Family pay moving tribute after sudden death of paramedic

Liam suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest at home, just a few days after becoming a father with the birth of daughter Bonnie.

He worked in the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) for East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) after training and working as a paramedic in the Melton Mowbray area and gaining his State Registration in 2012.

Liam was also dedicated to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, having started as a cadet himself at the age of 12, and he progressed to the rank of Flight Lieutenant, commanding his own squadrons at Melton Mowbray, West Bridgford and Newton.

A statement released by his family reads: “As a family we are deeply saddened at the tragic loss of Liam, beloved husband, father, son, brother and uncle.

“Liam was the kindest, most generous, and he would like to think, funniest person you could hope to come across.

“His friends often described him as a gentle giant; he cared deeply about those that meant the most to him and loved to make people laugh.

“Liam was very rarely found without a smile on his face, even in the most serious of circumstances.”

It continues: “Those that knew Liam would know that he was passionate about his role as a paramedic, leaving a role as an aircraft engineer in 2008 to become an Ambulance Care Assistant in pursuit of his dream to work as part of the air ambulance crew.

“Following various roles within EMAS, Liam achieved his goal of working as part of the air ambulance team in 2018.

“The smile on his face when he got that role was dazzling.

“Words cannot express the devastation we feel as family right now but we are incredibly proud of the man that Liam became. He was and always will be our hero and we will love him unconditionally until the end of time.

“The whole family would like to extend our thanks to the amazing staff at EMAS and HEMS who attended Liam and fought so hard to save him.”

EMAS said it felt ‘immense sadness’ at Liam’s passing and sent their ‘deepest sympathies’ to his wife Jade, siblings Gemma and Leighton, and his parents Ann and Alex.

Liam joined the HART team in March 2017, having completed additional training to support his response with the team to major and hazardous incidents across the East Midlands.

He was working a night shift on the evening of the Manchester Arena attack just two months later and was part of the mutual aid support sent to support North West Ambulance Service HART during their response.

Liam was on paternity leave earlier this month at the time of his cardiac arrest, following Bonnie’s birth on June 21.

Richard Henderson, the EMAS chief executive said: “Losing Liam in such tragic circumstances is incredibly difficult for our colleagues to hear.

“From the messages I have received following the very sad news, it is clear that Liam was a fantastic, genuine person, who loved his family, his outdoor pursuits, his role as a paramedic, and his work with the RAF cadets.”

Sid Murphy, HART manager for EMAS, commented: “Liam was a popular member of the unit, and was renowned not only for his humour, but also his dedication to providing the best level of care to his patients.

“He was compassionate and always there to support his colleagues if they were struggling or feeling low.

“We are absolutely devastated by this news, and our hearts go out to Jade and their daughter, Liam’s family and the friends and neighbours that came to his aid.”

Liam also enjoyed a stellar career with the air cadets, helping to train and develop many young people over the years.

In 2018 he was chosen as the first ever recipient of the highly prestigious RAF 100 Sword, which is awarded to the best student on any course over a training year.

He served the Air Training Corps for 24 years, during which time he also received the Cadet Forces Medal and Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The Air Training Corps said in a statement: “Flight Lieutenant Liam Waring was a dedicated, driven and passionate individual.

“He had a manner about him which made it easy for anyone to engage and work with him.”