Air Corps helicopter takes injured Oulart farmer to hospital after cow falls on him

A FARMER who was airlifted to hospital following an accident at his farm in Oulart last Wednesday has thanked the emergency services for their efforts.

Mervyn Rath of Kyle, Oulart, suffered a broken leg after being pinned against the metal railing of a cattle crush when a cow fell against him.

The injury was centred on his lower leg below the knee, and emergency services had to cut off his wellington boot to inspect the wound.

A man who was with him called the emergency services, as Mr Rath was in severe pain. An ambulance crew arrived on scene and the decision was made to airlift him to hospital due to the seriousness of the injury, and the need to get him to hospital quickly.

An Air Corps Emergency Aeromedical Service helicopter was dispatched from Custume Barracks in Athlone and carried Mr Rath to University Hospital Waterford. He was released from hospital yesterday, Monday.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Rath had the utmost praise for the helicopter crew, the ambulance crew, and that staff at the hospital. ‘I couldn’t praise them highly enough,’ he said.

His lower leg is now in plaster and he will be unable to work for the foreseeable future. He said he has been inundated with warm wishes since the accident, and thanked everyone who has been in contact with messages of support and offers of help, and those who have helped on the farm since he was hospitalised.