Raising awareness for helicopters and a drive to save lives

Behind every successful mission is a story that continues long after the aircraft lands. Airbus Helicopters’ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) promoter, Eoin Walker, sits down with cardiac arrest survivor Shane Bradley to discuss how a helicopter helped save his life, his road to recovery, and an incredible 1,000-mile (1,609 kilometre) charity ride.

An ordinary Sunday turned fight for life

Eoin Walker: Shane, take us back to 27 July, 2025. It was supposed to be a normal morning. When did you realise something was seriously wrong?

Shane Bradley: I woke up early with what I thought was indigestion and pottered around for four hours. I was talking with my wife when I suddenly felt a real tightness in my chest. I dropped to my knees, sweating profusely. It went very quickly from "I've got indigestion" to "something is really not right here."

EW: Your family got you to the local community hospital quickly. What do you remember before Devon Air Ambulance arrived?

SB: The hospital nurses were fantastic - well-drilled and reassuring. They gave me a GTN (Glyceryl Trinitrate) spray and called the paramedics, who gave me morphine. My wife actually apologised to the staff, telling them I was being dramatic. I’ll never forget the look on her face when the nurse gently corrected her: "No, he’s having a heart attack."

The crucial helicopter HEMS link

EW: We often say it takes a system to save a life. Do you remember the air ambulance arriving?

SB: I was fading in and out. The helicopter landed 300 metres away at a school car park. I remember a crew member waking me up in the ambulance, bantering with me to keep me awake and ease the fright of the situation.

Later, my consultant told me the helicopter gave him "something to work with" because of the time saved. I lived up to 55 miles (88 kilometres) away from the specialist hospital on poor roads. Time was working against me, and that helicopter was the vital link - it beat the clock and bought the hospital medical team the precious minutes they needed to save my life. I was taken straight to the operating theatre to have a stent fitted. The moment it deployed, the relief was absolute. I felt like I was being born again.

Devon Air Ambulance's Airbus H135

Life as "Shane 2.0"

EW: As clinicians, we rarely get to see the full rehabilitation journey. What were the following weeks like for you and your family?

SB: The physical shock was massive. I’ve been active all my life, an infantry Army Reservist and a runner; my family couldn't believe it happened to me. The weakness was frustrating. A week in, I just wanted to do something normal, like cooking the evening meal. The next week, visiting my work colleagues for just 20 minutes left me utterly shattered.

But it completely changed my perspective. I am a much more relaxed person now - I call myself "Shane 2.0." I have more patience, I roll with the punches, and I wake up every morning just pleased to be here.

"Thank you to the crew for sparing my family the grief that would have come with losing me. I wake up every morning and realise that life is precious."

Shane Bradley and his motorbike

The ultimate thank you: the 1,000-mile charity ride 

EW: To mark the anniversary of your second chance, you are embarking on an extraordinary motorcycle challenge for Devon Air Ambulance. Tell us about it.

SB: I’m actually the third member of my immediate family to be airlifted, so I know how vital this is. On 26 July, alongside two co-riders, I am launching an Iron Butt Association "SaddleSore 1000" challenge. We will ride 1,060 miles (1,705 kilometres) in under 24 hours.

We start at the school car park where the helicopter picked me up, stop at the Devon Air Ambulance base, cross to Calais, and finish at the Airbus Helicopters factory in Donauwörth, Germany, where the aircraft was built. Tying my love of motorcycling to the very machine that saved me is incredibly symbolic. We need to support this service; you never know when you or a loved one will need it.

Learn more about Shane Bradley’s charity ride for Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

Map of Shane Bradley's route