A VITAL emergency charity is marking the 29th anniversary of their first lifesaving mission, which saw the helicopter touch down in Hereford.

On May 27 1991, just six days after its launch, ‘Air 5’ (which would later become the Midlands Air Ambulance) responded to its first mission, flying to the aid of a woman who had suffered a fall on the mountainside in Hay on Wye in Powys and needed emergency pre-hospital medical care

The flight crew rushed to the scene from their Hagley Hall base and stabilised the patient before airlifting her to hospital in Hereford, with the journey time from scene to hospital an incredible six minutes.

The charity, which has responded to more than 54,000 missions since 1991, now operates and funds three air ambulances and two critical care cars covering six Midlands counties including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

It costs in excess of £9 million to maintain the three aircraft and the provision of a lifesaving service each year, and each air mission costs an average of £2,500.

Each critical care car or cardiac car mission costs an average of £224.

The charity does not receive funding from the Government or National Lottery for its daily missions so relies entirely on the support and generosity of local people and businesses.

To make a donation, click here to vist the Midlands Air Ambulance website.