Man reunited with air ambulance crew who saved his life

Paul Bardon stopped to help a driver whose car had gone into a ditch

A man whose leg was amputated after a crash is to be reunited with the air ambulance crew who saved his life.

In January 2022, Paul Bardon stopped to help a driver whose car had gone into a ditch in Buscot in Oxfordshire.

While signalling to traffic to slow down, a car that did not manage to stop crashed, crushing his leg.

This Christmas, he is due to meet the Thames Valley Air Ambulance crew who treated him and airlifted him to hospital.

Before the accident, the father of teenage twins had been an active member of his local search and rescue team, as well as a Scout leader, enjoying kayaking, climbing and archery.

He said: "I grieved for who I used to be.

"When something like this happens, you feel the old you being stripped away.

"In many ways, it's worse than the actual injury itself. I felt like a child in front of my own children."

During his recovery, Mr Bardon was supported by the air ambulance aftercare team.

The air ambulance is based at RAF Benson

More than a year after the incident, and after further surgery, he received a prosthetic leg that allowed him to resume his active lifestyle.

He said: "When I put my new leg on, I felt ten feet tall. I felt I could look the world in the eye."

Mr Bardon received a commendation from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for stopping to help the driver on the day he was injured.

His story features in a new animation by Thames Valley Air Ambulance that he hopes will encourage people to support the charity.

Air ambulance CEO Amanda McLean said: "Our expert crew treated Paul on the roadside and our aftercare team provided vital support as he navigated his way through life after trauma.

"None of this would have been possible without donations from our community."

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