Aberdeen dad crushed by forklift raises more than £2,300 for 999 heroes who got him ‘home to his girls’

An Aberdeen dad who got trapped by an overturned forklift has thanked the ambulance crew who saved his life.

Matt Kinghorn said he will be “forever grateful” to the staff who helped him after the accident on Abbey Road in Aberdeen.

The crushing incident happened on February 3 at Aberdeen Marine Laboratory in the Torry area of the city.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene.

Ambulance technician Christopher Pettitt and paramedic team leader Stuart Richardson worked to keep Mr Kinghorn calm and assessed him before he was freed by firefighters.

Brought me ‘home to my girls’

He was then taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment, and has now made a full recovery.

An avid writer of poetry and also writer of a children’s story, he has been raising money for the Scottish Ambulance Service through his poetry readings.

He also recently met Mr Pettitt and Mr Richardson to thank them personally, and said it was wonderful to meet the two “real life heroes”.

“I was so very lucky and glad that the Scottish Ambulance Service arrived on the scene to save me and safeguard my passage to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary,” the 40-year-old said.

“I’m forever grateful to the guys for making the time to meet me. They were so very lovely and incredibly humble about saving me.

“It was a joy to chat and to learn that they love doing what they do and I will always be thankful for that.

“They are a couple of real life heroes that got me home to my girls. I will continue to think of them every day.”

£2,300 raised for emergency services

Mr Kinghorn held poetry show, 9…9… Lines in venues across Aberdeen of expressing his appreciation, and has donated over £800 to SAS’s endowment fund.

“I felt I had to do something to help in return,” Mr Kinghorn added.

“I decided to put on some live poetry shows in the city and shire to help raise funds for the people that helped me so, The NHS, The Fire Brigade and of course the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“After nine shows over nine days at 9am I have managed to raise £2,359, which I’m splitting between the three services.”

Mr Richardson said he and other staff were grateful for what Mr Kinghorn was doing.

He said: “It was great to meet Matt in person as we don’t often find out what happens to our patients.

“I think it was also very cathartic for him to meet us. We are very thankful for the funds he has raised, as well as the fantastic poem he presented us with.”