Prince William Co-Pilots Rescue Mission in First Week On the Job
— -- Britain’s Prince William co-piloted a rescue mission just three days into his new job as an air ambulance pilot, an East Anglian Air Ambulance spokeswoman told ABC News.
The service’s head of communications, Diana Jakubowska, confirmed that William, 33, was part of a team that transported a patient to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norfolk, England, on Wednesday.
Prince William co-piloted the mission alongside a team that included another pilot, Capt. Dave Kelly, and critical-care paramedic, Rob Riches.
Jakubowska could not provide any further details about the incident, citing patient confidentiality.
A 23-year-old hospital employee described the scene at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital as care workers realized the second-in-line to the British throne was in their midst.
“I saw the air ambulance come down and thought I would have a look to see what was happening,” Nina Allen said, according to the U.K.'s The Telegraph. “When I initially went over, I did not think about Prince William being there.”
“People then realized it was the prince and started to get really excited,” she said. “He did not look our way, but he is doing his job and can't be spending all his time waving at onlookers.”
Allen told the newspaper that in one of her photos of William, the prince can be seen checking his phone for messages.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance spokeswoman also confirmed that Prince William was called out on another mission earlier this week but was told to stand down when it was discovered their service was not needed.
Prince William, who two months ago welcomed a second child, Princess Charlotte, with his wife, Princess Kate, is said to be working a schedule of four days on followed by four days off, as he balances the job with his family and royal duties.
William, who will donate his salary to charity, took the job last August after spending four years with the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue.
"For me it is also really important to be grounded,” William told reporters Monday. “I feel doing a job like this really helps with grounding the core of what I am trying to become… just trying to be a good guy, trying to do what you can, trying be a decent individual, thoughtful…qualities in people that you would want to be associated with.”
