0:00:02 > 0:00:03From the Highlands of Scotland
0:00:03 > 0:00:06to the coast of Cornwall,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09the great British countryside is spectacular...
0:00:09 > 0:00:11BIRDSONG
0:00:11 > 0:00:14..but we work and play in it at our peril.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18- SIREN - And when things go wrong...
0:00:18 > 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 no police courses for this.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33..going hundreds of miles against the clock,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35battling the elements...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37and braving the weather.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39MAN GROANS
0:00:40 > 0:00:43From fields and forests...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45to cliffs and country roads,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48we'll be right at the heart of the action.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50With police fighting crime...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53I could seize your dogs. I could seize your van,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55but I'm going to summons you all to court.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..paramedics saving lives...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59BABY WAILS
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..and wardens safeguarding our lakes.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Come out of the way!
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.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15This is Countryside 999.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Coming up...
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Yorkshire's heli-medics take to the skies to tackle a French invasion.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43The Tour de France has literally just gone straight past.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Traumatic injuries...
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And she just took one step out, fell 20 foot.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52..and tricky landings during the Tour de France.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53'Nice one, Andy.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:55'Did we all breathe in then?'
0:01:56 > 0:01:59On Windermere, the lake warden with a sinking feeling.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Ah.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07And the County Durham beauty spot trashed by vandals.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09And that's been yanked up and chucked on there,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11so it's all deliberately burnt it.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30From the high fells
0:02:30 > 0:02:32to the dales...
0:02:33 > 0:02:36..Yorkshire has some of the most spectacular
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and unspoilt countryside in Britain.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48It's a landscape where people come to relax and get away from it all.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55Most of the time.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Today, Yorkshire is full to bursting.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09It's hosting the start of the world's largest annual sporting event, the Tour de France.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Cycling's biggest stars are spending two days
0:03:15 > 0:03:19racing through Yorkshire's long and winding roads.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23For spectators lining the route, the party's already started.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31But for the emergency services,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34this is shaping up to be a very busy weekend.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service have been planning for weeks.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45And medical advisor, Dr Jez Pinnell,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47will soon discover if the heli-medics
0:03:47 > 0:03:49are up to their own Tour de France challenge.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It is a huge thing, we've got
0:03:55 > 0:03:57probably up to two million extra visitors
0:03:57 > 0:04:00coming to Yorkshire during the weekend.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Many, many roads are going to be closed because of the Tour.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09And it's going through very rural areas a long way from hospital.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Some of the places where the biggest crowds are going to be
0:04:12 > 0:04:13are going to be very remote.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So some of the big climbs up there, you know, there could be
0:04:16 > 0:04:20many thousands of people in areas where there's just sheep.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23When you've got major roads closed,
0:04:23 > 0:04:28it may almost be impossible to get to a hospital by road ambulance.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The weather's come up trumps,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and massive crowds line every mile of the route.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Within minutes of the tour starting,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Jez and the team take off to their first call.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We've just been despatched to Skipton or near Skipton,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55reports of somebody that's fallen through a roof.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57That's all we know at the moment,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59so we don't know how old they are, what injuries they've got.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05With Jez today are paramedic, John Baxter, and pilot, Ian Mousette.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16It's a 34-mile journey to the market town of Skipton
0:05:16 > 0:05:18just south of the dales.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22En route, Jez updates on the casualty.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The journey should only take the chopper 15 minutes max,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39but today is different.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Not only are the roads congested, so are the skies.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08There are at least five camera helicopters following the Tour.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10And it looks like they, the race,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and the heli-medics will hit Skipton at exactly the same time.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Pilot Ian has many years' experience, but this is a team job.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Jez and John keep a sharp look out for helicopters in the air
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and people on the ground.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51The chopper's down safely.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The problem was that Tour de France helicopters were leading the race,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58so as we arrived at Skipton the Tour de France helicopters arrived.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So there was a little bit of confusion for about 30 seconds
0:07:01 > 0:07:03whilst three helicopters went past, I think it was three,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and then we dived down in between 'em.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09The problem now is that
0:07:09 > 0:07:12the casualty's in an ambulance in the centre of town.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16The roads are closed and the Tour de France is about to stream past.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28CHEERING
0:07:35 > 0:07:38The Tour de France has literally just gone straight past as we've come in,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41so we did have a hairy landing, we had helicopters everywhere.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Where we were hoping to land, we couldn't...we couldn't land
0:07:45 > 0:07:47because of aviation-related issues,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49so we've landed in what was the biggest open space.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51The issue now is for the crew to get to where we are.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54The race has gone through, so hopefully they should be able to come down.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57But, as you can see, there's a lot of people here,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00which is going to make life difficult for us.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Jez gets an update from a local policeman.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Has the race all gone through now?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09So the ambulance can come across?
