Warwickshire cyclist John Murphy, 75, is back on his bike months after a devastating accident left him with multiple serious injuries – and he credits the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) with saving his life.
A lifelong cyclist, John has been racing since his teenage years and continues to ride with the Kenilworth Wheelers Cycling Club. Just two days before the incident, he had completed a 55-mile road race in Loughborough. But on 13 August 2024, what began as a routine club ride through the Gloucestershire countryside quickly turned dangerous.
As the group descended Walton Lane in Warwickshire, John hit a deep pothole at around 25 to 30 miles per hour. The impact threw him from his bike, leaving him with a broken collarbone, six fractured ribs, and a neck fracture.
“I was told I rolled and slid for about 30 metres,” John recalled.
With no ambulance immediately available, his friends were preparing to drive him to hospital themselves when the sound of rotor blades cut through the air. The WNAA crew landed nearby and delivered urgent care at the scene. They administered advanced pain relief before transferring John to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire.
John spent five nights in hospital before beginning his long road to recovery. Several months later, he finally returned to cycling. “It was only 20 miles, but it felt incredible,” he said.
John says he is deeply grateful for the support he received. “I can only repeat my thanks for all the help I was given. I never ever thought I’d be indebted to The Air Ambulance”, he said.
The Air Ambulance Service operates Your Local Air Ambulance (YLAA) across five counties and the National Children’s Air Ambulance (NCAA) and receives no government funding, relying entirely on donations to keep flying.
