A North Yorkshire man who thought he was going to die after collapsing in a remote part of the Yorkshire Dales has paid tribute to the stranger who saved his life.
Earl Parker, 79, from Skipton, was on a solo motorbike ride near Summer Lodge Moor in April 2026 when he stopped to admire the scenery and began speaking with a passing farmer, Ashley Hird.
Moments later, Mr Parker’s left arm and leg became weak, and he collapsed.
Earl Parker recovering in hospital
(Image: Supplied)
Mr Parker said: "I thought I was dead – I thought I was going to die."
Mr Hird, from Richmond, immediately lifted Mr Parker into his vehicle and drove him to the Central Dales GP Practice in Hawes. During the journey, he used Mr Parker’s phone to call 999.
An air ambulance was dispatched and Mr Parker was flown to The James Cook University Hospital, where doctors discovered he had suffered an ischaemic stroke.
Consultant Dr George Thomas said: "We are extremely grateful to those who helped Mr Parker reach the hospital quickly, including the North Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service, enabling him to receive thrombolysis in time.
Left, Ashley Hird with the customised shepherd’s crook and Earl Parker
(Image: Supplied)
"The entire period, which includes from NHS 999 being contacted to Earl being treated, took only one hour – which was vital.
"Mr Parker's case highlights the importance of the phrase 'time is brain,' represented by the 'T’ in F.A.S.T."
Following a CT scan, Mr Parker received thrombolysis—an emergency clot-busting treatment—within 13 minutes, which helped restore blood flow to his brain, enabling him to recover from a stroke that could otherwise have caused permanent brain damage.
Earl Parker with the team who looked after him in James Cook
(Image: Supplied)
He was discharged from the hospital after just two days.
Mr Parker is now focused on raising awareness of stroke symptoms and the importance of rapid treatment.
He said: "Stroke hit me hard and it’s hard to accept I am here.
"The entire incident was scary and I felt like something explosive was happening in my body.
"But thanks to the care provided by the expert medical teams, I couldn’t believe I was able to go home so quickly."
Mr Hird said he only stopped because he saw Mr Parker’s parked motorbike and thought it might have broken down.
He said: "As soon as I thought something was wrong, I lifted him and put him in my vehicle and drove like hell to the GP in Hawes.
"I was able to save him and that is a miracle."
To thank Mr Hird, Mr Parker and his friends visited him in Richmond in July and presented him with a customised shepherd’s crook.
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Mr Hird said: "I was very happy with the gift and I think I will be meeting up with Earl and his friends soon."
According to Dr Thomas, if Earl had not received the treatment within the four-and-a-half-hour period, he could have experienced some life-changing consequences.
Mr Parker has described the actions of both Mr Hird and the emergency services as lifesaving.
He said: "The NHS and the kind farmer saved my life."