Phil Miles's story Phil Miles was a successful local builder in the Gloucestershire area and had recently retired when he had his accident; having spent a lifetime in the trade without receiving any workplace injuries to speak about! Unfortunately, everything changed when a good deed for a friend, left Phil with serious leg injuries, after the house he was helping to renovate collapsed on top of him. It was Valentine's Day 2007 when Phil decided to lend a hand on the building site: “I well remember it was really cold day and I made sure I was dressed warmly with several layers of jumpers and coats, which as it happens, turned out to be my saviour”.

Phil was working on the old dwelling when he caught hold of a Cotswold stone corner and it came away in his hand, causing him to lose balance and fall over 15 foot. Incredibly, Phil managed to fall through the scaffolding and landed on hardcore and blocks below.

Given the rural area in which the accident happened, a response from the local air ambulance was by far the quickest option. Flight Paramedics were on scene within minutes to recover Phil from the debris and treat him for serious leg fractures.

Phil can’t remember a great deal about his ordeal or the airlift to hospital. However, he does now reflect on two things:

“I’m indebted to those Paramedics from the air service that came to my assistance that day. I’m also pleased I covered up with layers of clothes, which probably saved me from more serious injuries”.

Phil Miles is now enjoying his retirement and is still recovering from his injuries.