Episode 2 Helicopter Rescue

I don't think there's any greater calling in life for someone.

To be able to see a son or daughter's face

when you bring their father or mother back

from the edge of death... It's quite powerful.

The RAF Search and Rescue Force save hundreds of lives every year,

in dramatic locations around the country.

That sense of satisfaction when the team pulls together,

especially if it's a life-saver,

it's second to none, it's an amazing feeling.

After 70 years of service, RAF Search and Rescue is coming to an end.

Soon, a private company will take over from the military.

Certain blokes have love affairs with their cars -

I think some air crew have affairs with the Sea King.

But before they leave our skies, we follow the life-saving work of the RAF Sea King crews,

from mountainside to hospital bedside.

With exclusive behind the scenes access at the base where Prince William is stationed,

this is the story of RAF Search and Rescue.

For the past 60 years,

Search and Rescue helicopters have been flying the skies above Britain.

These life-saving aircraft have rescued

thousands of people in the Welsh mountains and seas.

On the 24th of September 1975,

the AgustaWestland Sea King Mk 3 came into service.

35 five years on,

she still commands the respect of all who fly in her.

She's an old aircraft, but she does everything that we want of her.

She's a lovely old dear -

She's been around a long time. You've got to be very gentle with her

but equally she can take a lot of stick.

Wherever you put her, she will adapt and she'll deal with it.

I have so much respect for her.

Yes, it is getting a bit old and it doesn't have long left but

I'm sure the people who have been rescued by it over the years

will be forever grateful for its abilities.

Snowdonia. It's familiar stomping ground for the Sea King.

Today, a Sea King from RAF Valley responds to a call for help in the mountains.

'This is Kinloss Rescue. Casualty is on Crib Goch, over.'

Kinloss Rescue, this is Rescue 122. We are arriving on scene, over.

One of Snowdonia's most dangerous mountains has claimed another victim.

Rescue 122 has been called to Crib Goch -

a 3,000 foot high ridge leading to the summit of Snowdon.

It's territory that's very familiar to radar operator Squadron Leader Dave Taylor.

Some of the issues with Crib Goch are a steep drop either side...

The consequences of getting it wrong are quite severe.

The actual environment there, the rocks and things like that,

it's not going to be a nice area.

People quite often take tumbles, because it's a severe slope that won't hold people.

A ten foot fall might end up in a 30 or 40 foot tumble.

And the injuries there can be quite severe from that.

Down low three o'clock. One of them's definitely in a red jacket.

I can see someone...

They've spotted the casualty.

Five people are perched on the ridge,

with a thousand foot drop below them.

One of them has a suspected broken ankle.

On their mobile phones, they film the Sea King arrive.

With nowhere for the helicopter to land, this is a job for the winch.

Radar operator Dave now needs to manoeuvre the winchman down to the casualty.

It's a tricky operation on Crib Goch's steep slopes.

Your concern as a winch operator for the winchman is paramount -

in terms of where you're going to place him,

and whether he can actually come off the hook at that stage.

You're looking at a very steep area -

you don't want to just put the winchman on a place

he comes off the hook and then he falls himself, he becomes a casualty.

The Sea King is uniquely designed to be almost

stationary in the air during a rescue operation.

Buffeted by strong winds, over 3,000 feet in the air,

the helicopter's powerful engines make sure the aircraft hardly moves during the hover.

From this stable platform, the crew can place the winchman

with pinpoint accuracy on the slopes below.

Hi, guys. You all right?

Just have a look. I'll be careful not to stand on your foot.

David Bland from Northamptonshire is in severe pain.

He tripped and fell on his way down from the summit of Snowdon.

That's it. Right, up under his knee...

Winchman Dave McDowell suspects he has a broken ankle, and tries to give him morphine.

But it's so cold, he can't find a vein.

He needs to get this casualty on board the helicopter quickly, to help control his pain.

It's a precarious spot, and too dangerous to use a stretcher.

Dave McDowell straps him firmly into the harness -

and the Sea King winches him on board.

David Bland is on his way to Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital.

That's literally torn it...

On board, the gas and air helps to ease his pain.

It's at times like these that a radar operator's job is not just about working the winch.

I'd call it bedside manner.

It's reaching out to that person and making them feel comfortable,

making them smile a little bit, perhaps,

and try and forget the issue that they've had.

