It was a day like any other when Ian Barrett, from Sleaford, decided to ride his motorbike on the A52. But that day, in April 2015, took an unexpected turn when his bike collided with two cars. He remembers clipping one car, losing control and then colliding head-on with a second car, a combined impact that he believes was around 100mph.

Ian immediately lost consciousness and continued to slip in and out of consciousness in the middle of the road, struggling to breathe and trying in vain to loosen his clothing. Luckily a nurse was nearby.

Along with other witnesses, they stopped Ian from removing his helmet. He had suffered traumatic injuries in the collision but unknown to him at the time, the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance had been dispatched to the scene and would be there in less than 20 minutes.

Ian’s friend, Steve Goodwin, who had been riding with him that day, said: “Adrenalin must have taken over Ian. He kept saying: ‘My finger hurts.” It was clear to everyone else that there was much more damage than just an injured finger.”

The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance paramedics stabilised his condition

Ian had a punctured lung, his pelvis was broken in three places, his leg was broken, he had two cracked vertebrae, a ruptured urethra, ten broken ribs, and internal bleeding. Once the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance paramedics had stabilised his condition, Ian remembers the crew comforting him, strapping him into the stretcher, and the Ambucopter engines starting up. He was flown in a matter of minutes to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham where he received blood transfusions and was operated on.

Every time I see the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance charity box I put £5 into it

After four and a half months, one and a half of which were spent in a wheelchair, Ian went back to work as an electrician. He said: “Every time I see the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance charity box I put £5 into it. I really don’t know if I would have made it if it wasn’t for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance. Due to massive internal injuries, I’m surprised I survived at all. That must be down to the speed with which the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance got me to QMC. All I can say is thank you.”