Stay safe this Christmas
Friday, 20 December 2024
As people settle down for the festive period, enjoying time off from work, the aircrew will be on call and ready to respond to emergencies across the local community.
During 2023, between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, our crews responded to 31 missions. That’s 31 potentially life-threatening or life-changing emergencies.
This year has been the busiest ever for the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity crew, with missions already surpassing the 1,238 experienced at the height of the Covid pandemic of 2020.
On Christmas Day, Simon Gough and Rob Backus will be flying our helicopter, and the clinical crew include critical care paramedics Craig Wilkins, Enda Doran, Paul Rock, and critical care doctors Shah Rahman and Maria Smith.
Craig Wilkins says: “As air ambulance staff, we are used to working over the Christmas and New Year period. This will be my 11th time, and I really don’t mind. We'll try and make it festive in the crew room before returning to our families to enjoy a belated Christmas lunch.
“All we hope for is a quiet and peaceful day because if we are called, we know it is to someone who has become ill or suffered a serious injury at such a special time of year."
Craig Wilkins, critical care paramedic
“I want to wish everyone across our community a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe and enjoy this time with your family and loved ones.”
Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity is on call up to 19 hours a day, from 8am until 3am.
The vital work our team carries out wouldn’t happen without your help, as we are funded entirely by the voluntary donations and support from our local Wiltshire and Bath communities.
Thank you for your support in 2024 – we wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe.