Yorkshire Air 999: Yorkshire woman seriously injured after horse fall and teen's asthma attack to feature in new series

The new show follows the success of Helicopter ER, which ran for nine seasons, and will provide a fresh look at communities across Yorkshire.

This week’s episode features Claire Holywell, who suffered a near-fatal accident with her horse, Emy, during a ride in the North Yorkshire countryside. 

The episode highlights Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s lifesaving expertise and their ability to reach critically injured patients in Yorkshire’s most remote areas.

While riding through Swainby on the A172 road in May Claire’s horse, Emy, was startled and reared up causing Claire to fall backward. Emy also lost her balance and fell landing on top of Claire who briefly lose consciousness from the impact. 

As Emy struggled to regain her footing she rolled over Claire and stood on her chest which left her breathless and in severe pain. It caused significant injuries including two fractures to her right scapula, seven broken ribs, a punctured lung and a severe pelvic injury.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s critical care team arrived from their Topcliffe base in Thirsk and reached Claire in minutes. 

Claire’s injuries were life-threatening and carried a significant risk of internal bleeding. She was given morphine and ketamine to manage her pain.

This allowed the team to apply a pelvic binder and transfer her onto a stretcher. The dissociative effects of ketamine also meant Claire would have limited memory of the accident and her pain. 

Claire was sent to James Cook University Hospital where she had emergency treatment and stayed in hospital for ten days. 

She said: “At this stage, I don’t know if I’ll be able to ride again but I’m very hopeful. If I can ride I definitely want to get back on board. For now though Emy is content just getting cuddles and being in her field.”

The episode will also follow the story of 13-year-old Phoebe Milford who suffered a severe asthma attack during a family walk in the Yorkshire Dales. 

In April, Phoebe and her family had just paused for lunch when she began to struggle with her breathing. She had not used her inhaler or experienced an asthma attack for a year and a half and the sudden onset of symptoms alarmed the family.

When Yorkshire Air Ambulance received the emergency call Phoebe was on a hillside high above Keld, one of the smallest and most isolated villages in Yorkshire, and the nearest land ambulance was more than an hour minutes away.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s critical care team arrived at the scene within 20 minutes, covering the 34-mile journey from their Topcliffe base. The team used a nebulizer with a mask and oxygen to help control Phoebe's breathlessness.

Phoebe's mother Rose said, “I didn’t know what to do. I was running up and down the hills trying to get a signal but I didn’t have any. I saw someone at the bottom of the path and I charged down the hill. He must have thought I was mad.

“The man had an app that could contact the emergency services and pinpoint exactly where we were even without signal, so that’s how we managed to call for help.”

Once Phoebe's breathing was under control the team prescribed additional asthma medication similar to her inhaler which she had left at home. They also gave her a steroid to help with her breathing. 

After stabilising her condition the air ambulance team flew Phoebe to the nearest road where a land ambulance crew were waiting. Phoebe was then taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

The episode will also feature a climber who fell 30 feet on the Yorkshire Three Peaks and a man in Harrogate with near-severed fingers.

Watch Yorkshire Air 999 on Quest at 9pm tonight (Nov 1).