The latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999 captures the moment both Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopters were called to a life-threatening farming accident near Ripon.
62-year-old farmer Simon Learoyd had been watering trees on his land when he stopped to pick up a load strap.
After dismounting his tractor without applying the handbrake, it rolled backwards and trapped his right leg beneath the rear wheel.
Alone in a remote part of his farm, Simon was unable to move or call for help, as his phone had been destroyed in the accident and the sound of the tractor’s running engine was too loud for anyone to hear his calls for help.
The accident happened around 8am, and he remained pinned for almost ten hours before being discovered by his neighbour, who was out searching for a missing cow.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based Critical Care Team, comprised of Paramedics Tom Chatwyn and Danny Cooper, were diverted to the scene while returning to base from a nearby mission.
With the seriousness of the incident becoming clear, YAA’s Nostell-based helicopter, Helimed 98, was also tasked to attend, carrying a doctor and additional blood supplies to support the response.
Speaking en route, Paramedic Tom said:
“When we heard the patient had been trapped under his tractor since that morning, we knew he could be suffering from a range of serious injuries, from fractures or internal bleeding to crush syndrome, which can cause the release of toxins into the bloodstream.
“We needed to get there quickly to assess and start treatment.”
Arriving at the scene, the Topcliffe crew made their way to Simon, who was conscious but in considerable pain. His neighbour had managed to drive the tractor off his leg, freeing him from where he had been pinned.
The team carried out a thorough primary assessment to identify any internal or external injuries, closely monitored his vital signs, and performed an ECG to assess his cardiac function before starting treatment.
Paramedic Tom said:
“With the tractor moved from off his leg, we were immediately concerned about the risk of cardiac complications.
“When a limb has been trapped for a long period, the compressed tissue releases toxins back into the bloodstream once blood flow returns, which can affect the heart and lead to dangerous rhythm disturbances or even cardiac arrest.”
Simon was given intravenous fluids and ketamine, a fast-acting pain relief medication commonly used in emergency medicine for its strong analgesic and dissociative effects.
Once the medication took effect, the crew carefully placed his leg in a vacuum splint, which moulded around the limb to immobilise it and help prevent further tissue damage.
Shortly after, Helimed 98 from Nostell arrived, with Dr Steve Rowe leading Simon’s ongoing care and overseeing his transfer to hospital.
Dr Rowe said:
“Simon had been trapped for ten hours, and you could see the pain he was in.
“Farmers are notoriously tough people, so when they tell us they’re hurting that much, we take it very seriously.
“Our priority was to get him to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”
The two crews worked together to carefully move Simon onto a scoop stretcher and into a thermal sleeping bag to help raise his body temperature.
He was then carried to the awaiting aircraft for the 22-mile flight to Leeds General Infirmary, where trauma teams were standing by.
Simon spent 33 days in hospital, undergoing six operations to treat the extensive crush injuries to his leg.
Despite the ordeal, he made remarkable progress and continues his recovery at home.
Reflecting on the incident, Simon said:
“I realised straight away that I was completely pinned and there was no way out. My phone was smashed, and the tractor was still running.
“I kept hoping someone might walk by, but I knew it was very unlikely. When my neighbour finally found me, it was such a relief.
“He asked what he could do, and I just told him, ‘Drive this off me!’ The pain after that was unbelievable, but help arrived minutes later.
“I can’t thank the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team enough, along with everyone at Leeds General Infirmary. They were all incredible. My skin graft is healing well now, and I’m just grateful to still be here.”
Alongside Simon’s story, this episode also features a man who collapsed during a marathon, an equestrian who suffered spinal and femur fractures after being thrown from her horse, and a motorcyclist who sustained spinal injuries in a collision near Barnsley.
For more information about Yorkshire Air Ambulance and how you can support its lifesaving work, please visit www.yaa.org.uk.
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