THE FATHER of a young woman who had to be rushed to Derriford Hospital with critical head injuries said the night-time mercy dash by Chivenor's helicopter saved her life.

Suzanne McDonnell, 36, from Knowle, had been looking at flowerbeds near Ilfracombe Museum last August when she fell over and hit her head.

Dad John said: "We got the call from her sister at about 9.30pm and expected to find her sitting up in a cubicle when we got to the hospital.

"But when we arrived she was unconscious and wired up to a ventilator — it was a shock when we saw her, covered in blood and in a coma."

He said the only way to describe her injury was that it looked like an open hole in the side of her head that had been made by a pick-axe.

"The doctors said she was gravely ill and there was bleeding around the brain. They were all rushing around. It was panic stations. But at the same time as they were looking at her scans, neuro-surgeons at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth were also viewing them.

"They said they wanted her sent down immediately — but not by road as it would take too long, so the Chivenor helicopter was called out and they were marvellous — they were with us in 10 minutes. This was at about 11.30pm.

"The crew were brilliant and we can never, ever thank them enough — or the doctors and nurses — for what they did for our daughter.

"Ryan Thomas from the crew came in and shook our hands and reassured us that she was in safe hands and said they would get her to Derriford in 25 minutes."

Mr McDonnell said Suzanne's brother travelled with her on the helicopter and by the time her parents saw her the next day she was "wired up to all kinds of machinery."

Suzanne had also suffered a fracture just above the ankle and during surgery had a metal plate inserted.

He said: "She was in a coma for 10 days and the doctors took a long time to wake her up."

Now safely recovered and at home in Knowle, Suzanne shows very few outward signs of the dramatic trauma.

Mr McDonnell said: "She still fumbles her words a bit and her short-term memory is not brilliant but her recovery has been remarkable."

And he added: "When I heard they were cutting the hours at Chivenor I couldn't believe it — they do an amazing job and they saved Suzanne's life."