After a ten-minute ride in the Sea King,

David arrives at the local hospital in Bangor,

and is transferred to the waiting medical team.

The RAF Search and Rescue Force has six flights based around Britain.

From the North of Scotland to the coast of Devon, each base has

two Sea Kings on standby, ready to answer a cry for help.

Hundreds of pilots have earned their wings flying the iconic Sea King aircraft.

It's been a reliable helicopter in my time with it,

and it's got me out of some hairy situations.

It's got me into them as well, but

it's got me out of them again so I can't complain.

As an experienced search and rescue captain,

Flight Lieutenant Dave Prochera-Best often mentors other pilots.

Today he's on a training exercise in Snowdonia

with Flight Lieutenant William Wales,

who qualified as a Captain 12 months ago.

There's a number of guys who have been extremely good in giving up their time for me

and helped pass on experience and knowledge from more senior SAR pilots.

I've been really fortunate that I have been able to provide

the benefit of my experience to some of the more junior captains.

From being a co-pilot who is all over his role,

you suddenly jump into some very big shoes where it's your call,

life and death. Not only for the crew, but also for the casualty.

So you do make some pretty big calls, and that dawned on me pretty quick.

And the idea is that the training is built towards that

so that it's not such a big leap when you finally get captaincy.

He's come from a very strong background

where decision-making is his forte,

and I think compared to other junior captains, that part was never an issue for him.

He's also blessed with a decent pair of hands for flying as well, so

the amount of work that he puts in,

and his background in decision making

makes him a pretty strong captain

and he was a good candidate all along, really.

Every year, more than a hundred casualties arrive by RAF helicopter

to the Emergency Department at Bangor.

Dr Linda Dykes appreciates the unique challenges

the Search and Rescue winchmen have to face.

We don't know that...

I think they do an incredibly difficult job,

to see the full range of things that I have to see,

but actually with a lot less training,

with a lot less resources. It's an incredibly difficult job.

I just think it's awesome that people are actually willing to do it.

On her days off, she helps to train the Search and Rescue paramedics

at RAF Valley - on the ground, and in the air.

I love being involved with the training of the RAF rear crew.

Because I've been involved with sea flight at Valley about seven years

and have flown regularly throughout that time,

I've got a pretty good grasp of the challenges

of their working environment, and if I'm then flying with them

I can then help them if any issues come up, if any questions come up.

'He's stopped breathing when he's given morphine.'

If you stop breathing with morphine, that is a recognised side-effect of the drug.

'Back of the Sea King, it's very noisy, it's very smelly.'

It stinks of aviation fuel, it's a very difficult working environment,

and I think that the crew like to bring casualties here

because they know we understand the environment they work in,

and I think sometimes in hospitals who don't routinely take Search and Rescue casualties

they may get asked, "Why haven't you done X, Y and Z," and it's like,

"It's impossible on the back of a helicopter, mate!" We can't do that.

And much to the amusement of the crew,

getting Dr Dykes airborne sometimes isn't quite as easy as it looks.

Not much of a run-up... Ooh, failed at the first hurdle!

Although it's a great privilege to go flying and I look forward to spending time with the boys,

I don't actually like flying very much.

I get a bit airsick.

I don't enjoy tight flying round mountain bowls,

because I tend to lose my lunch.

But it's a worthwhile sacrifice for Dr Dykes.

One of the most satisfying things I have done

is see a couple of winchmen through from being real baby winchmen

just really coming off their basic first aid course

and then coming through and qualifying as paramedics.

You almost feel quite proud to see it's one of our winchmen that

we've helped train, and it's very humbling, it's fantastic.

At the Royal Marines Barracks at Chivenor,

Sergeant Nick Jones from Swansea is on his first ever shift as a winchman.

He's one of the Search and Rescue Force's newest recruits.

I think for me it's the business end if you like,

it's where you get the hands-on...

I get the excitement if you like of going out on the wire,

but together with that the medical side of it as well, which is something that appeals to me.

He's spent 12 months training to be a winchman,

and hopes to be a fully qualified paramedic in 18 months' time.

Today, on his first shift, it's not long before a call comes in.

Road traffic accident, just a few miles away, with two badly injured casualties.

Chivenor's Rescue 169 covers South Wales

and the coastline of North Devon and Cornwall.

Nick's first ever rescue is under way.

You're obviously nervous and in trepidation of what's to come,

but I think it's good to get the nervousness out of the way.

