Wills: My dark times as air ambulance pilot
THE Duke of Cambridge has opened up about the ‘sad, dark moments’ of his job as an air ambulance pilot.
In a candid interview, William recalled his inner turmoil at attending traumatic incidents including a fatal road crash and a burns victim who died.
Despite witnessing some distressing scenes, he said the rapport he has with his crew helps him cope.
The team talk to each other and play games in their downtime to help deal with what they encounter, he revealed.
The frank video interview is the latest emotional outpouring by the future king, who only a few weeks ago comforted a grieving teenager by saying ‘I still miss my mother every day’.
The 34-year-old was speaking to the BBC Futures website about the varying demands of the job he started last summer.
He works 80 hours a month for the East Anglia Air Ambulance (EAAA) alongside his royal duties, although it was reported earlier this year that some had criticised his commitment to the charity. However, Jemma Varela, a critical care paramedic with the EAAA who works with the prince, said: ‘He’s a very popular member of the team. He works hard.’
Another colleague, James Pusey, said that William enjoys the banter with the crew, and that it is good to ‘laugh at yourself’.
The Prince admitted he still finds it ‘quite daunting’ when he is flying to an incident. And the Duke said his most challenging callout was a burns victim. He said: ‘There’s one job in particular that was really quite nasty and I don’t know how the medical crew dealt with it.
‘Sadly the casualty was beyond help. But there are some very sad, dark moments. We talk about it a lot, and that’s the best way of dealing with these situations. You try not to take it away with you... but it can be quite difficult.’
He also revealed that his proudest moment was the rescue of a young boy who was seriously injured in a road accident in which his uncle died. The pair were in a van that collided head-on with a lorry. ‘Having seen how bad he [the boy] was, and seeing where he is now, that does make you realise that ... the stuff the team do is really crucial,’ he said.
William revealed he also looks forward to work every day – and loves being a member of a team. He said: ‘It’s rewarding when I come here to do this job and I look forward to coming here every day, whether it’s 5.30am or going to bed at 2am. The shift work is still exciting and challenging, for its variety more than anything.
‘And the fact that I love working in a team. That’s something that my other job [royal duties] doesn’t necessarily do. You’re more out there on your own a little bit.’
His decision to talk about his feelings is unusual for a royal. Privately, William has admitted he is more emotional after becoming a father.