0:00:02 > 0:00:06From the Highlands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08The Great British countryside
0:00:08 > 0:00:10is spectacular.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But we work and play in it at our peril.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17SIREN
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 > 0:00:26SIREN
0:00:27 > 0:00:30There's police courses for this.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Going hundreds of miles against the clock.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Battling the elements... and braving the weather.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40HE CRIES IN PAIN
0:00:41 > 0:00:43From fields and forests...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45to cliffs and country roads...
0:00:45 > 0:00:49we'll be right at the heart of the action...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- SIREN - ..with police fighting crime.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Could seize your dogs, could seize your van.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55But I'm going to summons you all to court.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Paramedics saving lives.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59BABY WAILS
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And wardens safeguarding our lakes.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Come out of the way.
0:01:05 > 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 > 0:01:15This is Countryside 999.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Coming up...a deer strike in the Durham Dales spells danger.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41The Cornwall Air Ambulance crew fight to save a man
0:01:41 > 0:01:43who's fallen 25 feet.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47- John.- Yeah.- Squeeze my hands for me.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51And in the swim, or on the rocks...
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Just everybody, please sit down.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58..dicing with danger on the waters of Windermere.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Come out of the way.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Cornwall, on the south-western corner of mainland Britain.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14With its spectacular Atlantic coastline, it's moorland
0:02:14 > 0:02:17wilderness and winding country lanes, this landscape is
0:02:17 > 0:02:22paradise for the three million tourists who come here every year.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27But for the emergency services, getting around is a nightmare.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32So, when crossing Cornwall is a matter of life and death,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34there's only one solution.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Cornwall Air Ambulance has flown over 24,000 missions
0:02:42 > 0:02:44since starting in 1987.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Today's first callout is taken by paramedic Mick McLachlan.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57We've got a chap who apparently fell 25 foot last night and has been
0:02:57 > 0:03:00on the floor ever since, and a crew have got there and called for us.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02We don't know much more than that at the moment.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Based at Newquay, the Air Ambulance
0:03:08 > 0:03:10responds to around three emergencies every day,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12getting to most within 12 minutes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21With Mick are lead paramedic Steve Garvey and pilot Craig Webster.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25But, as they take off, there's still little
0:03:25 > 0:03:27information about the casualty.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40It's a short hop from Newquay to the village of Chasewater,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42outside Truro.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But they still have to find the exact location.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Road paramedics are already with the casualty.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05A 63-year-old man.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Over the radio, they're warned his condition is critical.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15The Air Ambulance team need to get this chopper on the ground fast.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Pilot Craig has 15 years' experience.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But he still needs the watchful eyes of the medics to get
0:04:50 > 0:04:53the helicopter close to the casualty.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'We got to the scene within ten minutes of activation.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Surveyed the scene overhead, could clearly see a building site.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Made a suitable approach to land in a nearby field, and we were
0:05:09 > 0:05:11met by one of the paramedics at the scene,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13who'd been treating the patient.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Steve hits the ground running, to meet road paramedic Ian Allen.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48It transpired from the handover from the paramedics at the scene
0:05:48 > 0:05:50that the patient had actually been on the floor overnight and
0:05:50 > 0:05:54hadn't been seen from his family for over 12 hours prior to the incident.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58This raised concerns with us about his core body temperature
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and the patient being hypothermic, which could cause blood
0:06:01 > 0:06:05clotting problems, with the bleeding that was going on.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07The paramedics are concerned that the casualty
0:06:07 > 0:06:09has already lost over a litre of blood.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'When we first arrived at the scene our training takes over,'
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and that enables us to focus on the task in hand,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50ensuring that the patient gets the most appropriate care possible,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and all other thoughts are put to one side until the end of the job.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But the patient was found that morning by his wife and son,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and this can make it a very emotive environment
0:07:00 > 0:07:02with the family members around.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18As four paramedics work to save John's life, all wife Shirley
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and son Sebastian can do is wait.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42The Lake District, in Cumbria.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Some of the finest countryside in Britain.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The Lake District National Park covers 885 square miles
0:07:53 > 0:07:57of high fells, long valleys...
