A former patient is set to take to the skies to raise funds for the charity that helped save his life. Joshua Tayman will be taking part in a skydive to say thank you to the Wales Air Ambulance.
Four years ago, Joshua nearly lost his life during a walking trip with his friend Benjamin in Snowdon. Joshua slipped and fell approximately 50ft into a river close to Swallow Falls near Betws y Coed. Benjamin climbed down to the river and found Joshua face down in the water. To save him from drowning, Benjamin jumped into the river, pulled Joshua out, and performed CPR. A passing doctor took over the emergency care before a road ambulance and the Wales Air Ambulance critical care team arrived.
Joshua remarkably survived the fall, but he suffered a broken coccyx, a scalp haematoma, and required an induced coma for three days. Since his accident, Joshua has got married and has become a father.
A grateful Josh said: "The Wales Air Ambulance is extremely important to me, if only for the fact that I wouldn’t be here to do stunts like this without them, or to experience getting married. I’m also an avid hiker, so I know how easy it is to get into trouble in the mountains or near rivers and waterfalls. The air ambulance is there for anyone who needs it in those situations. I picked to do a skydive because I am a bit of a thrill seeker and believe that if you’re not excited and a little scared then what's the point. So doing things that others would find uncomfortable gives me a thrill and is impressive to those who would donate."
Josh plans on taking the leap near the Lake District on Saturday, June 27, after a year of waiting due to weather cancellations. Joshua is hopeful the skydive will go ahead this time, he added: "I’m really looking forward to the skydive after waiting over a year now. So, I’m excited to get up there and get it done."
Following his accident, Joshua has played an important part within the charity by joining a patient forum. The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments directly to patients across the country. The charity relies entirely on public donations to raise the £13m required every year to keep the service running. Highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners work on board the vehicles to deliver advanced care at the scene of an incident.
Debra Sima, from the Wales Air Ambulance, commented: "Good luck to Josh for taking on a skydive in aid of our lifesaving charity. Josh is a thrill seeker and we’re extremely grateful that since his accident he has wanted to give something back to our all-Wales charity. Josh knows firsthand how important and how vital our service is to the people of Wales. Despite Josh’s horrific fall and nearly drowning, he has made an incredible recovery and is now going to jump out of a plane for the charity! I hope the weather is kinder to him this time and it will be third time lucky. We wish Josh well with his skydive and I hope people support his fundraiser."
