0:00:04 > 0:00:06The mountains and coastline of Wales,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08both beautiful and treacherous.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The iconic yellow Sea King helicopters
0:00:15 > 0:00:17rescue hundreds of people every year.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24In Wales, the RAF Search and Rescue Force is the busiest in Britain.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35In this series, we follow real rescue stories,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38from mountainside to hospital bedside.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Our cameras have unprecedented access to the lifesaving work
0:00:45 > 0:00:46of the Sea King crews.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Even with a royal pilot in its ranks,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55it's business as usual for RAF Search and Rescue.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04This time on Helicopter Rescue,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09the tough Welsh terrain claims its latest victims.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12In agony, halfway up Snowdon, this walker needs a lift.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16It was quite obvious that his kneecap was up into his thigh area.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21A desperate search for a missing kite surfer, lost at sea.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23I think he's going to be under the surface now,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27so I'm confident I'll get a head and shoulders in the water.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28If he's still alive.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And alone and in agony in this vast terrain,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37how one inventive walker caught the eye of the Sea King.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Snowdonia, home to the highest mountains in Wales.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02With 15 peaks over 3,000 feet high,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05winds at the summit can sometimes reach 150mph,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and winter temperatures can plummet to minus 20 Celsius.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The local RAF Search and Rescue crew based on Anglesey
0:02:15 > 0:02:18know these infamous mountains only too well.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20One is Devil's Kitchen,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24which the name of itself is not a particularly nice thought,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28but it's a very, very steep bowl towards Tryfan.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Flying round it can get very interesting.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32You get bumped around a hell of a lot.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35If you're in hover, it can get very interesting.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Snowdonia quite a tight area.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43There's a couple of particular areas, Crib Goch and Tryfan,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47that are quite dangerous, in fact.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But these challenging conditions
0:02:49 > 0:02:53don't stop ten million people from visiting Snowdonia every year.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56The Snowdonia mountains are incredibly accessible,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58but they're not entirely risk-free.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01They're right next to main roads, you can park by the side of the A5
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and you're straight at the base of Tryfan.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Obviously, Snowdonia, big car parks, Llanberis,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09up the Llanberis track, Pen-y-Pass.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11At the end of the day, people can get ill or injured
0:03:11 > 0:03:12just about anywhere,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16it's quite spectacular where people can hurt themselves.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Today, Snowdonia claims its latest victim.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Hello, police, can I help you?
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Where are you, sir?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36A 999 call comes through to the police
0:03:36 > 0:03:40from a remote Welsh mountain in southern Snowdonia.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Is someone with you, sir, or are you alone?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47OK. Sit tight, don't move, don't put any weight on your leg.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48We'll get somebody to you.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The police now contact the RAF's rescue control centre
0:03:51 > 0:03:54up in the north of Scotland to request their help.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Kinloss Rescue.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00All right. Slipped with an injured leg.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'He's on Foel Wen.'
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Nearest asset is going to be Rescue 122.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It's a job for the Search and Rescue crew at RAF Valley.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Information I've got, he's got plenty of water,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17warm clothing, but not much battery life on his mobile.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Got any idea on his injuries?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'Slipped with injured leg.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Injured leg.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24OK? Cheers, bye.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The chap has slipped and hurt his leg, down near Bala.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Rescue 122 are airborne.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Over his radio,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Radar Operator Dave Taylor gets an update on the casualty.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Your casualty is a 60-year-old male with leg injuries.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48We are unsure of his exact location.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Only 20 minutes after receiving the 999 call,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53the crew are scrambled and on their way.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58500 miles north from Valley
0:04:58 > 0:05:02is the RAF's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at Kinloss.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Every year, they receive hundreds of calls
0:05:06 > 0:05:08from the emergency services across the UK.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13'This is Kinloss Rescue'.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15'We've got a 21-year-old male'.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'..got a crack in his lower back'.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23'We have one vehicle. We've got an adult, a minor and a baby on board'.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25'Open fracture with a high pain score'.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Kinloss Rescue is the central hub that deploys RAF, coastguard
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and Royal Navy helicopters to answer the cries for help.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Every organisation needs a central hub and, if you like,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39we are the heart of what goes on, but we're not the pit face.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42There are people out there risking their lives in a way that we're not.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45We just risk sweat and grey hairs.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48It's a military service,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53but over 97% of calls to Kinloss are to help civilians.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55A vast number of those callouts come from Wales.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01The two busiest RAF units are Chivenor and Valley.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Typically, each year, you could expect up to 300 rescues,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06around about that figure from each,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and I think, this year, Valley is very slightly ahead.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Requests for helicopter assistance
0:06:12 > 0:06:15mainly come from the police and coastguard.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The team here at Kinloss have to decide which Sea King crew
0:06:18 > 0:06:19is tasked to each rescue.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue, over.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27INAUDIBLE CHATTER
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33'those details pertaining to the Bala job...'
