FIRST casualty for the new Magpas Helemidix air ambulance was a man who injured himself during a parachute jump at Chatteris.

At 12:44pm yesterday afternoon the team of Dr David Driver, paramedic Rob Riches and paramedic Ash Richardson), arrived near Wimblington, via the Magpas Helimedix Air Ambulance.

“It was in response to man in his 30s who experienced a challenging landing, following a parachute jump,” said a Magpas spokesman.

“When the Magpas team arrived, an EEAST Ambulance Crew had also just got to the scene. The Helimedix assessed and sedated the patient (who suffered a serious break to his thigh), whilst working alongside the other emergency services.

“The man was then flown to Peterborough City Hospital, where on arrival he was in a stable condition”.

The helicopter team who flew the Helimedix to the scene - and the team and patient to hospital - was pilot Richard Eastwood and crew member Andy Craigie.

The same Magpas Helimedix team were then called to Peterborough City Centre, arriving at 3:15pm in the Magpas Helimedix Air Ambulance. An EEAST Ambulance Crew requested their assistance, after a man (in his 30’s) suffered a fall down a flight of stairs, leaving him with a severe head injury.

After landing as near to the scene as possible, Cambridgeshire Police provided the Helimedix with a blue light escort to the exact location. The Magpas team sedated and anaesthetised the man (to protect his brain), before accompanying the patient in a Land Ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, monitoring his condition all the way. On arrival at the hospital, the man was in a serious but stable condition.