0:00:02 > 0:00:04Rural Britain has some of the most challenging
0:00:04 > 0:00:05environments in the world.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08In Scotland, the mountains, lochs and coastline
0:00:08 > 0:00:12encourage tourists and locals to get out into the wilds.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But with that comes danger.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Steady. He's on the life raft.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The emergency services north of the border have to deal with
0:00:25 > 0:00:27extreme challenges every day.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31There's a car upside down.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35From severe weather and treacherous terrain....
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Hello?!
0:00:37 > 0:00:41..to covering huge distances on country roads
0:00:41 > 0:00:43with time against them.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46The GP's upgraded the call to an emergency.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47They work around the clock,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50battling against some of the most difficult situations.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55We'll be right at the heart of the action,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59side-by-side with air rescue saving lives...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..on the road with paramedics caring for the injured,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05and following the police fighting crime,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10as the emergency services work together to pick up, patch up
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and protect the public in rural communities.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16This is Countryside 999.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Coming up...
0:01:34 > 0:01:37the Royal Navy helicopter crew race to a man
0:01:37 > 0:01:40who's suffered a massive heart attack.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41Clearly, with the state of this patient,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44the imperative is to get him to hospital as quickly as possible.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Traffic cops are called to a major collision.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Yes, roger.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59And it's snow-mageddon on the slopes
0:01:59 > 0:02:02as ski patrol face their busiest day of the season.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21The British countryside makes up a massive 86%
0:02:21 > 0:02:25of our nation's landscape and is home to over 10 million of us.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Rural living is officially good for our health.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Studies have shown those of us living in the countryside
0:02:33 > 0:02:36can expect to live longer than our urban counterparts.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40But, when things go wrong,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43getting swift access to emergency care can be difficult.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Longer journeys to hospital come with increasing risks for patients,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52making getting to remote places quickly
0:02:52 > 0:02:57one of the greatest challenges faced by our rural emergency services.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01HMS Gannet.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Home of the Royal Navy Search And Rescue team,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07based near Prestwick on Scotland's West Coast.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09ALARM
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It's 12:30pm.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Scramble ASAR, scramble ASAR.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15The crew have a call-out.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19A man has suffered a heart attack and needs urgent air evacuation.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24On duty today as part of the four-strong crew
0:03:24 > 0:03:27is observer, or navigator, Florry Ford.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31We've just been tasked to assist with the transfer
0:03:31 > 0:03:34of a 67-year-old male post heart attack.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36He's at Campbeltown, just down here at the moment,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38so a relatively short transit.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The medical team have gone across from Glasgow,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44but they're unable to take him back in the Helimed,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46so we're going to go and pick them and him up
0:03:46 > 0:03:47and take them back to Glasgow.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Rescue 177's ready for departure.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Rescue Helicopter 177 is airborne in less than 15 minutes.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The helicopter is heading 37 miles east to Kintyre,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27to the region's main town, Campbeltown.
