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Daily Record
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots nurse 'could have died' after collapsing at UK's most remote station
Amy Fulford was hours away from passing away from a condition that could have killed her when she suddenly became ill on a trip to Corrour Station, in the Highlands. A Scots nurse came close to death after falling seriously ill at the UK's most remote train station with help hours away. Mum-of-three Amy Fulford went out for a trip to Corrour Station, in the Highlands, with her friend who was visiting Scotland when she was suddenly struck by severe abdominal pain in May last year. Little did the 52-year-old know that her bowel was on the verge of rupture and she was stranded in a life-threatening emergency. She said: 'Suddenly I felt like I might pass out, so I went outside for fresh air. I tried to go for a walk thinking I would be ok but I didn't get very far before I collapsed on the floor.' "I had no symptoms at all and had been feeling fine as we headed out for the day. "When we arrived I began having a slight tummy ache, I tried to eat something but I managed two mouthfuls. The nurse, who works at Belford Hospital in Fort William, was taken back to Corrour Station House by a passerby and her concerned friend, who dialled 999. But with the nearest road 17 miles away and no medics nearby, Amy's condition deteriorated rapidly. 'I phoned my consultant for help,' she said. 'She knew something serious was going on with me and immediately asked for help from the Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance. "I was worried I might go into cardiac arrest, because my arms were going tingly and my head was dropping. I just felt completely trapped unable to get any help." Amy, who lives near Spean Bridge, was left in agony and unsure if help would reach her in time. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'When Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance paramedics arrived, the relief was overwhelming as I'd felt completely trapped with no help,' she added. 'I was given pain medication including morphine. They realised quickly that I needed to go to a major trauma hospital.' With weather conditions worsening, paramedics stabilised Amy and flew her to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. There she underwent an emergency CT scan and was rushed straight to theatre as her husband George arrived. 'My bowel was close to rupture and I was told before surgery that it was a 50 per cent mortality rate,' she added. Fortunately, Amy had made it to surgery in the nick of time. She was suffering from a congenital internal hernia — a rare condition that could have killed her within hours. 'If untreated, this condition can lead to rupture, sepsis and then death within around 12 hours,' Amy points out. "It was a race against time. 'If I had stayed where I was or gone by bumpy track road, I don't think I'd be here. The hospital staff were amazed I got there in time before it ruptured.' Amy returned to work in January and is filled with gratitude for the helicopter team that saved her. 'I'm just so appreciative to be alive and getting back to normal and to my job as a nurse," Amy said. "The SCAA were an essential link in helping to save my life. I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't got to the hospital in time.' Amazingly, this isn't the first time the air ambulance has come to her family's rescue. Amy reveals both her sons were airlifted to critical care after a serious car crash, and her father also needed a helicopter rescue after falling in Glencoe while gathering sheep. "No one would predict any of those events would happen, but we're all okay and well now and that's because of the helicopter resource,' she says. Since her near-death experience, Amy has raised over £4,000 for Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance by hosting a coffee morning — a heartfelt thank-you to the team she says gave her life back.
