Motorbike crash survivor thanks Kelso paramedics for saving his life

A motorcyclist lucky to be alive after a crash near Kelso has been reunited with the paramedics credited with having saved his life to give him the chance to thank them.
Motorcyclist Michael Hallsworth with paramedics Guy Anderson, right, and Stuart Hogg.Motorcyclist Michael Hallsworth with paramedics Guy Anderson, right, and Stuart Hogg.
Motorcyclist Michael Hallsworth with paramedics Guy Anderson, right, and Stuart Hogg.

Michael Hallsworth almost died after that collision sent him hurtling into a roadside telecom box, leaving him with a broken shoulder blade, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

The 64-year-old only survived thanks to a Scottish Ambulance Service team arriving in time to re-inflate his lungs, enabling him to breathe.

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The retired electrical supervisor spent six days in the Borders General Hospital at Melrose after the July 17 accident and was told by staff there that he had the two paramedics called out to tend to him, Guy Anderson and Stuart Hogg, to thank for the fact he’d lived to tell the tale, not that he can remember much of it.

“When I woke up in hospital the next day, the doctors said that if not for the intervention of the paramedics, I would not have survived,” recalled the father of two, of Chirnside. “I was told my lung had collapsed and they had saved my life.”

Recounting what he remembers of the near-fatal crash, he said: “I was on my way to Hawick when I came past the racecourse at Kelso.

“That is the last thing I can actually remember, but, apparently, just past there, I overtook a car, and the car turned right into me and knocked me off.

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“I can’t remember a thing after that. The next thing I remember is waking up in the intensive care unit the following day.

“When I woke up, the nurse asked me if I knew where I was. My reply to that was ‘I must be in the Borders General Hospital’ because of the surroundings, but I couldn’t remember how I got there and that’s when she told me I had been in an accident.”

Despite having no recollection of the crash itself, Michael has been able to consult a police report to fill in the gaps in his memory, explaining: “I was following a car. The car slowed down, indicated and then turned right.

“By that time, I was almost past him. The car hit the pannier on the back of the bike, which knocked me off, and I parted company with the bike and hit a telecom box by the side of the road, which is what did all the damage.”

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He describes his recovery since the accident as “very good” and he’s met Guy and Stuart, both based at Kelso ambulance station, to thank them for giving him the chance to carry on with his life.

Guy said: “It wasn’t until 24 hours later that we found out the true extent of his injuries.

“It was lovely to meet Michael and see he’s making a full recovery. It’s always gratifying when we get thanked for what we do.”

Michael added: “I can’t be thankful enough because they saved my life that day.

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“I have always been in awe of paramedics anyway. I believe they do an absolutely fantastic job and don’t always get the recognition they should.

“It was great to get the opportunity to thank them to their face.”