearby. The specialist crew assessed Kate and carefully prepared her for the flight to hospital, as the extent of her injuries could not be established without a scan.
The teacher was transferred to the helicopter by a stretcher with a vacuum mattress to support her head. She was flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in just 15 minutes.
It was only then that the remarkable coincidence of the previous few days really hit home. “I just couldn’t believe the irony of having to need the service I had just been fundraising for a few days before,” she said.
“I do endurance horse riding and I ride on my own a lot in very remote areas. I knew if I ever got into trouble that SCAA would be able to reach me when a land ambulance couldn’t.
“But I didn’t expect to have need of them for this type of incident.”
Once she arrived at hospital, the adrenaline began to wear off and Kate was given morphine to help manage her pain. A CT scan and further tests revealed she had suffered a fractured sternum and severe whiplash to her neck.
Kate was able to return to work around a month later and soon got back on her horse, although she said her recovery took time and she has been left with anxiety when driving. She remains hugely grateful for the treatment she received – and says the speed of the helicopter made a huge difference given how far she lives from Aberdeen.
“The SCAA crew were calm, with a good sense of humour, and it was clear they knew what they were doing,” she said. “Everything was so quick and professional.
“Where we live it’s an hour on the road to Aberdeen…the difference a helicopter can make is massive.”
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