0:04:28 > 0:04:3140 miles long and only 11 miles wide,
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Kintyre is an isolated peninsula of farmland and rugged coastline.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It's over three hours' drive from Glasgow.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41With a man's life in danger,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45air evacuation is the fastest means of getting him to specialist care.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Assisting pilot John Wade is co-pilot Craig "Sweenos" Sweeney.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We're en route to pick up a member of the public from Campbeltown
0:04:55 > 0:04:57who's post-cardiac arrest at the moment.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00The helicopters are very important in this environment,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03because you can see there's lots of water, lots of islands
0:05:03 > 0:05:05which have got hilly ground and, clearly,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07with the state of this patient,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09the imperative is to get him to hospital as quickly as possible.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The patient has suffered a major heart attack.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16An air ambulance, or Helimed,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18has already been dispatched from Glasgow,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22with two A&E consultants from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But, on arrival,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28they found the patient was too big to be transferred by Helimed.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The Navy Sea King helicopter
0:05:54 > 0:05:57can carry up to 20 casualties in its spacious hold.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59It's the best aircraft for the job.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04A road transfer by ambulance would be out of the question.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07That's Prestwick airport, where we're at,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and the casualty's over here on Campbeltown.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12You see the distance is not that significant, however,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15when you look at the roads to get down there,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18it's about 120 miles one way to come all the way round,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23so from a road move point of view, 120 miles, even with a blue light,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25on these roads is going to take you a fair few hours.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Every two minutes, someone in the UK has a heart attack.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35The first 60 minutes are crucial for the patient
0:06:35 > 0:06:38to receive emergency care.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Easier for emergency services to address in urban areas
0:06:41 > 0:06:43than in remote, rural locations.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The patient desperately needs
0:06:49 > 0:06:51the specialist care available in Glasgow,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and the Navy helicopter looks to be his only means of getting it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Rural emergency services face unique challenges,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10whether attending medical emergencies by air
0:07:10 > 0:07:12or preventing ones by road.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19In south-west Scotland, the Dumfries & Galloway traffic cops
0:07:19 > 0:07:23safeguard a network of rural roads covering an area the size of Devon.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31They're a small team. One cop for roughly every 60 miles.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34They also deal with one of the highest serious accident
0:07:34 > 0:07:37rates per head of population in the UK.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39SIRENS
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Today, PCs John Parry and Scott Burnett
0:07:42 > 0:07:45are on patrol when they get an urgent call from the control centre.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12One driver is trapped and unconscious
0:08:12 > 0:08:15so this qualifies as a major road traffic collision.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Last year, Dumfries and Galloway Police responded
0:08:25 > 0:08:27to over 300 serious traffic accidents.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31'It's not so much worry. Yes, you've got your adrenaline,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33'I guess that's your natural anticipation
0:08:33 > 0:08:36'of what you're going to see when you get there.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41'But we're trained for these sort of circumstances
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'so the biggest factor is ourselves getting there in one piece.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Nine minutes after taking the call, they arrive at the collision.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Emergency services are already on the scene.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03We've got a car into the front of a Transit van hauling a trailer.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09The car driver is still trapped and unconscious.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Fire crews, paramedics and police work together to get him out
0:09:12 > 0:09:15of the car as quickly as possible.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It's been very icy.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22As they've been approaching the bend,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24the other vehicle's been approaching the bend.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26As they've come round the bend, they've seen each other,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30they've put their brakes on and they've gone head on.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34And unfortunately, one's come off worse than the other.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Further up the West Coast, the Royal Navy Search And Rescue team
0:09:46 > 0:09:50are racing to Campbeltown on the remote Kintyre peninsula
0:09:50 > 0:09:52to pick up a man who's suffered a major heart attack.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The individual had had a heart attack earlier in the day,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and with anything like that
0:09:58 > 0:10:00time is muscle,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03so it's really important he gets care quickly.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08The 67-year-old needs to be transferred to Glasgow's
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Golden Jubilee Hospital for immediate cardiac care,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15but he's too big to be transported in the Air Ambulance
0:10:15 > 0:10:16already on site.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So, the Navy Sea King helicopter is on its way.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Its roomy hold can take up to four stretchers,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26so it's more than capable of accommodating him.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28We'll be landing shortly, over.
0:10:30 > 0:10:3250 minutes after leaving the Ayrshire base,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34the crew reach Campbeltown hospital.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39OK, good line in. Follow along 60 yards.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Well clear tail, well clear right. - Well clear left.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46With no helipad, they need to land in a nearby field,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49guided by the same flare used for the Glasgow Air Ambulance team.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55And you've got three foot tail, two, one...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Tail on now, now, now. Tail's down.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59INAUDIBLE
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Retired fisherman David has been brought in
0:11:06 > 0:11:09to Campbeltown Hospital by local paramedics
0:11:09 > 0:11:11who responded to his 999 call.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16David's heart stopped,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18but the ambulance team managed to get it started again.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Miraculously, he's now conscious and surprisingly relaxed.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Around him, the team of ambulance and hospital medics join forces with
0:11:49 > 0:11:53the navy crew to form a plan for getting David on to the helicopter.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01They use a piece of equipment known as a Patslide
0:12:01 > 0:12:02to relieve the stress on David
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and take the burden of manual lifting off the team.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Let's get the gentleman onto his right on three. One, two, three.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14OK, happy and back down on three.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Do you want me to slide over?- No, no. You stay where you are.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19We'll do everything for you.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24On three, everybody set? One, two, three.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27That's excellent. Thanks, guys.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Are you all right, sir? You just relax now.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We'll get this mattress shaped around you.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He's then zipped into a rescue bag, which should make it easier
0:12:37 > 0:12:39and safer to transport him.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47David lives just a mile away from the ambulance station.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Any further and the outcome could have been very different.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56He was reached in just two minutes by local paramedic Scott Ramsey.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's the best result you can get under the circumstances.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05He was definitely at the right place at the right time.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06He got the right treatment.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Hopefully, he'll make a rapid recovery once they get him
0:13:09 > 0:13:12into proper definitive care.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17David is still not out of the woods.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21The cardiac arrest will have taken a massive toll on his body.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25He'll need close monitoring throughout the helicopter journey until
0:13:25 > 0:13:29he's handed over to the specialist cardiac care team in Glasgow.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Remote rescues pose some of the greatest challenges to
0:13:44 > 0:13:47our rural emergency services.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Helicopters can be vital to getting casualties off a mountain quickly.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55But they are not the only way.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06CairnGorm Mountain, Britain's busiest snow sport resort.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10It's World Snow Day,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14a global celebration of winter sports held once a year.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It's set to be one of the busiest days of the season.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22On duty today is ski patroller Justine Stewart.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Her job is to keep the slopes as safe as possible,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31but the weather isn't helping. It's -8 with a wind-chill of -28.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36The winds are picking up on the mountain.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The summit weather station is saying 60, gusting 70.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44We're quite sheltered down here.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47South-easterly winds, so it may not sound like it's sheltered
0:14:47 > 0:14:51but this is sheltered in comparison to what it's like at the top.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58With such difficult conditions on the slopes, accidents can happen.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Any minor injuries are dealt with in a medical room by the ski
0:15:02 > 0:15:06patrollers, who are all trained in advanced first aid.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It's not long before Justine's first casualty of the day.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Skier Liz has injured her knee.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20- Can you still wiggle your toes?- Yes.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Justine has radioed for help and a sledge
0:15:23 > 0:15:26so that they can get the casualty back to base as quickly as possible.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- This is Liz.- Hi, Liz.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33They work quickly to get Liz off the mountain to reduce
0:15:33 > 0:15:35the risk of hypothermia.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42The sledge is the quickest way of getting Liz off the mountain,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46but it's 2km downhill to the medical room.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Icy conditions and other skiers on the slope make for a tough journey.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Hey, guys. Can you just slow down?
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Nine minutes later, they reach the base station.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14- Can you still feel your toes?- Yeah. - If we can get you to swing out...
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Perfect.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20The medical room, also known as the Aonach room,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24is the first port of call for all the slope's casualties.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Justine checks the extent of Liz's injury.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Still sore there? - It's not too bad.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34That's me flicking a muscle. It's not bony here.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I think you might have sprained it.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Thankfully, Liz's injury appears to be relatively minor
0:16:43 > 0:16:45but it's still mayhem on the slopes.
0:16:52 > 0:16:541,500 people are on the mountain today.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And the casualties just keep coming.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01In the past three hours, the team have treated ten injuries.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It's like someone's sticking a sharp needle into the ball socket.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07And there's no sign of the casualties letting up.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Yes, just send her along. Thank you.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- I was skiing down The White Lady.- OK.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19And when I got to the bottom, I wiped out.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- I got coloured dots going over my eyes.- OK.
