‘My leg crumpled and I heard crack, crack, crack. I knew immediately that I’d broken my ankle.’
Professor Chris Lavy, an NHS consultant and surgeon, unexpectedly became a casualty himself while walking the South West Coast Path in Cornwall(Image: HM Coastguard / SWNS)
An ankle surgeon who has ”treated hundreds of injuries” was rescued on the coast of Cornwall – after breaking his ankle.
Professor Chris Lavy, an NHS consultant and surgeon, unexpectedly became a casualty himself while walking the South West Coast Path in Cornwall.
He was on a four-day walking trip with his dog and eight friends when the walk between Par and Fowey took a sudden turn.
“Conditions weren’t great,” Prof Lavy said. “There’d been general drizzle landing on top of wet mud, but we were well equipped.
“I saw a sheep in the nearby field, so I called my Labrador over. I put my walking sticks down to put his lead on, but when he gave me a little tug, I slipped.
“My leg crumpled and I heard crack, crack, crack. I knew immediately that I’d broken my ankle.”
Prof Lavy’s friends called 999 and St Austell Coastguard Rescue Team was sent and arrived on scene.
He added: “It was so reassuring to see them come over the hill, I remember thinking that this was a system that clearly works very well.”
Martin Cocks, the officer in charge of the rescue, said Prof Lavy had exactly the right footwear and was well-equipped – but handling dogs under slippery conditions can lead to accidents.
He said: “Unfortunately, given the thick mud and weather we’ve had, coastal paths can quickly become dangerous.”
The team assessed Prof Lavy and put a splint on his foot.
They said they even considered carrying him to the road in a stretcher but decided that the remote location and difficult terrain made extraction by foot difficult.
Station officer Simon Blench said: “We did our primary patient assessment, immobilised the ankle, and strapped it up.
“It was interesting to learn that Chris had in fact treated hundreds of these injuries himself but in that moment, he was a casualty in pain in need of our help.”
Coastguards sheltered Prof Lavy from powerful downdrafts and loose debris as an HM Coastguard rescue helicopter lowered down its stretcher and winch paramedic.
Prof Lavy, from Oxford, added: “It was a little bit scary because it was so windy. But I knew they knew what they were doing.
“They were all brilliant. I was just so well thought out.”
After being airlifted to a local hospital, Prof Lavy’s X-rays showed how he had sustained a trimalleolar fracture.
A thick plaster cast and complete rest was prescribed while his friends pushed carefully on with their trip.
Prof Lavy said: “For someone who’s probably treated hundreds of broken ankles in their time, it was interesting to experience firsthand.
“I just really wanted to thank coastguards for their phenomenal professionalism and reassurance during the incident.”
Martin added: “It does make you proud of what we do when we come together and execute an effective rescue. It’s nice to know that, despite our training, a senior and experienced surgeon thinks very highly of our casualty care.
“It really lifted our spirits to receive a letter of thanks from Chris, and it has taken pride of place at our coastguard station.”
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