Here are some of the incidents attended by the Great North Air Ambulance this weekend:
On Saturday at 10.10am we were called to South Shields, near Marsden Grotto, where a male motorcyclist, believed to be in his 40s, was involved in a collision with a van. He sustained head and spinal cord injuries and was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The flight took six minutes and he arrived in a stable condition.
At 3.19pm on Saturday, we were called to reports of a collision between a cyclist and minivan in Sawrey, near Windermere. A male, believed to be in his 50s, was assessed by the GNAAS paramedic and doctor team before being placed in an induced coma and flown to the Royal Preston Hospital for ongoing treatment. The flight took 16 minutes and he arrived in a critical condition.
On Saturday at 4.30pm we were called to Kirkby Stephen, to assist the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), after a male footballer, believed to be in his 30s, suffered a serious leg injury. The patient required immediate surgery and was flown to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. The flight took 15 minutes and he arrived in a stable condition.
Later on Saturday at 7.40pm we were called to Heworth, Gateshead, after a male quad bike rider, believed to be in his 40s, struck a tree. The patient sustained head, chest and back injuries and was anaesthetised on scene by the GNAAS doctor-led trauma team. He was then taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), accompanied by the GNAAS team.
On Sunday at 2.48pm we were called to Ravenstonedale, between Kirkby Stephen and Tebay, where a male motorcyclist came off his bike. The patient was assessed by the GNAAS paramedic and doctor team where his injuries were identified as being not as serious as first thought. He was taken by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to a nearby hospital.
At 3.05pm on Sunday, we were called to Longtown, Carlisle, after a female pillion passenger on a motorcycle, fell off the back of the bike. The patient, believed to be in her 60s, sustained serious chest and back injuries and was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The flight took 20 minutes and she arrived in a stable condition.
On Sunday at 6.50pm, we were called to Birkland Lane, near Beamish, County Durham to reports of a three vehicle road traffic collision. A male teenager sustained abdominal and pelvic injuries and a broken leg and he was flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. The flight took 14 minutes and he arrived in a stable condition. Northumbria Police have confirmed an 18-year-old man was killed in the same incident and are appealing for anyone with any information to call 101, quoting reference 998 130817. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased.