A North Yorkshire man who collapsed on a run whilst training for a marathon and was saved by the air ambulance service will tell his story tonight (Friday, October 27) on Discovery+ TV show Helicopter ER.
Steve Sadler, 58, was on a routine run as part of his training for the Manchester Marathon around his local village of Carperby near Leyburn when things took a turn for the worst one mile in and he collapsed.
When he finally regained consciousness, Steve made his way back home where his wife called 999 for help which resulted in the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) being dispatched to his remote location.
Arriving at the scene, paramedics found Steve pale, clammy and experiencing dizziness and nausea with an alarming heart rate of 230bpm.
The YAA medical team administered medication to attempt to slow Steve’s heart rate down. They said: “When we arrived, Steve was critically unwell. I have never seen a patient with this kind of heart rate still awake and conscious. I was deeply concerned he was going to go into cardiac arrest.”
Steve’s condition continued to worsen during the short flight to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, 35 miles away. His heart rate surged to nearly 260 bpm, causing significant concern amongst the crew.
Paramedic Georgina added: “The concerning aspect of maintaining such an elevated heart rate is that the body’s resources become depleted rapidly.
“When your heart rate is elevated, it demands a significant amount of energy to sustain that rhythm. Once that energy reserve is exhausted, it often leads to a complete shutdown, with the heart coming to a halt.”
Steve then spent six days in the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a short circuit heart condition meaning he needed a defibrillator implant.
Following his ordeal, Steve said: “I went from feeling fantastic to suddenly overwhelmed by extreme dizziness and passing out. Somehow, I managed to make it back to my house – I am not even sure how I made it home, I was just determined to get home.
“The medical advice I received was crystal clear – no more running. It was a seismic shift in my life, given that running was my number one passion. Adapting to this new reality has been quite a difficult journey.”
He added: “The sight of the yellow helicopter is a common one for many residents in rural North Yorkshire, particularly in the Dales.
“However, I never once expected to be the one needing its services. You never think it could be you.
“It’s a stark reminder that life can change in an instant. I am eternally thankful to the incredible team at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and I’ll forever champion the outstanding work this charity does.”
Also appearing in the same episode as Steve is 22-year-old machine worker Fraser Bennett, from Bridlington, who was assisted by the YAA following a workplace accident.
Whilst conducting routine maintenance checks on a tall piece of machinery at his workplace in Sherburn, Fraser was suddenly gripped to the machine by a powerful electric current.
The shockwave sent him into immediate cardiac arrest.
Upon arriving at the scene, medical team member Dr. Neill made a critical decision at the scene to induce a controlled medical coma through a rapid sequence induction (RSI) procedure, essential to Fraser's survival. At the time, Fraser's risk of death was exceptionally high.
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Fraser was swiftly transported by air to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, a major trauma centre, for further treatment.
Remarkably, Fraser awoke from his medically induced coma just three days later. Eighteen months on, he continues on his journey of recovery, learning to walk again and regain his mobility, speech, and confidence.
In the episode, viewers will be given a behind-the-scenes look at how both men's lives were saved by the air ambulance.
The show is airing tonight at 9pm on Discovery+.
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