0:00:02 > 0:00:04From the Highlands of Scotland
0:00:04 > 0:00:07to the coast of Cornwall,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11the great British countryside is spectacular.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15But we work and play in it at our peril.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And when things go wrong,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22the emergency services race to the rescue.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This chap is having a heart attack and we need to get him in quickly.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27SIREN WAILS
0:00:27 > 0:00:29We've got a cow on the road.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Countryside policing at its finest, yeah!
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Going hundreds of miles against the clock.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Battling the elements and braving the waves.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42HE GROANS
0:00:42 > 0:00:47From fields and forests to cliffs and country roads,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51we'll be right at the heart of the action,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53with police fighting crime...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55I'm not arguing it. I'm reporting you for it.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59..paramedics saving lives...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03..and lifeguards patrolling the seas.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08We're there as the emergency services pull together
0:01:08 > 0:01:11to pick up, patch up and protect the public.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16This is Countryside 999.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Coming up, in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40an ambulance team desperately search for an elderly man
0:01:40 > 0:01:42who's had a serious fall.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Oh, this is a nightmare.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48In Cornwall, it's double trouble
0:01:48 > 0:01:53for the air ambulance crew called to two emergencies on the same beach.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We've let her go with the ambulance crew that's there. Now we can go
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and attend this other lady which is just a bit further down the beach.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02But first, they've got to clear the skies.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Attention, hang-glider.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And not far away in Penzance,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10there's a touch of tenderness in the hospital's Urgent Care Centre.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Let me know when it hurts.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- So, apart from you... - Ow!- I'm so sorry.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Yeah, that hurt.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27BIRDSONG
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Mile after mile of rolling countryside
0:02:36 > 0:02:37as far as the eye can see.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41But it's not all forest and farmland.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46There's also 200 miles of rugged coastline.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47In the summertime,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52it lures holidaymakers looking to stray off the beaten track.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54But for the emergency services,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57reaching the remote bays and beaches can be a tough ask.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01When disaster strikes, they rely on their GPS
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and local knowledge to get them where they need to be.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09And if both of those let them down,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11well, that's when the trouble really begins.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15SIREN WAILS
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Ambulance team Charlie Walker and Carol Ann McColm are on their way
0:03:23 > 0:03:26to an accident involving a holidaymaker in his 80s.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32He may have broken his hip after a fall on the beach.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37He can't move and the tide's coming in - not a good situation.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41So Carol Ann is hoping the coastguards can get in first,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43but they're already out on another job.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It looks like they're on their own.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11The crew have been told the casualty
0:04:11 > 0:04:12is on a beach called Seawood,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15supposedly close to the village of Borgue.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Not according to the sat-nav, it's not.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Neither of them has heard of the beach before,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27so they're relying on their gadget to get them there.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Unfortunately, beaches don't come with a postcode.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I think according to our sat-nav, we're...
0:04:37 > 0:04:39..not going the right way.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It's a maze of roads round about here.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48You're never sure if you're on the exact right one.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And we all know that feeling.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55But unhelpful sat-navs aren't the only problem facing country drivers.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Oh, man.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It could only happen on a country road.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Is Seawood Beach down here?
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- Seaward Beach?- Sea-WOOD.- Seawood?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- I don't know, mate. - Thank you.- Cheers.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'It was not a location that we'd heard before'
0:05:19 > 0:05:23so therefore we weren't sure where we were going, so as a result
0:05:23 > 0:05:26we were relying on the sat-nav which we have in the vehicle.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Time is really ticking away,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and the patient is still without medical care.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37See if there's anybody...
0:05:37 > 0:05:39..on the beach.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Will I just take a quick run down there?- Aye.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Excuse me, sir!
0:05:53 > 0:05:56You haven't heard any reports of someone falling at the beach,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- have you?- No.- Nothing at all?
0:06:01 > 0:06:05It's now been almost an hour since the 999 call,
0:06:05 > 0:06:06and the tide is coming in.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12There's nobody here. It's not here.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23You haven't heard a report of somebody injured on the beach,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- have you?- On the beach?- Yeah. - No, I haven't heard anything.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- We've been from Carrick right along, and we can't locate them at all.- No?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Seawood Beach? I know we've got Seaward, but we've got nothing.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- No, I've not heard anything.- Thanks.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41It was starting to get...
