Lincolnshire’s Air Ambulance
In the worst of times we meet the best people, like the heroic crew of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance who came to the rescue of horse rider Isla Benham when she had an accident and needed urgent medical treatment to prevent the loss of her leg. Happily, Isla made a full recovery and is keen to tell her story to illustrate just why continued support for this life-saving service is so important
It’s humbling to think, but anyone’s life can change in just a second or two, even with due care and self-awareness. Sadly, that’s something that Isla Benham knows too well. Isla suffered a horrific accident in August 2023 that could have ended her life, or meant the loss of her leg, after a horse she was riding was suddenly spooked. But whilst humbled by chance Isla was also blessed with the good fortune of living within the catchment area of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance to whom, she says, she owes her life.
“It was about a month before my 19th birthday, and it was a decent day, not wet or slippery underfoot,” she recalls. “I’ve always loved horses and I’ve enjoyed riding from being really young. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to ride other people’s horses in return for yard work. I’ve always had a good understanding of horses, always respecting them, especially their size and power.”
Isla was an experienced rider, wearing all the correct safety gear and she was just out for a slow hack. Suddenly the previously calm 16.2h thoroughbred horse she was riding reared up, threw Isla off and landed his full 600kg weight on her, before getting to his feet.
“I guess it took about five seconds for him to get off me,” says Isla. “I was winded, but not in pain. I knew, though, that something was very wrong, especially when I realised the position of my leg. Little did I know that my femur had been broken in five places.”
Isla was with her mum, who immediately calmed the horse and raised the alarm, calling 999. The call handler was able to see live video footage of Isla’s injury and they immediately recognised the need to alert the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA).
Worryingly, the misconception persists that LNAA receives funding from the NHS, EMAS or from central or local government. That’s not the case.
The only reason for the continued presence of the service – which covers the whole 3,500sqm catchment area of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with its population of 2,500,000 – is through the generosity of the public and businesses who support it. Through charitable activity and donations, the service secures the £13m of funding it needs each year to keep its helicopter in the air and its two critical care cars on the road, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-of-the-year… which was fortunate for Isla, as she is a good example of why the service is so invaluable.
Isla’s leg was not just broken. It was shattered and more worryingly the closed fracture she had suffered meant that circulation to her leg was interrupted, risking loss of blood to the leg which could in turn have necessitated its amputation.
What’s more, Isla’s location in North Lincolnshire meant she was quite far from her local Bassetlaw and Doncaster hospitals, and further still from the nearest major trauma centre at Hull Royal Infirmary – about an hour away by road.
The ability of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance to be able to respond to incidents in rural locations is invaluable. It is a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) with a team of doctors and paramedics who carry life-saving equipment on board the helicopter and critical care cars which means they can take an emergency department directly to the scene of some of the most serious incidents in Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire.
The helicopter, with a cruising speed of 180mph, can transport the HEMS team anywhere in Lincs & Notts within 20 minutes, saving precious minutes when time is of the essence.
The medics carry out procedures such as delivering anaesthetics, emergency blood transfusions and administering advanced pain relief as well as being able to facilitate surgery at the scene – procedures that are usually only possible in a hospital.
The service works closely with its NHS and East Midlands Ambulance Services colleagues. However, the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance’s independence of those organisations, and the fact that it’s regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), affords it the operational independence to pioneer new ways of working. The team passes those skills and methods on to other air ambulance services, sharing best practice in pre-hospital emergency care.
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance reached Isla within ten minutes. Aside from the more obvious injury to her leg, there was no way of knowing whether she had suffered any damage to her spine, but the medics were soon by her side, assessing her injuries.
Isla was given strong pain relief at the scene and her consciousness was reduced enabling the team to straighten her leg, reducing the restriction of blood flow. She was airlifted to Hull Royal Infirmary. Isla remembers the journey and says that the crew were a huge source of comfort.
“I felt extremely vulnerable. My mum had not been able to come in the helicopter and I felt incredibly attached to the doctor and paramedic. I trusted them, they were concerned for me and I didn’t want them to leave me.”
Isla’s leg was put into traction, before an operation to repair her leg. After 12 days in hospital, she was discharged but remained in a wheelchair. She later walked with a frame before finally being able to walk unaided.
Unable to start her university course as expected, she has instead opted to get a job and is now working full time. She still rides, having found a wonderful horse, Boris. Isla reckons he seems to know instinctively to look after his new friend.
Isla credits the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance crew for saving her life and her leg and for ensuring she can still walk and ride. She recalls, “At the time I couldn’t understand why the air ambulance had been called and the extent of what they did for me that day.”
“But then I was told that I nearly lost my leg. They are lifesavers. Without them I wouldn’t have the life I want to live. I can’t thank them enough for looking after me.”
“I knew of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, and I knew it was an important service,” she says. “But only when you’ve been in that situation do you realise just how wonderful they are. The crew sent me a get well soon card and kept in touch.”“I’ve raised money for them and visited the headquarters. I can’t describe how grateful I am to them, and I can’t express just how fortunate we are to have such a great team looking after us right across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.”
Read more about the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance in our March edition, online now at https://issuu.com/pridemagazines/docs/lincolnshire_pride_march_2025