Firefighter's search for Samaritan cop after crash

A young firefighter who was left paralysed after a bike crash wants to find and thank an off-duty police officer who supported him at the scene.

Liam Coffill, from Watford, was injured in the collision while cycling to work at Garston Fire Station on 18 August 2023, when he was 25.

"I came round and was in a lot of pain, and realised I couldn't move my legs. The first person to help me was an off-duty police officer," he said.

"He was going in the opposite direction, and he turned around and just got down next to me and held my hand."

Liam said he could not remember the police officer's name or what he looked like.

"Having somebody there while I was lying on the floor, made that situation easier for those minutes until paramedics and police turned up," he said.

A van driver will face trial later this year over the collision.

He said his training at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service also helped him to cope with the immediate aftermath.

"I tried to get up and knew something wasn't right, and a bit of panic started to set in.

"But I calmed down and thought 'I can't go anywhere, and I might have internal injuries'.

"I remembered that from first aid training, it is best to stay calm and wait for help."

Liam was rushed to hospital for surgery and the following day, an MRI scan revealed his spinal cord was broken.

The injury has left him with no sensation below his belly button, and means he will rely on a wheelchair for life.

He said he was "lucky" that a space became available on a nearby rehabilitation ward.

"Within a couple of weeks they were helping me to get out of bed, into a wheelchair by myself.

"Early intervention made a difference – the earlier you can get the rehab, the better."

After further rehab at STEPS in Sheffield, he was able to use his wheelchair outdoors - and go swimming unaided.

"I experienced being in a wheelchair in the real world - it's not like hospital, which is a safety bubble. It put me out of my comfort zone in a safe supportive way.

"I could then go to the pool by myself, get changed, use the showers and pool without any help."

At that point, Liam made a decision.

"After I left STEPS, I didn't have much to do physically. It would have been easy to sit at home and not do a lot, but I wanted to get back out there into sports and exercise.

"That was always my lifeline before the accident, my stress relief, so I was keen to get back," he said.

"Sometimes you don't feel like going out, but I've always been quite good at saying, 'Go and do it, you'll feel better for it', and I kept that mentality.

"I've stuck with it ever since. I do some form of exercise every day. I just try to keep at it."

"I had no idea what I was doing at first: it was different doing exercise just with your arms. But it was nice to have a sense of purpose and get back into sport quite quickly.

"I met people who were also in wheelchairs and you feel like part of the community that understands what it's like."

Now 28, Liam hopes to complete a duathlon, after a London charity loaned him a racing wheelchair and hand bike.

"This kind of equipment is expensive with long waiting times, so to be able to borrow this meant I could get back into it even quicker," he said.

He was also grateful to his friends and colleagues who raised funds for his recovery, as well as the Fire Brigade's Union which provided access to legal support.

"I had no idea," he said. "You assume union membership is for work issues. I didn't realise it would cover something like this. That advice proved pivotal."

His solicitors helped to co-ordinate rehabilitation and compensation which will enable him to access lifelong support.

He encourages other people in a similar situation to "keep going".

"The unluckiest thing in the world has happened to you, and the only thing you can control is how you go about that situation.

"Your life doesn't have to stop just because this has happened. You have to find a new way of living your life.

"It can be really hard sometimes, but you can do it.

"I found the best way was to keep going and trying to progress. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon, you try to keep going forward."

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