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Right.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14But somehow, 12 minutes after the chopper landed
0:08:14 > 0:08:16the ambulance gets through.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Helimed 99. Ambulance is here, don't worry about it. Over.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Finally, Jez meets the casualty.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- Hello. Are you all right? - Yes. And you?
0:08:29 > 0:08:30JEZ LAUGHS
0:08:30 > 0:08:32In the ambulance is 48-year-old Sally.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Hoping to get a better view of the race,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38she has fallen through the roof of a mill.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Her head's then hit a table.- Right.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- She's clearly then got a boggy wound at the back of the head.- Yep.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49When we arrived, there was a fire officer of one of the mills.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52The other thing she's complained of is pain in her right elbow
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- which we've splinted with a splint. - Yep.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56She's had two lots of 2.5 morphine
0:08:56 > 0:08:57- and 4mg of ondansetron.- Super.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- And she's comfortable with that at the moment.- OK, lovely.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Sally has a serious head wound and may have suffered other injuries.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Daughter, Emma, saw her fall.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12We were watching the Tour, my mum owns a salon at the Corn Mill in Skipton,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and it's about 20 foot and then you've got a corrugated roof.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18And there was a load of people up there
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and me and my mum decided to go up to watch the Tour from up there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And she just took one step out, fell 20 foot.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29It is a timber roof, but the slant of it was corrugated plastic.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And she's just plummeted straight through it.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34HEARTBEAT
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- What's her name, mate?- Sally.- Sally.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Hello, Sally.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I'm Jez. I'm another doctor.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50We're going to take you in a helicopter to Leeds.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53All right, darling. Where's it hurting you at the moment?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Back of your head? And your elbow.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Okey-dokey.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Sally's strapped to a spinal board.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09When she fell into the mill yard, she hit a wooden picnic table.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Hello, it's Dr Pinnell on Helimed 99,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17bringing you a patient from Skipton.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Er...she has got a head injury and an arm injury.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28'She had clearly fallen a long way and that in itself
0:10:28 > 0:10:30'raises our suspicion that she might have'
0:10:30 > 0:10:32some significant injuries.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Her conscious level was slightly reduced,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39she was a little bit drowsy, had been a little bit confused.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48'But clearly if she did have a head injury
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'that was progressing to something more serious,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'the quicker she gets into hospital, particularly a hospital
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'such as a major trauma centre, then the better.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Even though the Tour's passed through town,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05there are still people everywhere.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Sally's being taken to hospital in Leeds.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28And with roads still closed...
0:11:30 > 0:11:35..the helicopter is her best chance of getting the specialist treatment she urgently needs.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Every year, over 14 million people come here,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06the Lake District National Park.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13It's one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17And this is one of the busiest lakes, Windermere.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Ten and a half miles long,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Windermere is England's largest natural lake.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Whether on the shoreline...
0:12:34 > 0:12:36or out on the water,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38taking it easy...
0:12:38 > 0:12:40or doing it the hard way...
0:12:43 > 0:12:46..for many people, this is holiday heaven.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52But for others, Windermere is their workplace.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Steve Phelps works for the council as a lake warden,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Windermere's water-borne emergency service.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06I enjoy working here very much. It's a beautiful place to work. It's...
0:13:06 > 0:13:10The nature of the work is so varied that you never get bored.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16This is my 20th year as a lake warden.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I must admit, when I first joined the job
0:13:18 > 0:13:21it was a case of, "Well, it'll be great to swan about in summer on a boat
0:13:21 > 0:13:25"and mooch up and down Windermere with not a lot to do."
