West Cork cycle funds nine air ambulance missions

On the day Darren was rescued by the Irish Community Air Ambulance, the service attended four other rescue missions

Darren Lynch from Caheragh, Co Cork, presenting a cheque for €31,457 to Irish Community Air Ambulance key relationships manager, Lorraine Toner. Darren said: “It was really important for me to turn what could have easily been a negative situation into a positive one." Picture: Brian Lougheed

A West Cork man has raised more than €30,000 to fund future air ambulance missions, just weeks after he was involved in a serious cycling accident and had to be rescued himself.

Darren Lynch, aged 31, from Caheragh suffered injuries to his head and face when he crashed while taking part in a cycle near Schull on July 24. He was airlifted to Cork University Hospital by the charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Air Ambulance.

Just 10 weeks after his accident, while he was still in recovery, Darren and his friends organised a fundraising cycle to give back to the charity that rescued him.

Some 140 people took part in the 60km event, which started and finished in Skibbereen, on Saturday, October 2 and raised over €30,000 — enough to fund nine future air ambulance missions.

“It was really important for me to turn what could have easily been a negative situation into a positive one. I believe my recovery is down to all the emergency services who treated me that day and this fundraiser is a way of saying thanks to them,” said Darren.

I was one of five incidents that the helicopter responded to that day in July which really puts into perspective how important this service is. 

"The cycle was a great success and I would like to thank the participants, over 60 volunteers, supporters, kind sponsors, friends, and family that helped to make the day possible. The support received is a clear reflection of the value that the local community has in this critical service,” he said.

The Irish Community Air Ambulance is Ireland’s first and only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance. It works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to respond to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcoole in North Cork.

Each mission costs an average of €3,500, and the service is not Government funded, relying solely on fundraising.

Will you help us 'Light Up The Sky' this Christmas? Buy a star from our website and leave a message for yourself, our crew or even a loved one. We'll send you a card signed by all our crew to thank you for helping us to fund our taskings this Christmas. https://t.co/C1Z8RuatrH

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CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Mícheál Sheridan said: “I want to say a big thank you to Darren Lynch, his supporters, the cyclists and the entire community in West Cork for arranging such a fantastic event. Darren and his friends took on the challenge of organising a major fundraising cycle just weeks after he was injured in a similar event. 

"We’re often called to cycling incidents in remote locations like West Cork and it is great to meet former patients and see them doing so well. We’re not Government funded so we rely on donations and fundraisers like this to bring hope to people in emergency situations.”

For more or to make a donation directly you can visit the Irish Community Air Ambulance website.