Hopefully then it should run a bit smoother from there.

There's been a serious accident on a road in Devon.

A 69-year-old man is in a critical condition.

Life-threatening injuries, so I think it'll just be the nearest hospital...

A driver is trapped inside his red MG sports car.

Two other drivers are being treated at the scene in what looks like a three-car collision.

Nick's camera gives us his view of the rescue.

It's a severe crash.

Experienced radar operator "Beano" takes new boy Nick under his wing.

With a more experienced winchman, the winchman would probably

know more what to do.

So in that instance I kind of

went with Nick, and was able to

'talk things through with him as events progressed.'

Get a stretcher out, and just lift him up, onto the trolley, in the ambulance and go.

Yeah, sweet. Happy days.

He could sort of direct me in some of the things

I should be thinking about or some of the things I should be doing

that I perhaps hadn't thought of at the time,

so yeah, he was very useful for me in that scenario.

So what we do, is we take a paramedic with us...

It just takes the pressure off us then.

Tony Smith was only half a mile away from his home near Bideford

when his red MG sports car was caught in the three-vehicle crash.

By now, the fire crews have managed to cut him out of his car.

Right, OK. You want to put him straight onto the...

We'll scoop him straight into your mat...

-That's it. And then away we go.

-Yeah.

The priority is to take him to the nearest trauma unit on the Sea King.

His injuries mean that a doctor and a paramedic join Nick on board.

They highlighted the fact that this casualty had a life-threatening condition -

so speed was of the essence. We couldn't hang around.

We've got one casualty. And he's in a bad way.

What was it, two cars?

It was basically a Range Rover and he was in an MG.

-Oh, dear. So this one was in the MG?

-Yeah.

'Once we got it onto the aircraft, we had to monitor him throughout,

'make sure that his condition wasn't deteriorating rapidly.

'He had massive chest injuries - obviously maintained his oxygen

'and maintaining his airway, to make sure that he didn't

'deteriorate any further than he already was.'

With the casualty now stable, the crew hand him over

to the waiting medical team.

To be perfectly honest it was the ideal first job for him.

I choose my words carefully, because it was obviously horrendous for the casualty,

but from Nick's point of view he was able to witness a life-threatening injury

and assist a doctor and a paramedic.

Which, from his perspective, was ideal.

There is always that apprehension when you first start the job,

particularly on your first day or first couple of shifts, is to get your first job out the way.

And I think it puts you at ease and it makes you realise

that the training you've had is sufficient and you know what you're doing.

The RAF Search and Rescue crews are always on standby for the next callout - whatever the weather.

It can get a bit dull without a job.

It all depends - if the weather's good, then we can get out training.

I think the worst days for us are the days

when the weather's really bad, you can't go flying,

and the minutes can feel like hours sometimes.

I think everyone's being quite sensible so far.

I'd be surprised if there's anyone up in the hills, but

there usually is somebody up in the hills regardless of the weather.

All quiet so far.

The crew are on rolling shifts, and eat, rest and sleep on base.

Between callouts, they make the most of their quiet periods - they may not last for long.

And there's a new face and a new radar operator on base.

Sergeant Martin Seward - or "Seaweed" - is on his latest attachment at RAF Valley.

It's really great coming up to Valley,

because having done just over three years at Chivenor

it's quite nice getting to know everyone.

I still struggle with the place names quite a bit, but

I'm sure I'll get used to them in due course.

He's already made his mark on the rest of the crew.

Seaweed likes to talk, so we have to put up with a lot of Seaweed chat.

I do get the mick taken out of me quite a bit, but

I do bring it on myself a lot anyway, cos I'm usually

one of the chief culprits of taking the mick out of everyone else,

so I only ask for it, really.

There's a new film out called Movie 43 or something.

-Yeah, have you seen it?

-Are you the little leprechaun in that(?)

-Well, if you're saying that I resemble Gerard Butler...

-Yeah, it's Gerard Butler, yeah.

You can call me Gerard Butler if you want, that's fine.

There's a real good crew cooperation and good banter levels,

but equally that sort of dies off when you get to the job

and everyone concentrates on their particular role.

A call comes in to RAF Valley.

Thank you. Bye. 50-year-old female, broken leg, at Fresh Water Bay.

Today, Flight Lieutenant William Wales takes on the role of co-pilot.

On this rescue he'll work closely with radar operator Seaweed.

Together, they gather all the information they can before getting airborne.

