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Cycle-crash athlete meets paramedic who saved him

A professional triathlete's been able to personally thank the paramedic who treated him after a cycling accident that broke his neck. Three months after the crash, Alistair Robinson met Andy Dalton from the Great North Air Ambulance.

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Thanks for saving my life! Says triathlete.

A professional triathlete whose neck was broken in an horrific crash in Cumbria has managed to give personal thanks to the paramedic who treated him.

Three months after the crash that nearly killed him, Alistair Robinson has met Andy Dalton from the Great North Air Ambulance at their Penrith base.

Alistair crashed into the back of a bus that had a puncture on the A66 between Penrith and Threlkeld in April.

The 30 year old from Dockray, near Penrith, fractured his skull, broke his neck and back, with nine of his vertebra broken.

I remember about half a mile from where I crashed but I have no memory of the accident itself.

"I don't remember being put into the ambulance but I do remember being in the air ambulance, looking up and hearing the rotors. And I can recall a paramedic being sat next to me.

I was really, really scared. I've had a lot of accidents over the years. I've been a full time athlete for almost 10 years now. This was my first major accident. I was well aware that there were serious problems. They don't call the air ambulance out for fun."

– Alistair Robinson, professional triathlete

I can't thank them enough. I've often seen the air ambulance out over the Lake Distict but you never think that it'll be you that needs it.

I am going to raise money for them as soon as I can. Without them, my injuries could have been a lot, lot worse."

– Alistair Robinson, professional triathlete

We managed to land in the field just behind where the bus was and we managed to see Alistair lying just behind the bus. It was obvious that he had hit the back of the bus at a fair speed and it was obvious that he'd banged his head as well because he was repeating himself a lot and he was not aware of what happened.

"We are just pleased that he's making a good recovery. It's always nice to meet a patient to see how they are getting on."

– Andy Dalton, paramedic from the Great North Air Ambulance

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