Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew suffers eye burn after 'deliberate' laser attack on helicopters near Leeds

Medics have today (Monday) issued a stark warning after three separate incidents involving lasers targeting the air ambulance in the region in just one week.

In the latest incident on Friday (September 22), YAA said Alex Clark, a technical crew member on board the helicopter, was hit in the eye by a laser beam and suffered a burn on his cornea, tissue which protects the front of the eye.

The air ambulance, which is a registered charity, operates its lifesaving helicopter service seven days a week, 365 days a year transferring trauma patients to hospitals.

Pilots are now warning the public about the “life-changing consequences” that laser strikes can have on the pilot, crew and patient that are trying to save.

Owen McTeggart, YAA’s chief pilot, said: “If we get a laser attack while trying to land at the site of an incident, it means we cannot land, and the injured person on the ground doesn't get the care that we are there to provide. It doesn't take much for the eyes to be permanently damaged by a laser, and while the laser itself might not be a danger if it doesn't contact the eyes, it is a massive distraction for the crew during a critical stage of flight and causes much distress.

“A lot of it is ignorance to the implications it can have on our operations. And I'm sure most people that point a laser at a helicopter think it's just a laugh and no harm is caused. But it can, in some cases, have life-changing consequences for the pilot, the crew, and if it's an air ambulance under threat, the patient in the back whose life they are trying to save.".

YAA said the crew member injured in Friday’s incident was now on the “path to a full recovery” following the incident, which happened during a transit flight back to its Nostell air base, near Wakefield.

The organisation said the attacks have been intermittent and of “seemingly random nature”.

Mike Harrop, YAA chairman, said the safety of the charity’s crew members and patients were “non-negotiable priorities”.

He said: “Our crew shouldn’t feel fearful of flying on a shift at YAA, all because someone somewhere finds it amusing to shine lasers at aircraft, or they are ignorant to the dangers they are putting our crew in. Regardless of whether YAA are being deliberately targeted or mistaken for another helicopter - it is wholly unacceptable for one of our crew members to suffer an injury due to someone else's reckless actions."

The air ambulance is calling on its supporters across the region to help raise awareness of the dangers of shining lasers at aircraft.

For more information about YAA – including how to donate or support the lifesaving work of the charity - visit www.yaa.org.uk.

Anyone with information related to the latest attacks is urged to come forward and contact police.