0:06:41 > 0:06:43You're getting frustrated
0:06:43 > 0:06:47because you know the person requires your help, requires treatment,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52and they're lying on a shoreline and we're not getting there,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55and within yourself, you start to worry about,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59"How quickly am I going to manage to get there to aid this person?"
0:07:01 > 0:07:05This has turned into the kind of call-out ambulance crews dread.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Oh, this is a nightmare.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Cornwall, like Dumfries and Galloway,
0:07:23 > 0:07:24has a spectacular coastline.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Sandy shores, awesome surf and stunning clifftop views.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Smugglers' coves and secret beaches
0:07:33 > 0:07:36make perfect hideaways for holidaymakers.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42But it's got its fair share of hidden dangers.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Sheer cliffs, strong undercurrents
0:07:48 > 0:07:53and fast incoming tides can easily catch out the unsuspecting tourist.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The pretty nooks and crannies can become lethal traps.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Cornwall's air ambulance plays a vital role
0:08:03 > 0:08:05in reaching those in trouble,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09responding to three or four emergencies every day.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11Yeah.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16On duty today, paramedic Mick McLaughlin has picked up a call.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17OK, mate. On our way.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's just, it's an access problem. A lady's fallen on the beach
0:08:23 > 0:08:25and it's just a long way to get down to the beach.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39There's a land ambulance on the way, but the steep cliff path
0:08:39 > 0:08:42to the beach makes a rescue almost impossible.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Unless you've got one of these.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Today Mick is in the back
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and up front is second paramedic Steve Garvey
0:08:59 > 0:09:00and pilot Craig Webster.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06They're heading right across the peninsula
0:09:06 > 0:09:08from their base in Newquay
0:09:08 > 0:09:10to Whitsand Bay near Plymouth.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39The air ambulance crews are specifically trained
0:09:39 > 0:09:41for this kind of stuff.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Reaching the places that other crews can't reach
0:09:47 > 0:09:49is what this ambulance service is all about.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09There's an update on the casualty.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- RADIO:- Just a bit more information for you.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Yeah, roger, that's all received.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28News that the casualty has got a head injury
0:10:28 > 0:10:31makes the call-out more urgent than they originally thought.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But the steep cliffs mean the air ambulance crew
0:10:39 > 0:10:40definitely have the advantage.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58They spot the casualty on a rocky bit of the beach
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but the helicopter needs a nice, flat place to land.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06A decent-sized patch of firm sand nearby is just the job.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26While the road ambulance crew wait at the top of the cliffs,
0:11:26 > 0:11:27down on the beach,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30extra help has arrived in the shape of some local lifeguards.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37They and Steve make their way across the jagged rocks.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's pretty treacherous underfoot,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46as our unlucky lady has already found out.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Hi. All right?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And Steve is about to discover poor Janet's taken a nasty knock.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02It's not quite the family day out she'd expected.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09SIREN WAILS
0:12:11 > 0:12:12In south-west Scotland,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16ambulance technicians Charlie Walker and Carol Ann McColm
0:12:16 > 0:12:19are blue-lighting to another shoreline emergency.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- But they're struggling to find their casualty.- Excuse me, sir!
0:12:27 > 0:12:30You haven't heard any reports of someone falling at the beach,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- have you?- No.- Nothing at all?
0:12:35 > 0:12:36He's a man in his 80s
0:12:36 > 0:12:40stranded on a beach somewhere that's not showing up on their sat-nav.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44He has a suspected fractured hip and there's a rising tide.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47It's getting desperate.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52They've combed the area around Borgue, moving east
0:12:52 > 0:12:54along the coast from Carrick Bay.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Time and tide wait for no man.
0:13:03 > 0:13:095010, we've scoured quite a large area at this location
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and we're struggling to find anyone. Over.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'Roger. I'll try and call it back down,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16'see if we can get a further location. Over.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Finally, just as it all starts to seem hopeless,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25they discover the right beach.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Hi, Dougie.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Yeah, I can see him, just over there.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- They sent us to Seawood. - Aye.- That's up...
0:13:36 > 0:13:39If you go to that bin, it'll be easier to get a route through there.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40OK, cheers.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Thankfully, the coastguards managed to get here first.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50- Hello there.- Hi.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Hello, John. I'm Carol Ann. What happened?
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Right, OK.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- Two false knees, right.- And I...