0:17:22 > 0:17:2412-year-old Mark has banged his head
0:17:24 > 0:17:26so he's checked for signs of concussion.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- You're good at this. Have you done this before?- No.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Justine isn't the only one who's kept busy.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Ski patroller Iain Cornfoot has arrived
0:17:38 > 0:17:41with yet another casualty off the slopes.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43It's a suspected dislocated shoulder.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48- Justine?- Yeah?- Are you free?- Yep.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Sorry, what's your name?
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I was just skiing down the lower slopes, coming down
0:17:55 > 0:17:58to the bottom here and there was a gentleman
0:17:58 > 0:18:00who thought he'd dislocated his shoulder
0:18:00 > 0:18:01but he was in a lot of pain.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05He heard someone behind him, he tried to get out the way and he fell on his shoulder.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's that one, it's right round...ah!
0:18:08 > 0:18:09BLEEP
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Iain suspects Andrew may have fractured his clavicle.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19He'll need to be assessed further at the medical centre down in Aviemore.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Cool. We'll phone ahead and let them know you're coming.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- All right, cheers. - OK. All the best, guys. Cheers.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Andrew's friends take him off for treatment 10 miles away.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34It's been a hectic day for the CairnGorm ski patrol.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36The total number of casualties in the last three hours
0:18:36 > 0:18:37has risen to 14.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44It's a challenging job keeping everyone safe in some
0:18:44 > 0:18:48of the harshest, windiest and coldest conditions in Britain.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53But for Justine, it's just another day at the office.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57It's just basically what we do. You don't really...
0:18:57 > 0:18:58You don't really think about it at the time.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00I remember thinking when I was younger
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and skied in CairnGorm that the people in ski patrol were heroic
0:19:04 > 0:19:07but I was five, so that's probably why.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16From icy slopes to icy roads.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Back in Dumfries,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21traffic PCs John Parry and Scott Burnett
0:19:21 > 0:19:23are attending a major road traffic collision
0:19:23 > 0:19:25between a Transit van and a car.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Ambulance is here.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The driver of the car is trapped and unconscious.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Roger, AJ, currently on scene in relation to
0:19:35 > 0:19:40this RTC at Lockerbie golf course.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Can confirm two vehicles involved.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44A van and a small car.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49The road becomes very, very treacherous.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Take care on your advance.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56As they've came round the bend, they've seen each other,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59they've put the brakes on and they've gone head-on.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03And unfortunately, one's came off worse than the other.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10The driver of the van is uninjured
0:20:10 > 0:20:14but there is major concern for the car driver, 52-year-old Gordon.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20A Helimed crew arrived to join the other emergency services
0:20:20 > 0:20:21already on the scene.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Fire brigade, ambulance service, police, everybody works hand-in-hand
0:20:30 > 0:20:34but the main priority is the casualty.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The extent of Gordon's injuries isn't yet known.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43The fire crews start removing the roof
0:20:43 > 0:20:46with heavy-duty metal cutters, known as the jaws of life.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57With all the teams working together,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59the fire crew manage to get the roof off
0:20:59 > 0:21:03and work with the ambulance team to get Gordon on to a stretcher.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21The Helimed crew are on hand to evacuate him if necessary.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23One of the persons involved in the accident
0:21:23 > 0:21:27is in the back of the ambulance just now getting assessed just to see
0:21:27 > 0:21:30what sort of injuries he has, whether it's life-threatening.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Cos if it does change from a minor RTC, road traffic crash,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35to a life-threatening one,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39there's a lot more procedures need to be done for a life-threatening one.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44John, Scott and the Helimed team are on standby whilst they await
0:21:44 > 0:21:48for the ambulance crew's assessment of Gordon's injuries.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Meanwhile, the gritter arrives to make the road conditions safer.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Gordon has regained consciousness.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08His injuries aren't as serious as first feared.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11He suffered broken bones and will need to be taken to
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, 12 miles away.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The traffic cops update the van driver with some welcome news.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Which is good.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The Helimed team are stood down and head back to Glasgow.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Weather conditions is a major player here.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I mean, hardly any of us could walk down the road
