Brighton man raises money for team who saved dad in Cumbria

Will Hutchinson, 30, will be taking part in the Copenhagen Marathon on Sunday, May 5 in support of the Great North Air Ambulance.

The service flew to the aid of his dad Jim in November 2022 after he suffered a heart attack on Windermere.

Copenhagen will be the first international marathon for Will (Image: GNAAS)

Will said: "I think my dad’s story speaks for itself really - I will never forget the phone call that I received from my dad’s partner, telling me he’d had a heart attack and was being airlifted to Carlisle.

"Everything was hanging in the balance at that point and time was of the essence – the availability of the air ambulance saved his life, I have no doubt."

Jim being loaded into the air ambulance in 2022 (Image: GNAAS)

Since the incident, Jim has visited GNAAS’ base in Langwathby and reunited with the doctor and paramedic team who helped to save his life.

“It’s so nice to be able to say thank you," he commented. 

"They were so reassuring and also reassuring to my friends and family who were around at the time before we took off, because it’s quite a wrench when you see that helicopter disappear and you don’t know what’s happening.”

Jim meeting the two men who helped save his life, Dr Theo Weston MBE and Terry Sharpe (Image: GNAAS)

Jim, who lives in Staveley near Kendal, now volunteers for GNAAS, further inspiring his son to raise money for the cause.

Will, from Brighton, has been consistently running four times a week in preparation for the marathon and his fundraising target is £1,000.

He added: "GNAAS saves lives every day, and in that more rural part of the UK, the fastest way to a casualty is by air.

"The fact that GNAAS is funded just by charitable donations is mind-boggling to me, so I will do what I can to keep those helicopters in the air.”

You can help support Will's attempts and the GNAAS by visiting the fundraising page here.