‘My grandson could have died’

Peter Neill jnr (26) was mo ved to the Royal Victoria Hospital with an abdomenal wound but was due to be released at the weekend.

Coleraine detectives have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent following the incident outside a bar around 1:20am on Sunday, December 8.

Now Norman Neill has spoken out about the pressures on the Ambulance Service and says his grandson is lucky to be alive.

“If that Ballymena ambulance had not been in the area at the time my grandson would have died from internal bleeding,” he said.

“We have one ambulance for the whole Triangle at the minute and that’s not enough.

“When this incident happened this ambulance was busy.

“Someone is going to die unless more support is given to the Ambulance Service.”

Mr Neill said that he had spokento one Ambulance worker who claimed that the service was critically understaffed.

“They took Peter to Causeway Hospital and then moved him to the Royal to drain fluid out of his lung. He was very lucky.

“It’s not goog enough having just one ambulance to serve the whole of the Triangle area on a Saturday night or early Sunday morning.”

Mr Neill said he was grateful to the staff at the bar who came to hjis grandson’s aid and also the quick response and professionalism of the ambulance team.

“I’m not having a go at the Ambulance Service I just want to see it gets the support and resources it deserves.”

“They took Peter to Causeway Hospital and then moved him to the Royal to drain fluid out of his lung. He was very lucky.

“It’s not goog enough having just one ambulance to serve the whole of the Triangle area on a Saturday night or early Sunday morning.”

Mr Neill said he was grateful to the staff at the bar who came to hjis grandson’s aid and also the quick response and professionalism of the ambulance team.

“I’m not having a go at the Ambulance Service I just want to see it gets the support and resources it deserves.

“I think everyone would want to see that.”