0:22:51 > 0:22:54prior to it being gritted so you can just imagine
0:22:54 > 0:22:57the effect it had on tyre adhesion and braking.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03With the other emergency teams having done their bit
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and Gordon safely away to hospital, it's down to
0:23:06 > 0:23:10traffic cops John and Scott to help with the clear-up.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11From our point of view,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13all we're waiting for now is the recovery of the vehicles.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Once the recovery of the vehicles has taken place,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19the road will be reopened.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It has been gritted now
0:23:21 > 0:23:24so hopefully that'll be the end of accidents on this road.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38From a multi-team effort on the roads, to one by air.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41In Campbeltown, the Royal Navy Search and Rescue Team
0:23:41 > 0:23:44are preparing to airlift heart attack victim David.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Lack of space in the air ambulance means he'll need the bigger
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Navy helicopter to get him to urgent specialist care in Glasgow.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58David's been brought to the waiting helicopter
0:23:58 > 0:23:59but there's a problem.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The ground is so waterlogged, the ambulance can't reach it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The Search and Rescue Team prepare to move the Sea King closer.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Small, rural hospitals like Campbeltown rarely have helipads
0:24:41 > 0:24:44but a boggy field is no challenge for the Navy team.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54An eight-man team of coastguards, ambulance crew
0:24:54 > 0:24:58and Helimed medics help lift David onto the helicopter.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Main's clear, tail's clear. Steady up. Well clear as you climb.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14INAUDIBLE
0:25:14 > 0:25:17That's us now departing Campbeltown, we are now eight persons on board.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24On board are medics Alistair Kennedy and Andrew Inglis
0:25:24 > 0:25:27from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31They travel out to rural areas to provide critical care
0:25:31 > 0:25:33on scene to seriously ill patients like David.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Got the casualty in the aircraft now with the retrieval team.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47He's stable, we're looking after him. We're on our way back up to Glasgow.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49It's about 35 minutes for us.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55At a guess, probably a four-hour - at least - road journey,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59120 miles and some very small, windy roads.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06The Royal Navy Search and Rescue Unit
0:26:06 > 0:26:09regularly assist in medical emergencies like David's.
0:26:13 > 0:26:1630% of Scotland is made up of mountains.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20And there are over 100 inhabited islands.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So air evacuation's not just the quickest way...
0:26:27 > 0:26:29..it's very often the only way.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Rescue 177. Roger, continue to the Golden Jubilee
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and let down at your discretion.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Wind at the field is 07 degrees, seven knots.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Emergency medic Alistair keeps a close eye on David.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45His condition remains stable.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53It's not long before the crew make their approach to Glasgow.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55BEEPING
0:26:55 > 0:26:57OK, we've got it in visual. Forward about three, two, one.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Clear the nose, clear right, check, clear left...we're there.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05This was a really good example where the system worked.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09We started off with the paramedics arriving on the scene.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11'They brought the man back, they stabilised him,
0:27:11 > 0:27:16'took him to their local hospital. We then arrived to actually package him.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'As soon as he was ready, back at the Sea King'
0:27:19 > 0:27:23off to Glasgow where he could get the care he really needed.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- REVERSING WARNING:- Stand well clear.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Four hours earlier, David's heart stopped.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Now, thanks to the hard work of the emergency teams,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36he's been given a second chance.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Getting critical care when he needed it most
0:27:39 > 0:27:43not only saved his life, it should aid his recovery.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57It's been all go for the emergency services in Scotland's rural areas.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00After a stay in hospital,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04heart-attack victim David is back home in Campbeltown
0:28:04 > 0:28:08with his wife and family, where he is continuing to receive treatment.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Gordon, the car driver in the Lockerbie collision, is facing
0:28:12 > 0:28:15a major operation after breaking both his feet.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19He is relying on walking sticks in the meantime.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22And the avalanche of injuries kept coming on CairnGorm Mountain
0:28:22 > 0:28:25with 25 incidents by the end of World Snow Day.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd