The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has confirmed it was called to the Isle of Man last week following a crash in Douglas.

The charity’s critical care team received the call on Tuesday 16 September and accepted the mission at 6.30pm, just before the end of daylight flying hours.

While the team flew across from Cumbria, the Isle of Man Ambulance Service transported the patient to Noble’s Hospital. The GNAAS helicopter landed at 7.06pm, where a doctor and paramedic provided advanced treatment before the patient was flown to a specialist hospital in the UK. The transfer took 31 minutes and ensured the patient received rapid access to emergency care.

After the patient was safely airlifted, the pilot refuelled and returned the aircraft to base in Penrith before flight hours expired. The medical crew remained on the island to hand over care in person and travelled back later by taxi, arriving after 11pm.

This was the eighth road traffic collision attended by GNAAS on the island this year, the most common type of incident it responds to. In the past nine months, the charity has also been called to two assaults, one cardiac arrest and a self-harm incident.

The service will continue operating on the island until the end of the financial year. It is funded by Manx Care on a per-mission basis, with GNAAS raising money locally to meet additional costs such as safety equipment, training for over-water flights and community engagement. The charity estimates it needs at least £124,000 a year to cover these.

To raise awareness, GNAAS will host a community talk on 14 October at 5pm at the Santander Work Café in Douglas, where residents can meet the team and learn more about the service and its work on the island.

Further details are available via the charity’s Facebook page.