0:07:57 > 0:07:58and deep lakes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Windermere is the largest natural lake in England.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It's also one of the busiest.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Jostling for space are kayakers, canoeists
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and over 10,000 registered boats.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16In the summer its shorelines are packed with visitors.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21But, where there's water, there's danger.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Over 200 people die in UK inland waters every year.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Keeping people safe on Windermere is a massive challenge.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'Anything can happen, basically, from nothing happening,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'right the way to people losing their lives on the lake.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Dennis Noden is one of six South Lakeland District Council wardens
0:08:42 > 0:08:45watching over Windermere 24/7.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48All ships, all ships, this is Windermere Lake Wardens,
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Windermere Lake Wardens.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53'I've been a Lake Warden for about 12 or 13 years now.'
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Most of the time it's a fantastic job to do.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59You're meeting people all the time that are intent on being happy.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01But we have a very serious job also.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Today, Dennis hits the water
0:09:06 > 0:09:09in one of their two high-powered patrol boats.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14We're heading into the south basin, which is probably once of the most
0:09:14 > 0:09:17used bits of the lake, basically, because there's a ferry,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20a car ferry that goes across the lake itself,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22takes vehicles as well as passengers.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And we're near to areas where lots and lots of boats are moored,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29so we need to be on the ball, really, making sure that even our passage
0:09:29 > 0:09:32in our patrol boat, that we're not causing
0:09:32 > 0:09:36any distress, extra wash to small vessels,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38sailboats, canoes, kayaks...
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Make sure that everybody is safe on the lake.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58We are coming up to the weekend before bank holiday weekend,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02August bank holiday, so we are expecting, weather permitting,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06that there will be a number of vessels out on the lake,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09holiday-makers, hire vessels as well as private.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Numbers of swimmers and people around the lake shore as well.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So we need to be vigilant at this time of the year.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18Lots and lots of people about,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21potential for people to get into trouble.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Dennis is looking for a party of 11 swimmers from Yorkshire
0:10:28 > 0:10:31who plan to swim the entire length of Windermere.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Setting off from Fell Foot Park in the south,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40they'll have swim to 10.5 miles to reach Ambleside, in the north.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Takes all sorts(!)
0:10:44 > 0:10:46'Most of us are completely bonkers.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- Right, swimmers, do you want to get in the water?- Yes!
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'We're a group from Yorkshire Outdoor Swimmers,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54'and we're all here today because we love to swim in the open water.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57We've got swimmers that have done the Channel, English Channel.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59We've got some that are in training for that.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02That's what I'm doing, cos I'm swimming that next week.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06The weather is the biggest factor,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10so the water temperature today is about 17.6 degrees.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Hopefully that will warm up during the day, but Windermere,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16because it's such a deep lake and such a large lake,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18has got several cold spots on it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Yeah, here we go. We'll see you at the other end.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25Alastair, come on!
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Mind the slippy!
