0:00:08 > 0:00:11I don't think there is any greater calling in life for someone.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15To be able to see a son or daughter's face
0:00:15 > 0:00:18when you bring their father or mother back from the edge of death
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and overcoming limits. It's quite powerful.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26The RAF Search and Rescue force save hundreds of lives every year,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29in dramatic locations around the country.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33That sense of satisfaction when the team pulls together
0:00:33 > 0:00:37and yes, especially when it's a life saver, it's second to none.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38It's an amazing feeling.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42After 70 years of service,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44RAF Search and Rescue is coming to an end.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Soon, a private company will take over from the military.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Certain blokes have love affairs with their cars.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I think some air crew have love affairs with a Sea King.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02But before they leave our skies, we follow the life-saving
0:01:02 > 0:01:05work of the RAF Sea King crews
0:01:05 > 0:01:09from mountainside to hospital bedside.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Oh, oh, oh!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14With exclusive behind-the-scenes access at the base where
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Prince William is stationed,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18this is the story of RAF Search and Rescue.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Snowdonia.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Home to the highest mountains in Wales.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39With 15 peaks over 3,000 feet high,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43winds at the summit can sometimes reach 150 miles an hour
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and winter temperatures can plummet to -20 Celsius.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Its wild mountain peaks and old industrial slate quarries
0:01:52 > 0:01:56make this a vast and challenging terrain to explore.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00The local RAF Search and Rescue crew based on Anglesey
0:02:00 > 0:02:05know these infamous mountains only too well.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- Hi.- Al.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Today, Snowdonia claims its latest victim.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16When the job phone rings, you don't know what it's going to be
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and it could be nice and simple or it could be...
0:02:18 > 0:02:21job of the century, so to say,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and whoever's on shift -
0:02:23 > 0:02:26it could be the newest guy, it could be the most experienced.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28On shift with winchman Rich T today
0:02:28 > 0:02:31are co-pilot Flight Lieutenant Dan Loxton,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33radar operator Sergeant Paul Bramley
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and aircraft captain Flight Lieutenant William Wales.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Once the phone's gone off and everyone's calmed down and you've
0:02:40 > 0:02:43got the crew together, as captain you kind of stand off a little bit.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47You're trying to play out the entire rescue and the transit to the rescue
0:02:47 > 0:02:52and back again in your mind and pick up any circumstances or problems
0:02:52 > 0:02:54you can foresee and then try and fix them on the ground
0:02:54 > 0:02:55before you get airborne,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58cos once you get airborne, things get a lot harder to communicate.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Rotors coming on, three, two, one...
0:03:04 > 0:03:06The four-member crew are scrambled
0:03:06 > 0:03:08to a disused quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13The RAF Search And Rescue flights
0:03:13 > 0:03:15are based in six locations around Britain.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17But it's the two flights patrolling Wales
0:03:17 > 0:03:20which have the most callouts every year.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23From the Royal Marines Barracks in Chivenor, in the south,
0:03:23 > 0:03:24and RAF Valley in the north.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Today Valley's Rescue 122 has been called to Blaenau Ffestiniog
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and the old slate quarry of Maenofferen.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Co-pilot Dan Loxton points out the route to the handling pilot,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Flight Lieutenant William Wales.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Right. Up here, Will. It's to the east side of Blaenau Ffestiniog,
0:03:41 > 0:03:42in the quarries there.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- I'll just follow the mark.- Yeah.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Some of the hardest flying is in the mountains,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49usually because the weather's poorer.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51The winds are usually a lot, lot stronger,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and turbulence is a big factor for us.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57But equally, the mountains of Snowdon, cos it's quite a small,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00sort of, mountainous area, so we can get in and out rapidly
0:04:00 > 0:04:04so we can be anywhere within a few minutes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Co-pilot Dan Loxton updates the crew on the casualty.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09It's a 15-year-old faller,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12with bleeding from the rib area, in and out of consciousness,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- difficulty breathing.- Whereabouts? - In a quarry, at the moment.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Blaenau Ffestiniog, in the quarries there. Let's have a look.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Rescue 122 have reached the old quarry.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Should be at the right-hand side now, I'm suggesting. OK? Eyes down.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Now they need to find the casualty.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Point zero eight we're heading.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Zero two four, so it's just behind this corner.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Spotting the young boy in all that slate
0:04:38 > 0:04:41is taking precious time and - critically - fuel.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Let's have a look on these quarries.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Could be in the shade somewhere on the right. I'll just go round, guys.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Keep your eyes out. I'll put everything on the right-hand side.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55'The weather was really good which makes searching a lot easier.'
