0:00:02 > 0:00:05Rural Britain has some of the most challenging environments
0:00:05 > 0:00:09in the world. In Scotland, the mountains, lochs and coastline
0:00:09 > 0:00:14encourage tourists and locals to get out into the wild.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15But with that, comes danger.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Are there any injuries with those in your party?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24The emergency services north of the border have to deal with
0:00:24 > 0:00:26extreme challenges every day.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31..someone who believes he has been systematically poisoning trees.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35From severe weather in treacherous terrain...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Can you feel it cracking?
0:00:37 > 0:00:41..to covering huge distances on country roads with time against them.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46We know it's an emergency... it's the highest category.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48They work around the clock,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52battling against some of the most difficult situations.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56We'll be right at the heart of the action -
0:00:56 > 0:00:59side-by-side with air rescue, saving lives,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03on the road with paramedics caring for the injured,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and following the police fighting crime, as the emergency services
0:01:07 > 0:01:09work together to pick up, patch up
0:01:09 > 0:01:13and protect the public in rural communities.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16This is Countryside 999.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Coming up...
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The Royal Navy helicopter crew rescue an injured rock climber...
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Argh!
0:01:43 > 0:01:50..rural A&E treat a teenager who's been badly hurt by a firework.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53And firefighters tackle obstacles in the pitch black
0:01:53 > 0:01:55to reach a blazing field.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59When we got here, about six or seven of the bales were alight.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Living in the countryside in Britain is a dream for many people.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But aspects of country living can be difficult.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19For the elderly in more isolated locations,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22medical help can feel further away in times of need.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28In Dumfries and Galloway, the ambulance covers a huge area.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The scattered population has, on average,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33only 60 people per square mile.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36SIREN BLARES
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Today, German-born paramedic of nine years,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Michael Harmjanz, is on shift with David Irving.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52They've received an urgent call from a house close to base in Dumfries.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58An 80-year-old woman with chest pains, so it's an emergency.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02It could be a heart attack, so they need to get there fast.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04SIREN SOUNDS
0:03:06 > 0:03:11She's either been seen by a GP or she phoned a doctor.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Just here.
0:03:20 > 0:03:2280-year-old Mary is in severe pain.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Her husband and son-in-law are by her side.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Michael and David administer oxygen to help her breathe,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35while they set up an ECG to find out what's happening with her heart.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Right, Mary, let's take your temperature.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43That's a bit high.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The ECG shows it's not a heart problem.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It doesn't look like it's coming from your heart, the pain.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It's more likely from your lungs.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55OK, so if you take a deep breath in, it's painful, isn't it?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Right, OK.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00So, we have to take you up to the hospital, anyway,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02to get maybe a chest X-ray.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Let's free you from all these cables. OK.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Elderly people are most at risk from serious bronchial conditions,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11such as pneumonia.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Mary's age means she must get to hospital quickly.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Just have a quick listen to your chest.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26And give us a cough. OK. Oh, yes.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32I can't see any damage of the heart muscle on the ECG,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36but we confirm this with a blood sample,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41and a chest X-ray, find out what the cause for the pain is.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44We think it's coming from your chest
0:04:44 > 0:04:47because you had a cold for so many weeks.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's put a strain on your lungs.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53So, maybe got some fluids and some infection going on there.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58Probably need a chest X-ray, maybe have to put you on some antibiotics.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Mary's daughter and granddaughter have rushed to meet her at the hospital.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Michael and David hand Mary over to the A&E team at her local
0:05:14 > 0:05:18hospital, Dumfries and Galloway's Royal Infirmary.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Good morning.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Good morning.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24You just sit tight. We'll move you across onto our trolley.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Right, on slide. Ready, steady, slide.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32In A&E, the team get to work.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36How are you feeling just now? Have you got pain just now?
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- Just, see that... - Right in the centre.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Dr Mike Quigley takes charge of Mary's care.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48OK. No, that's fine, that's cool. Thank you, cheers.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52He examines her X-rays.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The findings are as we would expect from what we...
