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.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But we work and play in it at our peril.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And when things go wrong,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22the emergency services race to the rescue...
0:00:22 > 0:00:26This chap is having a heart attack and we need to get him in quickly.
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 > 0:00:36battling the elements and braving the weather.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40MAN GROANS
0:00:40 > 0:00:42From fields and forests
0:00:42 > 0:00:45to cliffs and country roads,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47we'll be right at the heart of the action...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..with police fighting crime.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Could seize the dog, could seize the van.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55But I'm going to summon you all to court.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Paramedics saving lives...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59BABY CRIES
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..and wardens safeguarding our lakes.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Come 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.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15This is Countryside 999.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Coming up...
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Battling bad weather to reach car crash casualties in North Yorkshire.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Can you take a deep breath for me?
0:01:42 > 0:01:43WOMAN GROANS You can't?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Fast responses...
0:01:47 > 0:01:49..need fast reactions.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Cross-country emergencies in Dumfries and Galloway.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And County Durham cops on a manhunt.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02There are funny goings-on above a fancy dress shop.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13North Yorkshire.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Famous for its dales, high moorland and picture-postcard villages.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It attracts over seven million tourists every year -
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and most come by car.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34But round every corner, there are dangers for visitors
0:02:34 > 0:02:36driving unfamiliar country roads.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43In Britain, rural roads are more dangerous than city streets
0:02:43 > 0:02:45or even motorways.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Over half of all road fatalities happen in the countryside.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53And in North Yorkshire, over 40 people die on the roads every year.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02On a rural B road, there's been a car crash.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17It's in a remote spot, so it's a job for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Established in 2000, the Air Ambulance service
0:03:24 > 0:03:26covers over 6,000 square miles...
0:03:30 > 0:03:32...and looks after some five million people.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Using the helicopter saves time and helps save lives.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Crewing the chopper today are pilot Ian Moussette,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50with paramedics Leon Baronowski and Pete Vallance.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The county covers, you know, a massive area
0:03:53 > 0:03:58and land crews can be travelling, you know, 40 minutes, 45 minutes
0:03:58 > 0:04:01with critically injured casualties.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Travelling by air can reduce those times significantly.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08The team are briefed in the air.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12There's been a head-on collision
0:04:12 > 0:04:1540 miles drive from the nearest hospital.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20From their base at RAF Topcliffe, near Thirsk,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23the heli-medics are flying 30 miles east to the accident,
0:04:23 > 0:04:24near Malton.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28They'll then take any casualty to hospital in Scarborough or York.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Weather conditions are poor.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37The helicopter has run into low cloud.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42But, 15 minutes in, pilot Ian spots blue lights.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Ambulance, police and fire crews are already at the crash site.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52With the road closed, the helicopter lands close by.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Pete and Leon head towards the wreckage for an emergency briefing.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The black car, with three people in it, has hit a lorry.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14One passenger walked away, relatively unhurt.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21But two young women - the driver and a second passenger -
0:05:21 > 0:05:22are trapped inside.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28That vehicle was sort of unrecognisable
0:05:28 > 0:05:31from its form before it hit the lorry.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33And as a result of that,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38you're looking for the occupants to have received a significant injury.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Certainly, you fear the worst
0:05:40 > 0:05:43when you turn up and see a wreckage such as that.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48As Pete re-assures the girls, fire crews try to cut them free.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The girls are frightened and have serious injuries.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Can you take a deep breath for me?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03WOMAN GROANS You can't?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05does that make your pain more severe?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08All right, I'm just going to feel around your wrist there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12In the car are 19-year old Elly and her friend Billie.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16After a day at a nearby theme park,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18the friends were driving home on wet roads
0:06:18 > 0:06:21when their car collided with the 18-tonne lorry.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25The lorry driver is unhurt.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I was coming back to depot.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Obviously, rained earlier on and just made the road a bit slippery.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And next thing I know, there was this car coming in front of me.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37So, it...
