Prince William Rescues Oblivious Patient in Helicopter

LONDON — It's not every day that a future king swoops in by helicopter to rescue you.

But when Prince William came to Jim Schembri's aid, he almost didn't notice.

The 37-year-old arborist was injured when a branch collapsed, leaving him with a dislocated shoulder and hip.

Schembri's injuries were serious enough to require the assistance of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, an emergency medical service that employs the second-in-line to the British throne as a pilot.

"It wasn't until they were actually loading me into the helicopter that it clicked," Schembi told NBC News' British partner ITV. "I said, 'Willsy better not be flying this thing.' He turned around and said, 'I've been holding your head for the last 30 minutes.'"

He added: "I was so drugged up on ketamine that I went, 'Oh well, you better come see me in the hospital then.'"

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Prince William stayed with Schembri for 40 minutes at emergency room after the incident on March 22 near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

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When asked if William had called him afterwards, Schembri replied "no" but added: "A text would be nice."

The prince, whose official title is the Duke of Cambridge, donates his salary from the East Anglian Air Ambulance to charity. He started the job in July.

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FROM JULY 13, 2015: Prince William on new air rescue job, thoughts about a third baby

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