Portadown man recovering after 10ft fall through perspex roof in Ballymoney
A Portadown man is recovering after a fall through a perspex roof at a work site in Ballymoney left him with severe injuries.
Jason Webb, a father, was working on a roof with his father in their family business on April 28 when his boot caught and he plunged around 10 feet onto a concrete floor.
He sustained a traumatic brain injury, fractures to his skull and sternum, and multiple broken ribs.
Following a 999 call, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service dispatched a rapid response paramedic, an emergency crew, and the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) provided by Air Ambulance NI.
The HEMS team accompanied Mr Webb in the ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast to maintain clinical care during the journey.
He remained on a ventilator in the intensive care unit for five and a half weeks. His wife Naomi said the family faced a difficult and uncertain period, hoping each day for signs of improvement.
Mr Webb has no memory of the incident. His first recollection is waking up in intensive care almost a month later. He had fallen through a roof around ten years earlier and experienced recurring nightmares from that event, and he expressed relief at having no memory of the latest fall.
He is now recovering gradually with support from his family. His wife praised the calm and focused response of the ambulance and air ambulance teams, saying their care gave him the best possible chance.
The HEMS is a partnership between the Air Ambulance NI charity and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. It is deployed on average twice daily and relies on public donations, needing to raise £8,200 each day to maintain operations. The air ambulance can fly at approximately 180 miles per hour.