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Yeah. Head-on.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Elly? Elly, if I touch up here, is that hurting?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- No.- What about as I come down there?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49With both girls unable to move,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53it's impossible for Pete to make a full examination of their injuries.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57So, it's your left arm and your right leg. Yeah?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08There were two casualties in the vehicle that we needed to extricate,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10so you've got to put a plan together,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13and we work very closely with the fire services when we're doing that
0:07:13 > 0:07:16to see which order the casualties are going to come out on.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Sometimes, we need to remove the less injured casualty
0:07:45 > 0:07:49in order to get to the more seriously injured casualty
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and remove them in a more controlled manner.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54In this instance, both casualties
0:07:54 > 0:07:57had potentially life-threatening injuries
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and you had crews working either side of the vehicle.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Pete.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10The fire crews are finally able to peel away the car roof.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Heli-medic Leon can now get to the rear passenger, Billie.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Though she's in a lot of pain,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Leon feels it's safe to get her out of the wreckage.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35But the impact of the crash could have damaged her back and neck.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37The medics must move her carefully.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41If we get the stretcher behind, then what we'll do is we'll get it
0:08:41 > 0:08:44all set up behind the car so we can come straight out of there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Are you happy...?- I think boarding underneath her bum.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50We've got plenty hands and we'll just support her back.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51- Spin her round the side?- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I think that's going to be the better option.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56And the quickest as well, cos she's quite cold and wet.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Ask one of my colleagues. I'm not sure out of the two
0:08:58 > 0:09:00which one we're going to take.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02So, for now, if we just get her out, get her comfortable,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05then we'll be able to have a proper look from there, won't we?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10There's room for only one patient in the air ambulance,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13but both girls are badly hurt.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Leon and Pete must decide who needs to get to hospital the quickest.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22All right, Billie, we're just going to get you straight out, OK?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Then we'll get you some pain relief once we've warmed you up
0:09:25 > 0:09:26and get your jacket off, all right?
0:09:26 > 0:09:31You just need to bear with us whilst we move you, OK?
0:09:31 > 0:09:33There's going to be a little bit of discomfort.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We'll do it as quickly as we can.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45How long will it take you to transit to York by road from here?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- 35, 40.- Yeah.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Having weighed up Billie's injuries, the heli-medics make a plan.
0:09:54 > 0:09:5730, 35 for them to go by road to York.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59This lady is still trapped, we need to get her out,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- so we'll be longer in the car, won't we?- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Do you think, if we take anyone, it's going to be her. All right.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06It's decided.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Billie's going to hospital by road. The helicopter will wait for Elly.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But she's still trapped in the wrecked car.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It's a sunny Sunday morning in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34southwest Scotland.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40For most, weekends are for rest and relaxation
0:10:40 > 0:10:42on the spectacular coastline
0:10:42 > 0:10:44or in the stunning countryside.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56But wherever people go and whatever people do,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59there are always accidents, illnesses and emergencies...
0:11:01 > 0:11:05..testing the skill and dedication of the region's emergency services.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14At Dumfries ambulance station,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18trainee paramedic, Emma Luebke is starting her Sunday shift.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Emma's been with the ambulance service for two and a half years
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and is working her way up.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I'm currently working as an ambulance technician.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I had to complete a year's training to be an ambulance technician
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and I'm now in the process of doing my paramedic training,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43which is another year total to qualify as a paramedic.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46I like getting out there.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's definitely a rewarding job and there's no two days the same.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Weekend shifts can be hard to predict.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58A lot of people think that weekends are quite quiet
0:11:58 > 0:12:01out in the country, but that's not the case.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Generally, a lot of people are attracted to the area,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06so you get a lot more visitors
0:12:06 > 0:12:09who perhaps might not know the roads quite so well.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11There's a lot of farm traffic out on the roads in the summer
0:12:11 > 0:12:13with the harvesting that's going on.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18So, you can be called to some road traffic accidents,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21motor bikers, horse-riding accidents.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Yeah, there's a lot going on at weekends.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Today, Emma's partnering lead paramedic Michael Harmjanz,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30and a call's come in.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35They're blue-lighting it to the tiny village of Templand, near Lockerbie,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39a 12-mile journey along challenging country roads.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40SIREN WAILS
0:12:40 > 0:12:45We're going now to a 70-year-old male...
0:12:47 > 0:12:49..who appears has fallen and hit his head.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52He's got some cuts to his hands as well.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54He also has an existing heart condition
0:12:54 > 0:12:58and it is about 15 minutes drive away.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02But obviously, the patient is going to have to wait that bit longer
0:13:02 > 0:13:03for us to get there.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06And we want to get there safely as well.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11There is an ambulance crew based nearer to the incident,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13but they're busy with another emergency.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We feel the pressure sometimes to get there quickly
0:13:17 > 0:13:19so that we can help that person.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22And the longer that our journey is, you know,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25the more that you're feeling sometimes a bit frustrated
0:13:25 > 0:13:27that you can't be there as quick as you'd like to be.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31It's a nice day, it's Sunday.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34There's a lot of traffic about.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37A lot of drivers are looking at the countryside,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41so their awareness of other vehicles is not quite what it should be.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47HORN BLARES
0:13:48 > 0:13:50SIREN WAILS
0:13:50 > 0:13:52HORN HONKS
0:13:53 > 0:13:54I'll just get horn happy, then.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Yep. Just up there.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Whilst Emma's still in training,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10German-born Michael has 15 years' experience as a paramedic.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12They work together as a team.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- Hello there, sir.- Hello. - What's happened today, sir?
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Ah, right.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34How are you feeling just now?
0:14:41 > 0:14:4570-year-old Jim and his wife, Anita, are from Northern Ireland.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47They're visiting their daughter.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49We're going to get a blood pressure and everything
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and we'll have a wee look at your heart
0:14:51 > 0:14:53just to see what is going on there.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56So, have you been feeling well today otherwise?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- No. He's been complaining.- Well, my head has been a wee bit light.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Of recent weeks, they increased my blood pressure tablet.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- Right.- My blood pressure had gone up a wee bit.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08OK.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- No, that's fine. - Your blood pressure's OK.- Right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23It's only 20 minutes since the call-out,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26but if there is a problem with Jim's heart,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Emma's training tells her every second counts.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Just take your temperature, sir.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Usually, elderly gentlemen for unknown collapse,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36we'll tend to always do an ECG on them
0:15:36 > 0:15:40just to check that it's not anything that's going on with the heart.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Sometimes it can show up that these patients are having a heart attack,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47which is obviously a life-threatening condition
0:15:47 > 0:15:49that needs, you know, emergency treatment.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53ECG looks a bit low. It's a bit slow.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And he told us that he does have existing problems with his heart,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03but we don't want to be taken down a specific route.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05We've got to be open to other possibilities
0:16:05 > 0:16:08of why this gentleman has taken unwell.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Jim has a complex medical history.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13The paramedics are taking no chances.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Is it OK if we take you to Dumfries Infirmary, Jim?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- Yes, sure.- Just to find out why you actually had a faint.- All right.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24How long do you reckon has he been...?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- Very...- Just seconds.- Just seconds.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28- Not long.- Right, OK.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- Do you remember everything as well, do you?- Yes.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45As Michael gets ready to leave, Emma bandages Jim's arms,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47bruised and bloodied from the fall.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It seems a bit extreme, putting a huge bandage on,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53but it's better just to get them covered just now.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- Bit of a bumpy ride back into Dumfries now.- Mm.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- Completely different in the back of an ambulance.- I know.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12You'll get to see some of the...
0:17:13 > 0:17:15This is your...? Oh, well.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Welcome to Scottish Ambulance Service.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20SHE CHUCKLES
0:17:24 > 0:17:26At the hospital in Dumfries,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Jim is handed over to the medical team in A&E.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Listening to his history,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35we just felt that it was best for the patient
0:17:35 > 0:17:38to go to hospital for an assessment.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40He's had a fainting episode.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42He didn't have any warnings of it coming on.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47He does have a cardiac history and a history of hypertension.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51They can do extra blood tests that might, you know, find anything
0:17:51 > 0:17:55that's caused his collapse that we might not be able to pick up.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- OK? Take care, Jim.- Thanks very much. - I'll go and get your medication.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- They're still an ambulance. - Yes. Wonderful service.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02Enjoy the rest of the holiday.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- JIM CHUCKLES OK?- Thank you very much.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Take care. Bye just now.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21On a country road in North Yorkshire,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23the air ambulance is on scene at a head-on collision.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Three friends were returning from a day out at a theme park
0:18:30 > 0:18:32when their car hit an 18-tonne truck.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35The car was destroyed.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Two passengers have been taken to hospital,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44but 19-year-old Elly is still trapped in the driver's seat.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49How's your pain at the moment?
0:18:49 > 0:18:53If you had to score it out of ten, if zero is no pain at all,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55ten is worst pain you can imagine,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58whereabouts are you on that scale?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Ten! Is that your chest or your leg?
