Medics from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) flagged down a bin wagon in a seaside rescue today, Friday 12.
The team were called to Whitley Road, in Whitley Bay, where an 87-year-old male pedestrian had been struck by a car at 9.45am. He had sustained serious head and leg injuries.
Due to the built up nature of the patient’s location, the helicopter was unable to land nearby. Instead, it flew to the town’s war memorial where there was space to land safely. From there, the doctor and paramedic crew planned on making their way to the scene by foot. However, they were able to flag down a passing bin wagon, which took them to the patient.
Jane Peacock, GNAAS paramedic, said: “We just thought a bin man would know the roads. We jumped in the front and they took us straight there. They were brilliant, we can’t thank them enough.”
After treating the patient on scene, the crew then accompanied the man to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in a North East Ambulance Service road vehicle. The journey took 15 minutes. The man’s condition was described as critical on arrival.
Picture shows GNAAS lead paramedic, Jane Peacock.
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