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Having the sunshine out is great, but with the sunshine comes huge shadows
0:04:58 > 0:05:01as well, and so if you're inside those shadows,
0:05:01 > 0:05:02you can't be seen very easily.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05It's in this vicinity here now. Over.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- So it's right here. That's the exact grid.- Can't see anybody.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12You have a grid which you fly to.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Cos the shape of the quarry changes, it could be as much as 10, 20,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18100, one kilometre out.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23The longer they search, the more valuable fuel they burn.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Kinloss Rescue, Kinloss Rescue, Rescue 122. Over.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Guys, I'm going to follow... - 'Rescue 122? Go ahead.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:32There we go. Er, yeah, this is Rescue 122.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36We're on-scene at an incident at Blaenau Ffestiniog.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39There we go, guys. There we go. There we go.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41William spots a member of the emergency services.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Disregard. Located.- That's the right guy. Right by the bridge now.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47They've found the casualty.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Aircraft captain William Wales prepares to land.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Are you going to land in that big quarry puddle?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Just out of the puddle, so we don't get wet.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- We are committed.- We are committed.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Winchman Rich T now needs to assess the 15-year-old casualty.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13He's in a difficult and dangerous spot.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Yeah, on to the stones.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Did he get himself up off the road?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- With the help of his friends over there.- They dragged him up here?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Yeah. You all right, son?
0:06:26 > 0:06:27He fell off an old railway bridge,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32but he landed on some quite hefty rocks, very uneven.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35He was very battered and bruised in his ribs, but very purple,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and a bit of bleeding going on.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41And that can lead to quite significant underlying
0:06:41 > 0:06:43injuries that you can't see.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The seriousness of the boy's injuries means co-pilot
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Dan Loxton needs to inform the local hospital.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Rescue, Rescue 122.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Winchman, be advised the casualty is 15 years old
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and will require a trauma team on-scene, over.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Have you got his surname?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- He's Liam Evans. - SHE SPEAKS WELSH
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Time is ticking.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The Sea King is low on fuel after the long search,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and the crew now have to decide
0:07:09 > 0:07:12whether to stay on site or go off to refuel.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Rich, you've got about er...about 12 minutes.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's going to take at least 15.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20'In this particular instance,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'Rich needed quite a long time on the ground to stabilise the casualty.'
0:07:23 > 0:07:26In that situation it's always the paramedic's call - if he says,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29"No, I want to go now", then we just stay and we go with what
0:07:29 > 0:07:32we have and make do, but in that particular instance Rich was happy,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36so we zipped off to Caernarfon and got a refuel.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Rich T stays behind with Liam. It's a vulnerable moment.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The winchman will need all his 13 years of experience
0:07:44 > 0:07:47as a paramedic to make sure the boy's condition doesn't deteriorate.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I'm going to gently bring your head
0:07:52 > 0:07:54so you're looking straight up at the sky.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04'The ambulance service had done a very good job of stabilising him.'
0:08:04 > 0:08:07My role really then was to package the lad as quickly as we could,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09really, just in case.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Ease him up slightly there.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Pop this under as far as we can. Yeah?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Are you happy helping us?
0:08:16 > 0:08:17On Tricia's call.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19One, two, three.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Younger people can take a very big
0:08:25 > 0:08:29drop-off and become very poorly very quickly,
0:08:29 > 0:08:34so there's always that concern with the younger, that you must press on.
0:08:41 > 0:08:4420 minutes later, the Sea King is back on scene.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Because of the tricky location,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51the crew decide to winch the casualty aboard.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53OK, Rich. Tell the guys we'll be coming over their heads.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55The ones behind you.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58If you're happy with the height, Will, so we can make the commit.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The crew now have to rely on one another to rescue Liam.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05From the side door, radar operator Brammers acts
0:09:05 > 0:09:08like a second pair of eyes for aircraft captain William.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Winching out. Right.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Handling the aircraft during the winch is one of the most
0:09:15 > 0:09:18challenging tasks for the captain.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22It is a challenging procedure,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and it's inherently dangerous to put a man
0:09:24 > 0:09:27on a very thin piece of wire hanging underneath nine tonnes
0:09:27 > 0:09:30of helicopter that's susceptible to turbulence
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and problems itself, and may have to fly away.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36'You have to analyse the information you're given
0:09:36 > 0:09:38'and make the best judgement.'
