Dominic and Henry's Story
Childhood friends Dominic and Henry, aged 12 and 15, were mountain biking in Conkwell Woods, near Bradford-on-Avon, in January 2026.
Despite knowing the woods well, checking the area and planning the jumps, Dominic took a new jump too fast. He braked hard to slow down, but he went over the handlebars, hitting his head on the ground with his bike landing on top of him.
Knowing that crashes can happen when mountain biking, Henry calmly went to check on Dominic but realised he was unconscious. He explained, “I thought it was a crash that could happen to everybody. A knock on the head but nothing too serious. He was responsive but was just groaning, then went completely quiet. He was breathing, so I put him in the recovery position and called 999, using what3words to share our location with the emergency services. Luckily, there were some people walking past and we put more layers on Dom.”
Since Henry’s dad Ian was a Scout Leader, Henry said, “It was definitely scary, but I didn't think about what I was doing. I learnt first aid at Scouts and knew I straight away what to do - stay calm and help Dom.”
Thanks to Henry’s quick thinking and bravery, the crew from Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance were dispatched in four minutes of the call. By providing the exact location using what3words, pilot Simon, doctor David and specialist critical care paramedic Rocky reached the scene within just eight minutes of take-off.
Simon explained, “The key thing is that Henry used what3words, which enabled us to land as close as possible and this was especially important in a location without landmarks. Henry did an amazing job to stay calm, which enabled us to provide hospital-level critical care right in the middle of the woods for Dominic.”
Due to the terrain, the crew worked alongside colleagues from the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), police and an ambulance crew.
Dominic was treated by David and Rocky, before being put on a stretcher and carried across the hillside to the air ambulance. Dominic recalled, “I couldn't really remember much, but then I was cold. Two spaniels were sitting next to me and I felt like I was dreaming. I could move my legs, but I couldn't walk.”
After calling 999 and making sure his friend was safe, Henry took the initiative to text Dominic’s mum, Talia. It took 45 minutes to arrive by car and she explained, “I had a text message that came through from Henry, which was very grown up and detailed. He told me that Dom had an abrasion to his right eye and that there'd been an accident. It seemed very calm, but then in the last line he said he had called the ambulance and that’s when I realised I needed to get my coat.
“By the time I got there, there were paramedics everywhere. So I felt reassured, but Dominic kept saying his back hurt, which was a moment we worried it could be a life changing moment for us as a family. We are so grateful to Henry for doing something many adults would struggle with. He was absolutely brilliant and I think all that training from Scouts and his dad really paid off.”
After providing specialist care, the crew were then able to transfer Dominic and his mum Talia by air to the Royal United Hospital in Bath for further assessment and care. When describing his helicopter journey, Dominic said, “I can remember doctor David warming my hands up because they were really cold. I could also remember my mum, because I think she was quite stressed at that point.”
An MRI showed that Dominic had a bleed on his liver alongside his serious concussion. He was in hospital for 36 hours, which involved lots of fasting, which Dominic described as the hardest part!
After six weeks of recovery, Dominic was able to return to riding his mountain bike with Henry. Talia also reached out to our Aftercare Support, hoping to provide the boys with the opportunity to ask questions and fill in any gaps they may have regarding this incident.
Louise Cox, our aftercare manager explained, “It was fantastic to meet Dominic and Henry, to see their positivity and to hear how courageous Henry was when Dominic had his accident.”
Dominic, Henry and their families have since returned to the airbase to share their story with local and national press, including Sky News, BBC and ITV. Talia explained, “Helping with the media campaign has helped us see the whole incident in a more positive light thankfully.”
During the interviews, we asked Henry and Dom what advice they would give to other children. Dominic shared, “I'm really grateful for Henry. I think it’s how a kid should react in the situation: stay calm and learn the basic emergency skills, so calling 999, learning what3words and your home address. The what3words app is easy to use for all ages - you could sit down for breakfast with your family and talk about what to do in an emergency.”
Henry also added, “We’re really grateful to the air ambulance because they did an amazing job, but I'm lucky that my dad’s a Scout Leader and that’s how I knew basic first aid and what3words. Install the what3words app, it’s really easy to use. You open it and then straight away it tells you your location and you can share it really easily. Also make sure you learn basic first aid, what I did was basic, but it really does a lot.”
We would like to say a big thank you and well done to Dominic and Henry for sharing their story to inspire other families, as well as to Henry for his quick and calm actions on the day.
Our crew relies on support from the public, whether that’s donations to keep us mission-ready, or knowing basic first aid and being ready to help at the scene of an emergency. Whilst we hope you never need it, if you’re feeling inspired by Dominic and Henry’s story, here’s how you can stay ready for the unexpected.