The important thing is to have a really good look at the map,

have a look where we're going to go, what the area's like.

So it's critical you get it right

and it's critical that you get it accurate as well cos

you need to get there as quick as you can, and safely.

OK. Thank you.

It's a broken leg, on the other side of the island...

Only eight minutes after they received the cry for help,

Rescue 122 are in the air.

They head to a cove on the northeastern corner of Anglesey,

at Fresh Water Bay.

As co-pilot, William's job is to navigate the Sea King to the location.

You've got what looks like a mast? Aim for that, please.

As a co-pilot you're really doing the planning,

you're a backup set of eyes to monitor the captain.

If he's doing something or he's in a very hazardous situation the co-pilot keeps an eye on him,

makes sure he's not going to get him or us

in a particular trap that we can't get out of.

You're kind of the secretary for the captain.

The Sea King arrives at Fresh Water Bay,

and now they look out for clues at the scene to find

the casualty's exact location.

She's supposedly on the right-hand edge of that cliff...

Right in the corner where the mainland meets the peninsula.

Is that an ambulance down there in the one o'clock?

Yeah, the early grid you were given was of the ambulance.

OK. I've visualled the ambulance.

So she's anywhere on that thin peninsula of land, Rob. Somewhere on that cliff face there.

Just shout when you're below 19.

We're below 19.

They spot the casualty, on the edge of a cliff.

Got visual now, one o'clock, that area there.

Actually the biggest person in the job who doesn't get enough credit

in many cases is the rad op and the winch op,

and they'll always go on about how important they are

but they are the link between us in the front, flying the aircraft,

and the winchman who's doing the job on the ground with the casualty.

They have a very tricky task of always monitoring the two the whole time.

From the side door of the helicopter, radar operator Seaweed

guides the Sea King to position.

When we arrive on scene, we can't just go into throwing someone out the door and winching,

there's loads of things to think about.

-Your recce, Seaweed.

-OK, then. Recce of the area...

Hazards, then - the high ground on the right-hand side, the tail will be clear.

I don't expect too much downdrafting but you are on the downdrafting side.

'So we'll discuss things like,

'how close we're going to get to everything,'

if there's any turbulent air so where the wind is.

There might be downdrafting, the air might be coming over the top of a hill and hitting us from the top.

Which might create turbulence.

So we need to discuss that, and what we're going to do if we experience it.

The deployment area will be on the aircraft access, aft of the survivors,

and there's a little spine of rock in our three o'clock.

We're going to put Rob there keeping the rotor wash clear of the survivors.

So that's where we'll deploy Rob. Winching out...

Over the side.

With the situation under control,

Seaweed is ready to guide Rob Linfoot, the winchman,

down to the casualty.

It ended up being quite a long winch,

and the reason for that is we've got to balance

the safety of the aircraft with the safety of the survivor and the winchman.

-Happy, Rob?

-Yeah.

-Rob's happy. Winching in.

'On this occasion, to keep what we call the fly away, so to keep

'the aircraft in a position where if we do have a problem

'we can fly away from it, we have to be a little bit higher.'

Approaching the door...

Your switches. I'll remove the kit first.

Darlene Burton is safe on board.

After winching up her partner Lawrence, the couple, from Canada,

are flown to the local hospital at Bangor.

It was such a beautiful day,

I thought I'd pick up the pace, so I went in front of him.

I just remember just putting my foot down

and then a slide and a...just a crack!

Darlene and Lawrence need to catch

a flight home to Canada in six days' time.

But a broken tibia and fibula mean that she needs surgery.

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh...!

It's going to need an operation to fix it.

O...MG.

Rescue 122 head back to RAF Valley.

Certain things we do get quite serious, and...

it's important to have, you know, camaraderie, and the banter,

to ease the pressure, especially the winch man and the winch op -

they see some pretty nasty things down the back.

-You're a hero, Will.

-I am!

A bit easier than the one we had

-on the last shift, wasn't it?

-It is, a bit!

That's good...

We are exposed, like many people in the emergency services

and the NHS in hospitals,

we're exposed to a lot of... things that aren't very pleasant.

We have to get on with this, and we deal with it.

Victims in remote and difficult locations

can sometimes only be reached by the Sea King.

Recovering dead bodies is part of the job.

Dealing with death is an integral part

of the work of the search and rescue crews.

It's not something anyone takes any joy in doing.

