Paramedics in JET SUITS ready for lifesaving Lake District lift-off

Paramedics wearing JET SUITS hope to start flying out to stricken fell walkers and ramblers in the Lake District later this summer, it's been revealed. Training has already enabled a paramedic to successfully complete the first free flight without issue, an air ambulance service has reported, and further instruction and testing is now taking place.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service has welcomed what it called the first stage towards 'a jet suit-enabled paramedic service' in Cumbria.

They said the pioneering project - believed to be a world first - initially began in 2020, but was paused due to the coronavirus pandemic. The air ambulance service aims to train experienced paramedics to use the suit for faster access to patients in the event of a medical emergency in the Lake District.

The suit would be able to fly a paramedic to a casualty in seconds, far quicker than teams on foot navigating fells and Cumbria's mountains like Scafell Pike and Helvellyn.

"At this early stage, the training has already enabled one paramedic to complete their first free flight, safely operating the Jet Suit unassisted, with more paramedics reaching this stage soon," said the GNAAS in a statement. "The next stage, looking to commence in the summer, will bring paramedics' flight skills to a level where real operational experience can be assessed – and real assistance will arrive via jet suit paramedics in the Lake District."

They said on-site triage and urgent casualty response should 'drastically improve patient stability and survivability'. The service has partnered with renewable energy leader Ørsted and Gravity Industries, the company behind the jetpack suit.

Andy Mawson, Director of Operations at GNAAS, said: "We think the jet suit