0:13:25 > 0:13:27How wrong can you be, really?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33We are on call-out from the coastguard,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35we are their eyes and ears on the water.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39If somebody's in trouble and rings 999 and asks for the coastguard,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41then it's us that attend.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47You've always got to be looking,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50not just what's happening directly in front of you.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54You could be 20 yards away from something happening directly behind you
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and not notice it unless you keep turning round.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Hang on.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11These lads look like they've lost their football.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I'll see if I can get it back for 'em.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20It's quite shallow in here,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23so we're going to have to be careful where we go.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Ensuring minor mishaps don't become emergencies
0:14:26 > 0:14:28is an important part of the job.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42You'd be surprised how many people get into difficulty by chasing things like a football,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44a small inflatable dinghy that's blown away
0:14:44 > 0:14:47or even a dog that's entered the water.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50We've had a few cases recently where people have actually drowned
0:14:50 > 0:14:53by trying to rescue their dog and the dog has survived.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56So rather than risk that young lad getting in the water
0:14:56 > 0:14:57trying to get his football back,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59we went and got it for him.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06It's not just people the lake wardens watch out for,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09they also look after the lake itself.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20We have...a boat that's been abandoned
0:15:20 > 0:15:22in an area called White Cross Bay,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25which is about three quarters of a mile north of here.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The boat's still there, the thing that I'll be checking for
0:15:28 > 0:15:30is to see that there are no pollution problems.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Windermere's water quality has been declining
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and oil leaks from boats are a problem.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Five litres of spilt oil can cover a surface area
0:15:42 > 0:15:44the size of two football pitches,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47blocking out oxygen and suffocating wildlife.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55This is a boat that sank on its mooring out here in the bay.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59My main concern was that there were going to be pollutants
0:15:59 > 0:16:02escaping from this boat and into the water,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06causing a problem for the local wildlife, there isn't.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10I'm quite happy that there's no pollution problem here.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Steve's keen to keep Windermere beautiful...
0:16:16 > 0:16:19..but all sorts of rubbish gets dumped in the lake.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24In 2013, a litter-pick recovered ten tonnes of rubbish.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Divers collected chemical-filled car batteries, a child's scooter,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and even a toilet complete with cistern.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37To prevent anything else littering the lakebed,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Steve and colleague Jon head out to inspect another boat,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42that could be in danger of sinking.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49We're heading south from here towards an area called Storrs Hall,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52where we have a number of boats on moorings.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55We've had a report that one of the boats on those moorings
0:16:55 > 0:16:58is taking on water.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Ah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Well, he was right, it's taking on water.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13RADIO CRACKLES
0:17:13 > 0:17:16We're alongside this vessel at the moment,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19it has got quite a lot of water. And if you could then inform the owner
0:17:19 > 0:17:21that we're going to pump this boat out,
0:17:21 > 0:17:26but he does need to come and look at it at his earliest convenience.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28'Roger, Steve. Thanks for that.'
0:17:32 > 0:17:35It's a small electric pump which we carry on board.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37This one is sufficient to pump out
0:17:37 > 0:17:39what we're going to get from this boat.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43With a bit of luck, two or three minutes and we'll have got rid of the water that's here.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46If we didn't pump out the water now,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49it would take on more water through natural rain
0:17:49 > 0:17:51and waves washing over the back.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Eventually there'd be enough water on to sink it.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58The main angle if a boat sinks is the environmental pollution
0:17:58 > 0:18:00that you can get from certain boats.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Fortunately, we have spill kits
0:18:02 > 0:18:05which are supplied to us by the Environment Agency.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07If we get a spillage whilst we're out and about,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10a boat's sunk or a boat's engine has blown
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and they're leaking some sort of fuel,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15then we can go along and soak up with soaked mats,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19put booms around things that have sunk to contain any contamination.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Steve turns detective to diagnose what's wrong with the boat.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27The problem here is there are two drain holes here...