0:14:18 > 0:14:19Which leg is it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:20- The right leg.- It's your right leg?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Aye, you can see it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26During his hour-long wait,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29passers-by have already moved John up the beach twice
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and without pain relief.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But with the water lapping at their heels, they need to move him again.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'The gentleman was wet and he was in pain.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:46He also said he had pain at the top of his leg,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50so we had to treat it as if he possibly had a fracture of his hip.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Even the slightest movement is excruciating.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Gas and air helps dull the pain.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07We'll all get round him the now, use the canvas as a support,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- we'll put him on that. - Move him back a bit.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Before we immobilise, just with the tide still coming in.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15John, did you hear that, sir?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17John, just take as much of that as you can.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- So that it'll numb the pain. OK?- Aye.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23One, two, and lift.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26JOHN GROANS
0:15:26 > 0:15:27That's you.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33This is the third time John has been moved out of reach of the tide.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Even on the rigid stretcher and with pain relief,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38it's really tough going,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and not just for John - for his wife Edith too.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43It's just laughing gas, OK?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But John needs to hang in there a bit longer.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51They still have to splint his leg and get him into the ambulance.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05Coming up,
0:16:05 > 0:16:10the race is on to rescue a second holidaymaker off the Cornish beach.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12We're getting slightly time pressured now.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We've got an incoming tide which isn't too far away.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20The ordeal's not over yet for poor John on the Solway coast.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22JOHN GROANS
0:16:25 > 0:16:30But first, there's a burning issue to deal with in Penzance.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31As I opened the bonnet,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35it exploded in my face and covered me in red-hot engine oil.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46In Cornwall, the sun is shining and the surf's up.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The world-famous waves pull in thousands of riders...
0:16:58 > 0:17:01..all looking for the best breaks and the best beaches.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05With the thrills come the spills.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Many surfers end up in one of the UK's most far-flung hospitals
0:17:11 > 0:17:13in the harbour town of Penzance
0:17:13 > 0:17:16at the West Cornwall Hospital Urgent Care Centre.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22OK.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It's a special unit open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32- Can you feel that?- No.- There's obviously nerve damage there.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33Ow.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Its GPs and nurses are all upskilled
0:17:37 > 0:17:40to deal with the wide range of cases that come in.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45More than just minor injuries,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47not quite full-on A&E.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Daniel is a surfer. He's had an accident,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55not on the waves but on the way home in his van.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Friend Benji has turned up to help keep a smile on his pal's face.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Senior staff nurse Marie McLaren does the serious stuff.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11We'll have a look at this head wound now.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15You've got a red patch around there,
0:18:15 > 0:18:21and you've got some slight skidmarks just over it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25'Just been for a surf at Godrevy, and then we're driving up the A30
0:18:25 > 0:18:28'and the engine warning light came on, so I thought'
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I'd open the bonnet and have a look myself,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and as I opened the bonnet, it exploded in my face
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and covered me in red-hot engine oil.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41It was like a volcanic eruption in my engine!
0:18:42 > 0:18:46I just... I opened the bonnet and as I put my hand on the coolant tank,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49the cap just went bang, blew off,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and then everything that was in the engine came out,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56literally over, up the windscreen, over the roof of the van,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59complete engine compartment and all over the roads.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01He's a muppet, basically, isn't he?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Fortunately, when it exploded in my face,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I had a pair of sunglasses on, so they took the brunt of it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I didn't get any in the eyes,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13otherwise I'd have been in a lot more pain now.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17So yeah, I'd probably have been somewhere else, I should imagine,
0:19:17 > 0:19:18having my eyes treated.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Doesn't bear thinking about, really. Quite lucky.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Probably sink in when I get home just how lucky I am, I should imagine.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Yeah.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Daniel is also lucky he had a quick-thinking pal with him,
0:19:34 > 0:19:39who tipped water over his head, instantly cooling the burning oil.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43A power shower back at the hospital has got most of the rest of it off.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46OK, what I'll do, I'll get the doctor just to come in,
0:19:46 > 0:19:53sort of check everything, and then we can pop a dressing on there.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- Get him to have a look.- Going to end up with a big head bandage.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58THEY LAUGH
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Dr Patrick Farrell has a good poke about to make sure
0:20:02 > 0:20:04they haven't missed anything.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Absolutely nothing to see, which is good news,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- so I think you've been extraordinarily lucky.- Yeah.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Mostly inactivity is the right treatment,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- and it will all get better on its own.- Yeah. Excellent, excellent.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Thank you very much. - We'll let you escape.- Thank you.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Your chums throwing a bucket of water over you
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- undoubtedly made a huge difference to the outcome.- Yeah.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Saved you a lot of misery.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29We had a large five-litre drinking bottle of water
