Cockfield family’s 999 thanks after farm accident

THE grateful daughter of a man who was airlifted to hospital after being kicked in the head by a cow is raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. 

George Dent, a 61-year-old farmer from Cockfield, suffered a blow to the head after one of his cows kicked him on February 21, 2016, causing life-threatening blood loss.

The previous month, Mr Dent suffered a mild heart attack caused by a blood clot, meaning he was already on blood thinners for life and any bleeds required urgent medical attention.

The air ambulance team flew him to James Cook University Hospital in under 14 minutes where he received the care needed to make a full recovery.

Mr Dent’s daughter, Amy Burney, 35, said: “My dad suffered a serious blow to the head, and as it was February he was wearing a woolly hat at the time.

“He took the hat off and it was full of blood, so I tried to patch him up, and within minutes of phoning 999

the air ambulance were here and they were absolutely amazing.

“I explained what had happened and told them that he was on medication to make sure he got the right treatment.

“They instantly took over and were just top class.

“Without the air ambulance, dad would have had to travel to hospital by road which is more than 30 miles away and up to an hour’s travelling time.”

To thank the service for their quick response to the scene, the mother-of-three, from Bishop Auckland, raised money by taking part in a 20-mile bike ride from Cockfield to Barnard Castle.

Mrs Burney hadn’t ridden a bike since she was 15, but as soon as she put her foot on the pedals she discovered a new-found enjoyment for the sport.

She said the training has been tough, but her family have been supportive, especially her three young children, who have regularly accompanied her on family bike rides.

She hopes that her

sponsored bike ride will become an annual event and eventually plans to bike

from her home to Middlesbrough.

Mrs Burney said: “I don’t know what we would have done without the air ambulance.

“No amount of money in the world can ever repay them.

“My dad is priceless to us. We love him with every beat of our hearts.

“We will be forever thankful and grateful for what they did for my dad.”

The Great North Air Ambulance Service needs to raise about £5million a year to continue to operate.

For more information and to donate money, visit www.gnaas.com