Biker raising funds after harrowing road accident
DAD-OF-ONE WAS SAVED BY AIR AMBULANCE SERVICES
A MOTORCYCLIST has relived the horrifying moment he woke up pinned to a wall by his own bike after a crash in Northumberland.
One minute James Fernback was riding along the B6341 with a group of friends after a long weekend in Fort William, Scotland.
But the next he was lying by the side of the road with the motorbike on top of him, unable to move.
The 35-year-old had to be airlifted to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and spent a month in hospital with horrific injuries which included a broken pelvis and bruised lungs.
Now back on his feet and working as a self-employed electrician again, he has taken on a fundraising challenge for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) crews who came to his rescue.
Dad-of-one James was returning home to Shilbottle with his friends in June 2015 after a long weekend in Fort William.
They were on the B6341 near Elsdon when James lost control of his bike and crashed into a wall.
He said: “It was about the last 30 minutes of the journey and probably wasn’t concentrating as much as I should have been.
“I was driving along the road and then the next thing I knew I was waking up on my back with the bike on top of me.
“I remember being pinned up next to the wall and not being able to move my leg out from under the bike.
“One of my friends turned up and then the air ambulance paramedics came – I was able to speak to them intermittently but I was just in and out of being conscious.”
The GNAAS paramedic and doctor team assessed and treated James before airlifting him to the RVI in the aftermath of the crash.
His serious injuries included a broken collarbone, damaged spine, a broken pelvis, a fractured vertebra, bruised lungs and soft tissue damage in his leg. James was in hospital for almost a month and spent six months recovering from his injuries before returning to work. He still feels pain in his lower back and other parts of the body as well as bad cramps, but that hasn’t stopped him signing up to the Hamsterley Beast to raise money for GNAAS. James said: “Everyone always says an accident changes your outlook and it’s been like that for me, I’m trying to enjoy myself more, it’s not just about working all the time. “Now I’m at a point where I want to give something back to the air ambulance. “It’s such a good service and it’s a surprise it’s not Government funded. “I think a lot of people in Northumberland appreciate GNAAS because we live in a rural type of area. Without this service, things could have been a lot worse for me.” The Hamsterley Beast bike ride takes place on May 13. To sign up, or to volunteer as a marshall at the event, visit bit.ly/GNAASbeast To donate to James’ appeal go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ james-fernback.