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and he just grabbed it and tipped it straight over my head,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and, well, he saved me, really, there.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- Good old Mr Wilson. - Yeah, good Mr Wilson. Cheers, Phil.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Daniel is good to go.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47He's looking good. You're looking good.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50But Marie's not finished with him just yet.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52His clothes were trashed in the accident,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55so he's leaving in hospital haute couture.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01Walking out in this, I feel like I'm escaping from the ward, running.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04We should definitely go for a pint in town now,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06with you dressed up like that.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07THEY LAUGH
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I'm not sure that's quite the attitude, lads.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Take you home, take you home.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27In Cornwall, the air ambulance team have been called out
0:21:27 > 0:21:31to a holidaymaker who's slipped and fallen on rocks.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- Clear of rocks your side, Steve?- All clear.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Air ambulance paramedic Steve Garvey hooks up with RNLI lifeguards
0:21:41 > 0:21:44who've hotfooted it from further along the bay.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Along the rugged Cornish coast,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52land, sea and air rescue services must all pull together
0:21:52 > 0:21:54to help people in need.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Hi. All right?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03They've reached the casualty, who's still lying where she fell.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- Janet, is it?- Janet, yeah.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Have you got any neck or back pain or anything?
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Not knocked out at all?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Are you on your own here, Janet?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Tell me if I'm hurting you too much, you know, if it hurts or anything.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Janet's family are concerned.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39We've come for a day out with the children, and unfortunately
0:22:39 > 0:22:43my mother-in-law's come, we made it down the path there
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and she stumbled down the rocks,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48gone headfirst and split the head open at the top there.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51So lots of blood from the head wound,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54difficult for us to get her back up,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58so we figured it best to call for some professional help.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Is the worst of your pain centred around the top of your head here?
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Do you feel nauseous at all?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08OK, you remember everything that's happened?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11OK. Have you got any pins and needles anywhere or any such thing?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Have you been moving yourself at all, other than...- No.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Because there are so many blood vessels close to the surface
0:23:21 > 0:23:23under the scalp, head wounds do bleed a lot.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30But in this case, it's not as bad as it looks.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Right, let's give you a hand to get up.- I'm all right.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- Is that a lot better?- Yes.- OK.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Steve updates his colleagues in the waiting helicopter
0:23:38 > 0:23:42so they can let the road ambulance crew know what's happening.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- Right, you all right?- Yeah.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11We'll just let you get your bearings
0:24:11 > 0:24:14because you've had a tumble, sat down.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15How do you feel?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Headachey, but otherwise all right.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18OK.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It's a good sign that Janet's still got her appetite.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I'll just guide her in now, mate. I'll guide her in.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43The family's got a bit of a hike back up to the top,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45while Janet gets a lift.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- You're comfortable there, Janet? - Yes, thank you.- Lovely.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51But she's barely settled and the ride's over.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53And for the walk down to the ambulance,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57she's found a couple of nice young men to escort her.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59RADIO CRACKLES
0:24:59 > 0:25:01But for the helicopter boys,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04it's about to get a whole load more complicated.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Another urgent call has come in for a second incident not far away.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11We've let her go with the ambulance crew that's there. Now we can go
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and attend this other lady which is just a bit further down the beach.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17All we know at this stage, it's a possible fractured hip.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The air ambulance guys need to get airborne again quickly,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23but there's a problem.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Paragilders have taken to the skies.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It's not safe to take off.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39From a rescue off a Cornish beach
0:25:39 > 0:25:43to another on the Solway coast in south-west Scotland.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48John's afternoon stroll with his wife and their dog
0:25:48 > 0:25:51has turned into something of a nightmare.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54One, two, and lift.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56JOHN GROANS
0:25:56 > 0:25:59His suspected hip fracture is excruciating
0:25:59 > 0:26:04and more than an hour after he fell, John's condition is deteriorating.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08He's on Entonox to ease the pain.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12It's tough for John, but vital they immobilise his leg.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17JOHN WINCES
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Sorry, my darling. John, we're just making these trousers short Bermudas.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Don't send us a bill for your trousers.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We're going to lift this leg and put a splint in to support it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31You try and keep sucking and grab Dougie's arm.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- That's it.- That's it done.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Securing his leg is essential.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Even though John hasn't got outward signs of bleeding,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47a sharp broken bone moving inside his hip or leg could wreak havoc.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Hey, John, what we're going to do is, we've got you on this board,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- we're going to lift you up to the ambulance, OK?- Right.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Getting him off the beach has been a real team effort,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06but John's ordeal isn't over yet.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10He's still got to be transferred onto the ambulance stretcher.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14John, I'm afraid we've got to put another wee stretcher in below you.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- Aye.- To get you across, OK?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19One, two.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Great stuff.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23JOHN GROANS
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- You're doing well.- There you are.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27- Right.- I'll take your belt...
