However, about ten minutes later, two bird watchers out on the marshes found Sandra. They had a phone with them, but no signal – so one of them ran towards the nearest village until he was able to call for help. A short time later, Sandra heard the rotor blades of the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Due to Sandra’s remote location, a land ambulance had been unable to get close to her.
“I remember the helicopter landing and the crew talking to me. I was gripping the grass tightly with my hands because I was in so much pain.”
Sandra was given gas and air by the crew. Their immediate concern was the lack of pulse in her foot.
“They told me they had about ten minutes to manipulate my ankle back into place otherwise I could lose my foot,” Sandra explains. “They had to cut my jeans – I remember feeling upset because I had just bought them!”
Among all this, Sandra’s husband was contacted. He was able to get to the marshes to collect the dogs and comfort his wife.
Sandra was transferred by air to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. The flight took just ten minutes when a journey by road could have taken around an hour. Her ankle was bruised and infected, so she had to wait several days for this to ease before surgeons could operate to fit metal plates. Her total stay in hospital was ten days, but she subsequently recovered very well.
Twenty years later, Sandra has no lasting effects from her injury. Back in 2005, before her incident, she danced Ceroc – and it’s a hobby she is still able to do. She remains very grateful to everybody who helped her.
“I think the work of the air ambulance is amazing. I held a car boot sale after my accident to raise money for them and I continue to make a monthly donation to the charity.
“I feel so fortunate that the bird watchers found me, and East Anglian Air Ambulance arrived in time. The service is invaluable in large, rural county such as Norfolk.”