0:05:56 > 0:05:58when we listened into her, she looks as if
0:05:58 > 0:06:02she's got signs of infection down at the bottom of her right lung.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06So that'll probably be contributing to her pain and her cough.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Mary does have a nasty chest infection,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12but thankfully it's not pneumonia.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15On your X-ray, I've seen there's probably a little bit
0:06:15 > 0:06:18of infection at the bottom of that lung and a little bit of fluid.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21And that hopefully will clear away with some antibiotics.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But the reason why you need to go into hospital is probably cos
0:06:24 > 0:06:27you need a little bit of oxygen. It may be for a short period of time
0:06:27 > 0:06:30but we'll get you feeling a bit more comfortable. Is that OK?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The fact that she needs some oxygen to keep her oxygen levels up
0:06:34 > 0:06:37is the main reason for bringing her into hospital,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40so hopefully, two to three days will see her ready for home again.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57In the north east of Scotland, Elgin in Moray is home
0:06:57 > 0:07:02to one of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service's three full-time stations.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Altogether, they watch over more than 500,000 people,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10in an area of over 3,000 square miles.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19Watch manager, Davie Farquharson, has been a firefighter for ten years
0:07:19 > 0:07:20and as it's bonfire weekend,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24he's on hand to put out the town's official bonfires.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29During bonfire night there's an organised fireworks display
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and bonfire in Cooper Park in Elgin,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and during the evening the fire service,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39they take the fire engine down and stood by and dampen down the fire,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43just so the organisers can then go and leave it, safely.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57But it's tackling unofficial bonfires that can make it
0:07:57 > 0:08:00their busiest time of the year.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04In 2011, Grampian Fire Service were called out
0:08:04 > 0:08:07to 153 incidents on 5th of November.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15It's just before bonfire night, and the crew get a 999 call.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19There's a fire on a farm bordering a housing estate.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Red Watch has just started the night shift, and they've been called
0:08:23 > 0:08:26to join their colleagues, Blue Watch, on the farm.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36First, they have to get to the blaze,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39but it's in the middle of a 60-acre field.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41So it's not going to be easy...
0:08:45 > 0:08:47..especially since it's pitch black.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Are you OK coming across here?
0:08:54 > 0:08:58The actual fire itself, obviously, was in an awkward place.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It was at the back of a housing scheme, and then to get to
0:09:01 > 0:09:05the actual fire itself, we had to cross a burn.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Luckily enough, a tree had fallen down and was going across the burn,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10so that was the only access we could get through
0:09:10 > 0:09:12without going through any kind of water.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19When the first crew arrived, several bales were on fire.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Luckily, someone raised the alarm.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Obviously, somebody must have seen smoke in the distance
0:09:26 > 0:09:27and they called the fire brigade.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31When they got here, there was about six or seven of the bales alight.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34The farmer come down, as well, to try and help out.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41With the terrible harvest this year, hay and straw are valuable assets.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Even more serious is the risk of the fire spreading through
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the field, and possibly into the housing estate.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Within 15 minutes,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Red Watch has extinguished the remaining bales.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It's back over the makeshift bridge,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and a return to the station to prepare for the next call.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16What's happened is that when we're out at a countryside fire
0:10:16 > 0:10:19or anything like that, a lot of the equipment gets really dirty.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22So we have to wash it when we get back, sort of thing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27So, now we're just rolling up the hose and getting everything clean again for hopefully the next shout.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But their next shout is the last straw.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Time is critical for all the countryside emergency services,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55whether they're putting out fires, rescuing casualties,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57or treating patients.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Earlier, Dr Mike Quigley took care of Mary,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02who was suffering chest pains.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08Now, Dr Niall Campbell is on shift in the same rural A&E.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12OK, there's not too much waiting.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13Good. OK.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Over a quarter of the population in Dumfries and Galloway
0:11:17 > 0:11:19are pensioners.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Getting critical care to the elderly in rural areas can be challenging.
0:11:23 > 0:11:29Niall's next patient, Wilma, was rushed to hospital by her daughter.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33She recognised the signs of a potentially serious condition.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I've been asked by the nurses to have a look at an 87-year-old lady
0:11:36 > 0:11:37who may have had a stroke.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Hello, my name's Doctor Campbell, I'm one of the A&E consultants.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I understand you've had some problems with your hand, is that right?
0:11:45 > 0:11:46- Yes.- Can you tell me about that?
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Well, I'd a tingling in my left hand,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and that's what happened when I had the stroke the last time.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55When was that?
0:11:55 > 0:12:00That would be...'96.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Every five minutes, someone in the UK has a stroke.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07The sooner they receive medical attention,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10the better their chance of recovery.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12'With suspected stroke patients,'
0:12:12 > 0:12:14speed is of the essence,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16because there is a small group,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18where giving them a clot-busting drug,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23can have a dramatic effect on their outcome.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25When did this all start today?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29About three o'clock, I think, today.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Knowing her mum's medical history, Wilma's daughter, Patricia,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36brought her to hospital straight away.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And when you got to her was there any obvious change in her
0:12:39 > 0:12:41that you'd noticed?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44My mum's normally quite pale coloured, but she was very flushed.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46She wasn't moving so I couldn't
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- have said anything about her walking or anything like that.- OK.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53And she was making sense, her speech was OK?
0:12:53 > 0:12:54She was making sense.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Niall examines Wilma for classic symptoms of a stroke.
0:12:58 > 0:13:04Can you give me a big smile? You're doing it already.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Good. Can you raise your eyebrows up for me?