0:18:28 > 0:18:33..which are blocked with rotting vegetation by the looks of things.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37A simple tool like a screwdriver shoved down the hole
0:18:37 > 0:18:39would have saved all this problem.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45We have two or three that sink in a year,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50but we will probably deal with maybe 50 or 60 like this in a year.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52OK, Jon.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Yeah, waterline's looking good.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01The back end of the boat now is sat where it should be sat in the water.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08That's been a fairly successful patrol.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11We've had a gentleman whose boat was taking on water,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14if it had been left for any amount of time it would have sunk.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15So, all in all,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18that was a well worthwhile hour and a half out on the water.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Definitely time for a cuppa.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I'm an outdoors person, I hate working in an office,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I hate working inside, I have done in my younger days,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34but for the last 30 years, I've worked outdoors.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Not a bad office, that, is it?
0:19:59 > 0:20:01In Skipton, in the Yorkshire Dales,
0:20:01 > 0:20:0448-year-old Sally has a serious head wound.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08One of the millions of spectators lining the route,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10she was trying to get a better view,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12when she fell through the roof of a building.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- She's clearly got a boggy wound to the back of the head.- Yeah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Sally needs specialist hospital treatment, but with roads closed,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is her best chance of getting it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So let's just have a quick look at you before we go.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- Does your breathing feel OK?- Yeah.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Yeah? Take a nice deep breath.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- That feels all right, does it?- Yeah.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Do you remember everything that happened?- Yeah.- You do?
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- OK. Have you ever been in a helicopter before?- Yeah.- Have you?
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- You have?- Yeah. - So you know what to expect?- Yeah.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51It gets a bit noisy, OK? All right, Sally, your daughter's just there.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56She'll be fine. All right?
0:21:01 > 0:21:03As the helicopter prepares to leave...
0:21:05 > 0:21:09..daughter Emma has to trust her mum to the care of Dr Jez Pinnell.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12She's fallen through about 20 feet.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Just in view of how far she's fallen,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17we're going to take her to the major trauma centre, which is Leeds.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27With the Tour moved on and skies clear,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31it's a ten-minute flight to the trauma centre at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We know that people who are critically injured,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42their outcomes are better if they go directly to a major trauma centre.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44And going to a local hospital just...
0:21:44 > 0:21:48can delay that time that it takes to get to the point of definitive care.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50So they have all the expertise there,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54they manage patients with major trauma on a very regular basis.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59And if she needed some form of intervention, such as neurosurgery,
0:21:59 > 0:22:05then she could have that immediately performed in the hospital.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Leeds General is one of only seven UK hospitals with a helipad.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Pilot, Ian Mousette, guides the chopper
0:22:13 > 0:22:16through the cluttered skyline of the city centre.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21We're landing on an elevated helipad in an urban environment,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24an extra safety measure is having a fire crew there on standby,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26so if we did have a fire as we were landing,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29it could be immediately extinguished.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32So that's obviously good for us in terms of the aircrew,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37but obviously landing on top of a hospital...it's vital.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41OK, mate. Ready? Lift.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Keep coming. Keep coming.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The fire crew help deliver Sally to the waiting trauma unit.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Dr Jez briefs the team.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54She was on a roof in Skipton trying to get a good view of the Tour,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57she's gone through the roof, landed on her feet on a table,
0:22:57 > 0:22:58remembers the incident.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Thank you very much.- Thanks, guys.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14In the 14-year history of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18their skills and expertise have never been in such demand.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21And the Tour de France isn't over yet.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's Sunday, the Tour's second day in Yorkshire.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Anticipating another hectic shift is paramedic Graham Pemberton.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It's something that I could have stayed at home and watched on television
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and it would have been interesting, but to actually be part of it
0:23:47 > 0:23:50is going to be something I can tell my kids about.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Graham's in one of the three Air Ambulance helicopters flying this weekend.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22From the base near Wakefield,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26they're heading 25 miles north to a country lane outside Harrogate.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47The casualty is a cyclist, but a spectator, not a racer.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58There's an ambulance on scene,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01but once again the best option for getting the casualty to hospital
0:25:01 > 0:25:03is by helicopter.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10First, pilot Andy Hall needs to find a safe landing site.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26They spot a potential site, but it's not going to be easy.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56There's trust between everybody.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's trust from us as the aircrew with the pilot, of their ability,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and trust from the pilot that we're going to shout out if we see anything
0:26:03 > 0:26:06that starts to become a bit dangerous. So it's good teamwork.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Graham sets off towards the crash site.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26With no medical update,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30only now will he discover just how badly the cyclist is injured.
