Alistair's Story

It was an adventurous manoeuvre Alistair had done many times before. But when the front of his kayak struck something as he pushed over the 15-foot drop from the bank into the River Avon, the 39-year-old mechanical engineer knew he was in trouble.

Alistair broke his back in two places as the kayak slammed down hard on the water below and the boat rolled over trapping him helpless beneath the raging current.

“My mates managed to drag me free and haul me to the bank,” recalls Alistair. “The pain was excruciating and I was so cold. I was aware of people around me, cutting my clothes from me and wrapping me in blankets and heat pads. Every minute seemed like an hour. Then I heard the helicopter overhead and people told me I was being airlifted to hospital.”

Search and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland all helped SCAA paramedics carry Alistair from the steep-sided Avon Gorge to the waiting helicopter.

“It was a real struggle to get me up the steep slope and through the undergrowth,” he said. “The pain was unbearable – every step they took was agony for me.”

SCAA flew Alistair to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in under 10 minutes.

“The paramedics were great – very professional – and the treatment on route to hospital was fantastic.”

Alistair also praised the speed and comfort of the charity air ambulance.

“I dread to think what pain and discomfort I would have been in travelling by road,” he said. “SCAA’s speed and comfort makes a huge difference when you’re in agony and every movement is torturous.”

Alistair spent several days in hospital and a further six weeks on crutches as he pushed himself to get fit again. And nine weeks after his accident, Alistair was back in his kayak.

“The trick is to go over a fall into the river at around 70 degrees so that you slice safely and smoothly into the water below,” he said. “When my kayak clipped something and it sent me off the bank horizontally that day I knew it was going to hurt. Hitting the water was like hitting concrete.

“I’m nearly back to full fitness again but without SCAA it could have been a different story. They got me quickly and comfortably to hospital and that made a huge difference.

“SCAA is a top notch team and a charity well worth supporting – my friends saw the part SCAA played in my rescue and we’ll be doing what we can to fundraise.”