Yellow Helicopter Club

After an accident to one of his hands on the farm in early October, Ornithologist Ben Porter (aged 11) was taken off the island by a Sea King Air Sea Rescue Helicopter from RAF Valley (accompanied by his mother, Jo Porter) and taken to Bangor Hospital. After an operation he was back on the island with his hand in plaster in time for the wedding of Emma and Steve Stansfield later in the week. He now joins Bevan to become the second and youngest member of the BYHC (T Shirts are being organised).

As a result of launching this "Club", we have now had several more requests which have been investigated and approved. New members are three lady farmers on the island, Jane Strick, Dot Tyne, and Libby Barnden. Our Vice President, Peter Hope Jones also joins us, as does Adele Powell (a Whale & Dolphin Society volunteer. One person who is unfortunately no longer with us is Maurice Tibbles, the famous Wildlife Film Maker (Life of the Cuckoo - remember?) who was taken off the island in October 2001 by the RAF Air Sea Rescue. He died later that year. Ian Roberts, a curent Council Member, added Jane Strick's name with the following note - "On Dec 3rd 1982 I was crewman on a Wessex 2, XT604, of 'C' Flight, 22 Squadron, RAF Valley called to Bardsey Island to 'casevac' Mrs Strick from Ty Pella to C & A Hospital, Bangor. (You can't get better evidence than that, can you?) Unless, of course, your "rescue" in July 1997, resulted in THIS

The latest member to be enrolled in our select Club is a young lady known to many of you who have visited the island. She is the daughter of Miriel and Gareth Roberts of Cwrt Farm (where you leave your car). It is, of course, the young lady on the tractor and in the landrover, Angharad Roberts, who was staying on the island recently and playing with the children when she fell and badly sprained her ankle. Angharad brings the number in the Club to 9 (we don't want any more PLEASE).

The nine Honorary Members of the Bardsey YHC are: Libby Barnden; Bevan Craddock; Peter Hope Jones; Ben Porter; Adele Powell; Angharad Roberts; Jane Strick; Maurice Tibbles; Dot Tyne. So at the moment we have four from the farm, two Vice Presidents, and one each from the BBC, the Whale & Dolphin Society and a Cwrt Farm employee!

Above shows Angharad Roberts (2008) being airlifted in the Yellow Helicopter after badly spraining her ankle (photos by Ian Wright ©)

Copyright © Bevan Healey 2007

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Messrs. Bevan Healey, Neil Healey and Vice President Bevan Craddock sailed over on Saturday, 31 March with a load of equipment, including a hired generator, to undertake voluntary work at the Observatory for the week. Within a few hours Drs. and Medics were treating Vice President Bevan Craddock (and also Penkridge Town Crier) after a heavy fall proved it was blood that flowed through his veins after all. The problem was that they couldn't stop it flowing so help had to be sought. The boys in blue came to the Rescue in a Yellow Helicopter - a Sea King Rescue Team from RAF Valley on Anglesey - and within 25 minutes had him in Bangor Hospital where he was patched up. Dafydd Phillips also joined the Rescue Team and drove from Aberdaron to collect the patient from hospital late in the evening and gave him B & B and returned him to Porth Meuddwy in the morning where he accompanied a load of Hay back on to the island. Read more about it in the next edition of the Bardsey Beacon.