0:09:38 > 0:09:42It's not easy. It makes you feel worried, concerned,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45You obviously want to make the right call.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I have a duty of care for the crew -
0:09:47 > 0:09:49for the casualty in many cases as well,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52so you do have to think very carefully.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Overall, I've got three other guys
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I can always rely on for my decision-making.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58I'm clear.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Forward to the commit area.- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I'll get this... OK, mate. Winch.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Out.- Out.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08- Stop.- Stop.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Going to decline and take the tail round to the right.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Liam is safe onboard.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21In just ten minutes, he arrives at Bangor Hospital
0:10:21 > 0:10:23to receive urgent medical care.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It really focuses the mind when you've got either a young child
0:10:31 > 0:10:35or a young woman or a young man or old man or whatever it is
0:10:35 > 0:10:37you're going to, it focuses the mind
0:10:37 > 0:10:39when there's an actual real person at the end of it
0:10:39 > 0:10:43who needs your help. You are their only hope sometimes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46When the bell goes, you never know what you're going to get.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50It can be a broken ankle in the mountains through to a major trauma.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54I feel sorry for the poorly people we're going to rescue
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but this is what we're here for. This is what we do.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01RAF Valley on Anglesey
0:11:01 > 0:11:05is home to the Search And Rescue Force Headquarters.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Here more than 50 staff ensure that helicopters and their crews
0:11:10 > 0:11:15can respond to a callout night or day, anywhere in the UK.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20The crews are on rolling 24-hour shifts.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23They live, eat and work closely together
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and that leads to a special bond.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29You cannot do a job that is
0:11:29 > 0:11:35as intellectually and physically and emotionally demanding as this
0:11:35 > 0:11:37without bonding to people.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40There's a lot of banter which is fun
0:11:40 > 0:11:43but it's also building relationships and friendships
0:11:43 > 0:11:45which are very important.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50In this job, if you have friends and guys you get on with,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52you've got have fun and laughs. At the end of the day,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57you're operating sometimes in dodgy and dangerous conditions.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59You have to rely on each other quite a lot.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Getting to know each other, being a family, is all part of that.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11The Sea King crew are often the first to arrive on scene.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14They sometimes have to deal with horrific experiences.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18To cope, winchman Ed Griffiths turns to his family.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'Coming home, it separates everything.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25'I have got Helen, and especially now little Xavier's here.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Do you want some more?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Just down the road from RAF Valley, Ed and his wife Helen
0:12:33 > 0:12:36have just celebrated their son's first birthday.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41'It's great to have the two separate parts to my life.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'It just takes your mind of it.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It enables you to de-stress,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and realise that that's not everything, if you like.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57If he wants to talk about it, then, yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I'm quite nosy so I try and find things out,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05but I know if he doesn't want to talk then we just leave it. But, yes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08The most difficult rescues come in
0:13:08 > 0:13:11when the Welsh weather takes a turn for the worse.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15I don't mind saying it and I'm sure a lot of the guys feel like this.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19It can be scary and essentially you do get scared at times.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23Rescue 122 has been called
0:13:23 > 0:13:27to one of the most infamous mountains in the Ogwen valley.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Tryfan.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Up there, because the snow had been falling,
0:13:36 > 0:13:37it was icy, snowy conditions,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41so it was ice with fresh snow packed on top.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Conditions underfoot were quite slippery and these poor guys had
0:13:45 > 0:13:49quite sensibly clipped themselves onto the side of the mountain.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It is 10 o'clock at night.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The Sea King's powerful searchlight reveals four lost climbers
0:13:55 > 0:13:57on the steep rock face.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The young students from Liverpool University
0:14:00 > 0:14:01have been stranded for six hours.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05'They're not injured.'
0:14:05 > 0:14:08But the atrocious weather means the Sea King is struggling.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Snow and ice are major hazards for the helicopter.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The crew have to decide if they're able to carry on with the rescue.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The problems that we were facing or the reasons
0:14:22 > 0:14:25why we were considering aborting the rescue, were first of all
0:14:25 > 0:14:30the cloud that was coming down, so we thought we may enter into cloud
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and we didn't have the option of escaping through the cloud
0:14:33 > 0:14:36because the helicopter would have just frozen up and potentially,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38at worst case, dropped out of the sky.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41We were in heavy snow so the visibility was being reduced.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Also we have limits because what can happen is the air that
0:14:45 > 0:14:49goes into the engines, those intakes can get clogged up with snow,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52so we have time limits that we can fly in the snowy conditions.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55All of these things, we were weighing up at the time,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and trying to get the balance right of risk versus reward.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07The crew decide it's an acceptable risk and carry on with the rescue.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11They come up with an escape plan - by increasing their altitude,
0:15:11 > 0:15:16the helicopter can fly away safely if the rescue becomes too dangerous.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18That means that winchman Ed
0:15:18 > 0:15:24now has to be lowered down 150 feet to rescue the stranded climbers.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It can be scary and essentially you do get scared at times.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49You kind of think, "I wish I wasn't here, I wish I was at home,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51"I wish I was somewhere else."