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Right.- ..and just ease you.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Aye.- One, two.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40JOHN CRIES OUT
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Just do one, two, and lift.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51That's us.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55JOHN GROANS
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Just pull it down. That's us clear.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08At last he's in. But he's suffering from cold and shock.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I think we must have saw every piece of coastline before we got to you.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18It's a 30-mile journey to hospital in Dumfries.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20A vacuum mattress keeps him secure.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Suction pulls the air out of it
0:28:24 > 0:28:27and you can form it around the patient's legs,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29which applies a kind of splint,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32plus it cushions it because of the distance it will have to travel
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and makes it a lot better for the patient travelling.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Carol Ann is keeping a close eye on John's vital signs.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48You're still a bit cold. Your pulse is coming up normally now.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Your oxygen saturations are still a bit low.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54You don't need me to tell you the way your leg, you know,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56- right leg has shortened.- Yeah.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58So it's fairly indicative that,
0:28:58 > 0:29:04- you know, probably your right hip has gone.- Yes, I think that's it.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07You knew that probably before I told you.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10What we'll do, we'll get you in as quickly as we can and smoothly,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12- depending on the traffic on the road. - That's all right.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16And then they'll take you in and then we'll hand you over to casualty
0:29:16 > 0:29:19and they'll X-ray it and then they'll decide the plan from there.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20- Yeah.- OK?- OK.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Finally, after his long, wet wait
0:29:26 > 0:29:30and Carol Ann and Charlie's frustrating search to find him,
0:29:30 > 0:29:31John's where he needs to be.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37It's been a long journey to get here
0:29:37 > 0:29:40but at least now he's got a bit of colour back in his cheeks.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- You brought half the beach with you, I think.- Aye.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52- The water was coming in.- Was it? - Three more men had to get him moved.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Over 400 miles away, on the southern tip of England,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17life in Penzance revolves around the sea and the coastal waters.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22But working on a boat isn't always plain sailing,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26and staff at the town's Urgent Care Centre are old hands
0:30:26 > 0:30:29when it comes to dealing with all sorts of injuries.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Local ferryman Les has come in with a mystery complaint -
0:30:34 > 0:30:37a spot of indigestion and a painful knee.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Senior staff nurse Verity Harding checks him out.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Are you able to bend the knee at all,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46so you're in this kind of position?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48I think I will be able to, but it might take a while.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50I'm here till nine, don't worry.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56- Can you tolerate that?- Yeah.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Let me know when it hurts.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59So apart from your...
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- Ow!- I'm so sorry.- Yeah, that hurt.
0:31:03 > 0:31:04See if you can keep it down.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Apart from your indigestion, any other medical problems at all?
0:31:07 > 0:31:11- No.- You're not on any inhalers?
0:31:11 > 0:31:13- That's sore.- I'm really sorry about this, sir.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15The reason I need to feel around here
0:31:15 > 0:31:17is to help me find out what's going on, OK?
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- It's really sore.- Do you want me to carry on with the examination
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- or do you want me to stop?- Well... - Because I would like to examine it
0:31:24 > 0:31:26so I can try and find out what's wrong,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28but if you're taking my hands off it,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30it makes me think that you don't want me to have a look.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Only, it's really, really painful. - I can understand completely.- OK.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36I'm not going to make your symptoms worse by examining you.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39What I'm going to do is understand what's happening to your leg
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- so we can sort out what's going on. - Yeah, carry on.- OK...
