From impact to airlift

A lorry travelling in front of Sam braked hard and fast, causing the driver of Sam’s vehicle to swerve, but unfortunately the passenger side made significant impact with the lorry in front and the air bags failed to deploy due to the damage the vehicle sustained. Sam was trapped in the vehicle and said:

I remember seeing my foot somewhere near my waist but since the accident I have visited the fire crew who said my leg was pinned up and my foot was near my shoulder!

Due to the severity of the accident, three fire crews from Newton Abbot, Paignton and Torquay were dispatched to the scene where they had to work to pull the lorry off Sam’s work vehicle before they could begin to free him from the wreckage. Sam explained: 

The fire crews were using spreaders to push parts of the truck apart to free me, I remember vividly telling them that there was pressure on my other leg.

It was quickly evident to the emergency services that first arrived on the scene that this was a serious incident that required the expertise of the Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) Critical Care crew.  

In this time, Sam had thrown his mobile phone to his boss and asked him to call his girlfriend Maddy to let her know what was happening. It was also Maddy’s 23rd birthday that day.  

Maddy was in Totnes at the time but recalls getting the harrowing phone call and rushing to be with Sam. She said: ‘I was on the scene within 20 minutes, I just wanted to let him know that I was there, and it was going to be OK, even though I didn’t know that for sure myself.’ Maddy remembers hearing the DAA helicopter landing on scene as she parked her car and made her own way to the scene.  

‘The relief on Sam’s face when he saw me was the minute that he knew he was getting the help he needed and he was going to be OK! I said goodbye and told him I’d meet him there, but he couldn’t communicate with me. It was so scary.’

Once DAA’s crew had assessed Sam, he was given Ketamine for the pain and stabilised ready to be conveyed to the closest Major Trauma Centre, Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.  

Sam was immediately rushed into 9 and a half hours of surgery to repair the internal injuries sustained and then he remained in an induced coma for 4 days. Maddy described the agonising wait time, saying ‘It was all such a blur, but I remember getting to Derriford Hospital, being put into a room and then two women arrived with Sam’s phone. I instantly thought the worse but one of them told us that he was very poorly but still with us. They then told me to prepare to say goodbye to him. When I saw him next, he was unrecognisable. I don’t think any of us could prepare for what Sam looked like after 9 hours of surgery’. 

Still in an induced coma, Sam remained on the intensive care unit and had to undergo more surgery to repair breaks to his arms and legs.  

Once Sam was discharged from hospital, Maddy gave up her job to move in with Sam and his family becoming his full-time carer while he faced the long road to recovery. The couple have since moved to Maddy’s family home.  

Over the summer Sam and Maddy finally got to go away for a break together for a belated birthday celebration. They visited the Lake District where they got engaged on 22 August 2024.  

Maddy, who had always wanted to make a difference in her life, was inspired by the fire, ambulance and air ambulance crews on the day and is now training to be an on-call firefighter. Sam is recovering well at home and is eager to get out and about walking and cycling as he continues to improve.  

Sam’s family recently held a quiz night in support of us by way of saying thank you and Sam’s stepdad, Judd, said:

It became apparent that if it wasn’t for the speed of Devon Air Ambulance attending, there is a very real possibility that Sam’s life would have been lost and therefore, as a family we have chosen to raise funds and awareness for the charity.