0:11:32 > 0:11:34'The risk for swimmers on the Windermere, basically,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'is the length, the depth of the water and the temperature.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40'I mean, it can get really, really cold.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41'And the problem is,'
0:11:41 > 0:11:43it's only the first five feet of water,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47even in the summer, that changes temperature.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50So if you just go jumping in at any point, then, basically,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54you're going into an area where it is really, really cold water.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55And shock can set in then.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Whether in wet suits or just bathers,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05they're facing over seven hours in Windermere's chilly waters.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's lot more difficult than people realise, open water swimming.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17These people are obviously doing it quite regularly.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Although maybe not on Windermere.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I think they'll find that, being a large, cold water lake, I think
0:12:23 > 0:12:26they'll find it more difficult than they would do, even in the sea,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28to be quite honest with you.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It's a long way to go, isn't it?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34These swimmers are well-prepared, with high-vis swimming caps
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and proper support boats.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39But they're not the only swimmers out today.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43All ships, all ships, this is Windermere Lake Wardens,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Windermere Lake Wardens, please be advised two individual
0:12:47 > 0:12:50swimmers, accompanied by canoes,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54just mid lake, off Storrs Temple.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Over.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59There's a number of canoes supporting individual
0:12:59 > 0:13:03swimmers at the moment, which we were not aware of.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I had a word with one of the safety vessels, advised them that,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09if they were going to do this type of thing in the future,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11it would be good for us to know about it.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15There's probably a dozen or 15 dotted out over
0:13:15 > 0:13:18probably a two or three mile distance at the moment.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Good morning. Everything OK?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Just a bit choppy today, isn't it?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27They have got a support boat.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29There's no rescue boat.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33If something dire went wrong here with one of these swimmers,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37though they would be able to cling onto the side of a canoe
0:13:37 > 0:13:40for buoyancy, there's no way they'll get them
0:13:40 > 0:13:45into a canoe and to the shore if they need any further help.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It makes it that little bit more dangerous for people.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Next on Dennis's patrol is Bowness...
0:13:54 > 0:13:57..the Lake District's busiest holiday resort.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09We're into Bowness Bay, which is the main area,
0:14:09 > 0:14:14most traffic is in Bowness Bay. It's always a hazardous place to be.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17We can see at the moment there's numbers of canoes,
0:14:17 > 0:14:18canoeists and kayakers here.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23If anything is going to happen this is where it usually does.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It's not long before Dennis spots a problem.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29A kayaker with no idea he needs to move.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- SIREN - And fast.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33SIREN
0:14:35 > 0:14:39He's right in the middle of the fairway where one of the steamers,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41passenger steamers is coming through.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42Come out of the way!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45RADIO CHATTER
0:14:51 > 0:14:53SIREN
0:14:54 > 0:14:56SIREN
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Luckily we've got a good captain and crew on that boat,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and they took evasive action for him.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04But it's always nice to be here
0:15:04 > 0:15:08so that that we can deal with any eventuality.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Yeah, a little bit too close.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14No problems, everything is fine.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Traffic duties over, Dennis checks out the Yorkshire swimmers.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Was I going too fast?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29THEY LAUGH
0:15:29 > 0:15:31About two and a half hours in.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33We're doing OK, doing really well.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I'm pretty cool.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37We'd just love the sun to come up.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40My crew is telling me I have to go, so I'm going to go.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44These are doing very well. We're happy with these.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I'm warm and dry, they're freezing cold.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50HE LAUGHS
0:15:58 > 0:16:00SIREN WAILS
0:16:03 > 0:16:05On a building site near Truro...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10..paramedics are trying to save a man's life.
0:16:19 > 0:16:2363-year-old John has fallen 25 feet onto a concrete floor.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25He's been lying there all night.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Now in a critical condition, he needs to get to hospital fast.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The Air Ambulance is standing by,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but John can't be moved until his injuries are stabilised.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41John, I'm just going to have a little listen to your breathing.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- Does it hurt for you to breathe at all?- Yes.- Yes?
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Which side?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47On that side, on that right-hand side?
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Take a deep breath.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54HE WHEEZES
0:16:54 > 0:16:56John's lost a lot of blood through a head wound
0:16:56 > 0:17:00and, after such a hard fall, could also have damaged his back.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04- John?- Yeah?- Can you feel me touching your hands?- Yes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Squeeze my hands for me. Squeeze my hands, both hands. Good man.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Right, squeeze together. - They test John's grip.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17If it's weak he may have a spinal injury,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20but Steve's noticed another, more urgent problem.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Take another deep breath, John.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24HE WHEEZES
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Yeah, he's definitely struggling to breathe.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31During our treatment process,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35there were significant concerns for his breathing.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37HE WHEEZES
0:17:38 > 0:17:41But we were also concerned for internal bleeding with this patient.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48And he also had some considerable bruising over his right,
0:17:48 > 0:17:49lower abdomen,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52which would have given concern for liver injuries
0:17:52 > 0:17:54and further circulation problems.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56We are going to keep an eye on that.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58There's a potential problem there, isn't there?