0:31:42 > 0:31:43HE EXHALES
0:31:45 > 0:31:48What I'd like to do, because it does feel a bit warm,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51it's very, very sore to touch, I'd like to take some bloods from you,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54see if I can find out a bit more about what's going on.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57- You haven't had any recent injuries around here?- No.- No?
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- That's what's weird about it. - And you haven't had
0:32:00 > 0:32:03any previous operations? But you're really, really, really tender.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Even if we get to the bottom and find out what's happening with this,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08judging by the amount of pain you've got,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10I really think you're going to struggle to get back to work today.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Les skippers the ferry from the mainland to the little island
0:32:16 > 0:32:20of St Michael's Mount, a few miles along the coast from Penzance.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Walkable when the tide's out,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25at high tide it's boat or nowt.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Les won't want to be losing business.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It's high summer and peak tourist season.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36I was working and then I had to stop
0:32:36 > 0:32:40and I just wondered what was happening.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45It's not good for that sort of job, holding a boat in and stuff, so...
0:32:46 > 0:32:50I'll have to hand it over to the apprentice.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56With 24 years' experience under her nursing belt,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Verity is working on a well-informed hunch.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I think he's most likely got gout,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and...
0:33:04 > 0:33:08..which is a kind of metabolic disorder where they get crystals
0:33:08 > 0:33:11forming in the joint and it's really, really unbelievably painful
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and it can come on exactly as he said
0:33:14 > 0:33:17although sometimes they tell you they've had a minor bump
0:33:17 > 0:33:22a couple of days before. But I can't miss him having septic arthritis,
0:33:22 > 0:33:27which, if he does, he needs to go to theatre today to have it washed out.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Septic arthritis is nasty.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Bacteria get into a joint, causing serious inflammation.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Left untreated, it can be life-threatening.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44A blood test should hopefully rule out septic arthritis.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48While she's got Les here,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Verity wants to be thorough in her diagnosis.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53It's prudent to get an X-ray
0:33:53 > 0:33:56because it will just show us that his knee is normal
0:33:56 > 0:33:59because I don't want to see anything abnormal. I'm looking to make sure
0:33:59 > 0:34:03he hasn't got anything sinister that could show up in an X-ray.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Going to push this up a little bit behind you.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Les won't have to wait long to know what's what.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Instead of sending bloods away for testing,
0:34:17 > 0:34:21upskilled nurses in this rural unit can do their own.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Nurse Fiona Wright will have Les's results in around 15 minutes.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30The X-rays will show what's going on inside the knee joint.
0:34:30 > 0:34:35They can't pick up gout but could flag up Verity's worst fears.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41His bones look nice and healthy.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I'm not seeing knots of arthritis.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47I'm not seeing a huge swelling in the joint.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50The results are basically that everything is normal,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53so that means he doesn't have septic arthritis,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56so I'm working through with the presumption that he has gout,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59so I will give him some stronger painkillers.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01He couldn't have stronger painkillers earlier
0:35:01 > 0:35:03cos he had a pint on the way up here,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07which is fair enough - his knee hurt him and he wasn't sure what to do!
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Well, as they say, a little bit of what you fancy does you good,
0:35:11 > 0:35:12or in Les's case, maybe not.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16In all honesty, it looks like gout. It's really tender to touch,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20it's a bit red, it's not shiny yet but it will probably get shiny later.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21You need to rest this.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Any idea when that might be better...ish?
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- Couple of days?- No, it's going to be more than a couple of days.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31You're going to be laid up for most of the week.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Right, I shall go and sort out crutches, printed information
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- and pain relief for you. Any questions?- No.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43It's a surprise result for Les. But he's not alone.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46There's over half a million gout sufferers in the UK.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50I've heard people say they've had gout before,
0:35:50 > 0:35:56but didn't realise it's painful like that. That's, yes, pretty tough.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Need to get it better quick, so...