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Which is the worst?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Let's just see if we give you something
0:19:08 > 0:19:10to ease that pain a little bit.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Her leg is crushed in the wreckage and she has serious chest pain,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but Heli-medic Pete Vallance can do little
0:19:18 > 0:19:21until fire crews free Elly from the mangled car.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Time is of the essence
0:19:25 > 0:19:28when patients have received major traumatic injuries.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Can you open and close this hand a few times for me?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35By constantly talking to them, reassuring them
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and keeping them informed on what the intent to do,
0:19:38 > 0:19:43then hopefully you can keep that patient in the best spirits.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Where were you off to then, Elly?
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- Flamingo Land?- Yeah.- Oh, right.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Have you had a good day, then?
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Yeah.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02The weather's making the rescue more difficult.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It's wet and cold, factors which may have contributed to the crash.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Local police officer Dan Hughes was one of the first on scene.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16We've got looming fog, we've had rain
0:20:16 > 0:20:18and the roads are wet and slippery.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It is, unfortunately, quite a common factor
0:20:20 > 0:20:23to deal with collisions involving young people
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and sometimes attributed to excessive speed.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Perhaps not for the speed limits in place - this will be a 60mph road -
0:20:29 > 0:20:32but excessive for the road and weather conditions.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37With the roof and sides of the car cut away,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Elly can at last be carefully lifted from the wreck.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41Are you ready?
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- So, the board's moving here, not the patient.- Yes.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- Ready?- Just stay where you are. - One, two, three.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Right, it's about halfway.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Only now can Pete properly assess her injuries.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Elly, I just need to determine where that pain is.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Is it in your hip or further down?
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- Further down.- OK. Here?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Yeah, it hurts there!- OK.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09One, two, three!
0:21:10 > 0:21:14I think we've got two- or three-inch shortening on this thigh.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Yeah. Do you want to...?
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Yeah.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Elly's femur - her thigh bone - is broken,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25an extremely painful injury that requires immediate attention.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26Just so I can cover you up.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31- We're going to need put a splint onto this leg to pull it straight.- OK.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33What we want to do is put a splint on there,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35which one - prevents moving,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39secondly - it will stretch the limb out
0:21:39 > 0:21:42hopefully to the desired shape that it should be.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47SHE CRIES AND SCREAMS
0:21:47 > 0:21:49SHE WHIMPERS
0:22:00 > 0:22:04What that will do is ensure as well that any tissue beyond that injury
0:22:04 > 0:22:08gets the necessary blood supply
0:22:08 > 0:22:11to ensure no permanent damage is caused by it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16The thigh bone is the biggest bone in the body.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It takes a massive force to break it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Car crashes like Elly's are a common cause of thigh bone fractures.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Elly, I'm just going have a listen to your chest
0:22:27 > 0:22:28while your breathing on that.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Pete's also concerned about impact injuries to Elly's chest.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40They could restrict her breathing. She needs urgent hospital treatment.
0:22:46 > 0:22:4843 minutes after the air ambulance landed,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Elly's stretchered to the waiting helicopter.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Yeah, that right leg, Ian, just be careful as we go in.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Touch further.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01How are we doing, Elly?
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Yeah, it's nice.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09You are, yeah.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Elly's ready for the ten-minute flight to hospital in York.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20But the weather's closing in.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25We'd had some quite heavy downpours,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27so along with that we get low cloud,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30you get mist forming and poor visibility.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36It's touch and go whether they can fly Elly to York
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and the treatment she desperately needs.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58County Durham in England's northeast.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04From river valley to high moor, it's a land of wide open spaces.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08But if it looks peaceful,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11countryside coppers have as big a challenge fighting crime
0:24:11 > 0:24:13as their inner-city colleagues.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19On the eastern edge of the Pennine Hills sits the town of Consett,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21one of the largest towns in the area,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24and its police station, one of the busiest.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30On shift today, with 15 years' experience
0:24:30 > 0:24:34in the Durham Constabulary, is PC Scott Crowhurst.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37My father was a police officer, my grandfather was a police officer,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39so is my uncle.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42And I decided, when I was around about 19, that's what I wanted to do.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47What I'm involved in is looking at the risk to the community
0:24:47 > 0:24:50from crime, antisocial behaviour,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53so it could be drug dealing and burglaries and things like that.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57My role is to come up with solutions to protect the community.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02A 999 call comes through, and it's close by.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Inspector Keith Wardle cuts through the traffic as passenger
0:25:06 > 0:25:08PC Scott gets further details.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Yeah, it's been reported burglary in progress
0:25:12 > 0:25:15at an address in Blackhill.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I think it's above a florist's, it seems that she was saying,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24so that will be what we call a burglary other,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26like a non-dwelling.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But obviously, we'll have to see what it is when we get there.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37When we initially got on the scene,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40we all went round to the rear of the premises thinking
0:25:40 > 0:25:42if there's someone on there and it's a burglary in progress,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44we can end up getting to grips with somebody,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46so the adrenaline is flowing.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Scott runs to the front of the shops.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Initial information suggested this was a florist's -
0:26:04 > 0:26:06instead, he finds a fancy dress shop.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- Is the address above Fantasia, the fancy dress shop?- 'Yes.'
