A MOTORCYCLIST who was seriously injured after crashing into a wall in Northumberland is preparing for a cycling challenge in aid of the charity that airlifted him.
James Fernback, 35, from Alnwick, was riding along the B6341 with his friends when he crashed into a wall, sustaining multiple serious injuries. The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) was called to the scene.
The father-of-one said: “We’d been away at Fort William and we were heading back home through a rural area in Northumberland when I lost control of the bike. I remember waking up with the bike on top of me and then speaking to the GNAAS crew intermittently.”
The GNAAS paramedic and doctor team assessed and treated Mr Fernback before airlifting him to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in the aftermath of the incident, on June 29, 2015.
Mr Fernback sustained a broken collarbone, damaged spine, a broken pelvis, a fractured vertebra, bruised lungs and soft tissue damage in his leg.
He was in hospital for almost a month and spent six months recovering from his injuries before returning to work as a self-employed electrician.
Mr Fernback still feels pain in his lower back and other parts of the body as well as bad cramps, but that hasn’t stopped him signing up to the Hamsterley Beast to raise money for GNAAS.
He said: “Me and my friends were keen on doing something for GNAAS, and we saw the Hamsterley Beast as a good event to do.
“GNAAS are a fantastic service and they played a big part in getting to me so quickly on scene and taking me to hospital in the shortest time possible so I could get the treatment I needed.
“I think a lot of people in Northumberland appreciate GNAAS because we live in a rural type of area. Without this service, things could have been a lot worse for myself and other people who have had to use it.”
The Hamsterley Beast takes place on May 13. To sign up, or to volunteer as a marshall at the event, please visit the Hamsterley Beast page.
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