Woman reveals horror at watching her friend get trampled by cows
When staff in the resuscitation unit at London's St George's Hospital received a medical trauma call alerting them to a woman who had been trampled by a herd of cows, they feared the worst.
Retired social worker Judy, 72, from Surrey, had been enjoying a regular walk in the countryside with her friend Donna when tragedy struck.
In the latest episode of Channel 4's 24 Hours in A&E, the pair reveal how Judy's life suddenly hung in the balance as the animals stampeded towards her.
Retired social worker Judy, 72, was left needing an air ambulance after she was trampled by a stampede of cows while out walking in a field in Surrey
Featuring on Channel 4 programme 24 Hours in A&E, Judy and friend Donna recount how a regular dogwalking trip led to Donna being forced to pull her friend out from beneath a herd of cows unsure whether she was alive or dead
Donna, Judy's friend was left in shock at seeing her friend suffer such a terrifying accident...but her calm actions following the stampede probably saved Judy's life
Donna was slightly ahead on the pathway with her dogs, when she sensed something terrible was about to happen.
She explains: 'I saw a slight movement out of the corner of my eye and started to quicken up my pace.
'I remember turning around and watching Judy disappear underneath these cows. They'd totally surrounded her.
'The noise was just incredible, it just sounded so violent and so angry. I remember this immense feeling of helplessness. I thought, "What am I going to do?"'
Donna then bravely approached the angry herd and grabbed hold of her friend's ankles unsure whether Judy was alive or dead.
She says: 'I could see her legs sticking out and grabbed hold of her ankles but I had no idea what state she was in. She was broken.'
The programme follows Judy's journey from field to A&E, with Donna, now covered in cow feaces, heard calmly speaking to a 999 operator as she tried to explain her rural location to the emergency services worker.
Upon arrival at St George's Hospital in Tooting, London, Judy immediately had a CT scan to assess her injuries
The mother-of-three sustained heavy bruising and a laceration to her left temple, which needed stitches but was well enough to leave the hospital just hours after she was flown in
Comfort: Donna arrived at the hospital wearing a plastic boiler suit after she was covered in cow poo trying to get her friend out from amongst the animals
An air ambulance was promptly dispatched to treat Judy and she arrived at the resuscitation unit of St George's hospital in Tooting within an hour.
Trauma and orthopedic registrar Mike is seen awaiting Judy's arrival at the hospital.
He tells the programme that a medical trauma that comes arrives via the air ambulance is often more serious and more complicated than those that arrive by ambulance.
Clear that Judy has top-to-toe injuries including a bloody laceration to her left temple, the team immediately scan her to assess her injuries including a CT scan of her brain.
I could see her legs sticking out and grabbed hold of her ankles but I had no idea what state she was in. She was broken... Judy's friend, Donna
Donna, meanwhile, is given a white plastic boiler suit to change into after arriving at the hospital covered in the cow poo she'd encountered while trying to drag her friend away from the herd.
When she's reunited with a now-conscious Judy, her friend thanks her for 'saving her life'.
Scans reveal that while Judy has suffered no serious injuries, she is badly bruised and will need the gash on the side of her head stitching up.
Remarkably, just hours after being brought in, Judy is allowed to recuperate at home and spends the next three weeks in bed recovering from her injuries.
The retired social worker, who has worked in palliative care with dying patients, admits that the experience has changed her.
She says: 'It's been a big change for me, I'd been fiercely independent and I have been very determined to get back where I came from...but I shan't go into a field with cows again.'
24 Hours in A&E airs on July 4th at 9pm on Channel 4