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Ed reaches the four stranded climbers.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58He sends the first two up on the winch
0:15:58 > 0:16:01while he stays on the rockface with the other two.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12The first two climbers reach the safety of the Sea King
0:16:12 > 0:16:15butt now the weather has deteriorated even further.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18In blizzard conditions the Sea King's spotlight
0:16:18 > 0:16:20is being reflected by the snow.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The pilot is flying blind.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27At that point the weather got bad again,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29the pilot lost the escape at that point.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33We were in down drafting air, we were in turbulent air,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35so we were pulling a lot of power,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40but because our escape has gone, the safer place to be at that point
0:16:40 > 0:16:42is sticking with the cliffs.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Certainly for me as the rad-op,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49when we are that close to the cliffs and we are in turbulent air,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53it does concentrate the mind somewhat and get the heart rate going.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58We're here now, let us get them and let's get out there.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Rescue 122 has to leave as soon as it can.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05The pilot contacts Ed over the radio.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16To save time they'll winch up three people at once.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It's only in extreme rescues such as this one
0:17:29 > 0:17:32that a triple winch is ever attempted.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36The hoist is proved to lift 600lb, so that's our limit.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I know, unfortunately,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42because I've weighed myself on the scales here, that I'm a little
0:17:42 > 0:17:46bit heavier than 200lb, so I weigh about 240, 250lb, in all my kit.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I'm also faced with two adult guys who also have their kit.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51We're very close to that 600lb limit.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So we left the bags behind, clipped all three of us on
0:17:55 > 0:17:58just to expedite the rescue, and we did what
0:17:58 > 0:18:00we call a triple lift, which we only use in extreme...
0:18:00 > 0:18:02When we need to just get out of there.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04INDISTINCT VOICES
0:18:06 > 0:18:09On a steel wire no thicker than a pencil,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Ed and the two survivors are winched up to the Sea King.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21A technical problem with the aircraft at that point is almost unthinkable.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26It would be really tricky to recover from something like that,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29so you have got to trust, you know, our engineers.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34We've got a great set of engineers who maintain the aircraft.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Every now and again there's a little element of
0:18:36 > 0:18:40crossing fingers, but I trust the winch,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I trust the kit and I trust the crew.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45INDISTINCT VOICES
0:18:48 > 0:18:51So when it's all over, there is that massive sense of relief,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and there is that...
0:18:53 > 0:18:56You do get that sort of cathartic effect that you've achieved
0:18:56 > 0:18:58something, and a sense of well-being.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12At last the Sea King can fly away, with four grateful survivors
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and a very relieved winchman onboard.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22The Sea King lands at the Ogwen mountain rescue base
0:19:22 > 0:19:25where the four university students warm up and are fed.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26No, we couldn't...
0:19:26 > 0:19:30There was things going on in my ear about the pilot struggling to see...
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Yeah. It was...
0:19:32 > 0:19:35So I was thinking, "Let's just get out of here right now."
