Brandon's Story

Many people played a part in Brandon Bissett's chain of survival the day he broke his neck in a motocross accident. But the 22-year-old apprentice plant fitter from Fife is in no doubt that Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance's role was among the most important.

"I don't know what I would have done without them," he said. "They got me out of an almost totally inaccessible location and made sure I got to specialist surgical care in the fastest possible time with the minimum impact on my injuries."

Brandon's day out on the trail bikes with his Dad at a popular disused quarry turned to terror when his front wheel hit a concealed root and he was catapulted over the handlebars.

"I managed to pull off my helmet and then realised I couldn't sit up or move my body. It was terrifying," he said. "I was conscious and could move my arms and legs but I knew something was seriously wrong."

As Brandon's Dad stayed at his side to comfort him, fellow bikers set off to get help and guide an ambulance crew along an overgrown disused railway line to reach the quarry.

"They knew there was no way they could get me out by road so an air ambulance was called," explained Brandon.

"It really lifted my spirits when I heard SCAA approaching and landing nearby. Shock was setting in, I felt freezing cold and in a lot of pain.

"The SCAA paramedics were absolutely amazing - calm, reassuring and comforting," recalled Brandon. "They cut my clothes and put on a neck brace. I didn't know at this stage how serious my injuries were but I knew I was in the best hands possible."

Friends, family and bystanders all helped paramedics carry Brandon on a stretcher across difficult terrain to reach the waiting helicopter and within minutes he was airborne and making the short flight to the Major Trauma Centre at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

Scans showed Brandon had broken four vertebrae in his neck as he underwent a series of tests.

“There were times when I thought the worst,” he admitted. “Would I be paralysed, would I ever walk again? These dark thoughts go through your mind but I had to push them away and think positively. SCAA had got me to hospital carefully, comfortably and quickly - they’d given me the best chance of coming through this.”

Brandon’s optimism paid off and after a tortuous three months wearing a metal head and neck brace, he’s well on the road to an expected full recovery.

“It’s a miracle,” he said. “I owe so much to everyone who helped me that awful day - from fellow bikers, family, emergency services and bystanders - but I know it was SCAA that made the difference. I will be forever grateful to an amazing charity.”