A biker who almost lost his foot in a horror crash that left his shin shattered and arm snapped in half has visited air ambulance medics to thank them for saving him.

Zac Bonny, 34, was riding along a road he’d driven on countless times when he lost control of his motorbike after hitting a slippery, mud-laden section of road in August 2022.

Mr Bonny, from Burnley, crashed into a concrete post and suffered severe injuries, and when paramedics in a road ambulance arrived at the scene they realised how urgent the situation was and called for the North West Air Ambulance.

The crew arrived and needed to remove Mr Bonny’s boot to stem the bleeding from one of his wounds, however due to a serious fracture he was in incredible pain.

Lancashire Telegraph: NWAA at the scene of the crashNWAA at the scene of the crash (Image: North West Air Ambulance Charity)

Strong painkillers were administered to sedate him, allowing paramedics to get the boot off, stop the bleeding and examine and splint his injury, and also apply an early antibiotic to the open fracture to reduce the risk of it becoming infected.

He was then loaded into the helicopter and flown to a major trauma centre in just 14 minutes. Had it not been for the NWAA, Mr Bonny may have lost his foot due to the severity of the injury and suffered internal bleeding.

Mr Bonny spent two weeks in hospital after the crash recovering from his injuries – an open fracture (where the broken bone pierces through the skin) of the tibia and fibula in his lower leg, an open fracture of the upper arm, a broken collarbone and multiple rib fractures.

Lancashire Telegraph: Mr Bonny suffered a major double leg breakMr Bonny suffered a major double leg break (Image: North West Air Ambulance Charity)

Now recovered, and to mark the 25th anniversary of the North West Air Ambulance, Mr Bonny visited the NWAA base to thank the paramedics and pilots who came to his aid.

He said: “I owe my recovery to the expertise and skill of the team at NWAA.

“Their swift response and decisive actions undoubtedly saved my foot.

Lancashire Telegraph: Mr Bonny spent two weeks in hospitalMr Bonny spent two weeks in hospital (Image: North West Air Ambulance Charity)

“With their timely intervention to realign my leg, I shudder to think of the alternative scenario had they not arrived as quickly as they did.

 "NWAA Charity was my lifeline in a time of crisis, and I am forever grateful to them for their lifesaving care.”

His visit follows a survey which revealed while 99 per cent of people in the North West agree the NWAA is a vital service, more than 40 per cent are unaware it is a charity reliant solely on public donations.

Lancashire Telegraph: He also broke his arm, collarbone and ribsHe also broke his arm, collarbone and ribs (Image: North West Air Ambulance Charity)

It requires £12 million a year to operate, and has performed more than 45,000 life-saving missions since it was founded in 1999, from emergency response and transportation such as in Mr Bonny’s case, to even open heart surgery and blood transfusions in difficult, hard to reach spots.

Dave Briggs, director of operations at North West Air Ambulance Charity, added: “We are truly grateful for the overwhelming support we receive from the public, but it is clear from these statistics that there is still work to be done in raising awareness about the vital role NWAA plays in emergency medical care.

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are calling on the people of the North West to continue supporting us in our mission to save lives."

The NWAA covers a region of eight million people spread across 5,500 square miles, and is called out on average seven times per day.

More information on how to support the NWAA is available by visiting the charity’s website.