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Good. Can you hold your two arms out in front of you for me?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And if you hold them straight up, and straight out in front.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Kind of lift up. Yeah.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- OK, that hand looks a bit weaker. Is that...- Yeah, it is.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25We're just keeping an eye on her.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28She had some blood tests sent earlier
0:13:28 > 0:13:30so we'll wait on those results
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and make sure that she stays as she is
0:13:33 > 0:13:35with just this tingling in the hand.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Wilma's blood pressure has stabilised,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and thankfully, her blood tests are all clear.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53So, I think with an absence of any obvious signs of a new stroke,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56with blood pressure having settled down,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59that we probably should let you escape.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01But you did exactly the right thing
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and if the same thing happened again, where you were
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- noticing things change, do the same, you come straight back here.- Right.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And if it's difficult to get someone to come and take you in, when
0:14:11 > 0:14:14you're worried if you might have had a stroke, you can dial 999.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- That's a good use of 999, OK?- OK.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And as I say, any problems, you know where we are.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21We are always open.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40The Royal Navy Search and Rescue team from HMS Gannett
0:14:40 > 0:14:45are on call 24/7, and cover an area of 94,000 square miles.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48They help injured climbers and seriously ill patients
0:14:48 > 0:14:51on remote islands in need of emergency care.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54It's 1:30pm,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and the Navy unit is en route to a call that's just come in.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Angela Lewis, as observer, is guiding the crew.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16The incident is in the stunning Glen Nevis,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20just a few minutes from Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26A young man has been rock-climbing.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32He reached for a hand hold and slipped, dislocating his shoulder.
0:15:32 > 0:15:38The remote location makes the Navy helicopter by far the quickest means of getting him to hospital.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44You've got the steeper bit on the right as you approach it.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, or MRT, were first on the scene.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Made up entirely of volunteers, they carry out up to 100 rescues every year,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59and today they've brought a mountain rescue team medic.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Winchman Andy Firth is sent down to prepare the climber and medic for uplift.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Angela must simultaneously guide the pilot into a hover position
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and control the speed and direction of Andy on the winch.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47The casualty, 19-year-old Jordan, is in a lot of pain.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49He is given pain relief
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and strapped onto a stretcher by medic Mark Fair.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Andy gets Mark up first so he can look after Jordan during the flight.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Then he straps the 245-ft winch to the stretcher.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31'We used a high line technique.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'The high line is a very valuable piece of equipment.'
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Effectively, it's a steadying line. In that situation,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41there was quite a lot of low-level turbulence from the position,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and that will spin the stretcher.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46If you've got a disorientated, distressed casualty, the last thing
0:17:46 > 0:17:50you want to do is put him in the worst fairground ride of his life.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54But even with the high line,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57the strong turbulence causes the winch to spin.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It's rocking the stretcher and knocking Jordan's shoulder,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and the only available pain relief is entonox, or gas and air.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Good position. Good position.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22You take winch control.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Bring him inward and then bring the high line back.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34You're clear behind, clear to the right.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40They're only a few miles from the nearest hospital in Fort William.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43The Sea King helicopter lands just outside the town,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45where it's met by an ambulance.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's straight to hospital for Jordan
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and back to base for the Gannet crew.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Our rural emergency services face adverse weather,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48long distances and hard to reach locations.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56In north east Scotland, Elgin's Fire and Rescue Service
0:19:56 > 0:19:58do their best to prevent fires.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01But it's malicious fires that cause the most trouble.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06It's bonfire weekend
0:20:06 > 0:20:10and the team have already put out a deliberate fire in a field.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13When they got here, there's about six or seven bales were well alight.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's one of the busiest times for fire services across the UK,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and in Elgin it's no different.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26So Will Ford and the Blue Watch are taking preventative measures.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30There's a set area we need to go out, look at, round a route.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Maybe normal things like industrial estates, housing estates,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35things... Public fields and things
0:20:35 > 0:20:39where people might be looking to build fires.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Make sure there's no build-up of refuse or rubbish, wood etc.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48If there is, we can let authorities know or take them down ourselves.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Unofficial bonfires can get out of control quickly, so searching
0:20:54 > 0:20:57for potential hot spots could reduce the number of call-outs.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06We've not seen anything that looks at any risk to being a bonfire.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10So we can only just keep looking, I suppose.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Until their next emergency call comes in.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Do you know how to get there, aye?
