Paramedics operating within the Lake District have been testing Gravity Industries' Jet Suit with apparently excellent results. Out goes walking, in with jet packs, every Sci-Fi nerds dream.

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Using a Jet Suit from the inventor, Richard Browning, paramedics in the Lake Distract have been launching themselves up hills in a 'groundbreaking exercise'. 

"With a rapid response car and this jet suit we are going to see a sea of change in the way we deliver remote medicine.”, says the Director of Operations and Paramedic at GNAAS, Andy Mawson.

While the distance isn't usually far for teams to hike, it's all about the super steep gradients that are slowing teams down and the bulky medical kit that has to be manually carried. That's where the Jet Suit comes into play, it can boost a paramedic to the top of Helvellyn (Englands third highest peak) in eight minutes.

“If someone had a cardiac arrest at the top of Helvellyn, and we were able to employ the jet suit I am confident we would have a defibrillator on the patient within eight minutes. As things stand now our aircraft would be first on the scene and that could take 20 to 25 minutes," says Andy Mawson.

With the way the pack is now, it can only fly for five minutes at a time but it can still drastically reduce travel times. It's currently awaiting modifications and it's anticipated that it'll be fully integrated into rescue teams by next summer.

While it would be seriously cool to be saved by the missing sixth Thunderbird the Jet Suit poses some very clear practical and life-saving advantages.

• www.theguardian.com

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