Obviously, the element of satisfaction we get from our job

is when we save life.

However, there is also an element of satisfaction

in that, if that was my loved one, I would far rather that person

had the ability to have a funeral,

or whatever the family wish, if you like.

It's not until you really come back that you then

take that on board. Discussing it with each other

is some people's help - other people...

will wait until they get home,

discuss it with their partners at home.

Erm, and some other people just quietly reflect, really.

My first few, erm, sort of, harrowing incidents

were difficult, but, you know, sadly, these things happen,

and you've got to get on with it,

and you just talk about it amongst yourselves,

and, you know, you end up

understanding it more and...accepting it, sadly.

After difficult rescues, the crews

often turn to their loved ones for support.

The annual Families Day at Valley

is a chance for the RAF's Search and Rescue Force

to thank the families of the crews.

It's an opportunity for the people who are doing this job

to give something back to their families,

because there is no question

that we ask a lot of our families,

and...I think it's the least we can do...

..to occasionally give something back to them, to say,

"Thank you - why don't we come down and enjoy a day together?"

in recognition of the unquestionable sacrifices that they make.

But for one family, their time at RAF Valley has come to an end.

Erm, thanks, boss, thank you to you all...

After 17 years of service, Dave Prochera-Best

is to hang up his helmet and leave his job.

He is emigrating to Canada, to fly search and rescue helicopters

with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

My wife and I have always wanted to work abroad

and see more of the world. To be offered the opportunity

to carry on search and rescue,

so closely aligned to what I do already...

I mean, they even have yellow helicopters, which is a huge boon!

..was just too much of an opportunity to miss.

On his final shift, the crew bid farewell

in the typical Search and Rescue tradition.

Interestingly enough, and rather amusingly,

he forgot to ask how long some of their search jobs are,

and we found out from the commanding officer

that a search of about two weeks is sometimes, er, normal!

So, he's going to enjoy that(!)

But he'll have a great time there.

He's been a great guy, he's very experienced.

How are you all today?

Back at the RAF family quarters,

in Valley, Dave and wife Jennine prepare for their big move.

Search and rescue has been a big part of their lives,

with its highs...and lows.

When you hear the helicopter go in the middle of the night,

that's a bit worrying, as such,

-but I'd rather know the truth, warts and all...

-Yeah.

..because then you can appreciate it.

I know I'm not in that situation, but I would always

-encourage you to tell me as much as you could.

-Mmm.

And there's one particular rescue

that brought the couple closer together.

We'd come off a particularly hairy rescue -

I'd not been doing it very long,

and as a result of saving this ice climber,

we ended up going into cloud, in the Devil's Kitchen, in icing,

and eventually, the helicopter iced up and fell out of the sky,

without us able to do anything at all, really.

As the helicopter fell from the sky,

the Sea King sent out this dramatic mayday message...

'Mayday, Mayday - this is Rescue 122.

'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday...'

I honestly thought we were about to die.

That was the closest I've been.

'Heavy icing, heavy icing, uncontrolled descent...'

Fortunately, we fell out of the cloud, and the ice cleared

before we hit ground, and we managed to get ourselves to Bangor hospital

and shut down. It was pretty traumatic for everyone,

and my first thought was to phone Jennine.

It wasn't a phone call that you relish receiving.

-Unpleasant.

-Yeah. Absolutely, yes,

not one you ever want to receive on a regular basis...

-No.

-..or worse, for that matter.

-No.

But...

The vast majority of call-outs to RAF Valley

are to the mountains of Snowdonia.

The local RAF Search and Rescue crew

know these infamous mountains only too well.

Well, one of them is Devil's Kitchen - the name itself

is not a particularly nice thought, but it's, erm,

it's a bowl, it's a very, very steep bowl,

erm, towards Tryfan. Flying round it can get very interesting.

You get bumped around a hell of a lot.

If you're in hover, it can get very interesting.

Snowdonia is quite a tight area.

There's a couple of particular areas - Crib Goch, er, Tryfan...

They're quite dangerous areas, in fact.

But these challenging conditions

don't stop 10 million people from visiting Snowdonia every year.

The Snowdonia mountains are incredibly accessible,

but they're not entirely risk-free. They're next to main roads,

you can park by the side of the A5 and you're onto the base of Tryfan.

Obviously, Snowdonia - big car parks, park up in Llanberis,

to go up the Llanberis track, Pen-Y-Pass...