0:17:59 > 0:18:04- John?- Yeah.- Do you remember what happened to you last night, sir?- No.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- No. You were in here working. Is that the last thing you remember?- Yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12As John can't remember the accident, paramedic Mick tries
0:18:12 > 0:18:16to piece it together with wife Shirley and son Sebastian.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And then, on his own on the site,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and he's come through the floor.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- He's often late back. - He's often late back.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32The building site is an old tin mine.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34It's being converted into a factory
0:18:34 > 0:18:37for the family's organic food business.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40John regularly comes at night to check on progress.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I thought nothing of it last night because he's often late home.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47He obviously didn't appear.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I woke up this morning and still not at home.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So...
0:18:52 > 0:18:56we thought we'd better come down and see if he was here.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Er...
0:18:58 > 0:18:59And he was.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'All I could see was a large area of blood on the floor.'
0:19:04 > 0:19:08It was a big area and quite shocking, really, to see it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10And he was very cold as well.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15My initial reaction was...
0:19:15 > 0:19:16SHE EXHALES
0:19:16 > 0:19:18..that he would probably die.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- How was he when you found him, was he talking...?- Talking. Very cold.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Very cold. Very thirsty.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- On his back?- On his back.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32He'd obviously found a piece of installation to put under his head,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36- so he was crawling about. - He's moved from there.- Yeah.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38We'll let you know where we are going.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Just a few more bits and pieces to do.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46The first paramedics arrived 45 minutes ago.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But John's injuries are so serious the team are only now ready
0:19:51 > 0:19:54to move him to the waiting helicopter.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Mick's here as well. Can you step round for me, Mick?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14If John's not moved carefully,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16his condition could deteriorate.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Mick, if you come round this side.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28A scoop stretcher slides underneath John to protect his spine.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33OK...
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Has any new pain developed?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- On my right. - On your right-hand side?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Do you find, do you feel like you're struggling to breathe?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- Yeah.- OK, we'll just keep...
0:20:44 > 0:20:47John's condition is deteriorating.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49His blood pressure's low and his heart rate's very fast
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and he respirates fast, which leads us to be a little bit concerned
0:20:52 > 0:20:54about shock and loss of blood.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Mick and Steve were planning to transfer him
0:20:59 > 0:21:02to the specialist trauma unit in Plymouth,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05but it's a 20-minute flight away. They can't take the risk.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08John needs a hospital urgently.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14The patient had significant respiratory and circulatory injuries,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17which we were concerned about,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19so we quickly formulated a new plan
0:21:19 > 0:21:22to transport the patient to the local hospital.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The Air Ambulance will now fly John just a few minutes
0:21:29 > 0:21:32to the Accident and Emergency in nearby Truro.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36With no room in the helicopter for Shirley, she must follow by road.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Just very, very worried.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Yes. I mean, all sorts of thoughts go through your head,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52"What if he dies? What... What if?"
