A MOTORCYLIST has thanked the air medic who was flown to his aid after a collision with a Range Rover.
Jamie Prime, 26, from Ashington, was out riding with three friends when the incident happened at Paperhaugh near Rothbury on August 31, 2016.
A specialist trauma team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) was called to Mr Prime, who was seriously injured.
He said: “We were on a ride out and had been to Hartside Pass and were heading home. My bike hit something in the road. I went sideways before I collided with a Range Rover head-on.
“I was thrown off the bike which ended up in a hedge and I remember rolling across the road before coming to rest on the grass verge.
“I realised I was still alive. I was in shock. Then I screamed.”
An off-duty policeman and an off-duty nurse helped at the scene before a rapid response paramedic arrived and called for the assistance of GNAAS.
Air ambulance paramedic Jamie Walsh was flown to the incident alongside a GNAAS doctor and pilot. They administered strong pain relief to Mr Prime who had suffered a broken fibia and tibia, before he was flown to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington where he spent five days.
Mr Prime, a former a residential support worker, had a rod with four screws fitted in his leg and spent three months on crutches. On April 27, he underwent a further operation and now has a metal frame attached to his leg for up to six months to help the bone mend.
The day before the operation, he visited the GNAAS airbase to show his gratitude to Mr Walsh.
Mr Prime said: “I wanted to personally thank the team as I did not have a chance to on the day.
“It is a brilliant service and so vital.
“The biking community are full of appreciation for the work they do. There is huge support behind a fantastic service.”
Mr Prime also handed over a £200 cheque raised from a local quiz night at Ashington & Ellington Social Club.
Mrs Joyce Robertson, club treasurer, said: “We are eternally grateful for the quick response one member of our team received.
“Northumberland would be a much less safe county without you.”
GNAAS is celebrating 15 years as an independent registered charity. To find out how you can help, please visit www.gnaas.com
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