WESTERN DAILY PRESS Thursday, September 10, 2020
NEWS
>>Claire Tucker with
husband Dan and
their three daughters
Air ambulance medic’s
wife in laser light appeal
emma elgee
emma.elgee@reachplc.com
A
mother has issued a tearful
plea for people to stop shin-
ing laser lights at the air am-
bulance her husband works for.
In a video posted on Facebook,
Claire Tucker, from Melksham, said
she fears her husband, Dan, could
die in a crash or be blinded after
recent repeat attacks.
She said: “People don’t under-
stand that these lights can blind peo-
ple and cause a helicopter crash that
would see my husband die and who-
ever he was rescuing die in a fiery
horrific helicopter crash.”
Mrs Tucker is a paramedic of more
than 19 years and her husband
works as a critical care paramedic for
South Western Ambulance air
ambulance.
Last Sunday Mr Tucker’s team at
Wiltshire Air Ambulance came
under a “laser attack” in Trowbridge
with the light shining directly in his
eye on board the helicopter.
The crew had to abort the training
mission they were on, saying it was
“fortunate” it wasn’t a real emergen-
cy. It is the fourth time this year the
crew have been victim to laser inci-
dents.
Mrs Tucker has said she was “gob-
smacked” anyone would target the
air ambulance team, risking the lives
of the team and patients.
In the video, she said: “It’s not a
game, I’ve got three children in bed
and daddy needs to come home. It’s
bad enough flying, it’s dangerous
enough without this.”
She added: “At night they wear big
 7
night vision goggles. When the laser
hits the night vision goggles it mag-
nifies it.
“And to reach that high in the sky
these are illegal lasers. They aren’t
silly toys – these are massive lasers.
“Last night Dan was in the heli-
copter and all of a sudden as they
were trying to land they had a laser
attack.
“Number one it could blind him. It
could mean that he never gets to see
his children again as it wrecks the
retina.
“But if they were unlucky enough
to hit the pilot’s googles, it could A)
blind them but B) disorient the pilot.
Which means the helicopter hits the
ground.
“You are going to cause a helicop-
ter crash which means my kids on
Christmas Day are not going to have
their dad.”
Mrs Tucker explained the fear she
has every night when she hears her
husband’s helicopter take off.
She said: “I don’t want a knock on
the door in the middle of the night
from the police saying that the heli-
copter has gone down.
“Every time the helicopter takes
off from where we live, every time he
takes off at night I can’t get back to
sleep. I’m petrified that he’s not
going to come home and then when
I hear it coming into land I think, ok,
another one over.
Mrs Tucker said: “Dan was seeing
red spots for a while after the laser
caught him. It was such a close call
that night – the closest one yet. I am
absolutely petrified of something
happening. My daughters love their
daddy – he’s our world.”
Mrs Tucker is going to start an
online petition to stop the import of
the lasers from abroad which she
hopes will be debated by parliament.
Chief pilot Matt Wilcock said
about the incident: “Our team were
operating in the Trowbridge area at
21:55 hours. It was a training mis-
sion; we have to land so often at
night just to rehearse our skills and
one of the few landing sites that we
can do that at is in Hilperton.
“As they were operating in the area
someone decided to shine a laser at
them. We believe it came from the
south-west area of Trowbridge.
Woman in 60s
punched by
phone robber
A woman walking her dog at a
West beauty spot was punched in
the face several times by a man
who stole her mobile phone.
It happened on Tuesday
morning at West Woods, near
Marlborough in Wiltshire.
The woman, in her 60s, was
attacked at about 9.40am.
A man in his 30s from Devizes
was arrested on suspicion of
robbery shortly afterwards.
Wiltshire Police said the
woman was punched in the face
several times.
This caused the woman to fall
to the ground. The man then
snatched her mobile phone from
her hand and used it to hit her
several times. He then made off
with the phone.
The victim approached two
members of the public in the area
and they immediately called
police.
The victim gave a detailed
description of the suspect and a
man was located near to
Marlborough College but he
made off from officers before
being detained after a short
chase.
He has since been released on
bail pending further inquiries.
Acting Inspector Leighton
Williams said: “No doubt this
would have been a frightening
and upsetting experience for the
victim.
“Fortunately, she wasn’t
seriously injured but has been left
very shaken up.”
Sex Education
“It is only by the grace of God that
we haven’t had a patient on board or filming to start
that we haven’t been flying to a life-
saving incident when these laser Netflix’s Sex Education has
attacks have occurred.” started production on its third
He added: “Nobody should be series.
shining laser pens at aircraft. You The streaming service
don’t know who that aircraft is com- confirmed the news with a video
ing to help and just think about if it on Twitter, which saw the cast,
was en route to help you or one of including Gillian Anderson and
your loved ones and a laser attack Asa Butterfield, prepare to return
forced us to abort the mission.” to set.
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a Large parts of the popular
criminal offence, with a punishment programme are filmed in
of an unlimited fine and up to five the Forest of Dean in
years in prison. Gloucestershire.
Sun 13th Sept + Sun 4th Oct 
8am - 1pm
(sellers set up from 7am)
Makers, Growers, Crafters,
Collectors, Car booters 
>>A tearful Pitches £5
Claire
Tucker (No need to book)
makes a Buyers £1
desperate
plea to West Woodlands Showground,
people to Frome, BA11 5SE
stop shining
dangerous
Donation to Cancer research uk
laser lights Find us on
at the air Any questions call 07757197912
ambulance