Cumbria man reunited with medic after being trampled by cow

Charlie Hird was reunited with Lee Salmon

A man who nearly lost a leg when he was trampled by a cow has been reunited with a paramedic who saved him.

Charlie Hird only had a 50/50 chance of keeping his leg after the attack near Hallbankgate, Cumbria in October 2021.

The 64-year-old, from Alston, had gone to the aid of a couple who were being attacked by the cow before the berserk bovine turned on him.

He thought "somebody's going to die" as he "tried to draw the cow off", only to be crushed himself.

"I stepped back into a gutter and the cow followed me, stumbled and fell on top of me," he said.

Mr Hird became stuck under the cow, which had stood on his femur.

He said: "I tried to stand up, and as soon as I did, I realised my leg was broken because I came crashing back down to the ground."

After the ordeal, the cow left the scene leaving Mr Hird able to crawl away. The emergency services were called as his condition deteriorated.

'Getting the helicopter'

The North West Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance (GNAAS) were both called to the scene.

"I think the adrenaline was wearing off and then the woman on the phone said, 'I've heard enough we're getting the helicopter', which was quite a relief," he said.

Mr Hird was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he underwent a six-hour operation on his leg.

He spent more than two weeks in hospital and had to re-learn how to walk.

More than 17 months on, Mr Hird met GNAAS paramedic Lee Salmon along with his team.

He said: "I was a bit apprehensive at first, but I really wanted to come and see the helicopter because I didn't have a lot of memory of it, and also meet the people that rescued me."

Mr Salmon paid tribute to the "good Samaritan" who had "saved a life as he bravely intervened, to his personal detriment".

"Every year we attend a significant number of incidents involving cows with calves and it's often so serious that there is little we can do," he said.

Mr Salmon said cow charges can occur at any time.