A SERIOUSLY injured biker who had to be dragged clear from the flaming wreckage of a crash has backed a campaign to support the charity which flew to his aid.
Dick Allaker, suffered two badly broken legs, a shattered pelvis, a broken back, broken arm, fractured ribs, nerve damage and internal injuries when his bike was in a collision with a car on the A167 at Thinford roundabout, near Spennymoor, County Durham, on August 12 last year.
Both vehicles burst into flames and the car driver and Mr Allaker were carried away from the burning wreckage to safety.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) flew the injured motorcyclist to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he arrived in a critical condition.
Mr Allaker, 53, from Pittington, County Durham, has backed GNAAS’ National Air Ambulance Week campaign running between September 19-25 by encouraging others to donate £3 a month through a text giving service.
He said: “Without getting to hospital so quickly, I would not have survived.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you but I’ve been left feeling very humble from the experience.
“We couldn’t do without them. It’s a strange thing, but you don’t think you’re going to need them, until you do. And when they are there, they really are there.”
On the Injury Severity Scale, an established medical score, Mr Allaker was given a 57. Fifteen is what is normally classed as being a major trauma. The scale runs from 1, minor, to 75, unsurvivable.
Andy Mawson, GNAAS paramedic, said: “A score like Dick’s would suggest that the patient is unlikely to survive. He is a very lucky man.”
National Air Ambulance Week runs every year. It aims to raise awareness and boost the fundraising efforts of UK air ambulances.
To support GNAAS, text SAVELIVES to 70660. To find out more, visit our Air Ambulance Week page.
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