0:21:25 > 0:21:29We've just received a call
0:21:29 > 0:21:34to somewhere we were yesterday. A farm with some bales on, a fire.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40It's deja vu for Watch Manager Davie Farquharson and the team.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Kids suspected of setting the bales of straw ablaze
0:21:44 > 0:21:47the night before may have returned to the scene of the crime.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Of course we knew where we were going,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10it was the same crew that had been on duty the day before.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Everyone knew the risks and hazards associated with the access problems,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17how to get across the bridge in the first place.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20The first five minutes of a fire are crucial
0:22:20 > 0:22:23so the guys hurry back over the fallen tree bridging the river.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31The same makeshift bridge they had to negotiate the night before.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37OK? Are you OK coming across here?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39This time, it was only one bale on fire
0:22:39 > 0:22:42but it had just been very recently set on fire.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50The fire has only just been started so it's small and easy to contain.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52But if the call hadn't come so soon,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55the flames could have swept through the field.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Wilful ignition
0:23:13 > 0:23:17or deliberating fire-raising has serious consequences
0:23:17 > 0:23:18and it wastes a lot of time.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24In the last two months, you could maybe say
0:23:24 > 0:23:27maybe 30% of the fire calls we've had have been wilful fires.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Now, we're talking about obviously two incidents
0:23:29 > 0:23:32we've just talked about where it was on the farmland,
0:23:32 > 0:23:38but then we can look at wheelie bin fires, rubbish fires,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41which people set...and the cause
0:23:41 > 0:23:45always goes back as wilful because they don't go on fire by themselves.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05But bonfires and fireworks don't just keep the fire department busy.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Britain's A&E departments
0:24:07 > 0:24:10treat around 1,000 firework injuries every year.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17Dr Pete Armstrong is heading up Dumfries and Galloway's A&E tonight.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23With 13 years' experience, Pete's a consultant in emergency medicine.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Good news for his next patient, who's being blue-lighted
0:24:26 > 0:24:29from Lincluden, ten minutes away.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31OK, it's a 14-year-old
0:24:31 > 0:24:35with a firework injury and partial amputation to their hand.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- AMBULANCE:- 'Stand well clear. Vehicle reversing.'
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Around half of all firework injures affect children under 17,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and this 14-year-old boy Anthony has done serious damage to his hand
0:24:48 > 0:24:52with a lit firework, taking off the tips of two fingers.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's a very nasty injury and he's been given painkillers
0:24:57 > 0:24:59so it doesn't feel as bad as it looks.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Right, Anthony. And we'll roll it over in just a wee second.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Anthony, I'm just going to have a wee feel.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Can you feel me touching you there?- Yes.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Good, can you feel me touching you there?- Very slightly.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- What about down there?- Yes. - OK.- Don't. Cos I'll shake...
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- But you can feel it there? - Yeah.- Good.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- There?- No.- There? No. And there, no? - Can't feel a thing.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21OK, that's fine.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Photos are taken to send to the specialists, and as soon as Pete
0:25:25 > 0:25:29has assessed the damage, Anthony is X-rayed to check for broken bones.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33We're giving him some antibiotics because one of the things is,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37with a firework exploding, bits of paper, debris, explosive,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40can be driven under the skin which could introduce infection.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43The best way to manage that is to wash it out and to get rid of
0:25:43 > 0:25:47any debris in there, but antibiotics will help with that as well.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The nearest specialists for hands and plastic surgery
0:25:51 > 0:25:53are an hour-and-a-half away in Glasgow.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Anthony's given antibiotics and anti-tetanus injections.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Now they need to disinfect and clean the wound thoroughly
0:26:06 > 0:26:07with a litre of saline.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11If you want to hold the hand, do you want to get in there
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and give it good wash.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Just that's a few of us being despatched and... Hold this.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20You know, you've got some nasty injuries.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21You've got some nasty cuts to your hand.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25You've lost the top of your middle and your ring finger.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I mean, I can't do anything about those
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and you've broken a couple of bones down in here.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- It's all right.- Will I get a cast when it's all repaired?
0:26:33 > 0:26:34Yeah, you'll be in a plaster cast,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38you're probably going to have a couple of wires put into your hand
0:26:38 > 0:26:40as well just to hold the bones straight.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Anthony's badly injured hand
0:26:44 > 0:26:47needs dressing to lower the risk of infection.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The consequences of the accident are sinking in.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It was a firework I found a few days ago in the street.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Some idiot left it there, and me being me, I picked it up.
0:26:58 > 0:27:04And today, like, I lit it and it went out,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07finished...it went back on by itself.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10So I tried to... Tried to run to the toilet and put it in there
0:27:10 > 0:27:13so it would stop.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And then it went "boom". Right when I was in the hallway.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I didn't realise what happened, what I did to my hand,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24until five minutes later when my big brother came up.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30The safest thing to do with an unexploded firework is to
0:27:30 > 0:27:34soak it in a container of water but always wear gloves and goggles.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41With the wound cleaned and dressed,
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Anthony's sent on the 80-mile journey to hospital in Glasgow.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48There, specialists will repair the damage.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51See you, guys. Good trip.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06It's been all go for the emergency services in Scotland's rural areas.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Despite the joint efforts of the emergency services,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Elgin's mystery fire-starters were never found.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22And specialists got to work on Anthony's hand.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26He's getting physiotherapy to help his recovery.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.