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Today, Kinloss have scrambled Rescue 122 from RAF Valley
0:06:38 > 0:06:41to a man injured on the Berwyn mountains near Bala.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45The team are trying to pinpoint the casualty's exact location,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49when another call comes in, and it's also from North Wales.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Just starting a new job. We've already got one going on with you.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57What's the nature of the incident, please?
0:06:57 > 0:07:01'The caller and his wife are stuck on a ledge south of Tryfan.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:02OK.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Cragfast.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Two climbers are stuck on a ledge
0:07:07 > 0:07:10up a mountain called Tryfan in the Ogwen Valley.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Rescue 122 is the closest helicopter,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15but they're already on their way to an injured walker
0:07:15 > 0:07:18in the Berwyn Mountains near Bala.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Thank you. Bye. Right, how safe are these cragfast guys?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23They've got good battery on their phone.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Because this guy, we're not sure where he is,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27so there's a search involved on this bloke.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31OK. If they can just in, snatch and go, then that's one thing, but we
0:07:31 > 0:07:34can't hang about because we need to get on the search with the other one.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38There are two cries for help, but only one helicopter.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44It's now up to Kinloss to decide where to send Rescue 122.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- OK.- We'll continue for the other job.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48We're going to continue for the other job.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Radio Officer Graham Topping informs the crew of the decision.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue, request you continue
0:07:55 > 0:07:58to original incident of male with injured leg, over.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06I've got two guys on a ledge, up on this position, here.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10However, they are in a safe position, they've been in contact,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14and we've got mountain rescue troops on the way.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Against that, I've got a 60-year-old here who's injured.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19We're not exactly sure where he is,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23so I'm prioritising that job at the present time.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25The local Mountain Rescue Team will now take care
0:08:25 > 0:08:28of the cragfast climbers on Tryfan.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Rescue 122 continue the search for the injured walker
0:08:31 > 0:08:32in the Berwyn Mountains.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Go to the grid, see what's there, and then go and find him.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42From the details given in the 999 call, Kinloss Rescue can work out
0:08:42 > 0:08:45a map grid reference to the casualty's exact location.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Despite the fact we will get a reasonably accurate grid reference
0:08:49 > 0:08:51to go to, we always understand
0:08:51 > 0:08:54that there's a degree of searching involved to find them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56They might not be totally sure of their position.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Any description of what he might be wearing?
0:09:02 > 0:09:03'No, not at this time.'
0:09:05 > 0:09:07There are quite a few people up here for this guy to be in
0:09:07 > 0:09:10a benign condition and no-one else has seen him.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12They can't find him.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16From Kinloss, Graham tries to guide the crew to the scene.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20122, Kinloss. The casualty can see the helo over Cadair
0:09:20 > 0:09:21from where he is.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26He's on the ridge of Craig Berwyn.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33As Rescue 122 continues to search the expanse of the Berwyn mountains,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36yet another call comes into Kinloss.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Hi, Charlie speaking.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43'Hiya, we're just wondering if you can help us with a job in Newquay.'
0:09:44 > 0:09:47'Someone who's fallen off a cliff, is stuck in a cove,
0:09:47 > 0:09:48'they need winching out.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51'He has possibly fitted with a spinal injury.'
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Rescue 169 from Chivenor in North Devon are already airborne
0:09:55 > 0:09:56on a training sortie.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03Rescue 169. Casualty is a male with spinal injuries.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09'He's fallen from a cliff 15 feet, and had a seizure.'