0:26:49 > 0:26:5150 miles further north,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55the Pennine hills meet the rolling countryside of the Durham Dales.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Teesside is celebrated for its unspoilt scenery
0:27:02 > 0:27:04and people living here want it kept that way.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Helping the local community protect the countryside
0:27:14 > 0:27:17is one of many challenges facing County Durham's cops.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27PC Steve Purchase is based in Barnard Castle,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Teesdale's main market town.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I mean, geographically the area that we cover is huge,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36it's got a relatively small population
0:27:36 > 0:27:40because most of the area is...it's rural and villages.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Because of that, it does make it difficult for us
0:27:42 > 0:27:46to get out and give everywhere the attention we would like to give it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47For the rural people,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50sometimes they feel like they're a long way from any help.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Steve's been a policeman here for five years,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55getting to know the patch and its people.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58There's a strong sense of community here.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00People know each other
0:28:00 > 0:28:04and people get together and help us with the problems.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07'It might seem minor when you talk about it,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11'but some of these things do affect people's quality of life quite badly.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15'And sometimes if you can fix those little problems and make things better for somebody,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18'then, you know, you get a sense of satisfaction from doing that.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Steve's responding to a call
0:28:23 > 0:28:26from one of the smaller villages in the dale.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30We're heading towards a village called Cotherstone.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34We don't generally have too many problems there.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37We've had a call from a lady living up there
0:28:37 > 0:28:41reporting that some items of property on her land
0:28:41 > 0:28:43have been damaged, some of it burnt.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49From Barnard Castle, Steve's taking a four-mile journey to Cotherstone.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54- Hello. Is it Ruth?- Yes.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56You took some finding, but we got here in the end.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58STEVE LAUGHS
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Ruth's reported an upsetting act of vandalism.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'Some fires have been set on this lady's land.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:08There's a few things that have been burnt.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10The remnants of the fire here.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Some paperwork. We've got some schoolwork.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Now, whether this belongs to somebody who's been involved in starting the fire,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19or whether it's just somebody's found it in the bin
0:29:19 > 0:29:21and used it to start the fire, I don't know.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25We'll go down and we'll have a look at the...at the site,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27at the scene and see what there is.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31It is, it is.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33It's a shame when people go and spoil it like this.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35It's...just idyllic out here.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Especially when you get down this side when you're away from the road and everything,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42it's just tranquil, isn't it?
0:29:42 > 0:29:47Ruth takes Steve to a nature garden she established with her husband.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52Deer over there.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55There's usually two of them running around.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00The pond you're coming to, we created over 30 years ago.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02We created this area for ourselves
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and the village has come to love these ponds.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08In fact, they're named now after my husband, Kennedy's Ponds.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12These ponds hold a lot of memories for Ruth
0:30:12 > 0:30:14since her husband, Kennedy, died.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16The whole story is that
0:30:16 > 0:30:19where we lived a duck came in and she had some ducklings
0:30:19 > 0:30:21and we thought, "Well, we'll create these ponds."
0:30:21 > 0:30:23And it was all done locally
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and Natural England helped us with the trees.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29And we created this and made the area along the right-of-way
0:30:29 > 0:30:32especially for people when they came walking by.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Steve's seen similar vandalism before.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41He's piecing together what might have happened.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47I wonder if it's somebody's recycling bin or something they've taken down
0:30:47 > 0:30:49and that's why we've got all the paper.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51That chunk of burnt wood
0:30:51 > 0:30:55has been cut off by us to provide seats for people to come down,
0:30:55 > 0:31:01to be natural for them when they want to sit here and have some peace and quiet amongst themselves.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03And that's been yanked up and chucked on there
0:31:03 > 0:31:07and put by the wood along the edge, so it's all deliberately burnt it.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11There's little evidence to go on.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14I'll put these cans into a bag here.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16We'll take them away with us.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18I did officially request that when the police came
0:31:18 > 0:31:21if they could see if they can do any fingerprinting.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Yeah, I can't do it myself right now,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26I would have to get someone to come and do it.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31One of our CSIs. But...yeah, I'll take these cans.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35I should have brought a bigger bag.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Ruth and Steve walk back to the house,
0:31:37 > 0:31:42where a confrontation with a yappy dog turns into a lucky break.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44DOG BARKS Oh, hello.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- All the rubbish in there is our rubbish.- Right.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Cos I put it out and then I went out in the morning
0:31:49 > 0:31:53to put some more newspapers in and the whole thing had gone.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Ruth's neighbour, Pippa, was about to call the police herself.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59She reveals that her wheelie bin has gone missing.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02I was completely mystified.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06- I've literally just ordered a new wheelie bin.- Was it a recycling one?
