A SERIOUSLY injured biker who had to be dragged clear from the flaming wreckage of a crash has met the air ambulance paramedics who 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, said: “Without getting to hospital so quickly, I would not have survived.”
Now, Mr Allaker and his fiancée, Kathryn Moore, have visited the air ambulance paramedics, Andy Mawson and Mark Cotgrave, who treated him at the scene.
Mr Allaker, a welder, said: “I wanted to thank everyone for what they had done. It was absolutely amazing to be able to shake their hand.
“I’ve never had a crash where I’ve needed an ambulance in 40 years of biking, and then all of a sudden I’m relying on all of these people around to help me.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you but I’ve been left feeling very humble from the experience.”
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.
Mr Mawson said: “A score like Dick’s would suggest that the patient is unlikely to survive. He is a very lucky man.”
Mr Allaker, who cannot yet walk unaided, has bought a 900CC Yamaha motorbike as he hopes his mobility will improve in the future so he can get back on a bike again.
His soon-to-be wife, has already raised £1,000 for GNAAS in thanks for her fiancé’s airlift. She will take part in the Great North Run on September 11 for the charity.
Miss Moore, who is also a keen biker, said: “I’m half dreading the run but I also can’t wait. It’s always been on my bucket list of things to do but this gave me the final push.
“Going to see the aircrew was about putting the final pieces of the jigsaw together and being able to meet all the people who saved him. They are invaluable.”
To support Miss Moore’s fundraising click here.
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