A paramedic who risked her own life to help a teenager after he was buried alive in a trench has received a top award.

Lesley Gordon and Brighouse-based Pam Saveall - who helped treat another teenager whose hand was dragged into a mincing machine at a Bradford supermarket - have been rewarded with a trip to Canada after being presented with Trauma Case Intervention Awards by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service.

Miss Gordon, 28, who is based at Menston, was the first person to reach 18-year-old Jed Christie after the 25ft deep trench he was working in at Yeadon collapsed on top of him in May, 1998.

Firefighters managed to locate Jed with Miss Gordon crawling down into a tiny space to help him until he was finally freed after 12 hours.

A spokesman for WYMAS said: "Despite the threat of being engulfed by walls of clay she went to check on her patient's condition on a regular basis until he was finally released." Following the incident Jed, of Rawdon, had to have his left leg amputated but has since made remarkable progress, learning to walk again using an artificial limb and returning to work.

Ms Saveall, 48, received her award in recognition of her professionalism and dedication in helping to deal with an incident at a supermarket in Wyke.

She helped set up a drip to administer pain relief to Richard Jones after his hand become trapped in a mincing machine in the butchery concession at KwikSave.

The 17-year-old was taken to hospital after being released by firefighters but doctors were unable to save his damaged left hand and it had to be amputated.

The paramedics, whose crew colleagues have also won awards, are now at Lake Manitouwadge, Ontario, where they are spending time with the local ambulance service, visiting the area's beauty spots and trying snow-mobiling and ice fishing.

They were shortlisted for the awards, which are sponsored by local businesses, after a number of incidents were nominated and judged by a panel of WYMAS accident and emergency directors.

Miss Gordon, from Calverley, said: "We both feel quite honoured to be representing WYMAS and I'm sure we're going to learn a lot about Canadian life and the workings of the local ambulance service.''

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