;

13th November 2003

Emergency services were quickly alerted to an injured woman by three quick thinking Scouts who went to her aid.

1st Wylam Scouts (St Oswins) Matthew Smith and Dean Brown had set out for a cycle ride with their pal, Josh Stobo, a former Cub himself, when they found an unconscious woman. It's believed she had been injured in a freak accident while walking her dogs. Matthew Smith said: "We were cycling to Newburn when we found an alternative route that looked slightly more 'cross countryish' for the bikes.

"We had cycled about 75m when we saw a lady who looked as if she was just resting with her dogs. We then saw her leg was bleeding. It turned out one dog had been carrying a rather large stick and, when the dog walked past her, a 'barb' on the stick had ripped her leg open.

"She was a nurse, and had managed to bandage her leg with her sock and had kept walking for about 100m. But the blood loss was too great and she lay down and passed out. The sound of the bikes and her dog barking had brought her round.

"She knew Josh because his mother and father own the village fruit shop. She told us what happened and we said we better phone an ambulance. We knew the ambulance couldn't get to the location because it was too remote so instructed the operator to send the ambulance to a nearby cottage.

"Dean cycled there to wait for the ambulance, I stayed with the casualty and Josh kept going between the two of us keeping us both informed.

"I told her to keep her leg elevated to help stop blood loss and I phoned her neighbour to ask if she could take the dogs home and also phone the injured woman's husband to let him know about the accident.

"I kept her talking so she wouldn't become unconscious again, which was easy for me being of such a talkative nature!!

"When the ambulance arrived they re-bandaged the wound properly with a dressing and called their HQ and asked if they could have the helicopter from RAF Boulmer to airlift her out. It landed on the golf course and the injured lady was taken to Newcastle General Hospital. We then set off home to tell our parents of our adventure.

"The boys and me have bought her a get well card, which we will give to her when she is safely at home."

Matthew said he and his Scouting pals knew the wound had to be kept raised. "And we knew what information the ambulance operator would need as we had role played emergency calls when a guest speaker from Waterworld, the swimming pool and leisure complex, had visited the Scouts Group earlier this year."

1st Wylam Group Scout Leader Derek Smith, Matthew's father, is proud of their actions, and their names have been put forward for a Meritorious Conduct Award by District Commissioner for Hadrian, Ron Tipping.