Kendal cyclist thanks rescuers (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal cyclist thanks rescuers

5:00pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News By Hannah Upton

A KENDAL cyclist who had to have his lip sewn back on after a high speed crash has praised the mountain rescue team and a friend who came to his aid.

Martin Lucas, 36, of Ann Street, was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital with facial injuries and a broken rib after the accident on the Wrynose Pass.

Martin, a field test engineer at BAE in Warton, is now back home recovering – but said he had no memory of the accident on October 7.

“I wish I could remember what had caused it, at least then I’d be able to learn from it, but I have no idea,” he said. "I am just grateful to the guys who picked up the pieces and my friend Tim Austin who dealt with me at the scene.”

Luckily for Martin, two members of the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team were already in the area. They were able to stabilise him while they requested help from the rest of the team and called an air ambulance.

“I can vaguely remember in my shock having an argument with the mountain rescue team that if I was strapped to the stretcher, how would I not drown if the helicopter crashed and came down in water,” he said.

The accident left him with ruptured lips, a broken rib and teeth, as well as gravel rashes on his face, elbows, knees and ankles.

He also gave his family a fright – fiance Carissa is pregnant with twins.

Roger Pickup, deputy leader of the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team, was returning from a dog handlers’ training exercise and was nearby when he was called to the incident.

“We were just relieved he was less injured than he looked,” he said. “He came off at high speed so we treated him as we would anyone in a serious accident, with possible head, neck and back injuries. There was a lot of blood.

“It was worrying that he was disorientated because that can be a sign of a head injury. We had to be quite firm with him and didn’t want him to do any more damage so he was trussed up like a turkey.

“Luckily, because of how he came off his bike he didn’t hit anything hard but landed on soft ground.”

Martin said he was keen to get back on his bike as soon as possible, though it may be a month before his aches and pains have subsided.

“Because I can’t remember what happened, there is no fear attached to getting back out there,” he said.

“I just really appreciate what total strangers did for me. They did a great job.”