Biker is air-lifted from remote track

As an air emergency response resource, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) is able to access accident scenes often difficult to reach by land crews and to extract patients quickly and comfortably to hospital.

One example this week was a mountain biker who sustained head injuries in a fall from his bike on a remote track in the Rannoch area. SCAA was first on scene and airlifted the injured man to Ninewells Hospital at Dundee.

A busy Saturday shift saw SCAA fly to three separate emergencies and airlift patients to hospital.

Two of the call outs were to Fife where a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a road traffic collision near Upper Largo.

SCAA paramedics worked with Scottish Ambulance Service road crew colleagues to stabilise the injured motorcyclist before he was flown to Ninewells Hospital for advanced care.

The helicopter made a return visit to Fife later in the day to airlift a woman who sustained leg injuries in a fall in an inaccessible location. She was also flown to Ninewells Hospital.

SCAA paramedics also helped at a medical emergency near Loch Earn this week, flying in to assist the ground crew at the scene.

This week’s emergencies have also taken the air ambulance much further afield.

A medical emergency on Arran saw the crew fly to the aid of a woman requiring advanced hospital care on the mainland. She was flown by SCAA to Crosshouse Hospital at Kilmarnock.

Another island emergency took the team to Tiree where they airlifted a stroke patient to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at Glasgow.

And SCAA was back at the QEUH the following day with a patient requiring urgent medical care after taking ill at Campbeltown.

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance vice-chairman Mike Beale has raised over £11,000 for the airborne life-savers through his 70th birthday sponsored walk which saw him trek 160 miles in eight days, visiting six golf clubs.

The retired Perth headmaster walked from Scone to the Black Isle in September and support and sponsorship has been flooding in from many quarters.

More than 100 individual supporters donated to Mike’s challenge as well as 11 golf clubs and 15 companies.

Mike, who retired as headmaster at Craigclowan in 2007, has been involved with the Perth Airport-based helicopter air ambulance charity since its inception several years ago.

It’s his passion for the charity that prompted this personal challenge as he works to fundraise and heighten the profile of Scotland’s only charityfunded air ambulance.

Other donations received at the charity’s Perth Airport base this week from local supporters include £204 donated by Murrayshall Ladies Golf Club, from funds raised throughout the season.

And Strathmore Golf Club has also donated £152 raised for SCAA throughout their summer season.

Pitlochry Station Bookshop continues to steam ahead with its fundraising efforts for SCAA. This week’s £300 donation takes their total support for the helicopter air ambulance to a page-turning £25,380.

Thanks also to the Blairgowrie couple who raised £300 for SCAA in lieu of presents from friends and family during their recent GoldenWedding celebrations.

And a Pitlochry woman is doing a cracking job of fundraising for SCAA by selling fresh eggs from her own poultry. So far she’s donated £26 through her “Eggs For Flights”scheme.

Guildtown Friendship Group welcomed a volunteer speaker from SCAA recently to tell about the work of the charity. A donation, collection and sale of SCAA merchandise on the day saw the group raise £182.

The charity is also grateful to a Perthshire woman who made a £200 donation to SCAA in thanks.

Locally placed collecting cans spilling out their coins at the SCAA counting house this week include those from Giacopazzi in Kinross (£18.98) and Inveralmond Brewery in Perth (£43.76).

Look out for SCAA volunteers collecting throughout the House of Bruar’s three-day sale at Blair Atholl this weekend (November 10, 11 and 12).

Members of the 3rd Scone Cub Scouts will hear all about the work of the pack’s locally-based air ambulance helicopter charity at their 7pm meeting in Scone Scout Hut on Wednesday, November 15.

Have you been helped by SCAA? If the charity flew to the aid of you or a loved one, we would love to hear from you.

Patients willing to share their story and experiences help SCAA to publicise and promote their life-saving service.

No one tells of the impact of Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance than the people whose lives have been touched by the fast-response emergency service. Share your story by contacting media@scaa.org.uk