I’VE SEEN THINGS I CANNOT UNSEE
William in tribute to air ambulance pals on his final shift
PRINCE William reported for his final shift as an air ambulance pilot last night and recalled the “shared trauma” he and his colleagues can never forget.
After flying hundreds of missions in his two years’ service he told of witnessing “appalling tragedies” and “moments of extreme emotion”.
The heir to the throne, 35, said: “You need to be physically and mentally fit to do this job properly.
“So we are encouraged to talk through the things we have seen – to share the trauma within the team.
“I now know, though, there are things that cannot be unseen and experiences our first responders deal with on a daily basis that they will carry with them for life.”
Pilot William Wales, leaving to take on more royal duties, said his team’s work has made him a lifelong champion of the emergency services.
On his last night shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, he joked to helicopter pals at Cambridge airport: “You’re handing over to the A Team.”
Since qualifying in 2015, he has spent 88 hours a month helping to fly medics to scenes of fires, road accidents and suicides. He said yesterday: “I have met people who were in the most desperate of circumstances.
“As part of the team, I have been invited into people’s homes to share moments of extreme emotion – from relief that we have given someone a fighting chance – and profound grief.
“We travel to some very daunting incidents and have been through incredibly tough times together, witnessing some appalling tragedies.”
The Prince, who gave his salary to charity, recalled the “profound effect” from one of his first call-outs – to a young man who had killed himself.
He said it brought out “my determination to draw attention to this issue” and from then he began to work with the charity Calm, dedicated to preventing male suicide.
Colleague Captain Dave Kelly said of him: “We attended a lot of suicides. That moved him greatly.”
A boy flown to hospital by William and his team after being horrifically injured in a 2015 car crash that killed his uncle said last night: “I owe them my life.” The youth – named only as Jack, 19, from Littleport, Cambs – added: “I want to thank him and all of them for what they did.”
We are all encouraged to share the trauma within the team PRINCE WILLIAM ON LAST SHIFT YESTERDAY