An Irish cyclist who had to be airlifted from the scene of a crash during a cycling event in the summer has repaid his rescuers by raising €30,000 for them.
Darren Lynch, a 31-year-old from Caheragh in Co Cork, had to be airlifted from the scene of his cycling crash in July by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) air ambulance
Lynch suffered head and facial injuries due to his crash on July 24th near Schull, Co Cork. He was taken by chopper from the crash scene to Cork University Hospital .
He was taking part in the Mizen Looper charity cycle, from Drimoleague to Mizen Head, when he appeared to black out, falling from his bike and with his face taking much of the impact.
Another cyclist behind him found Lynch's bike in the road and so stopped to explore the scene, discovered the injured Lynch in a field just off the road.
Advertisement
Related News
About 10 weeks after his crash he was back on his bike fundraising for the helicopter service that helped save his life. His €31,500 will go a long way as the HEMS air ambulance is run as a charity, with each rescue flight costing around €3,500.
With the help of a group of friends, Lynch organised a sportive for 140 people in October, over 60km starting and finishing in Skibbereen. And while he initially hoped to raise just enough to repay for his own rescue flight, his event went on to bring in €31,500.
All of the money raised has now been collected and presented to the HEMS staff, who are based with their helicopters in Rathcoole, north Cork.
HEMS works alongside the National Ambulance Service to respond to emergencies requiring a seriously injured or ill person to be rushed to hospital; often from remote areas or over long distances.
"I was one of five incidents that the helicopter responded to that day in July which really puts into perspective how important this service is," Lynch said.
“It was really important for me to turn what could have easily been a negative situation into a positive one. I believe my recovery is down to all the emergency services who treated me that day and this fundraiser is a way of saying thanks to them."