0:26:14 > 0:26:16The shop owner has made the 999 call
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and thinks there's still something dodgy going on in the flat above.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25- I saw him round the back on the back door.- OK. Oh, right.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Which door was that?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Want to go and show him? - Could you show us? That'd be great.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Then we know what we're on about. That'd be brilliant.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- No, no.- Instead I'd just come straight round.- OK. Lovely.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10So last seen on the roof?
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- Yeah, he was crouched down on that roof over there.- Right.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22If this flat is being burgled, they could catch the thief red-handed.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24We'll try and knock on the door whilst my colleague is up there,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27if there's obviously an insecure window or whatnot.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31We're knocking on the door to see if there is anybody in.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It just could be a person's not at work today and they're in.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39My colleague is up on the roof at the moment and he's going to see
0:27:39 > 0:27:41if there are any open windows are out like that,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43or in fact if the lad is still up there doing something daft.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Obviously, if he is, we'll speak with him.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48What we're looking for are signs of entry.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51If it looks like a window has been forced or something,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54then obviously we would be looking at going in via that opening
0:27:54 > 0:27:56or maybe forcing this door.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Hang on, there's a window open there.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04You mind if I have a quick...?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07There's no sign of forced entry into the flat above the shop,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10but Scott spots an open window in a neighbouring flat.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13That's where...
0:28:13 > 0:28:16I might actually get him to show me upstairs just to make sure
0:28:16 > 0:28:17he hasn't gone in there.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Obviously, we've seen the window open round the back there.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Just want to check that he hasn't gone into another address.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We've had a report from the fancy dress shop there's been a lad
0:28:27 > 0:28:28hanging round the back,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30maybe he tried to get in the fancy dress shop.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34But it's also been reported he's been on the low roof just by your window.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37You haven't had anyone try to get in the back of your house or
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- seen anything, have you?- No.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42If there was a thief here, it seems he's gone.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Gareth, the shop owner, explains why he dialled 999.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51Basically, I'd gone round the back to the stockroom
0:28:51 > 0:28:56and I heard commotion in the yard adjacent to my own.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59So I decided to go on and investigate.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00I think he saw me
0:29:00 > 0:29:03cos he was crouched down on the roof on the telephone.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07If the suspect spotted Gareth,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Gareth also saw enough of the suspect to give a description.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Tracksuit bottoms, trainers, and like a dirty white T-shirt.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19And there's a breakthrough.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21There's a lad been stopped up the street
0:29:21 > 0:29:23matching the description of the person.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I'm just making sure we're going the right way here.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27Yeah, further up here.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Based on Gareth's information,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Inspector Keith's been on the lookout and has come up trumps.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Myself and a colleague quickly realised
0:29:40 > 0:29:42that about 100 yards up the street,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45a person matching the description was walking up the street.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52We stopped a young lad. He was obviously heavily intoxicated.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55What have you been up to today, mate? Out and about?
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Kick your shoes off for us, mate.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Well, a person matching your description
0:30:17 > 0:30:19has been reported up on the roof.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22We managed to establish the lad had an argument with his mum.
0:30:22 > 0:30:23He was a bit confused.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25He'd just gone back somewhere he was familiar with,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27he obviously hadn't done anything wrong.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30There's been no offence committed, but Scott has a quiet word.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33We don't want you going back down there and doing 'out daft, all right?