0:35:59 > 0:36:00Yeah.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05What that's likely to mean is a change in diet,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08cutting out the foods that make the condition worse.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11But if he sticks to the rules, he should be able
0:36:11 > 0:36:14to keep his symptoms at bay and get back to the boat.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Earlier, the Cornwall air ambulance
0:36:24 > 0:36:26picked up injured holidaymaker Janet.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- You comfortable there, Janet? - Yes, thank you.- Lovely.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34But now there's another emergency further along the bay.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37While Janet gets treated in the ambulance, the helicopter is needed
0:36:37 > 0:36:39urgently for a second airlift,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41a girl with a possible hip fracture.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45But there's a problem.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50So I think they're heading in that direction.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53If they give us enough room, we could get out.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58This part of Cornwall's coastline is popular with paragliders
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and today's weather is perfect.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The air ambulance gang are ready to leave but can't take off.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09We're not sure where they're going to go next.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Of course, if the wind drops or if they have a problem,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16it's unpredictable as to where they might go,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20so obviously a helicopter and a paraglider isn't a good mix.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And that's putting it mildly.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27The coastguards head off to try and warn them away.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30I have a feeling that once the air ambulance takes off,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32they will get the message fairly sharply
0:37:32 > 0:37:34and they will be on their jolly way.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37In the meantime, we'll do what we can to keep them away.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- AMPLIFIED:- Attention, hang-glider!
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Turns out you can't beat a loudhailer.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47The air ambulance crew are back in business.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Today is a real scorcher
0:37:54 > 0:37:58and Whitsand Bay's three miles of beaches and rocky inlets are mobbed.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Lifeguards are already with the casualty
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and have set a flare to help the helicopter find them.
0:38:11 > 0:38:12But there were three.
0:38:15 > 0:38:16There is a clear area.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23OK.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45The rising tide means pilot Craig has to keep his wits about him.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47His choice of a landing spot is limited
0:38:47 > 0:38:50as he steers clear of the rocks and the crowds.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52Hi.
0:39:49 > 0:39:5116-year-old Alex is on holiday with her family
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and she's a little camera shy.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58It's not the first time her dad Peter has seen her knee pop.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01We'd gone around the point where there's a really beautiful pool,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05and she was just running along the beach and she went off sideways.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07The kneecap was dislocated.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11She put it back in, but she's still in a lot of pain
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and no way we're getting her up the cliff. That's the problem.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20She's dislocated it before but never in such an awkward place.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24The lifeguards have given Alex gas and air to relieve the pain.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Steve needs to splint her knee before they can move her.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31But he gets a warning call from the chopper.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33The tide is coming in fast.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35We're getting slightly time pressured now.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37We've got an incoming tide which isn't too far away,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41so what we need to do is get Alex onto the aircraft as soon as we can.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45If the water gets above the helicopter's skids,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47it could get very difficult.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Craig must get the chopper off the sand before that happens,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and it's a matter of minutes away.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59- 'Go ahead.'- Yeah, if you could let the coasties on the beach know
0:40:59 > 0:41:01that we're going to move the casualty.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Ready, set, lift.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- Derriford Hospital, sir, all right? - Yeah, got it.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- If you need directions, come up to the unit.- Don't worry, we know.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Good job the lifeguards are here to help,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20otherwise the tide might have won.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27She's in, and they're off.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30That water looked a bit close there.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Yeah, the water was getting right round the skids of the aircraft.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36We didn't have a lot of time left.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41Back on the clifftop, it's time for the second handover of the day.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45It is a beach that's notorious for access problems,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49so while the patients have relatively minor injuries,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52the helicopters proved invaluable in getting them off the beach
0:41:52 > 0:41:54and into the ambulance.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- How's that?- Yeah. - Brilliant, there we are.- Right.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03With Janet already up back, that makes two.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Steve seems keen to make it three.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- We'll see if we can find you another one, eh?- Yeah!
0:42:09 > 0:42:13The air ambulance guys have had their work cut out for them this afternoon.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Just two hours since the first call, double rescue complete.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20All's worked out for the two patients. They've received
0:42:20 > 0:42:23the appropriate treatment and we are now free to treat someone else.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37It's been all go for Britain's rural emergency services.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41It turned out John's hip was intact,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43but he had a bad break to his thigh bone.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Now, with steel pins in his leg and plenty of physiotherapy,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50he's on the road to recovery.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Janet didn't need hospital attention.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57She had her wound closed by her lovely ambulance crew
0:42:57 > 0:42:58and has recovered well.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Daniel's burns have healed, leaving hardly any scarring,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07but he's not planning to hit the catwalk any time soon.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14And who says nothing happens in the countryside?