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- Just thanks so much for this.- No, no. Not at all.- Thank you very much.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40It's too much.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43When the pilots say, "All you do is go in for a cup of tea
0:19:43 > 0:19:46"and eat stuff," I always tell them I don't, but we do really.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49LAUGHTER
0:19:51 > 0:19:53After difficult rescues,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56the crews often turn to their loved ones for support.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Back at RAF Valley, Ed's first thought is to call his wife at home.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I usually, at that point, phone home and just have a chat.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11I get told off by her for doing scary jobs,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13but she's used to it, yeah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Every time the Sea King returns to base,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27a team of engineers give the aircraft a full service.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30We've got a fleet of engineers
0:20:30 > 0:20:32who work pretty tirelessly
0:20:32 > 0:20:34to keep these things going.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- I've got it.- No, no, no.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Nightshift is the intensive garage time for the engineers.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47All the aircraft components have a lifespan
0:20:47 > 0:20:49based on the number of hours flown.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52From gear boxes to rivets, everything is checked.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Yeah, it is late hours, yeah, early hours of the morning.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01When it gets to the witching hour, three o'clock, things like that,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03yeah, it does get tiring.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's quite nice being involved, as well,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11thinking that you do actually help somebody
0:21:11 > 0:21:13that needs the service.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19The RAF search and rescue crews are always on stand-by
0:21:19 > 0:21:21for the next callout,
0:21:21 > 0:21:2424 hours a day, seven days a week.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Each crew member is on a tour of duty, which can take them
0:21:29 > 0:21:34to any of the RAF bases around Britain and around the world.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Radar Operator Graeme "Livvy" Livingston
0:21:38 > 0:21:40is back from his latest detachment.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Today he's back home in Anglesey
0:21:42 > 0:21:44after being posted to the Falkland Islands.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- Hello!- Hey! How are you?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50For his wife, Debbie, it's been a long six weeks.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Hello.- I love you.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It's fantastic, obviously, to be back.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- It's heavy. - I don't want a heavy one.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04All I've seen of these guys, over the last six, seven weeks
0:22:04 > 0:22:07is just a little computer screen
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and it's nice to talk to them and everything out there,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12but, yeah, just seeing them in the flesh again.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I know it's only been six or seven weeks, but it's long enough.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17- Shall we go up to Cardiff? - Yes, please.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- And see the Dr Who Experience?- Yes!
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Coming back to the UK now, it's summer.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Well, as good as summer gets and there are people out in boats,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29there are people out sunbathing, people out in the hills,
0:22:29 > 0:22:34doing all the things associated with nice weather and summer days,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38so, I've got a week just to sort of chill out now and then it's
0:22:38 > 0:22:42back to work next week and getting back into the summer job.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- Is that a deal?- Yeah. - Shall we do that? Cool.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Whatever the time of year, the Sea King is equipped to deal
0:22:51 > 0:22:54with most of the challenges posed by the Welsh landscape.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56And it's not just on mountains
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and coastline. They can be called to the most unexpected places.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Rescue 122 is called out to a damsel in distress in one
0:23:04 > 0:23:07of the turrets at Caernarfon Castle.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08There she is.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12On their mobile phones,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16the tourists captured the unfolding drama at the castle.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21The police and the other emergency services are already on the scene.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23A 57-year-old woman has slipped down a spiral
0:23:23 > 0:23:26staircase in one of the towers.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29It's too dangerous to take her back down to the waiting ambulance,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31so the Sea King is called.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Radar operator on the rescue is Graham Livingstone.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44It was one of those jobs where it would have been five, six,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46seven hours to extract her down the stairs.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52But the risks made sense that we would get her onboard the aircraft
0:23:52 > 0:23:53and get her to hospital.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56I think I can see the casualty.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Yes, these are the firemen and the people down there.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04She's lying on the walk way.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The nine tonne helicopter has to carefully manoeuvre
0:24:10 > 0:24:14around the high turrets and steep castle walls to reach the casualty.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17But that's not the only problem.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21We were initially thinking, how are we going to get in here?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And probably, there's going to be a vast amount of people
0:24:24 > 0:24:28that are going to be on walls and on turrets and things like that.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32The Sea King is one of the biggest aircraft in the RAF's
0:24:32 > 0:24:34fleet of helicopters. Due to its size,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38it's creating a 30mph strong downdraught from its blades.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44The tourists on the narrow parapets are now in danger.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47There's one person in a red jacket that needs to move out of the way.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I will gesticulate in a second.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It's very difficult to actually tie in where we were going to
0:24:52 > 0:24:55actually sit to carry out the rescue.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59And then, have a risk assessment of how many people or where
0:24:59 > 0:25:01they are in proximity to that column of air,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05because it's a gale force, and it can knock people off their feet.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11With the area cleared, the winch man is lower down to the casualty.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17Over the side. Steady. Clear of the harness.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Winching to the area.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Steady.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Steady.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The pilot was working hard to maintain the hover.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33I'm continually telling him, even if we don't have to move,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36if we're in a good area, then I will continually be telling him
