Staff and volunteers at the Great Western Air Ambulance are celebrating a very special birthday, with the lifesaving service turning seven years old on Wednesday (3rd June).
The charity was formed in 2008, and the crew attended their first mission on 3rd June.
They were called to a road traffic collision on the M5, at junction 21 for Weston-super-Mare.
Since that day the team, who are based at Filton airfield in Bristol, have attended 14,323 missions.
Of those 4,251 were by helicopter and 10,072 by one of the two rapid response vehicles.
GWAAC fundraising manager Emma Carter said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating our seventh birthday.
“I want to say thank you to everyone involved with the charity since we launched for their hardwork and dedication.
“The number of missions we have attended since 2008 show just how crucial the air ambulance is.”
GWAAC provides one of the busiest air ambulances in the UK, serving the counties of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.
It is estimated that one patient in five – a patient otherwise expected to die – survives.
Last year, Alister Sayer was one of the patients in Bath who received the specialist care from the team aboard the Great Western Air Ambulance.
He was at his first day of work on the Bath Riverside housing development when he popped to Sainsburys to get some lunch.
As he walked through a car park, he was hit by a speeding car, suffering horrific injuries to his legs.
Following the collision, Alister was airlifted to the new trauma centre at Southmead Hospital.
He was the first patient to be airlifted to the unit, and the first trauma call for the department.
Alister had broken two bones in his right leg and one in his left and spent two weeks in hospital after undergoing surgery.
One of his legs swelled so much, and the circulation was so bad, doctor’s feared drastic surgery was needed and could have left him permanently disabled.
However thanks to his determination, and the skill of the people who treated him, he is walking again.
Alister said: “You never think you will need their services, but if someone in your family was hurt you would want these guys to help them. They do an amazing job.”
His mother Emma said: “This makes me realise how crucial the air ambulance is, without it and the team on board the outcome could have been completely different.”
