Teenager airlifted to hospital following fall in ditch

The ambulance service was called to Cressing Road, Braintree, at about 4.40pm, and a crew and the air ambulance were dispatched.

Student ambulance paramedic Owen Nichol was on the scene in just three minutes. He said: "The boy had been playing football with friends when it was kicked and landed up in a tree.

"The patient climbed the tree to retrieve the ball but as he went to reach it, he ended up falling at least 20-30ft into a ditch below.

"I jumped into the ditch to get to the patient, and at that time the aircrew had landed. Then me and my crewmate and the aircrew worked to get the boy stable."

Paramedic Richard Mackie was on the helicopter, and helped deliver a very advanced technique called rapid sequence induction which sedates the patient and induces paralysis to allow safe airway management and protection. It was Richard's first time in using the procedure, and only the second time for the Essex Air Ambulance, having used it just 24 hours earlier at a serious RTC in east Essex.

Richard said: "Although the patient had a very reduced level of consciousness, he was still aware of us working on him, so the procedure means we can more humanely treat his injuries and reduce the risk of further problems.

"As soon as we could, we got him on the aircraft and flew him to Queen's Hospital, Romford."