Children form human arrow to direct helicopter to injured man

Quick-thinking pupils guided an air ambulance to a stricken climber in the Peak District by forming a 'human arrow'. The helicopter was struggling to find the man until youngsters from the Grosvenor School in Edwalton pointed the way.

They lined up in an arrow shape pointing to the spot where the man had fallen. The year-six youngsters, aged ten and 11, were on the second day of a school trip to the Roaches .

The climber fell about three metres and injured an ankle when his rope pulled him into the rock face. A paramedic arrived but was unable to move the man and called Staffordshire air ambulance.



Teacher Chris Adcock said: "We could hear the air ambulance on its way but then it could not locate the site of the accident around the other side of the rocks. We said we needed to direct them to where he was, so I instructed the pupils to form an arrow pointing in the man's direction and almost immediately the ambulance landed.

"I was most impressed by the children's immediate responses, for ten-year-olds there was not any fussing at all. We talk to them about what to do in an emergency and they put this into practice."

Ian Clayton, operations manager of the air ambulance said: "When the crew arrived there was quite an expanse of rocks so the helicopter was going backwards and forwards trying to identify the patient. What they then saw was a human arrow which was extremely helpful and helped them to identify the patient. One problem we have in a helicopter is that people will just stand and wave at you. Being able to point with the children was invaluable."