0:22:05 > 0:22:08SIREN WHOOPS
0:22:08 > 0:22:11From attending accidents in isolated areas
0:22:11 > 0:22:13to dealing with rural crime,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16police face complex challenges in the countryside.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Teesdale, in County Durham,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25is one of north England's most sparsely populated areas.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30The small town of Barnard Castle
0:22:30 > 0:22:33is home to Teesdale's main police station.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36From here, rural police officers provide day and night cover
0:22:36 > 0:22:40for one of England's biggest beats -
0:22:40 > 0:22:42an area larger than Merseyside.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46One of them is PC Harry Marsh.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Barnard Castle covers 300 square miles
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and within that there's approximately 35 villages
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and, of course, the main town, so anything that happens in any of
0:22:56 > 0:23:01those villages or in the town would be allocated to me to deal with.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07This environment is, to me,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10one of the best parts about the job.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15I remember the very first day that I was posted to Barnard Castle.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I took a police vehicle out and I drove around the whole area.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22What a wonderful area and so scenic.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26And it was in stark contrast, really, to the town that I'd just come from,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29which was really a 1960s base town
0:23:29 > 0:23:33that didn't have a great deal of character, and when you come here,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36you can see that this place has character in abundance.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44One of Harry's jobs is patrolling Teesdale's country roads -
0:23:44 > 0:23:46as hazardous as any city street.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We have sheep, cows...
0:23:50 > 0:23:53..you name it, if it's got four legs,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56it seems to eventually end up on one of our roads,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01and we end up having to herd them away on quite a regular basis,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05particularly Swaledale sheep, that are the most common form of sheep
0:24:05 > 0:24:07that are bred around here.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14The most important thing is that, if we're dealing with sheep or cattle,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17there's the potential for a serious accident.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27As a country copper, Harry's learnt to expect the unexpected.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And today it's not a stray animal that's causing a hazard.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- RADIO:- 'It'd be a scooter, heading eastbound.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:40That's received, so just to confirm, that's a male in a disability chair
0:24:40 > 0:24:43that is on the... Did you say eastbound carriageway?
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Over.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52We're just en route now to a report of an elderly person
0:24:52 > 0:24:59in a disabled wheelchair, a mobility scooter, possibly,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02who is on the eastbound section of the A66,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05so it's important that we get him off the road as quickly as possible.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Just south of Barnard Castle, the busy A66 cuts through rural Teesdale
0:25:12 > 0:25:15linking the A1M in the east
0:25:15 > 0:25:16to the M6 in the west -
0:25:16 > 0:25:19no place for an 8mph mobility scooter.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21SIREN WAILS
0:25:21 > 0:25:23People could be travelling up to 70mph
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and if he's crawling along at a very slow pace,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31the possibility of an accident is incredibly high.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35With 18 deaths in ten years,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39the A66 is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Harry needs to stop the slow-moving scooter
0:25:42 > 0:25:44from causing a potential pile-up.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50It could be along any stretch of this, um, section of the A66.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It's just a case of trying to find them, really,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and it can be a bit of a needle in a haystack.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59There's no sign of them.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The elusive mobility scooter's looking like a no-show.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The simple fact is that it just don't seem to be here at the moment,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12which is a good thing and that's a good result for us.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14When you work in a rural location,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16you really don't know what's going to happen.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18The unexpected can crop up at any time
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and you quite often find yourself on your own.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24You'll have to develop the skills
0:26:24 > 0:26:26to be able to deal with those situations.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It's a lovely late summer's evening in Teesdale
0:26:37 > 0:26:38and Harry's back on patrol.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41- RADIO:- 'Go ahead.'
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Could you just clarify, was there an incident regarding a deer
0:26:44 > 0:26:48that's been knocked over on the 67? over.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- 'Yes.' - Yeah, I'm just en route to it now.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01We've got an incident at the moment with a motorist that's struck a deer
0:27:01 > 0:27:04that's been going across the A67.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It sounds like the deer is still alive at the moment.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12We're going to attend just to assess the injuries
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and then we'll determine what's going to happen after that,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19whether we need to call a vet and to put the animal down.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24The injured deer could stray back onto the road
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and cause a serious accident.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Harry needs to find it fast.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Yeah, I was heading towards Barnard Castle
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and a deer has pulled out, has run out in front of me...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- Yeah.- ..just out of nowhere.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43I managed to swerve as best I could
0:27:43 > 0:27:48but I hit the back end of it, which has put it into the hedgerow here.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51It was alive. There was no blood showing
0:27:51 > 0:27:54but you could see it was badly injured on the back end.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00It then crawled up onto the road and it's dragged itself across
0:28:00 > 0:28:04and I flagged all the traffic down and stopped it because it was...