People can get ill or injured just about anywhere - it's quite

spectacular, where people can actually hurt themselves.

Today, Snowdonia claims its latest victim.

PHONE RINGS 'Hello, police - can I help you?'

'Where are you?'

A 999 call comes through to the police from a remote Welsh

mountain in southern Snowdonia.

'Is there anyone with you, sir, or are you alone?

'OK. Sit tight, don't move, don't try and put any weight on your leg. We'll get somebody to you.'

The police now contact the RAF's rescue coordination centre

up in the North of Scotland to request their help.

Kinloss Rescue.

Right, slipped, with an injured leg.

'Yes. He's on Foel Wen.'

The nearest asset is going to be Rescue 122.

It's a job for the Search and Rescue crew at RAF Valley.

Information I've got, he's got plenty of water, warm clothing.

Not much battery life on his mobile.

Have we got any idea on his injuries?

-'All we've got is slipped, with injured leg.'

-Injured leg.

OK? Cheers, bye.

The chap has slipped and hurt his leg down near Bala.

Rescue 122 are airborne.

Over his radio,

radar operator Dave Taylor gets an update on the casualty.

Your casualty is a 60-year-old male with leg injury.

'We are unsure of his exact location, over.'

Only 20 minutes after the 999 call was made,

the crew are scrambled and are on their way.

500 miles north from Valley

is the RAF's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at Kinloss.

Every year, they receive hundreds of calls from the emergency

services across the UK.

Just had a report of a person...

'This is Kinloss Rescue.'

'We've got a 21-year-old male...'

'The patient has got a crack in his lower back.'

'We have one vehicle with an adult, a minor and a baby on board.'

'Open fracture, with a high pain score.'

Kinloss Rescue is the central hub that deploys RAF, Coastguard

and Royal Navy helicopters to answer the cries for help.

Every organisation needs a central hub and, if you like, we are the heart of what goes on,

but we're not the pit face.

There are people out there risking their lives in a way that we're not.

We just risk sweat and grey hairs.

It's a military service,

but over 97% of calls to Kinloss are to help civilians.

A vast number of those callouts come from Wales.

One hour, 15.

'The two busiest RAF units are Chivenor and Valley.'

Typically each year, you could expect up to 300 rescues,

around about that figure, from each.

I think this year Valley is very slightly ahead.

Requests for helicopter assistance

mainly come from the police and Coastguard.

The team here at Kinloss have to decide which Sea King crew is tasked to each rescue.

Hello, Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue, over.

'Rescue 122, go ahead, over.'

Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue. Those details pertain to the Bala job.

Today, Kinloss have scrambled Rescue 122 from RAF Valley to a man

injured on a mountain near Bala.

The team are trying to pinpoint the casualty's exact location

when another call comes in, and it's also from North Wales.

Just start a new job. We've already got one going on with you.

Right. What's the nature of the incident, please?

'OK, I'll read it to you. A caller and his wife are stuck on a ledge south of Tryfan,

'200 feet above Heather Terrace.'

-Cragfast.

-'Yeah.'

Two climbers are stuck on a ledge

up the mountain of Tryfan in the Ogwen Valley.

Rescue 122 is the closest helicopter,

but they're already on their way to an injured walker near Bala.

Thank you, cheers, bye. How safe are these cragfast guys?

They've got good battery life on their phone.

This guy, we're not sure where he is,

-so there's a search involved on this bloke.

-OK.

If they can just get in, snatch, and go, then that's one thing,

but we can't hang about cos we need to search for the other one.

There are two cries for help, but only one helicopter.

It's now up to Kinloss to decide where to send Rescue 122.

-We'll continue with the other job at the moment.

-We're going to continue with the other job.

Radio officer Graham Topping informs the crew of the decision.

Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue.

Continue to original incident of male with injured leg, over.

I've got two guys on a ledge in this position here.

However, they are in a safe position, they've been in contact,

and we've got Mountain Rescue troops on the way.

Against that, I've got a 60-year-old here who's injured.

We're not exactly sure where he is,

so I am prioritising that job at the present time.

The local Mountain Rescue Team will now take care of the cragfast climbers on Tryfan.

Rescue 122 continue the search for the injured walker near Bala.

Go to the grid, see what's there and then go find him.

From the details given in the 999 call,

Kinloss Rescue can work out a map grid reference

to the casualty's exact location.

