Willington boy thanks helicopter crew that saved his dad's life

The Great North Air Ambulance saved James Chorlton’s life after he suffered serious head injuries in the car crash earlier this year.

Mr Chortlon was in the car with his wife Helen and eight-year-old son Jack when their vehicle spun off the road in bad weather and rolled multiple times down an embankment landing in a field.

Jack and his mother were unhurt in the crash, which occurred in poor weather on the A685 near Tebay in Cumbria while they were driving to see family, but Mr Chorlton had to be cut free from the vehicle and was airlifted to hospital with potentially serious head injuries.

Within ten minutes, he arrived at hospital and received the emergency treatment he desperately needed.

After 19 stitches and 13 staples to his head and an overnight stay in hospital, Mr Chorlton was discharged the following day.

After the accident Jack embarked on a fundraising campaign to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance.

The school boy from Willington said he wanted to say thank you to the helicopter crew who saved his father’s life so completed the Great North Run in September.

His fundraising page on the Justgiving website has raised £400 for the service.

Jack said: “I just wanted to raise some money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service because they looked after my Dad when we had the car accident and because I think they do a brilliant job.”

Mr Chorlton was the first patient to be airlifted to hospital in darkness following a recent change within the Air Ambulance which allows trained pilots to transfer patients between hospitals or take patients away from the scene of an accident as dusk falls.

Chief Executive Grahame Pickering said: “We are just happy we were able to help James.

“We are now able to fly more than ever before so he won’t be the last person to benefit from these changes.

“But we could not do any of this without the help of people like Jack. His fundraising efforts are outstanding and very much appreciated.”