Sarah Higgins, Shane O’Keeffe and family at the Irish Community Air Ambulance base in Rathcool.
Pic: John Tarrant
COMMUNITY AIR AMBULANCE GEARS UP FOR MINI MARATHON
A Cork woman whose partner was airlifted to Cork University Hospital after getting crushed by a tree is encouraging people to join team Irish Community Air Ambulance for the upcoming Echo Women’s Mini Marathon to help raise funds for both the ambulance and the charity’s ground-based services.
The 41st Echo Women’s Mini Marathon takes place on Sunday the 18th of September and returns in full for the first time since 2019. Thousands of women are expected to line up for the event which starts from Centre Park Road in Cork city; entrants can also take part virtually once again.
Sarah Higgins’ partner Shane O’Keeffe was clearing trees on a site the couple had bought in Ballinagree on Monday, May 2nd 2022 when a 100ft tree he was cutting bounced back and landed on him, trapping him beneath.
Sarah will be taking part in the 6km event and said, “An ambulance, the fire service and the helicopter arrived within 20 minutes. The team from the Air Ambulance were incredible, they were so experienced and had everything under control. They stabilised Shane before taking him by air to CUH. He had a collapsed lung and broke several ribs as well as his shoulder so the journey by road would have been really tough. I’m so grateful to the Community Air Ambulance. There are so many people living in rural areas, it’s so important to have help on the scene quickly.”
Head of Community and Donor Engagement with the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Lorraine Toner added, “We’re delighted to have Sarah joining our team for the upcoming Women’s Mini Marathon. Our former patients and their families are among our greatest supporters. The mini marathon is a wonderful event and is suitable for all fitness levels whether you are a seasoned runner or just joining friends to enjoy the walk. It’s also an important fundraiser for us. By joining our team you will be helping us to bring hope to people when they need it most.”
The Irish Community Air Ambulance works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to treat serious and life-threatening emergencies. The service first launched in July 2019 and is Ireland’s first and only charity HEMS Air Ambulance.
The organisation also has a ground fleet staffed by Critical Care Medic Responders who volunteer their time and provide hospital-level interventions at the scene. Funds raised for the Irish Community Air Ambulance during the Mini Marathon will also be used to expand the ground teams to more locations.
To sign up, visit https://communityairambulance.
