Couple in car crushed by 15-tonne tree say they are lucky to be alive

The mature oak tree split in half and fell on top of the car as they drove during Storm Malik

A couple whose car was crushed by a 15-tonne tree brought down during a storm have said they are lucky to be alive.

Stephanie and Giles Bilton were trapped in the car after the oak tree split in half and collapsed as they drove in the Howardian Hills in York.

It took Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) crews more than an hour to pull Mr Bilton from the wreckage because his body was pinned down by large branches.

Mr Bilton has praised the YAA team and said they were lucky to get out alive.

The couple, from Brandsby, near Easingwold, were driving to meet friends during Storm Malik in January last year when the accident happened.

It took emergency crews more than an hour to pull Giles Bilton from the car

Mr Bilton said: "I can still picture passing by the village hall, thinking 'wow this is seriously windy' and then I just recall waking up in a complete mess in a car with a tree all over me.

"I was pinned to the seat, and I could hardly breathe. The seatbelt was like a ratchet strap."

The YAA's critical care team, led by paramedics Gemma Richmond and Lisa Dempster, were called to the crash site along with pilot Colin Hawkesworth, who covered the 11-mile flight distance in just over four minutes.

Ms Richmond described the task they faced: "When moving things around from on top of a patient, there is always a risk that it might be inadvertently blocking a critical bleed.

"My foremost concern was that by moving the tree, we could potentially trigger a hidden major internal or external bleed."

The couple's pet dog was also rescued from the car

While Mrs Bilton had suffered serious injuries, Mr Bilton's were more severe and he was airlifted to hospital.

He said: "The air ambulance staff were incredible and I am immensely thankful for everything they did for me and my wife on that day.

"We were lucky, well very unlucky, to be hit by the crown of the tree, but very lucky to get out of it alive."

Stephanie Bilton said her memory of the crash was foggy

Ms Richmond said: "It's unbelievable that two individuals driving in a car were struck by a tree of that magnitude and managed to survive. A mere few centimetres in either direction and the outcome could have been drastically different.

"While our helicopter often responds to distressing situations, this particular incident will be etched in memory for its positive conclusion and a reminder to live for the present moment."

The couple's rescue will feature on Helicopter ER's season finale 'Storm Special' episode on Quest on 17 November at 21:00 GMT.