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Air ambulance ‘donor’ says they won’t donate anymore because helicopter woke them up during the night

Air ambulance ‘donor’ says they won’t donate anymore because helicopter woke them up during the night

An air ambulance team has spoken out after receiving a text message accusing the first responders of being “inconsiderate” for flying their helicopter over a residential area in the middle of the night.

Received by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, the texter said they would “no longer be donating” to their cause.

Taking to Twitter, the ambulance crew shared a screenshot of the text along with the message: “We always try our best to be there for the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, but messages like this, really affect our team’s morale.

“We are sorry the helicopter wakes people up at night, but it is not our intention to disrupt your evening, but rather save someone’s life.”

The full text reads: “Can you explain why you decided to fly at 1750ft from St Mary’s Hospital to Southampton General Hospital at 4am over residential properties - waking occupants. Inconsiderate I think, will NO longer be donating to your cause.”

Since sharing the tweet on Saturday night, the crew has been “overwhelmed” by messages of support.

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In a follow-up tweet, they said: "We are genuinely overwhelmed by your kind replies. Sadly this isn’t the first time we’ve had a complaint like this and it probably won’t be our last, but it’s reassuring to know you are there for us. Thank you for all your support.”

More than 13,000 people liked the tweet, and more than 2,000 people replied and quote tweeted the post.

The replies were firmly on the side of the air ambulance, with one Twitter user summing it up by saying: “You are trying to save lives which seriously outranks my sleep or inconvenience. Keep up the good work.”

Others shared their own stories of how air ambulances have helped them and their families:

It’s not just kind messages and donations the team has been receiving. Others have even offered to make the crew cups of tea if they land nearby!

Faith in humanity restored.

helicopterhampshireair ambulance
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