There are quite a few people up here for this guy to be in

a benign condition and no-one else has seen him.

They can't find him.

From Kinloss, Graham tries to guide the crew to the scene.

122 Kinloss, the casualty can see the helo over Cadair

from where he is. He is on the ridge of Craig Berwyn

It's very difficult to spot the casualty in a terrain like this,

but the Sea King can search large areas in a relatively short time.

Suddenly Radar Operator Dave Taylor sees someone in the distance.

Gents, I've got someone signalling, 11 o'clock.

Far distance, waving something white.

That is a long way away but it looks like he's signalling to me.

Or something's flashing that's worth having a look at.

OK, yeah.

Yeah, looks like an emergency blanket.

I think that's our man.

Waving a silver-lined blanket, at last the casualty's been found.

Rescue 122 Kinloss Rescue.

-'We believe we've found our casualty.'

-Roger, stand by.

Winchman Dave McDowell heads straight to the casualty

to assess his injuries.

-All right?

-I think it's going to break on me.

Are you in any pain anywhere else at all?

No.

SPEECH OBSCURED BY HELICOPTER WHIRRING

Alan White called 999 after he slipped and fell awkwardly.

He looks to have injured his knee quite badly.

I'll put you in a stretcher and I'll take you to Glan Clwyd Hospital for an X-ray.

For Alan the next stop on his afternoon hike

is Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl.

Kinloss Rescue, Kinloss Rescue, this is Rescue 122, over.

'Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue.'

Kinloss Rescue, Rescue 122, we are inbound now to Rhyl Hospital

with an ETA of just over five minutes.

'Kinloss Rescue, roger, out.'

It's been another busy day for Kinloss.

It's the best job in the world, it is, without a doubt.

Because everyday somebody is in difficulty and needs our help

and we provide it.

And you go home with such a feeling of well-being at the end of the day.

'Kinloss rescue, roger, out.'

Safe in Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl,

walker Alan White won't be scrambling in the Berwyn hills for a while yet.

I've ruptured the...

I think they're called quadriceps tendons.

I can't put any weight on the leg for 12 weeks,

probably won't be able to drive for 16 weeks.

Alone and in agony on a Welsh hillside,

Alan's signalling paid off.

I just had a big silver survival bag

which I was waving about to try and attract their attention.

They came with a big yellow bird.

Seen them practising and training, but I never thought I would

ever have to use one, but they were there and they did an excellent job.

The beauty of the Welsh landscape attracts millions of visitors

to its mountains and coast every year.

And for the few that need help,

the yellow Sea Kings are always on stand-by.

After being winched to safety from the infamous Crib Goch ridge,

X-rays later showed that David Bland had broken both

the tibia and fibula in his leg.

He was discharged from Bangor Hospital three days later after surgery.

Two days after breaking her leg on the Anglesey coast,

Darlene Burton left hospital -

and managed to catch her flight home to Canada.

Three months after his car crash, Tony Smith knows that

he owes his life to the emergency services and Chivenor's Rescue 169.

Well, I don't think I was expected to live initially

But I think I have been extraordinarily lucky.

I'm proposing to go over to Chivenor and put some money behind the bar

so they can have a drink on me.

The Sea King has proved it really is the ultimate Search and Rescue machine.

It has its quirks, it breaks fairly often,

it needs a lot of engineering,

but it kind of makes you fall in love with it more

because it's got character, so, yeah,

it's a fantastic aircraft to work on. I love it, absolutely love it.

After 30 years of service,

it's now time for the AgustaWestland Sea King to retire.

In 2016, the Sea King will be replaced by a more modern helicopter,

under plans for a new Search and Rescue service

which won't involve the RAF.

It's the end of an era for the iconic yellow helicopter.

It's not flashy, it's not the sports car of the helicopter world.

You know, it's kind of the broken down old minivan

but it's got all the tools you need in it and it's always there

when you require it.

She's very old now, she's been around a very long time,

She's been a fantastic servant to everyone.

There won't be any more yellow Sea Kings flying around which,

for me personally, emotively it's very sad to see her go,

and it just focuses the mind a bit when you think you may never see that yellow Sea King again

It's been going on for quite a number of years, decades in fact,

and people are very fond of it.

Yes, and I'm sure they are going to be sad to see her go

and to no longer operate on it.

The thing that makes it most capable though,

is the aircrew and engineers that fly it.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd