Tim’s Story

A short trip to the shop turned into a life-changing journey for motorcyclist Tim May when he was airlifted by Cornwall Air Ambulance following a collision with a car.

On Saturday 4 August Tim was returning home from the shop on his motorbike when a car pulled out in the lane in front of him on the A38 near Carkeel Roundabout. He desperately tried to brake, but crashed into the back of the car and was thrown on to the tarmac.

He said: “I had a horrendous pain in my buttock, I felt like I wanted to roll over to release the pain. Luckily a nurse was in a nearby vehicle, she witnessed the accident and came to keep me stationary. A first responder and a land ambulance arrived, but they required stronger pain relief to help move me. That’s when they requested Cornwall Air Ambulance.”

Due to the impact of the crash, Tim’s femur smashed through his pelvis, causing extensive damage and internal bleeding.

The crew of Cornwall Air Ambulance landed on the A38 at 11:35am. Critical Care Paramedics Pete Storer and Jeremy Griffiths assessed Tim and administered Ketamine sedation as a form of enhanced pain relief and as a means to re-align Tim’s fracture whilst simultaneously stabilizing his pelvic injury to reduce further bleeding.

Pete said: “We knew straight away that Tim had a very serious injury as his leg was at an odd angle. We gave him enhanced pain relief so we could straighten out his leg at the scene. It also became clear that Tim had suffered an internal bleed, which can be very dangerous if not treated quickly.”

The 58-year-old was transferred to the helicopter and airlifted to Derriford Hospital. Tim endured a nine-hour operation to repair the damage to his leg and pelvis and spent two weeks in hospital.

Tim said: “I remember getting put in the helicopter, I thought I was dying. If I went by land ambulance I might not be here; it made a huge difference to me. It will be a long recovery, they say it takes up to two years to be back to 100% fitness again. I’m self-employed, so the accident has been life-changing for me.”

Tim, along with his family, recently visited Cornwall Air Ambulance HQ to meet and thank Pete in person.