Eoghan Connolly, right, was riding the Gorey Three-Day when he witnessed a terrible crash involving young Wexford Wheelers rider James Maddock. Connolly, an emergency paramedic by profession, knew the situation was serious and took control of things – even arranging for a helicopter to take the stricken rider to hospital.

By Brian Canty

A potential tragedy was averted on the opening stage of the Gorey Three-Day on Easter Saturday following a crash in which Wexford Wheelers rider James Maddock was knocked unconscious.

The 22-year-old lay on the road with blood pouring from his head and only for well-known emergency paramedic Eoghan Connolly tending to him immediately, the situation could have been far worse.

Connolly, a bronze medallist from the A3 National Championships last year, was racing as well.

But he put his competitive instincts to one side to assist the stricken rider.

Maddock was travelling in excess of 50kph when he touched the back wheel of the rider in front of him and went down hard.

And what happened over the course of the next few hours has only been relayed back to him as he was unconscious.

Maddock’s helmet took the full impact of the collision and only for it being tightly-fitted to his head at the time he reckons he would have been killed stone dead.

“I was 62 kilometres into the race and I remember hitting the wheel in front of me and then bang; I hit the ground and I remember nothing after that,” said Maddock.

“We were travelling about 50kph at the time and I was in and out of consciousness for three or four hours after it.

“I remember groaning on the ground, waking up, seeing Eoghan, but not much else.

“I was soaked in blood as well, there was blood pouring out of me.

“But as soon as Eoghan came to me he helped keep me calm; I remember him joking with me, saying ‘ah Jesus Maddock you’re after ruining my chances of winning the Gorey Three-Day’.

“I have to say a huge thank to my clubmate Tony Harper as well for tending to me.”

Crashes in bike races are common but few are so serious that they require riders to be airlifted to hospital.

The ambulance that followed the race was immediately on the scene but Connolly knew it would be wiser to get Maddock to a hospital in Dublin.

“Eoghan asked for the chopper because I’d have been brought to Wexford hospital and then probably to Dublin but with the chopper I went straight to Dublin.

“I had head injuries and I was cut right open and Eoghan knew that was the best option.

“It was quite scary though; I remember thinking ‘Jesus am I dying here or what’s the story?’”

Fortunately, after a raft of tests, Maddock was diagnosed with heavy concussion only as well as severe cuts and bruises.

His injuries included a gash to the head that required 20 stitches to close.

Maddock was pretty badly cut up from the crash but will make a full recovery. And he has the man on the left to thank in no small part for that.

“I have 20 stitches in my face, a bad cut across my forehead but it’s healed up very well since the accident,” he explained.

“I’ve 10 stitches on my knee and no movement in my right leg yet. I couldn’t lift it for the last week.

“I split the helmet from front to back. If I didn’t have the helmet on tightly I’d have been killed stone dead.

“I lost a lot of blood as well. I was in a puddle of blood on the road. I can’t thank Eoghan enough,” he continued.

“He was allowed start the stage the following day and he actually finished the race on Monday,” Maddock explained of the professional and heroic Connolly.

“He could have done very well only that he stopped to tend to me so that’s something I’m eternally grateful for.

“There was another crash on the final stage on Monday about a kilometre from the finish line and he was there again for that.

“He finished the stage, did a U-turn and went back to tend to those who’d crashed. What more can you say about him. He is a legend.”

James Maddock suffered some very nasty injuries but his quick-thinking fellow rider and the medical staff working on the Gorey combined to get him to safety.