From Motorbiker to Fundraising Hiker 

Charlie Hoole was making his way home from a motorcycle ride with friends on a summer’s day in June 2023. Winding his way down Blackdown Hill, towards his home in Chard, he was involved in a head-on collision that left him in a critical condition with multiple serious injuries including a broken hip & pelvis and open fractures, resulting in a considerable amount of blood loss.  

‘I came round a corner and my brake pads stuck, so I overshot the corner and had a head on collision with a Kia coming the other way.  

My knee was the first thing to make an impact with the car, then I got thrown up onto the windscreen and over the roof, landing around 25 meters away from the point of impact. The bike ended up in two pieces quite far away from the car.’ 

Luckily for Charlie, the driver of an oncoming vehicle first to arrive at the scene, was an off-duty nurse who carried a medical kit in her car. The stranger immediately sprang into action and supported Charlie until the emergency services arrived. Due to the incident’s location and the severity of Charlie’s injuries, Devon Air Ambulance crews were quickly dispatched to respond with their roadside critical care.  

After being assessed at the scene, given pain relief and stabalised, Charlie was taken to Bristol Southmead Hospital by air. Commenting on the response time and treatment received, Charlie said: 

‘The speed of everything was incredible, I had my accident around 3:30-4PM and had received some treatment at the scene, loaded into the helicopter and arrived in hospital by 7:30PM 

I remember hearing the helicopter as it landed, the ‘warm honey’-like feeling of a blanket being placed on me and the breeze as the helicopter doors opened when we arrived in Bristol, but I don’t remember much of else of the journey.’

Early the next morning Charlie was taken into surgery for a lengthy operation, which would begin to repair his femur and knee. The next day, he was back in surgery for his first hip operation, followed by another major operation around 7 days later.  

On the fourth day of Charlie’s hospital stay the surgeons operated on his arm to repair the injuries to his elbow and wrist. In total, Charlie went through between 40-50 hours of surgery.  

‘I think I have been strong throughout the entire process. 7 weeks after the accident, I got married and was supposed to be in a wheelchair all day, but I was stubborn and survived the day with just my crutches’ 

After surviving the harrowing motorcycle accident and receiving life-saving care from Devon Air Ambulance, Charlie embarked on a year-long fundraising mission to give back. He has already tackled Mount Snowden and has plans for a series of challenging activities throughout the year, running up to the two-year anniversary of his incident. His grand finale will be a 75-mile walk from Bristol Southmeads Hospital, where he was treated, to his home in Chard, symbolising the long journey he has made from injury to recovery, as well as his deep gratitude to those who have helped him along the way.  

When Charlie was in hospital, his family and friends set up a GoFundMe account to support the family and they received 186 donations in total, therefore Charlie has decided to start his JustGiving page with £186 as a nod to those who donated during his worst days. 

Everyone at Devon Air Ambulance is incredibly inspired by Charlie’s determination and generosity. His journey from recovery to giving back is truly remarkable, and we are cheering him on every step of the way. Best of luck with your fundraising challenges – thank you for making such a difference in enabling us to be there for more people in need of urgent critical care.  

Charlie’s story is a strong reminder that – Together, we are Devon Air Ambulance.