A paramedic who died in a crash on New Year's Day was "respected by his colleagues and adored by patients".
Ben Lightburn, 31, was killed in a two-car crash on Mossborough Road in Rainford on Sunday, January 1. Ben joined North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in 2014 and qualified as a paramedic in 2021, working across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Ben's family previously paid tribute to him, saying: "No words can describe how devastated we are at the sudden loss of our wonderful Ben. He was a devoted and loving husband, father and son and he will be missed more than anyone can imagine.
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Now senior paramedics and technicians from the Sefton Group, who worked closely with Ben, have paid their respects to their colleague.
They said: “Ben was, and will forever remain, an incredibly loved member of our team. He was amazing with patients and so ridiculously smart. He mentored students and supported his colleagues with a passion that was admirable. Ben was a joker, he was cheeky, he laughed with us and at us and was always at the heart of our team.
“Ben has dedicated his life to the services, from serving in the Royal Navy of which he always shared fond memories with us, and then joining us here at NWAS. He always aimed to excel at everything he did, both in work and in his personal life. Ben was so well respected by his colleagues and adored by patients.
"His close-knit team, NWAS and beyond have lost a truly genuine, kind and ever caring soul. There are no words to describe how we feel to have lost Ben, so tragically and so suddenly. We will cherish his memory forever and our thoughts extend to his beautiful family at this unimaginable time.”
Matt Calderbank, Cheshire and Merseyside north sector manager at NWAS added: “Ben consistently placed others before himself, a dedicated paramedic who will have undoubtedly changed patient and families lives for the better. Ben’s absence has left an irreparable hole across the NWAS team he worked with.
"Ben was not just a paramedic, but a friend and a mentor to many of his colleagues. The sadness felt is shared by many and we extend our deepest condolences to Ben’s friends and family who have lost someone very special. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic loss.”
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