Grateful Daniel touches base with Air Ambulance NI lifesavers

Daniel Muldoon from Coalisland suffered horrific internal injuries as the result of a motorcycle crash close to Dungannon last July.

The HEMS team (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) was quickly on the scene and placed the injured rider, who had remained conscious throughout his ordeal, into an induced coma at the roadside.

Daniel was in severe pain having suffered six smashed ribs, a punctured lung, punctured diaphragm and had lacerated his liver in three places.

He had been driving his Yamaha R125 motorcycle when it hit a slump in the road, sending him careering into a cast iron fence.

A witness immediately rang 999 and the HEMS was tasked, along with the regular NI Ambulance Service and the PSNI.

Recalling the incident, Daniel said: “I can remember being in an awful lot of pain and discomfort and then the doctor told me he was going to put me to sleep and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in hospital two or three days later.”

Due to the nature of his injuries, the HEMS medical team accompanied Daniel to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast in the regular road ambulance where he spent two weeks in intensive care and a further five months recovering at home.

As a self-employed TV aerial fitter, Daniel had to rely on his father Eugene quite a lot to keep the business going part-time while he made a full recovery.

Both men were so thankful for the work of the Air Ambulance NI team they decided to sign up to the Derry Tower abseil earlier this year, just before the Covid lockdown.

“I could never thank the Air Ambulance team enough for saving my life and I wanted to do something to give back for all their help,” Daniel said.

Through their online fundraising page and with donations from family and friends, Daniel and father Eugene raised more than £1,700 for the charity which aims to raise £2 million every year to sustain the service.

Air Ambulance NI operates seven days a week for 12 hours each day. Since the very first mission in July 2017 the service has been tasked over 1,700 times covering all parts of Northern Ireland.

Damien Mc Anespie, fundraising manager for Air Ambulance NI, said, “It was brilliant to have Daniel and his entire family down to our base and see the remarkable recovery he has made since his accident a year ago.

“I have known Daniel personally for over 25 years but unfortunately, as a lot of people know, serious accidents and life-changing experiences can happen in a split-second and no one knows what tomorrow will bring for any of us. We very much appreciate the fundraising efforts of the Muldoon family as our medical team could simply not respond to accidents like Daniel’s without support from the entire public.”

Anyone wishing to donate, organise an event or volunteer can contact Air Ambulance NI by email at [email protected] or by calling 028 9262 2677.