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And it's gone down into the hedgerow at the moment.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08OK, so the last you saw of it,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11it was just rolling down the side of the embankment here.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13And it was still able to run about.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15It's not on its feet, no, it's dragging itself.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- It's dragging itself along?- Yeah.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24She went down into there, or he went down into there.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30There's thick undergrowth here.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34There's a clear line down in the grass in the side of the embankment
0:28:34 > 0:28:36where the deer has gone down
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and that leads out into another field on the other side.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43I'll have a quick look in here and just see.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46You can see a bit of blood there.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Deer strikes are dangerous. It's estimated that
0:28:51 > 0:28:55over 40,000 deer are struck by vehicles in the UK every year.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58This driver knows he's been very lucky.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01It came straight out of the hedgerow.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04I mean, it was a metre, metre-and-a-half in front of me.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06There was very little I could do.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09My young lad was in the back. He heard the bang.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Obviously, he felt me swerve.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Right, OK, we've got the deer
0:29:17 > 0:29:20that I can just see at the boundary of the field there.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I'm not sure whether it's alive or not
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so I'm just going to quietly approach it just to see what the situation is.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28There's plenty of trees and things.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31I could have swerved, could have gone down the embankment.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Lucky escape for me but not for the poor animal.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It's just a shame that this sort of thing has to happen.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55There's certainly no... It's not moving at all.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04So I'll just check it for any signs of life now, just to make sure.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06It's dead, that.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11It's a tragic end for the deer,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14but thankfully, there are no other casualties
0:30:14 > 0:30:16due to the quick wits of the car driver.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23It's quite a busy road. Buses, tractors, lorries...
0:30:23 > 0:30:26cars, motorbikes, the lot, was coming along,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30so I flagged all the traffic down, both ways, until the poor animal
0:30:30 > 0:30:34had managed to crawl across the road and out of the way,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37otherwise the traffic, the next car could have ploughed into it.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Harry must now remove the deer that ran out into the road
0:30:44 > 0:30:45and, sadly, ran out of luck.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50We'll just make sure that the deer doesn't present a hazard
0:30:50 > 0:30:53to the farmer as he's collecting this crop in
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and comes across it unexpectedly.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00There's a huge amount of variation in the type of incidents
0:31:00 > 0:31:02that we deal with, and of course,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06we, being in a rural setting, can be asked to deal with anything
0:31:06 > 0:31:11that is usually outside of the experience of normal police officers.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13It's certainly a unique feature of working
0:31:13 > 0:31:15out in the countryside like this.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39On Windermere, Lake Warden Dennis Noden is having a busy day.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41After saving a kayaker...
0:31:41 > 0:31:42Come out of the way!
0:31:48 > 0:31:50..he's now on his way to help the 11 swimmers
0:31:50 > 0:31:53who set off this morning to swim the length of the lake.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58The fastest are three hours in
0:31:58 > 0:32:00and facing their biggest hazard -
0:32:00 > 0:32:02the Windermere car ferry.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07The ferry's just docking on the west side of the lake.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10It goes constantly from one side of the lake to the other,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15and it's on cables, so obviously those cables are a navigation hazard,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17not only boats but to swimmers.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23SIREN WHOOPS BRIEFLY
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Hello, mate. Just be aware that
0:32:25 > 0:32:29there are two groups of swimmers coming up the lake.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32There's a number of individual swimmers accompanied by canoes.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The individual canoes are strung out quite a long way.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Just be aware that they're going to be there.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40All right, cheers, thank you. Ta-ra.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45The ferry leaves every 20 minutes,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and with the swimmers about to cross its path,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Dennis lets everyone on the water know what's going on.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Just putting some red warning lights on, on the patrol boat,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00to alert people around that we're here
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and that there is a hazard in the water.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06The ferry's just setting off from the west shore back to the east.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Yeah, Trev, just for your information,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14first group of swimmers are just crossing the ferry lines now.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16We're on station just to make sure
0:33:16 > 0:33:20- everything passes without any problem.- 'Yeah, roger, received.'