0:25:36 > 0:25:41steady, steady, steady, in a nice flow and in a nice calm manner.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But I'm also looking around all the time, making sure that we
0:25:44 > 0:25:47haven't sunk towards the castle, that the tail
0:25:47 > 0:25:51hasn't moved towards any of the turrets and things like that.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Steady. Casualty on. Winchman on and winching in.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Clear on the ground.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01With a suspected broken ankle,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03the casualty is winched to the safety of the Sea King.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Next stop is the local hospital,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08only a few minutes flight away at Bangor.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I think the main thing about the Sea King and the search and rescue
0:26:14 > 0:26:20force is really, the flexibility and the diversity of the aircraft.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It's a large platform,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28but we can really squeeze it into some pretty small places.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And then we just fly away from the area, job done.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49For the RAF search and rescue crews, the Welsh landscape is
0:26:49 > 0:26:53the perfect place to develop their rescue techniques.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56We're extremely lucky in the Valley, or unlucky,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58if you want to look at it a different way,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00but we have the mountains, the coast, the sea,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04we have everything right on our doorstep within 15 minutes.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07We understand a lot of people go to the mountains for a quiet stroll.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09the last thing they want to hear is a great big helicopter
0:27:09 > 0:27:12going round and round above their heads, but the environmental
0:27:12 > 0:27:15conditions here, you cannot get any better for search and rescue,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18having so many different areas to train and to operate in.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I think most people are really good about it and a lot of people
0:27:22 > 0:27:26see it and go, one day I might end up needing that.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But it's not all about mountains.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Over a third of callouts to the search
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and rescue force are from the coastguard.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48They often train with other rescue agencies like the RNLI lifeboats.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Where the mountains offer a challenge
0:27:49 > 0:27:51in the fact that the weather
0:27:51 > 0:27:55and the terrain itself, over the water, for boats, they move,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58so it is the same, except the target we're trying to get to is
0:27:58 > 0:28:01moving in a rough sea state or in the wind.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04And obviously, people in the water, that is a whole new technique again.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Over the water, I would say, searching wise, it is
0:28:07 > 0:28:08the hardest one we do.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11You're tiny head bobbing around in these big waves
0:28:11 > 0:28:13and the white water and it's a big area.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16You can drift, you can blow in the wind, there's
0:28:16 > 0:28:19a number of things that can happen to you when you're in the water.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Today, a call from Holyhead Coastguard will put that sea
0:28:21 > 0:28:24search training to the test.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Rescue 122, Holyhead Coastguard, yes,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30male was last seen entering the water,
0:28:30 > 0:28:36believed to be trying to retrieve his kite surf board.
0:28:36 > 0:28:43Male was wearing a black wetsuit and no buoyancy aids.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- No buoyancy aid.- Ooops.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49On the shores of Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog,
0:28:49 > 0:28:55Rescue 122 from RAF Valley is looking for a missing kite surfer.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57He was last seen 30 minutes ago.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The crew know that a wetsuit can't protect him
0:29:01 > 0:29:04for long from the cold sea.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Hypothermia can set in within minutes.
0:29:10 > 0:29:16- Blackrock Sands is there.- Roger. - So, now we are actively searching.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22We've got various tools to help us find people.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25The majority of the time, the best asset to use is your eye.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Sometimes, the best way is just to get everyone looking out the window.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35You're in the general area and you fly along searching. With your eye,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38you can see maybe some movement in the corner of your eye,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42in your peripheral vision, which could be absolutely critical,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and that might be the only chance you get to find them.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49There's something white just coming below left of us just now.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Is that not the bottom of the kite board?
0:29:51 > 0:29:53That's the board, that's the board.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00They found the kite board, but no trace of the missing kite surfer.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05The crew fire a flare
0:30:05 > 0:30:08so that the RNLI crew can check the surrounding area.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14Search and rescue crews know that sea rescues are never easy.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19It's a constantly changing environment.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22The crew's action can easily mean the difference between life
0:30:22 > 0:30:24and death for the casualty.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I remember one particular job, it was one of my first few jobs,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33it was about two guys on a jet ski who were missing
0:30:33 > 0:30:35out at sea about a mile off the coast.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38And they were basically in the water
0:30:38 > 0:30:40for roughly four, four-and-a-half hours.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Trying to find them was a needle in a haystack and after about 45
0:30:43 > 0:30:45minutes or so searching,
0:30:45 > 0:30:46I looked out the window and saw these two guys
0:30:46 > 0:30:49and all it was was that one was wearing a life preserver
0:30:49 > 0:30:51and I just saw an orange strip on his shoulder
0:30:51 > 0:30:54where his life preserver was and they were hugging each other
0:30:54 > 0:30:59and they were absolutely severely hypothermic and they were blue
0:30:59 > 0:31:01and really quite ill - got them to hospital
0:31:01 > 0:31:03and they made a full recovery.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07It makes you appreciate not only life but also nature
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and how dangerous this sea and the natural environment can be
0:31:11 > 0:31:13if you don't prepare for it or don't respect it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Back on the shores of Porthmadog, it's been 45 minutes
0:31:20 > 0:31:23since they spotted the kite board.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25The surfer is still missing.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30As night falls, Rescue 122 are still searching.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34I think he's going to be under the surface now.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36So I'm pretty confident I can get a head
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and shoulders possibly in the water...
