Busaholic
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Jun 2014
- Messages
- 14,106
In my immediate area, people were saddened to learn of the sudden death of a well-regarded shopkeeper, who went home last Friday and, shortly after, was found in her flat on her bed apparently dead having choked on something.
Her heart was restarted after a time, and the two ambulance crews had arranged for the air ambulance to take her the 20 odd miles to the local hospital, and I saw it flying overhead seeking somewhere to land.
Unfortunately, the wind was too strong for it to land, and it was a third land ambulance that eventually took her to hospital, but it was all too late.
No-one at present can say whether the shorter hospital journey might have saved her, but it struck me, not for the first time, that the strength of winds now being experienced as a regular occurrence down here in West Cornwall throughout the year are impinging on everyday life in ways previously unthought of.
My wife, too, had an air ambulance called for her about three years ago, in fine, apparently calm, weather, only for it not to be able to take off because the wind at the hospital in Truro was strong enough to prevent it landing there.
Fortunately for her, it made no vital difference, but it all added to the stress.
These are relatively new air ambulances, having to be funded by local charitable fundraising, and I expect the extra cost of a more weather-resilient chopper would be great, and possibly make it slightly slower in the air.
On the other hand, can we afford for such a necessary service not to be available on such a regular basis?
Her heart was restarted after a time, and the two ambulance crews had arranged for the air ambulance to take her the 20 odd miles to the local hospital, and I saw it flying overhead seeking somewhere to land.
Unfortunately, the wind was too strong for it to land, and it was a third land ambulance that eventually took her to hospital, but it was all too late.
No-one at present can say whether the shorter hospital journey might have saved her, but it struck me, not for the first time, that the strength of winds now being experienced as a regular occurrence down here in West Cornwall throughout the year are impinging on everyday life in ways previously unthought of.
My wife, too, had an air ambulance called for her about three years ago, in fine, apparently calm, weather, only for it not to be able to take off because the wind at the hospital in Truro was strong enough to prevent it landing there.
Fortunately for her, it made no vital difference, but it all added to the stress.
These are relatively new air ambulances, having to be funded by local charitable fundraising, and I expect the extra cost of a more weather-resilient chopper would be great, and possibly make it slightly slower in the air.
On the other hand, can we afford for such a necessary service not to be available on such a regular basis?
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