Peter’s Story 🎬

As the dense morning fog gave way to sunshine and a bright blue sky in Southend, we sat down with our patient Peter and his wife Becky at the seafront. It was a golden morning, but it felt a world away from the last time Peter was here, when a casual afternoon kitesurfing almost ended in tragedy.

“Surprisingly, actually, I feel okay being back here,” said Peter, glancing out over the calm waves with barely a breeze in the air. “It’s so beautiful, especially on a day like this, but a contrast to what I experienced on the day of the accident.”

As an experienced kitesurfer and physiotherapist, Peter had just wrapped up his morning jiu-jitsu session when he decided to pop by the beach for a spot of kitesurfing.

“The wind was perfect,” he recalls. “It was packed with kitesurfers and there was a really good buzz. I got set up, chatted with a few people from the kitesurfing club, launched my kite, and that’s the last thing I remember.”

Moments later, Peter was found unconscious on the sand. Fellow surfers rushed to help, placing him in the recovery position and calling for an ambulance. Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s critical-care team was soon dispatched to provide specialist treatment alongside the land crew.

“I vaguely remember being moved on a transfer board and then the next thing was the helicopter door opening at the Royal London Hospital,” he says. “After that, nothing. But I’m grateful I don’t remember. The biggest thing I’m thankful for is knowing no one else was hurt.”

While Peter was being airlifted to London, his wife Becky was hundreds of miles away with their son, aboard a cruise ship that had docked in Hamburg.

“I went straight into autopilot, threw everything into a suitcase, grabbed our two-year-old and just had to get off the ship.”

Becky scrambled through the airport and somehow secured a same-day flight home.

“It wasn’t direct so I had to go via Brussels, but they were incredible and held the flight to London for me. The staff were amazing, making sure we were okay the whole way.”

Back in the UK, Peter had been stabilised by EHAAT’s critical care team before being transferred to Royal London Hospital’s Major Trauma Centre, yet his injuries were extensive, affecting his head, chest, ribs, spine and pelvis. 

“I’ve worked in ICU and HDU for years but never thought I’d be on the receiving end of it. I’ve always known the critical role air ambulance charities play but now I can really empathise even more with my patients. If it wasn’t for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, I just don’t think I’d be here today. The service is invaluable, truly saved me. It’s given me the opportunity to carry on my life with Becky and my four children.”

As he reflects on his recovery, Peter’s thoughts also return to the moments immediately after the accident, when the quick thinking from onlookers made all the difference.

“The kite-surfers were also amazing. They even ripped open my wetsuit to get my car key, went round the beach to find my car, used my phone’s emergency button to contact people. They didn’t know me at all.”

For Peter, the days following his accident were very much a blur of operations and physiotherapy. 

“All I could think was ‘Is Becky okay? Are the children safe?’ Knowing I was safe would help them feel the same.”

Months on, Peter’s back at work and has eased back into running and jiu-jitsu, albeit with a touch of caution. For both Peter and Becky, the experience has deepened their appreciation for life and for others going through recovery and rehabilitation. 

“When I was attending follow-up appointments, I’d see other people with their injuries and think ‘my word, what they’ve been through’. You shouldn’t compare, but it makes you realise how lucky you are. It’s just phenomenal.”