0:31:39 > 0:31:40if he's still alive.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43It doesn't look good.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46The kite surfer's been missing for more than an hour and a half.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Exhaustion and unconsciousness
0:31:48 > 0:31:51can strike after less than an hour in the water.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Holyhead Coastguard.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58The coastguard call in with some news.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The missing kite surfer has been found on the beach nearby
0:32:16 > 0:32:17safe and sound.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Whichever way the casualty reaches safety,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25a positive result is the aim for all the search and rescue crews.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35People sometimes end up getting into bother but we're not there to judge.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38We're there to make sure that if they do need help,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40we're there to help them.
0:33:03 > 0:33:0810 million people visit Snowdonia every year to explore its coastline
0:33:08 > 0:33:12and mountains, but for some this terrain can prove to be more
0:33:12 > 0:33:14challenging than they thought.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20We get a lot of holidaymakers head to Anglesey and the surrounding
0:33:20 > 0:33:23area in North Wales, so in the summer we're particularly busy.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27People don't generally do the sports all year round,
0:33:27 > 0:33:29so you know, kayakers,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32general canoeists, divers, things of that nature,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36windsurfers, kite surfers, they're the types of injuries that we get.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44Rescue 122 to have been scrambled to Dorothea Quarry
0:33:44 > 0:33:46in the Nantlle Valley.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49The quarry lake is a popular training location
0:33:49 > 0:33:52for amateur divers, but today one diver needs urgent help.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- I'll see you in a couple of minutes. Is everyone happy?- Yes.- Yes?
0:34:03 > 0:34:07A 56-year-old diver is in trouble. After surfacing from his dive,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10nitrogen bubbles have begun to form in his bloodstream.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Emergency services at the scene confirm the crew's worst fears,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16it's a life-threatening case of the bends.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25Got a diver, Dorothea, he dived to a depth of 160m.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Been up for an hour.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29He's been sick.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37If somebody has the bends, then they need to go to a decompression
0:34:37 > 0:34:42chamber, so speed is of the essence really to get them into the chamber.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51It's not the first time Rescue 122 has been called to Dorothea Quarry.
0:34:51 > 0:34:5420 divers have lost their lives here in the last 20 years.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58They need to get their casualty to specialist medical care
0:34:58 > 0:35:00as quickly as they can.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01You are clear below.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Winchman Dickie Myers heads for the casualty.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Diver Keith Moores is feeling nauseous, dizzy,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and disorientated - classic symptoms of the bends.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Paramedics have been giving him oxygen to reduce
0:35:25 > 0:35:28the level of nitrogen in his bloodstream.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32This will slow down the potentially deadly bubbles from forming.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38You just don't want it getting any worse, really.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41You don't want the nitrogen bubbles that are in the bloodstream
0:35:41 > 0:35:44to get any bigger and develop and it can lead to unconsciousness.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49I'm going to put him on this and then take him to the aircraft, OK?
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I'm going to do that now.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54But the oxygen won't cure this casualty.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57He needs to be taken to a specialist pressure chamber
0:35:57 > 0:36:00at Murrayfield Hospital on the Wirral.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02There's no time to put him in a stretcher.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04They need to get him into the aircraft.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15The journey to Murrayfield Hospital takes half an hour
0:36:15 > 0:36:20in the helicopter. By road, it would take three times as long.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25But the captain needs to fly at a low altitude to stop more
0:36:25 > 0:36:28nitrogen bubbles forming in the diver's bloodstream.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35At Dorothea Quarry, they've already ascended at a point which is
0:36:35 > 0:36:37quite high above sea level,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40so our priority as pilots is to get them to the medical establishment
0:36:40 > 0:36:44as quickly as possible but limit the height at which we fly them
0:36:44 > 0:36:46to limit the effects of the bends.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51The Sea King cruises at 200 feet above sea level.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58After they arrive at Merseyside, Dickie hands over his casualty
0:36:58 > 0:37:00to the decompression chamber staff.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Keith.- Hello, Keith. I'm the doctor - Tim.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08'Well, luckily he's here.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09'The actual transport from the site'
0:37:09 > 0:37:12to here quickly is critical.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18If he was left, the bubbles would be forming within the brain
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and elsewhere in the body.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26Keith Moores now starts an intensive eight-hour treatment for the bends.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30He'll then have to spend two hours a day over the next four days
0:37:30 > 0:37:33locked in the decompression chamber to treat his symptoms.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38For Keith, what started out as an afternoon's dive
0:37:38 > 0:37:39has turned into a nightmare.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52Every year more than 1,500 people are rescued by Sea King helicopters.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Handing them to the nearest emergency department
0:37:56 > 0:38:00is usually the last time the Search and Rescue crews see the casualty.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03But not today.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11Aletia and her mum have come to RAF Valley to thank the crew that
0:38:11 > 0:38:12saved her life.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It's just an honour to be here, it really is.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Yeah. An absolute honour.
