Carol Dunford was left waiting for an ambulance for longer than an hour and a half after she fell in Kingsbridge, but wants to thank those who helped.

Carol, who has suffered a stroke, leaving her right side paralysed, had been pushed down the slope outside her home in Library Court by her husband Doug, when they both fell and Carol was left lying on her side, unable to get up.

“I go down backwards with Carol in the wheelchair”, explained Doug, “but I’m waiting for a knee replacement and as I got to the step at the bottom they just gave way and I couldn’t hold her. She fell in the chair.”

“I screamed out as I fell”, Carol said, “and a couple heard me and rushed over. She sat on the floor with me for more than an hour and 40 minutes, talking to me and making sure I was OK.”

Carol said she was assisted by an off-duty community first responder, PSCO Ash Hawkes, Graham Smith from Age Concern who brought her cups of tea, an employee of TQ7 barbers who brought her a pillow, Brian, a neighbour, who brought her a blanket and an off-duty nurse who drove past also came to help.

“I wanted to thank them all” Carol said, “without them I could have been in big trouble. They were all marvellous, I couldn’t have asked for better.”

Talking about the paramedics, Carol said, “They were busy, it was a shame but I don’t blame them, its the cuts in the country. The hospital was lovely, the doctors were lovely. All I want to do is thank them and the people who helped me.

“Its a good community in Kingsbridge. When something like this happens, you find out how many good people are about, its a good place to live.”