A Ripon farmer’s dramatic rescue after he was trapped beneath a tractor for almost 10 hours will be shown on TV tonight (October 24).

Simon Learoyd’s ordeal will be broadcast on the latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999, airing on Really and discovery+ at 9pm.

Simon, 62, had been watering trees on his land when he stopped to pick up a load strap.

He got off his tractor without applying the handbrake and it rolled backwards and trapped his right leg beneath the rear wheel.

Alone in a remote part of his farm, Simon was unable to move or call for help, as his phone had been destroyed in the accident and the sound of the tractor’s running engine was too loud for anyone to hear his calls for help.

The accident happened at about 8am, and he remained pinned for almost 10 hours before being discovered by his neighbour, who was out searching for a missing cow.

Extra blood supplies

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Topcliffe-based critical care team, comprised of paramedics Tom Chatwyn and Danny Cooper, were diverted to the scene while returning to base from a nearby mission.

With the seriousness of the incident becoming clear, the air ambulance’s Helimed 98 helicopter also attended, carrying a doctor and additional blood supplies to support the response.

Arriving at the scene, the Topcliffe crew made their way to Simon, who was conscious but in considerable pain. His neighbour had managed to drive the tractor off his leg, freeing him from where he had been pinned. The team carried out a primary assessment to identify any internal or external injuries, monitored his vital signs, and performed an ECG to assess his cardiac function before starting treatment.

Tom said: “With the tractor moved from off his leg, we were immediately concerned about the risk of cardiac complications. When a limb has been trapped for a long period, the compressed tissue releases toxins back into the bloodstream once blood flow returns, which can affect the heart and lead to dangerous rhythm disturbances or even cardiac arrest.”

Simon was given intravenous fluids and ketamine, a fast-acting pain relief medication commonly used in emergency medicine for its strong analgesic and dissociative effects. Once the medication took effect, the crew carefully placed his leg in a vacuum splint, which moulded around the limb to immobilise it and help prevent further tissue damage.

Shortly after, Helimed 98 from Nostell arrived, with Dr Steve Rowe leading Simon’s ongoing care and overseeing his transfer to hospital. Dr Rowe said, “Simon had been trapped for 10 hours, and you could see the pain he was in. Farmers are notoriously tough people, so when they tell us they’re hurting that much, we take it very seriously. Our priority was to get him to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”

The two crews worked together to carefully move Simon onto a scoop stretcher and into a thermal sleeping bag to help raise his body temperature. He was then carried to the awaiting aircraft for the 22-mile flight to Leeds General Infirmary, where trauma teams were standing by.

Simon spent 33 days in hospital, undergoing six operations to treat the extensive crush injuries to his leg. Despite the ordeal, he made remarkable progress and continues his recovery at home.

'The pain was unbelievable'

Reflecting on the incident, Simon said: 

Alongside Simon’s story, this episode also features a man who collapsed during a marathon, an equestrian who suffered spinal and femur fractures after being thrown from her horse, and a motorcyclist who sustained spinal injuries in a collision near Barnsley.