0:33:20 > 0:33:23The ferry line is one of the obstacles about open water swimming,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27as you can imagine. That ferry just can't stop on the spot.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Everybody got across the ferry lines safely
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and when all those people were safe, then the ferry went on its merry way.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53No sooner are the swimmers safe, when Dennis gets an emergency call.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57A hire boat's run aground on rocks. It's a blue-light job.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04With six persons on board, they can't get in to pull the boat off
0:34:04 > 0:34:09at the moment, so we're going to hopefully give them some assistance.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10When you get a call out, you don't
0:34:10 > 0:34:13know what's going to be waiting for you when you get there.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'It could be anything, but we make sure that we get there
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'as quickly as possible to deal with it.'
0:34:19 > 0:34:24Windermere has an 11mph speed limit, but this is an emergency.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Obviously, because we're travelling at...
0:34:30 > 0:34:33..beyond the speed limit, we need to keep a sharp eye out
0:34:33 > 0:34:36for swimmers, canoeists,
0:34:36 > 0:34:40anybody that might be affected by our wash.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45So to make them alert, we'll put some sirens on.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46SIRENS WAIL
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The jet-powered boat has a top speed of 40mph.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Dennis is on scene in minutes.
0:34:57 > 0:35:03- RADIO:- 'Den, for your information, the other safety boat is on scene.'
0:35:03 > 0:35:07We don't have a propeller sticking out the back because it's a jet boat,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11so there is less risk of a strike on the rocks with a propeller,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15so we can get into places, basically, where a propeller boat can't.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19With no way of moving in these rocky shallows,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22the six people on board are stranded and vulnerable.
0:35:22 > 0:35:23No, stay there.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Just everybody please sit down.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33We're just making sure everybody is safe on the boat, they appear to be,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37sat down, so that when we start to tow the boat off the rocks
0:35:37 > 0:35:42in the shallow water here, that nobody falls overboard.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44So we've got a rope on the front now
0:35:44 > 0:35:48and we'll tow the boat that's been on the shore,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51along with the passengers, out to deeper waters
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and take it back to their base, if necessary.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00Is everybody OK?
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Everybody's OK. All right.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06So we can come with you?
0:36:06 > 0:36:09That chap there, he's from the hire company.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11He'll have a word with you, make sure everything is OK
0:36:11 > 0:36:13and decide what you're going to do.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Thank you.- All right? Take care of yourselves.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18OK?
0:36:18 > 0:36:23He's all smiles, but Dennis has real concerns about safety on Windermere.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Bye-bye!
0:36:25 > 0:36:26HE LAUGHS
0:36:26 > 0:36:29'People that come on the lake'
0:36:29 > 0:36:32sometimes have complete disregard for it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37They tend to think that it's like a pool, a small lake,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41if anything happens they can get out and push it to the shore.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43Some areas of this lake are really, really deep,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45really cold and dangerous.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51It's seven hours since the 11-long distance swimmers set off
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and the group has now splintered in two.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58How far in front, how far in front is the other group?
0:36:58 > 0:37:00They've finished? Right.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Well, the other group have done very well, haven't they?
0:37:05 > 0:37:08There's a group of people on the shoreline here
0:37:08 > 0:37:13which could possibly be B, the group that have finished the swim,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17so we'll go and have a quick word with them and congratulate them.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Everybody looks happy.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23They should be proud of theirselves. I know I couldn't do it.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27I can see clinking champagne glasses.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Well deserved.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31There you go, mate, well done.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Well done.- Thank you so much for all your help today.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36You've done it in fantastic time.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41Considering the first half of the swim took three-and-a-half hours,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45we were expecting it to be at least four-and-a-half for the second half
0:37:45 > 0:37:48but you've done absolutely wonderful. Fantastic.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Fabulous place, great colleagues.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00No wonder when people get this job, they don't want to leave.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02It's a tremendous, tremendous job,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and the thought that you're doing a good job and making sure
0:38:05 > 0:38:09that people are safe on the lake - yeah, it's fantastic.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29300 miles south of Windermere...
0:38:31 > 0:38:36..the emergency services in Cornwall are fighting to save a man's life.
0:38:40 > 0:38:4463-year-old John is being flown to hospital after lying
0:38:44 > 0:38:46injured on a building site overnight.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59After falling 25 feet, he has a life-threatening head wound
0:38:59 > 0:39:02and internal bleeding that need urgent attention.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05It was his wife, Shirley, who found him.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Well, as they were preparing him,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12it was gradually sinking in what had happened
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and not quite believing it,
0:39:14 > 0:39:20but hopefully seeing him alive wherever he was taken.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Landing at the hospital in Truro, John's rushed into A & E.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Paramedic Steve goes with him to brief the hospital emergency team.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47The gentleman's called John. We have a 63-year-old male.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49He was working at height on a ladder,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51approximately five metres up, ladders on the floor,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54there's a considerable amount of blood loss on the floor,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57a litre plus on the hard concrete surface.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Ready, set, brace.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Currently at the moment, the chap is in the resus room,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07where he is undergoing a primary survey with X-rays
0:40:07 > 0:40:09to determine the extent of his injuries.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12We definitely want to look at his chest wall injuries,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15that's obviously a life-threatening problem at this stage.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- How much pain is he in at the moment?- John?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Where have you got pain at the moment?
0:40:24 > 0:40:26So we'll give him some morphine.
0:40:26 > 0:40:27Going to go to a CT scan now, OK?
0:40:29 > 0:40:32John's future is now in the hands of the hospital doctors.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- Somebody want to grab that? - Yeah, I've got it.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01Now, after life-saving surgery, John's back home.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05It's just seven weeks since that fateful Friday night.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07As far as I'm aware,
0:41:07 > 0:41:13I'd got the factory, maybe around about 8:30 or something like that,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17and took a few pictures of the top floor of the site
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and that's honestly the last thing I remember.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22- John?- Yeah.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Can you feel me touching your hands?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Squeeze my hands for me. Squeeze my hand.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30'I was in quite a bit of pain. It was like, I was dimly aware
0:41:30 > 0:41:34of what they were doing, but they are so professional, these guys,
0:41:34 > 0:41:35so I just can't... if I had a hat,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I would take it off to them. They are just brilliant.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43'I don't remember much about the journey,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47'but I remember the rotors of the air ambulance swooshing around.'
0:41:51 > 0:41:54They found out what's wrong with me,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58which was a broken rib, punctured lung, some damage to my left side,
0:41:58 > 0:42:04couldn't use my left hand, and haematoma in the skull,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07which they managed to remove.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12I do remember the surgeon saying probably I was quite a lucky man,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15really, because it's going to be all right.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18"It will take you some months but you will be all right."
0:42:18 > 0:42:21But one thing John won't be doing again is
0:42:21 > 0:42:25clambering around his half-built factory alone and at night.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30"What a complete plonker," I think, is what my son-in-law said
0:42:30 > 0:42:33and I can't disagree with that. That's what I was.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46It's been all go for Britain's rural emergency services.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52In Cornwall, doctors have told John it will take a year to fully recover
0:42:52 > 0:42:57but he's looking forward to the opening of the new factory.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59On Windermere, 10 of the 11 swimmers
0:42:59 > 0:43:02completed their ten-and-a-half-mile challenge.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And in Teesdale, there've been no further sightings
0:43:06 > 0:43:09of a mobility scooter tearing it up on the A66.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.