A 14 year old school boy from Skipton featured in the latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999.
The episode aired on Friday 22nd November at 9pm.
It follows the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) team as they respond to a 14-year-old schoolboy, whose PE lesson took a painful turn after a freak accident during a cricket match in Settle.
Archie Goddard, a Year 9 student from Skipton, was fielding during a PE lesson when he lunged to catch a fast-moving ball.
Instead, the ball struck his knee, causing a severe lateral dislocation that left him in excruciating pain and unable to move.
Concerned about possible vascular compromise - a serious condition where blood flow is restricted to the injured area - YAA’s critical care team, located at RAF Topcliffe in Thirsk were dispatched to the incident.
YAA’s helicopter landed directly on the school field just 14 minutes later, where the team found Archie lying on the ground covered in coats for warmth, with his worried mum by his side.
Paramedic Sam Berridge assessed Archie’s injuries, he said,
“His knee was severely dislocated, almost appearing like it was pushing against the skin and causing Archie a lot of pain, it was critical we acted quickly to minimise any lasting damage”.
Sam administered gas and air to help ease Archie’s discomfort before skilfully guiding the dislocated kneecap back into place.
Sam explained,
“Relocating a kneecap requires a balance of realigning the joint while supporting the kneecap to avoid causing further damage. It’s not difficult, but it can be extremely painful, so it was important to keep him calm and comfortable.”
Despite the procedure being painful, the relief was almost instant.
Sam took precautions to prevent any movement that could cause further damage to his kneecap, nerves, or tendons, which could become trapped following the relocation procedure.
To ensure stability, Archie’s leg was immobilised in a vacuum splint before arrangements were made for a land ambulance, to transport him to Airedale General Hospital for further scans.
X-rays at the hospital confirmed that the procedure at the scene was a success and that there was no additional damage.
Now fully recovered, Archie is back to his normal activities, including playing cricket and going to the gym.
Grateful for YAA’s assistance, Archie said,
“I’m so thankful for the team arriving when they did. I’d been lying there for ages, and Sam helped me right away. It all happened so fast - I just remember looking down and my knee was completely out of place.
"Once the gas and air it kicked in everything just went white and once my knee popped back into place, the pain was completely gone! I just wanted to get back up on my feet.
"The recovery passed by so quickly, now I don’t even remember which knee it was!”.
The episode also follows the YAA team as they respond to a range of emergencies, including a serious motorbike accident, a 2-year-old who had fallen 12 feet from a window, and an elderly diabetic gentleman who became lost on a walk near the Yorkshire Coast.
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