Edinburgh Live
05-07-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish woman broke back after plummeting 20ft as pals rushed to stop her drowning
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Scottish woman suffered a broken back after a terrifying 20-foot fall from a coastal path, with her quick-thinking companions saving her from potentially drowning. Lesley Nicol, 50, recounted the traumatic incident that occurred while she was out for a stroll along the Fife Coastal Path with her husband, father, and a friend on March 9 last year. Suddenly, the ground crumbled beneath her, causing her to plummet down the cliff onto rocky terrain below. Reliving the distressing event, Lesley explained: "I can remember looking up and trying to grab hold of something – the next thing I felt was landing feet first on the rocks, falling backwards and hitting my head. And then a lot of pain." After the fall, she found herself with a fractured spine, a smashed foot, and a head wound. Her husband, father, and friend, defying their initial instincts, were compelled to move her due to the rising tide threatening her position. (Image: SCAA) Despite being in intense agony, Lesley remembered: "They had no choice. I had obviously done some serious damage, but they couldn't leave me lying where I was, or I would have drowned.", reports the Daily Record. To summon help, Lesley's father and husband took separate paths to find a mobile signal in the secluded spot, eventually managing to reach emergency services. She went on to describe how they managed the situation: "We staunched the bleed from my head wound with tissues I had in my bag and I tried to keep calm. Dad's friend kept talking to me to keep me awake but I was in so much pain in my foot and lower back. "I almost lost consciousness a couple of times and it seemed forever before the men came back and said help was on its way. I just had to hang on." (Image: SCAA) A rescue helicopter from Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) was dispatched to the scene from Perth due to the difficulty in obtaining a phone signal, the remote location and nature of the fall. The emergency services received an only approximate location, leading SCAA to search the coastline before locating the family amidst the rocks. Lesley recounted: "They were first on scene, landing nearby on a grassy bank, and I've never been so relieved to see anyone. It was a cold, windy day and they immediately erected a shelter around me to protect me as they administered pain relief. "SCAA's paramedics were just amazing – so calm and so reassuring. I had been frantic with pain and worry that no one would come to help and suddenly these guys were by my side, taking control of everything and comforting and calming me. They are very special people." With the arrival of Coastguard reinforcement, assistance was provided to stretcher Lesley to the awaiting helicopter. Reflecting on her experience, she expressed: "The crew re-arranged things on board to ensure my husband could fly with me. It was good to have him there and I'm so grateful to the crew for making that possible." In little over five minutes, Lesley was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at Dundee. She was promptly taken into A&E upon her arrival. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. X-rays and a CT scan revealed that she had suffered a broken back and her heel was shattered in three places, necessitating extensive surgery to fit metal rods and pins to stabilise the joint. Reflecting on her ordeal, she expressed her gratitude: "I spent more than two weeks in hospital and I never stopped thanking my lucky stars that SCAA was there for me that day. It would have been really difficult for a land ambulance to reach me and the journey out over bumpy ground would have been horrendous." She praised the air ambulance service, saying: "SCAA landed beside me and immediately took the pain away. They flew me quickly and comfortably to advanced care with my husband by my side and I will be eternally grateful to them." Emphasising the importance of the service, she added: "SCAA is an invaluable service in Scotland. You never think you will ever need them but trust me, when things do go wrong, this is the team you want to see. They're just amazing."
Daily Record
26-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots mum had broken face 'pieced back together' after horror horse riding accident
Jennifer Landale, 31, had been helping a friend break in a young horse when she suffered a terrifying fall. A Scots mum had her face "put back together" after a horror horse riding accident. Jennifer Landale, 31, had been helping a friend break in a young horse at a farm near Huntly in Aberdeenshire when the freak incident took place in May 2021. She was thrown from the horse before the animal galloped away - dragging Jennifer by the reins along the ground. Jennifer was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) after suffering facial injuries so severe, her face had been "pushed back into her head". She said: "I fell to the side and mistakenly held onto the reins… I should have just let go. "I started to get dragged and was caught in the face with his back hoof. I wasn't aware of what had actually hit me, but my face took the extent of the force.' Her friend Helen was horrified to witness the accident unfold which left the mum with a broken jaw, eye socket, cheekbones and a fractured neck. Due to the possibility of brain damage, and the uncertainty of whether her condition would deteriorate, Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) professionals travelled with Jennifer, constantly monitoring her. She underwent a gruelling 12-hour operation to reconstruct her face. Jennifer said: "My face had been pushed back into my head. "I knew my jaw was broken because I could feel it loose and moving around. I didn't realise what I had done to the rest of my face. "I broke my top jaw, eye socket, and cheekbones were broken, and I had a fracture in my neck. "The main concern was my right eye which was swollen shut and there was worry about the pressure on the optic nerve. 'Having a doctor-led team there, especially as they weren't sure if there was any severe brain damage, provided an extra level of reassurance for me. 'I'm so thankful to everyone on the day for helping me.' Jennifer spent nine nights in hospital, with the first evening in high dependency and another night in intensive care. She was cut 'ear to ear' to receive the facial surgery by specialists. She said: 'I'm now made of metal from my top jaw upwards. My eyes are now very sunken in my head but I'm very lucky that I didn't have any permanent damage to my eyes. 'The only permanent damage was my sense of smell, and I have very poor taste. Other than the change in my appearance I don't have any other serious injuries.' Jennifer, who recently gave birth to her son Glen, is grateful for the care she received after her equestrian injury. She added: 'Thanks to SCAA and the land ambulance crew I was lucky I got the attention I needed on the day. 'I am forever grateful for SCAA's help and support and the care delivered between my accident and arriving at hospital. The crew were all so reassuring and calming - if felt like a real, vital lifeline.'
Press and Journal
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Press and Journal
Emergency services sent to crash on A96 near Huntly
At least one vehicle has been involved in the crash. Image: DC Thomson. Emergency services, including an air ambulance, have been sent to a crash on the A96 in Huntly that took place on the route this morning. The incident – which has involved at least one car – happened at around 10.45am on the Aberdeen to Inverness road near the Tesco Superstore in the town. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were notified of the incident at 10.46am and have sent two appliances, one from Huntly and one from Keith. Police and Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) have been contacted for more information. Our reporters are working to bring you the latest updates on this developing story. Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook for breaking news. Tags
STV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
Mum airlifted to hospital after suffering heart attack during family bike ride
An Aberdeenshire schoolteacher was airlifted to hospital after she suffered a heart attack during a family bike ride. Steph was enjoying a day out at the Glenlivet Mountain Bike Trail Centre during the Easter holidays when she began to feel unwell. The Kemnay woman managed to manoeuvre herself off the trail before falling unconscious. 'I was trying to keep up with my eldest daughter on the trails when I suddenly felt really ill,' the 51-year-old says. 'My eyesight became blurry, and I knew I was going to pass out.' SCAA Steph was airlifted to hospital The mother-of-two began to hear voices around her as she regained consciousness. Steph added: 'A member of staff from the centre arrived on a quadbike and I believe he called 999. 'That's roughly when the pain in my chest started. It then radiated down to my elbows, and I couldn't feel my hands or open my eyes, it was unbearable. 'I couldn't move, my arms and legs felt so heavy, and I knew it wasn't going to be possible for me to get myself up.' A medical team arrived by land ambulance and conducted an ECG test. They concluded there was an issue with the teacher's heart. Steph was transported to a meeting point where paramedics were able to supply pain relief and confirmed that she needed urgent medical treatment. As the travel by road would clock in at over an hour and a half, a crew from Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCCA) stepped in and managed to lift her into the helicopter. In just 15 minutes, she arrived at Aberdeen's Royal Infirmary. 'The SCAA paramedics had warned me that when we arrived at ARI, lots of people would swarm me,' the mum said. 'When we landed, I got wheeled quickly into surgery in a big hurry. 'I had a stent fitted to fix a block in my right coronary artery. The whole operation was complete in 45 minutes, and I was allowed to go home after three days. SCAA Steph has since shared her story at charity events. 'I heard from the cardiologist the following day that I had had a lucky escape, but I eventually found out just how close I had been to dying.' Since her heart attack, Steph has become a supporter of SCAA. She is now a SCAA volunteer, regular giver, lottery player, and recently shared her story at the charity's Operation Skyward launch event held at the Aberdeen base. Here she was able to reunite with the crew and aircraft that played a vital role in getting her the medical care needed to save her in time. Steph said: 'It's important for me that others get the same opportunity I did – for SCAA to reach more people in time. 'I didn't expect to nearly die on a hillside in Glenlivet at the age of 51, that wasn't part of my plan. My life was hanging in the balance. 'Thank you is not enough, but that's all I can say. It's a debt I can never repay.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
