THE owner of a rare breeds farm was knocked out in a freak accident involving a llama.

Lyn Arrowsmith was delivering her llama Pedro to Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, near Thirsk, when it is believed the animal knocked her off the trailer ramp while he was being offloaded.

The Northern Echo: DRAMA: Lyn Arrowsmith being treated at the scene of her accident

DRAMA: Lyn Arrowsmith being treated at the scene of her accident Picture: YORKSHIRE AIR AMBULANCE

She hit her head on the concrete floor and was unconscious for over five minutes. When paramedics from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance arrived, she was very agitated and distressed making treatment and getting her to a major trauma centre a real challenge.

However she was airlifted in minutes to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough - where she was promptly treated for a major skull fracture and three bleeds on the brain.

“I don’t remember anything about the accident though I wouldn’t blame Pedro. I can only think something must have spooked him and he’s bolted,” said Lyn, who farms at Raskelf, near Easingwold.

“My mum was called and she told me later I was screaming and shouting a bit, but the first thing I remember is waking up as I was going into the CT scanner.”

The mum-of-two, who spent a week in hospital following the accident in April, has made a good recovery but has been left with no sense of smell and a damaged sense of taste.

“I have really lost my enjoyment of food because everything has an after taste of either perfume or burnt plastic,” added Lyn.

“I produce my own meat and knowing the local provenance of our food is really important to me. It also tastes so amazing so not being able to enjoy that does get you down a bit.

“But I have been very lucky and I am very grateful to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I know living where we do, and doing what I do, just how vital the service is but you just never expect that you will need it.

“We were at an agricultural show after the accident, and my son had been given £5 to spend, which normally would have all gone on sweets, but he said he had given it to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance stall because they had saved my life - which brought it all home.”

  • The drama features in next Monday's episode of the TV series Helicopter ER, which follows the life-saving work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. It's on at 9pm on Really or on catch-up on UKTV Play.
  • Yorkshire Air Ambulance carries out around 1,250 missions every year and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.