0:32:06 > 0:32:10- Yeah.- Would it have had a school planner in it?- Yeah.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12From Queen Margaret School, yes.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15It's a bin of some sort that been burnt down there.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- Right, so the whole bin's been burnt? Everything?- There's parts of...
0:32:19 > 0:32:21The only recognisable thing apart from magazines
0:32:21 > 0:32:25is like a diary, a year planner from school.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29Because there were a load of cans. Those would have been in the bin.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33- Right.- Because we've had the boys staying for the weekend.- I see.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36So everything was in for recycling.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Someone's taken the bin and started the fire,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42but Ruth's no nearer knowing who it was.
0:32:44 > 0:32:45It's a lovely village.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47It's absolutely great living here.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And it's such a shame that you have just a small incidence that can spoil it.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53But then that's life, isn't it?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It is low-level crime, but it's something that...
0:32:57 > 0:33:00That area is very personal to Ruth,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02so it's going to affect her,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06but it's also an area of pride for the whole community here.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09It's not a high-value crime,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13but it doesn't have to be, it's the way it upsets people is what matters.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18I'll be back in touch. I'll probably...
0:33:18 > 0:33:20I'm back in tomorrow afternoon.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24- OK, nice to meet you.- Take care. - Take care.- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38A month later, Steve's been unable to catch the culprit.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43But there is some good news for Ruth.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Somebody has anonymously been up to the scene
0:33:47 > 0:33:50and actually cleaned up the mess as best they could.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Whether that's been the people responsible with a sense of guilt
0:33:53 > 0:33:58or whether it's just been some kind-hearted members of the local community, I don't know.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01But, obviously, Ruth was over the moon
0:34:01 > 0:34:04that somebody had took it upon themselves to do this.
0:34:04 > 0:34:10So, I suppose, it does show there is a sense of community there.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34It's day two of the Tour de France's visit to Yorkshire,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37and the Air Ambulance has been called to Harrogate
0:34:37 > 0:34:38and the latest casualty.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50After a tricky landing...
0:34:55 > 0:34:59..paramedic, Graham Pemberton, makes his way to the ambulance,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02where an injured cyclist is receiving emergency treatment.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07All right there?
0:35:21 > 0:35:25- His lumbar spine?- Lumbar. - OK.- Lumbar thoracic.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29- OK.- You're doing well, Henry. - Is it Henry?- Henry, yeah.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Just sit...lie still for us, Henry.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Let me know if you're getting any pain in here.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36- Is that all right?- Yeah.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40How old are you, Henry?
0:35:40 > 0:35:43How old? All right, don't nod your ahead, Henry.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46OK? That's really important, all right?
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Graham had been told the casualty was 18 years old,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52but Henry is just 13.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56On his way to watch his cycling heroes,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Henry was coming down this hill.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02He didn't make it round the bend,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06lost control and fell headfirst over the bridge.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- So where did he land?- On the banking.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12- He landed on a hard surface. - Oh, right. OK.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Face first?
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Henry was cycling in a group with his stepdad, John, and mum, Jane.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21On here... Here's his helmet.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- That's his helmet.- Yeah. All right, we'll take that with us.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Yeah, so that's his...
0:36:28 > 0:36:29BEEPING
0:36:29 > 0:36:31So he's come over that bridge,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33face first onto the ground.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36And...has he been unconscious?
0:36:40 > 0:36:43So he's amnesic, he's got retro-amnesia. Right.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49John takes Graham to see exactly how far Henry fell.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Is that his skidmark there?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Probably, I didn't see it. But he ended up...down there.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01- In there, on that.- So it's probably about 12 feet, ain't it?- Yeah.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05OK. He's lucky he didn't hit the edge of the bank.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Well, they're very robust creatures, are kids,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and they recover remarkably quickly
0:37:12 > 0:37:16from injuries that you and I wouldn't walk away from.