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Especially if you had a bit of a ding-dong with your mam and whatnot.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44He was, you know, he was drunk, but he was very cooperative.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46He was having a joke with us.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49When given the reason why we want to search him, he accepted that.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52He had nothing on him that would help him to break into the premises.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53He had no stolen property on him.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56There was no reason to take it any further, if you like.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- Right, we'll see you later.- Cheers. - Right.- Take care, mate, yeah?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07That's job done for the Consett coppers.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08So Scott reassures Gareth
0:31:08 > 0:31:11there'll be no more funny business above his shop.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15- Thank you very much.- You're welcome. - Cheers.- Thank you.- Take care.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39In the market town of Dumfries in southwest Scotland,
0:31:39 > 0:31:44paramedic Michael Harmjanz and ambulance technician Emma Luebk
0:31:44 > 0:31:47are preparing for another day out on the road.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52I think the public probably have this perception that there's
0:31:52 > 0:31:55endless amounts of ambulances driving around the countryside,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58because there are, you know - there's a lot of jobs in a day
0:31:58 > 0:32:01and we're going in all directions.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04We only have two ambulances working out of Dumfries station so we can
0:32:04 > 0:32:07sometimes be quite pushed to our limits, really,
0:32:07 > 0:32:08as far as resources go.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15150,000 people live in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18spread across 2,500 square miles.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25And with nearly a third over 60, looking after them is a tough call.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Working in this rural environment you do get a mixture of jobs.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36You've got your jobs in the town on a Saturday night, the usual,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39but you've also got farms that are in quite rural areas.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43People that have perhaps lived in these houses up in the back
0:32:43 > 0:32:45and beyond for their whole entire life
0:32:45 > 0:32:49and they've now become quite elderly and quite dependent on other people.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52They feel quite isolated sometimes.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Emma and Michael have just taken an emergency call.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05It's a road traffic accident in the country.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13From their Dumfries base,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15it's a 15-mile trip north
0:33:15 > 0:33:16to the village of Thornhill.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21This time Emma's in the driving seat.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27To drive the ambulances,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31we've got to receive a three-week training that strips
0:33:31 > 0:33:32back our normal driving,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35teaches us more advanced driving techniques to make you more
0:33:35 > 0:33:39aware of other road users, just to make you anticipate
0:33:39 > 0:33:42any hazards that you might find on the roads.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44There's another ambulance close by
0:33:44 > 0:33:46which will get to the incident first.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49But with more than one casualty, both crews are needed.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02They still don't know how serious the incident is.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Michael monitors communications.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49It's taken just 16 minutes to make the 15-mile journey.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53The first ambulance is on-site.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57A van's crashed into a parked car. There are two casualties.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Michael and Emma are briefed by colleague David Dale.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25The 90-year-old driver, Mick, seems remarkably unharmed.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30- OK, we'll take you to the hospital, all right, Mick?- Yeah, OK.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32His passenger's been taken by the first ambulance.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Michael and Emma look after Mick.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Mick. Right, Mick, how are you doing?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43All right, sir.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44A bit wobbly?
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Let's get you onto this bed.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50He's in good enough shape
0:35:50 > 0:35:53to get himself out of the smashed-up van.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Just a bit of a step back onto the... There you go.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Thanks, Dave.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Can they stop the traffic?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Once Mick's safely in the ambulance...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21How feeling there? You comfortable enough?
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Yes.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26..Michael gives him a thorough check-over
0:36:26 > 0:36:28for signs of any head injury.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Can you remember what happened?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Do you know where you are at the moment?
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Where are you?
0:36:37 > 0:36:39That's right. You've been in Dumfries, have you?
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Emma turns her attention to Mick's diabetes.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Right. Is it OK to do another blood sugar test just to check and see
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- what their levels are at now? - No charge.- Aw, free of charge.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'In this case, you are doing this blood sugar test
0:36:58 > 0:37:00'because he is a known diabetic.'
0:37:00 > 0:37:03You know, it really points us to the reason for him passing out
0:37:03 > 0:37:05while he is driving.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08He had been explaining that he had been feeling quite sleepy
0:37:08 > 0:37:12as he was driving, which can be, you know, a little sign
0:37:12 > 0:37:16for diabetics that their blood sugar levels are getting low.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20You know the process with us. Just a scratch coming up now, OK?
