Steve’s thanks to life-saving service (From Keighley News)

Steve’s thanks to life-saving service

12:00pm Tuesday 25th December 2012 in News

A man who owes his life to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service has thanked it with a donation of £5,500.

Nine months ago builder Steve Cochrane was standing on scaffolding while working on a wall in Riddlesden when it collapsed, leaving him buried under two tonnes of masonry.

He and some colleagues were building a double garage when the freak accident occurred.

Mr Cochrane’s injuries, including 15 broken bones and bleeding on the brain, were so serious it was unlikely he would survive the hour-long ambulance ride to hospital.

Luckily for the 61-year-old, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was able to land nearby and flew him to Leeds General Infirmary, where doctors managed to save his life.

Although still on the road to recovery, Mr Cochrane vowed to repay the service that saved his life and organised a fundraising barn dance at Aire View Equestrian Centre, Long Lee, in September that raised £5,500.

He has now presented a cheque to members of the air ambulance crew that saved his life, in front of the helicopter that was flown to his aid. Yorkshire Air Ambulance has two helicopters providing cover across the entire county. It is a charity and the two ambulances cost £7,200 a day to maintain and run.

Mr Cochrane is still undergoing physiotherapy for his injuries and is waiting for a shoulder operation. He said: “I do owe them my life. Paramedics didn’t want to take me to hospital by ambulance. They thought if I didn’t get there soon I wouldn’t make it.

“Luckily the air ambulance was available.”