0:38:24 > 0:38:31In October 2011, 16-year-old Aletia was involved in a serious car crash in Llandrindod Wells.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36When the Sea King arrived, winchman Ed Griffiths
0:38:36 > 0:38:40knew she was in a critical condition.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Yeah, I remember turning up and it was clear from the onset
0:38:43 > 0:38:45that it was really time critical and urgent.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46She was quite seriously injured.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I was concerned for her, actually.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51When we got on the aircraft, I remember telling the pilots,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54we need to go as fast as we can to the neuro unit at Cardiff.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Aletia suffered severe head injuries in the car accident.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11For the last 12 months, she's been slowly recovering,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14learning how to walk and how to speak again.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19I was...
0:39:19 > 0:39:21involved in a RTA,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23which is a road traffic accident.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29The Sea King come and saved me.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35They saved her life, at the end of the day.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38A year almost to the day,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Aletia is reunited with the people that saved her.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- Hello.- Hello.- Hiya, I'm Ed.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- Hello.- We've met before but you probably won't remember.- No.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- This is Nick, as well.- How are you?
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Hello...
0:39:54 > 0:39:57We were down the back of the helicopter that landed and took you to Cardiff.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02- Can you remember anything about it? - I can remember the day.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Just because I've been told about it.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07But, that's it.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09This is the Mark 3...
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Oh, my God.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17The kit you see down the back here is pretty much the same kit...
0:40:17 > 0:40:20To meet Ed and the crew here, it's just overwhelming!
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Mum, stop crying.
0:40:22 > 0:40:23THEY LAUGH
0:40:23 > 0:40:26That's what mums do, they're allowed.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29To see the Sea King, which, you know...
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Lift!
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Because without this, Aletia wouldn't be here now.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41It takes a special person to do the work that they do.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43It really, really does.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45It's like a little waistcoat.
0:40:47 > 0:40:54I just said, "You're a hero." Because he is, really.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00There's one on that side.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05I don't think that I am a hero. I think I love my job
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and I do my job the same as all the other guys on the force.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- Do I look cool?- You look superb.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22For the RAF Search and Rescue force,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24working in a tough and difficult terrain
0:41:24 > 0:41:27is all part of the challenge of saving lives.
0:41:29 > 0:41:36The job is the variety, actually going out and helping people
0:41:36 > 0:41:41who otherwise would be in quite a predicament. It's as simple as that.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43After falling 20 feet in a quarry,
0:41:43 > 0:41:4715-year-old Liam made a full recovery from his injuries.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Oh, I don't know what we'd have done without them.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52So thankful towards them.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55That sense of satisfaction when the team pulls together,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57and, yes, especially if it's a lifesaver,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00then it's second to none. It's an amazing feeling.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04And diver Keith Moores made a full recovery
0:42:04 > 0:42:07after being treated for the effects of the bends.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- How does that feel?- All right.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13The Sea King is invaluable. It really is. The crew...
0:42:20 > 0:42:24At the end of the day, you're doing an extremely important job, I think.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25There's no greater feeling
0:42:25 > 0:42:29than when you feel you've done some real good and saved someone's life.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43- 'What are we going to do about food? - I'd rather have a curry tonight.'
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Next time on Helicopter Rescue...
0:42:50 > 0:42:55Summer in Snowdonia means one thing - tourists in trouble.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59She's on a footpath on the cliff edge. It's hard to access.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01An ambulance can't get there,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05so that's where we come into our own, and that's what we are here for.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08Sergeant Nick Jones shares a unique point of view
0:43:08 > 0:43:13in the life of a winchman as he's called to a three-car collision
0:43:13 > 0:43:15on his first ever shift.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We'll take a paramedic with us.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19It takes the pressure off us then.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23And after 30 years of service,
0:43:23 > 0:43:28the Sea King crews pay tribute to the iconic yellow helicopter.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31She's very old now. She's been around a very long time.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33She's been a fantastic servant to everyone.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36It's very sad to see her go.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd