The new Devon Air ambulance was recently called to South Zeal to airlift an injured football player.

Zeal were playing in a senior cup match, when a tackle just inside the 18 yard box resulted in a suspected broken ankle to one of the visiting teams players.

Following an emergency call a land crew and the air crew attended the scene.

The air ambulance swept low over the village before landing within yards of the injured player in the recreation ground.

Realising the helicopter had landed, several villagers came out to see what had happened and looked on as the Paramedics secured the player for the journey

Minutes later, with the injured player safely on board, the air ambulance took off, sweeping over Ramsley and on to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital .

Although this was not a life threatening injury, it only took 20 minutes for the air ambulance to fly from Exeter, load the patient and be airborne again.

It shows how valuable the Devon air Ambulance is to all of us and we should try to support such causes, as one day…it could be you !

Play resumed and after failing to score from the resulting penalty the away side decided to abandon the game and the 3-1 score at the time stood declared as the final score.

Andy White