A 78-year-old man who has been left bruised after tripping over an uneven paving slab in Ilkley is desperate to find the people who helped him in the moments after his fall.
Harry Potts, from Headingley, visited Ilkley on Tuesday (August 30) to play a game of bowls with his friend.
But as he was rushing for his return bus home at 3pm, he tripped over an uneven paving slab in the car park which runs parallel to The Grove, Ilkley.
However, Harry who has been left with bruises over his face and body, said he was “heartened” by the response of the people who waited with him for two hours while an ambulance arrived, and wants to find them so he can “thank them in person.”
“I think I’ve broken my nose, I’ve got a bruise on my face and a wound on my arm and my leg.
“But there were so many people that were there that were so helpful and so concerned about me."
Around eight people waited with him for the ambulance to arrive - one bought a first aid kit, another got some chairs and another got a metallic sheet to keep him warm, he recalled.
“I was saying why don’t you go away and I’ll just lay here, but they told me I wasn’t to move."
Harry said he didn’t get the names of any of the kind strangers, but he would love them to get in touch with him.
Cllr Anne Hawkesworth (Ilkley, Independent) said she had reported that particular paving slab to the council before the incident, as she noticed the paving stones has 'risen' and need "uplifting and relaying".
She said: "I took some photos of what I thought could be trip points and sent them to highways maintenance.
"But unfortunately, the gentleman in question fell the day after within the vicinity.
"I do hope the gentleman is recovering well and if he is a visitor to Ilkley I hope it won’t taint his view,”
When the T&A contacted Bradford council for a comment, a spokesperson said: “We are deeply concerned about the unfortunate incident involving an elderly pedestrian and sincerely hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
“The matter was escalated to Parking Services and Highway Maintenance the same day the issue was reported to us and we hope to resolve the situation as soon as possible.”
If you were one of the strangers that helped Harry, please contact the T&A newsdesk at newsdesk@nqyne.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel