An Irish cyclist has recalled a horror crash he suffered last year, when he suffered 28 bone breaks - including a broken spine - and had to be airlifted from the crash scene in Co Kerry.
Cork rider Diarmuid O'Donovan was rescued by emerged workers with the Irish Community Air Ambulance and believes he would have been in much bigger trouble had he not been airlifted on the day after being thrown over the handlebars of his bike.
“A moment of carelessness saw me hit the road. I was on my own but thankfully it wasn’t long before I was found. Paramedics, a local doctor, the local fire service and gardaí all responded," said of his crash on Slea Head, Co Kerry, last May.
"I was drifting in and out of consciousness and it quickly emerged that I needed to be at Cork University Hospital as soon as possible. I wasn’t in a suitable state for a two-and-a-half-hour journey by road so the Irish Community Air Ambulance was tasked and landed in Ventry.
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"The journey to CUH by helicopter took just 30 minutes. I had 28 different bone breaks including my spine, shoulder and ribs as well as a punctured lung.
"I underwent several procedures that evening and spent 12 days in hospital. I believe it could have been far worse if I had not been transported to CUH so quickly and that my recovery has been much faster as a result.”
O'Donovan told the story of his crash and rescue as part of fundraising drive for Irish Community Air Ambulance, which is a voluntary organisation and must come up with its own funds.
The service was tasked to 512 missions in fourteen counties during last year, up from 490 in 2020. The organisation is Ireland’s only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance and works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service.
It responds to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcool, Co Cork. Each helicopter mission costs an average of €3,500, all of which has to be raised or donated. You can donate by following this link.
