A teenager rescued by Yorkshire Air Amublance following a horror quad bike crash near Pateley Bridge will feature on TV tonight.
The latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Really and discovery+ tonight (Friday) at 9PM, follows the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) team as they respond to an unconscious teenager found on a remote moorland track in Upper Nidderdale.
It was after a late-night quad bike crash left him exposed to the elements for more than seven hours.
18-year-old farmer Edward Suttill had been riding home in the early hours when his quad bike flipped on a rugged track near Scar House Reservoir, just east of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
With no phone signal and no witnesses, Edward lay injured, unconscious and alone through the night.
It was only when his parents woke in the morning that they realised Edward hadn’t returned home the previous evening and set out looking for him, before calling 999.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, consisting of Paramedic Andy Armitage and Paramedic Stewart Ashburner-McManus, were scrambled to the scene, flying the 20-mile journey in just ten minutes. With the nearest major trauma centre more than an hour away by road, the helicopter was crucial to Edward’s chances of survival.
Paramedic Andy said:
“When we flew overhead to try and locate the patient, we spotted a very large overturned quad bike.
“Seeing the size of it immediately raised concerns about the force involved and the injuries that could follow, from head and chest trauma to pelvic fractures or internal bleeding.”
On arrival, the crew were told by Edward’s family that he had stopped talking around 20 minutes earlier.
The outside temperature overnight had dropped to around nine degrees, putting him at risk of hypothermia, which can slow the brain, weaken the heart and quickly become life-threatening.
Andy said:
“I was really concerned because his level of consciousness was low, he had blood around his head, and we knew he’d been there all night.
“When someone’s been exposed to the cold for that long, you’re thinking: is he unconscious because of hypothermia, because of a head injury, or both? Either way, we needed to move quickly.”
The team gave Edward oxygen through a mask to support his breathing and carried out an urgent primary assessment, cutting away his clothing to check for hidden injuries.
With his Glasgow Coma Scale score at 11, indicating a moderate head injury, and his skin already cold to the touch, the priority was to move him fast and protect him from further heat loss.
Andy said:
“We didn’t want to spend any more time on the moor than necessary. He needed scans, warmth and a specialist trauma team, and the only way to get all of that fast was by air.”
Edward was carefully lifted onto a scoop stretcher before being placed in a thermal sleeping bag to help retain heat and begin gently warming him.
He was then carried to the helicopter for the 12-minute flight to Leeds General Infirmary, where trauma teams were standing by.
Edward was treated for hypothermia and underwent scans that revealed two bleeds on the brain and a fractured shoulder blade.
After four weeks at Leeds General Infirmary and a further two at James Cook Hospital, he returned home to continue his recovery and is now back on his quad bike.
Speaking about the accident, Edward said:
“We’d had a good night, and I set off home on the quad, but I didn’t quite make it. The next thing I remember properly was being in hospital.
“I had two bleeds on the brain, but luckily they didn’t have to operate. They told me my short-term memory had taken a hit, but the only thing I’ve forgotten is the accident, so I think I’ve done quite well.”
Alongside Edward’s story, this episode also features a 55-year-old man who suffered a heart attack after collapsing at home, a sailor knocked unconscious by his boat’s hull, and a 33-year-old woman thrown from her motorbike into a dry stone wall.
For more information about Yorkshire Air Ambulance and how you can support its lifesaving work, please visit www.yaa.org.uk.
Harrogate Town Unveil New Home Kit for 2026/26 Season
Harrogate resident latest to scoop free tank of fuel
20-person brawl breaks out at Ripon pub
RAF flypast planned over Harrogate district next weekend
Three hotels in Harrogate district named among best in UK by Telegraph
Petition calls for action to protect Knaresborough Castle
Harrogate Car Enthusiasts Motor Show returns this weekend
Solar panels installed at Ripon Leisure Centre to help cut energy bills
Police make arrest after fight on Harrogate street
Harrogate IT business 'incredibly proud' to represent town at national awards
Harrogate school fair to showcase young musical talent
Harrogate care team conquers 45km charity walk
Increase in shoppers being duped by AI 'High Street' scams
Financial investigators brought in to examine council-owned house builder
Comedy legend to visit Harrogate as part of upcoming tour
Governors oppose battery storage site near Knaresborough primary school
Street rangers tackle benches and bird mess on Cambridge Street
Harrogate Cat Rescue issues update on kittens born with genetic condition
Harrogate MP launches campaign to save M&S café on Leeds Road
Paddling pool in Valley Gardens remains closed for maintenance