0:37:20 > 0:37:25- Oh, oh, good grief.- You have done this a few times.- She's torturing me.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27SHE CHUCKLES
0:37:27 > 0:37:31There we go. Mick, your blood sugars are 3.2.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34I'm guessing that is still quite low for you, is it?
0:37:34 > 0:37:37- What would you sit at normally? - Oh, don't ask me.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39All right, you don't check them regularly
0:37:39 > 0:37:40- or anything like that?- No, no.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46After giving Mick glucose to get his blood sugars back to normal,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Emma takes him to hospital in Dumfries.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Despite the crash, he seems in pretty good spirits.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56OK.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Thank you for driving, my dear. - You're very welcome.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04But if Mick has fallen unconscious due to his diabetes,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07he'll need a thorough examination before getting back home
0:38:07 > 0:38:08or back on the road.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28On a North Yorkshire back road,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31another car crash has left a young driver with serious injuries.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36- Think we've got two- or three-inch shortening on this thigh.- Femur.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Yeah.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39- SHE WAILS - Nearly done.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Student Elly has been loaded onto the air ambulance.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48She has a fractured thigh
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and a chest injury that could be a damaged lung.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55She needs to get to York hospital.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04But heli-medic Leon Baronowski is concerned about the 40-mile trip.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08The weather started to close in on us whilst we were on scene.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10I think it was something we were all mindful of.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Dark, gloomy, and wet.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18But the weather particularly that day was probably some of the worst
0:39:18 > 0:39:22that I've flown in on my two years working on the helicopter unit.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Leon helps the pilot navigate the difficult conditions.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Now I'm operating as that pilot's second eyes of the aircraft
0:39:34 > 0:39:37in that front left-hand seat and I'm looking out for obstacles.
0:39:37 > 0:39:43We've got pylons 200-, 300-foot high, aerials, wind farms, masts -
0:39:43 > 0:39:45some of them that are popping up left, right, and centre
0:39:45 > 0:39:49without actually appearing on the maps.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52The patient is flat on their back, often looking at the ceiling.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54They can't see where we are, they just see cloud.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59I can recall that the aircraft was quiet.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07And you know when the aircraft is quiet that everyone is working
0:40:07 > 0:40:10hard to try and figure out where they are, what we are doing,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12and how we are going to get from A to B.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16I was sweating.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21After a tricky flight,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23the helicopter reaches York.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25The crew head for the landing site.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Not every hospital has a designated landing site.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36In this case, we land on a field next to the hospital.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43The team transfer Elly from the chopper into the waiting ambulance.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50She's taken the last few hundred yards into A&E,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52where she'll undergo emergency surgery.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01But this is all that's left of her first car.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Five months later, Elly's back home in Stockton.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17I broke my femur. I broke my elbow and dislocated it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And I broke my nose and I broke one of my ribs.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Then I bruised my lungs.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I was in hospital for about two weeks.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I had surgery there where I had a needle into my femur to put
0:41:29 > 0:41:32it back together and then I had wiring put into my elbow.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39Then, just a process of going from not being able to even sit up
0:41:39 > 0:41:43on my own to the physiotherapist helping me stand up
0:41:43 > 0:41:45and then walk a couple of steps and then walk a couple of more
0:41:45 > 0:41:48steps, it's just literally been building it up every day.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I can't remember the actual impact.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I just remember, like, it was pouring down with rain
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and the roads were really slippy.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05There was, like, a big bend in the road and the wheels locked and
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I couldn't turn the car and we just went straight head-on with a wagon.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I couldn't have gone by road to the hospital.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20The hospital was 45 minutes away by ambulance and, like, with my
0:42:20 > 0:42:23injuries, I was in so much pain that
0:42:23 > 0:42:25I couldn't have gone over roads. I couldn't have done anything,
0:42:25 > 0:42:29the helicopter got me there in nine minutes. It was really good.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43It's been all go for Britain's rural emergency services.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47After the horrific car crash,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50student Elly is back studying and working part time.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Jim's recovered from his faint and has returned to Dumfries
0:42:57 > 0:42:59and Galloway to visit his daughter.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03His problem was caused by a change in blood pressure tablets.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And all being well, trainee Emma will qualify as a fully-fledged
0:43:06 > 0:43:08paramedic in the summer.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.