0:37:16 > 0:37:17So...
0:37:17 > 0:37:21He'd fallen 12, 15 feet, maybe, over the bridge
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and down to the river bank.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So immediately I was thinking, "If he's fallen headfirst,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29"he's taken quite a big impact to his head."
0:37:29 > 0:37:34But also what struck me was that he landed on the side of the river.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Now, the river was lined with stone flagging
0:37:38 > 0:37:41and my concern had been whether or not he'd actually hit the stone.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Henry could have serious head and back injuries.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50We've got a patient to bring to you.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53It's a 13-year-old male. One-three-year-old male.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58He's got facial injuries and he's also got lumbar-spine tenderness.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02We're just about to lift, so we'll be with you very soon. All right?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Mum, Jane, will travel with Henry.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13I'll give you the nod when it's OK for us to talk, all right?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17He won't be able to hear us, though.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Henry's Tour de France weekend is over.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31The chopper takes off for the trauma unit at Leeds General.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Over the two days of the Tour de France,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended 21 incidents,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55around five times their average.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Sally was one of the first casualties,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05when a fall from a roof landed her in hospital.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10There was a load of people up there and me and my mum
0:39:10 > 0:39:12decided to go up and watch the Tour from up there.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And she just took one step out, fell 20 foot.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21The roof Sally fell through has been repaired.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26And two months later, Sally is also on the mend,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29back at work in her beauty salon.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I had quite a bad cut to my head, which took some time to clear up.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35I'm still sort of getting dizzy spells.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And that can last...post-concussion can last up to three months.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Everywhere else, I was really lucky, it was just cuts and bruises.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47I just thought it'd be a good view to go upstairs and have a look.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50So me and my daughter went upstairs and tried to get onto the roof.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52And I didn't look where I was walking
0:39:52 > 0:39:56and there was some plastic sheeting on the roof and I just fell through.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59There was a table and I think that table broke my fall.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04And then I went back onto my head and smashed my head onto the concrete.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07I can remember falling,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11but I can't remember actually touching the ground.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13I must have just passed out.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Sally missed the race as the ambulance and helicopter
0:40:19 > 0:40:21battled with the crowds to reach her.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Couldn't have picked a worse day for it, no. It was so busy,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30there were no cars about in Skipton, all the roads were shut,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34but, you know, considering how many people were in Skipton on the day,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37the Air Ambulance Service did an amazing job.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Tour de France fan, Henry, also took a tumble.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59When he careered over this bridge, his injuries looked serious.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02How old are you, Henry?
0:41:02 > 0:41:03How old?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05All right, don't nod your head, Henry.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08OK, that's really important, all right?
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Three months later, he's made an amazing recovery.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It did look quite dramatic.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19I had some serious strips above my eyebrow there, there's a scar now.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23And I've just got a graze along my leg there
0:41:23 > 0:41:25where I had a massive graze.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29I've just got a graze on my leg there and that's about it, really.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36They say bicycles are like horses -
0:41:36 > 0:41:41fall off and the best thing to do is get straight back in the saddle.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44And Henry's back on two wheels.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51I was pretty certain I was going to hit the bridge,
0:41:51 > 0:41:56cos it was a reasonably small, like, barrier thing.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00All I thought was, "I'm going to get rid of the bike. I want to get off the bike."
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And that's all I can really remember.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08So he's come over that bridge, face first onto the ground.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13So he's amnesic, he's got retro-amnesia. Right.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It did knock my confidence dramatically,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23cos I really do enjoy my cycling, so I thought, "No, let's carry on
0:42:23 > 0:42:24"and let's just see how it goes."
0:42:24 > 0:42:28And so, yeah, I'm still going and it's really good.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45It's been all go for Britain's rural emergency services.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50In Teesdale, Ruth's wildlife garden has sprung back to life,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53to be enjoyed by friends, family and fellow villagers.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Four months after her fall,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59beautician Sally's recovered from her head injury
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and is free from headaches and dizzy spells.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04And cyclist Henry is now fully fit,
0:43:04 > 0:43:09having just ridden 172 miles on a two-day trip to Wales.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.