The mother of a baby airlifted to hospital from Douglas beach has praised the skill of the rescue helicopter pilot.

Little Bear Mackenzie, aged 10 months, was airlifted to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool the Saturday before last (April 29) after suffering breathing problems associated with a Covid diagnosis and an underlying heart condition.

The family had just returned from a month and a half’s stay at Alder Hey Hospital, and the Wednesday before the airlift, they took the ferry back to the island.

On Thursday and Friday Bear started to become wheezy and on Saturday, his mum Emma Cooper described him as being really lethargic and lifeless, leading her to call 999.

Emma, 41, of Douglas, said: ‘On the Saturday, he was taken to Noble’s Hospital, where he tested positive for Covid.

‘We think he would have picked up Covid on the ferry when we came back from Alder Hey.

‘His saturation levels and breathing rapidly deteriorated and he was put on oxygen.

‘There is only so much they can do at Noble’s, and given his complex background they don’t really have the specialists up there that can deal with him.

‘As soon as we knew he needed high-flow oxygen, staff at Noble’s phoned Alder Hey and they made sure he had a bed.’

The initial plan was to take the Air Ambulance, but according to Emma, it was past 9pm and the airport was closed by that time.

The Welsh Coastguard was called, but due to bad weather conditions, helicopter ‘Rescue 936’, which operates out of Caernarfon airport, was unable to land at the helipad at Noble’s Hospital.

However, the pilot was able to find a ‘pocket in the mist’, according to Douglas Coastguards which assisted Isle of Man Ambulance with the medical transfer, and was able to land on Douglas beach.

The urgent medical transfer took place at just after 10.20pm.

An emergency road closure was put in place while the transfer to the helicopter was undertaken.

Emma said: ‘I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all who were involved in making sure my son was safely taken to Alder Hey.

‘In a spectacular show of piloting, the helicopter landed on Douglas beach. Police closed off part of the promenade so my son could be smoothly and safely transferred from ambulance to the awaiting helicopter.’

Bear is still in hospital, Emma said: ‘Bear is doing a lot better than what he was, he is still requiring oxygen and when we try and bring him down off it, he needs to go back on to it.

‘He has had two open heart surgeries since birth and he is very small for his age, so he does have complex needs but in the past few days he has started to do much better.

‘He has spent most of his life in hospital to be honest, it is sort of our norm now.

‘My main thing is to thank everyone involved in the safe transportation of Bear and the amazing skills of the pilot to land where he did on Douglas beach and the police, who shut part of the promenade off, we are really thankful.’

Emma said she hoped Bear, who has eight siblings, will be home within the next few weeks.