Volunteers care for more than 300 casualties at Tour de France

St John Ambulance first aiders treated 353 people – including one professional cyclist – over three days during the UK-leg of the Tour de France.

18 people in the crowd were treated on Friday, 227 on Saturday and 108 on Sunday and in total 40 people were taken to hospital.

St John Ambulance was close by when one cyclist fell from his bike during Le Grand Depart on Sunday and needed attention for an injured arm and shoulder. The first aiders were also called in when three young cyclists were hurt on the youth cycle event in Hyde Park on Sunday. All are recovering well.

Seamus Kelly, OBE, Commissioner of St John Ambulance in London, said: ‘Most of the people we treated were routine cases of people feeling unwell on a day out and with a little help they were able to enjoy the rest of the event.

‘We were also happy to have assisted one of the professional cyclists and the junior cyclists and wish them a speedy recovery.

‘It was a busy weekend for St John Ambulance. We had 600 volunteers working, helping the nation have fun at the Tour de France, as well as additional volunteers at Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix. Volunteering is enjoyable and rewarding and if anyone is interested in helping us at events like this and the London 2012 Olympics then please get in touch.’

Over the course of the Tour de France event the charity had 600 volunteers, including 10 on bikes, who cared for the crowd over the three-day event. There were 44 first aid stations and 60 ambulances in total.

St John Ambulance first aiders have vast experience caring for spectators at busy events like the Flora London Marathon, Lords cricket matches and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. The charity will be the prime provider of first aid cover at the London 2012 Olympics.

The Tour de France event in the UK saw:

• Four first aid stations and 100 volunteers at Friday’s opening ceremony around Trafalgar square and Whitehall;
• 19 first aid stations and 200 volunteers on both sides of the route at Saturday’s time trial in Westminster;
• 20 first aid stations plus 300 volunteers concentrated in the main towns along the route, such as Dartford and Maidstone, at Sunday’s race from Hyde Park to Canterbury;
• One first aid station in the People’s Village in Hyde Park;
• 60 ambulances along the route;
• St John Ambulance volunteers from Northern Ireland, Manchester, Gloucestershire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Merseyside and Leeds as well as London and Kent;
• 70 Cadet volunteers (young members aged 10-17).

For information about St John Ambulance, including information on how you can volunteer for the London 2012 Olympics, please call 08700 10 49 50.