Oxford NHS surgeon rescued from South West Coast Path walk

Professor Chris Lavy, a consultant and orthopaedic surgeon from Oxford, unexpectedly became a casualty himself in Cornwall.

Prof Lavy was on a four-day walking trip on the South West Coast Path with his dog and eight friends.

They were walking between the villages of Par and Fowey and despite being well-equipped for wet conditions, the walk took a sudden turn.

HM Coastguard recuing an orthopaedic surgeon who broke his ankle on a coastal walk. (Image: HM Coastguard/SWNS)

Prof Lavy said: “Conditions weren’t great. 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.

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“My leg crumpled and I heard crack, crack, crack. I knew immediately that I’d broken my ankle.”

His friends called 999 and asked for the Coastguard and St Austell Coastguard Rescue Team was sent and arrived on scene.

HM Coastguard recuing an orthopaedic surgeon who broke his ankle on a coastal walk. (Image: HM Coastguard/SWNS)

He said: “It was so reassuring to see them come over the hill. I remember thinking that this was a system that clearly works very well.”

Officer in charge Martin Cocks 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.

After being airlifted to a local hospital, Mr Lavy’s X-rays showed how he had suffered a trimalleolar fracture.

A thick plaster cast and complete rest was prescribed, and his friends pushed carefully on with their trip.

He 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.”

Mr Cocks added: “It does make you proud of what we do when we come together and execute an effective rescue.”