0:10:11 > 0:10:12They've been scrambled to a rescue
0:10:12 > 0:10:16in a small cove near Newquay in Cornwall.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18It's a stag do that's gone horribly wrong.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Today's Aircraft Captain is Taff Wilkins from Port Talbot.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Anyone who needs the aircraft will phone though to Kinloss,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30then they'll phone us, they'll give us the details of the job we need.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33We'll get airborne, and that's where they come into their own, really.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37This is Kinloss Rescue. Sheet 200. Sheet 200.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Chivenor is quite notable
0:10:42 > 0:10:44because it has a very high turnover of operations,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and they're well-known for their 45 minute start-to-finish operations,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51which they do extremely well.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55In the summer you get a lot of beach jobs, surfers in difficulties,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57kids missing, people cut off by tides,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00people going to beaches that get caught out.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02That's our bread and butter, really.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05That's stuff we train for day in, day out.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Taff and the crew from Devon head to their casualty in Newquay.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15A stag weekend coasteering event has left one man seriously injured.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18After jumping off a cliff, he landed awkwardly in the sea.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Rescue 169 need to get to him as soon as they can.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Back in the Berwyn Mountains,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Rescue 122 is still searching for their casualty.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34It's very difficult to spot the casualty in a terrain like this,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37but the Sea King can search large areas in a relatively short time.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Suddenly, Radar Operator Dave Taylor sees someone in the distance.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Gents, I've got someone signalling at 11 o'clock.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Far distance, waving something white.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52That is a long way away.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54But it looks like he's signalling, to me.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Or something's flashing. It's worth having a look at.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57OK, yeah.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Yeah, looks like an emergency blanket.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I think that's our man.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Waving a silver-lined blanket, at last, the casualty's been found.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Rescue 122, Kinloss Rescue, over.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16We believe we've found our casualty.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Roger. Standby.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Winchman Dave McDowell heads straight to the casualty
0:12:21 > 0:12:23to assess his injuries.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24All right?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Have you got any pain anywhere else at all?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30No.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Just a simple slip? Didn't fall, didn't tumble?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Alan White called 999 after he slipped and fell awkwardly.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39He looks to have injured his knee quite badly.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Going to put you in a stretcher
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and take you to Glan Clywd Hospital to x-ray it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49For Alan, the next stop on his afternoon hike
0:12:49 > 0:12:52is Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Kinloss Rescue, Kinloss Rescue, this is Rescue 122. Over.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59'Rescue 122. Kinloss Rescue. Over.'
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Kinloss Rescue. Rescue 122. We are inbound now to Rhyl Hospital
0:13:03 > 0:13:05with an ETA of just over five minutes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'This is Kinloss Rescue. Roger, out.'
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Meanwhile, in north Cornwall, Taff Wilkins and his crew
0:13:12 > 0:13:15reach the stag do casualty, on Newquay beach.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The casualty is in a small, narrow cove,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and there's nowhere for the helicopter to land,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26so winchman Andy Dixon is lowered down
0:13:26 > 0:13:29to bring the casualty up in the stretcher.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Paramedics fear that Dominic Stratton from London
0:13:37 > 0:13:39has severe spinal injuries.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43It's too risky to carry him by stretcher
0:13:43 > 0:13:47up the steep and rocky slopes to the waiting ambulance,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53so he's winched up to the Sea king.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Winching in.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58OK, mate, you happy?
0:13:58 > 0:13:59At the cabin door.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Winch out.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Safe on board, it's only a short journey to hospital in Plymouth.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The crew update the control centre in Kinloss.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Rescue 169. Kinloss Rescue. Over.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24This is Kinloss Rescue. That's all copied and has been arranged.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's been a busy day for Kinloss.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Two successful rescues, and the cragfast walkers on Tryfan
0:14:31 > 0:14:35were brought safely down by the local Mountain Rescue team.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It is the best job in the world, without a doubt.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Because every day, somebody is in difficulty and needs our help
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and we provide it, and you go home with such a feeling of well-being
0:14:46 > 0:14:47at the end of the day.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'Kinloss Rescue. Roger, out.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:56For the RAF's Search and Rescue crews, the Welsh landscape
0:14:56 > 0:15:01is the perfect place to develop their rescue techniques.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04We're extremely lucky in Valley, or unlucky, if you want to look
0:15:04 > 0:15:08at it a different way, but we have the mountains, the coast, the sea.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11We have everything right on our doorstep within 15 minutes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14We understand a lot of people go to the mountains for a quiet stroll,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and the last thing they want to hear is a big yellow helicopter
0:15:16 > 0:15:18going round above their heads,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20but with the environmental conditions,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22you can't get any better for search and rescue,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24having so many different areas to train and to operate in.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I think most people are really good about it,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and a lot of people see it and go,
0:15:28 > 0:15:29"One day I might end up needing that."
0:15:32 > 0:15:34As well as using helicopters,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38the RAF Search and Rescue Force also has four dedicated
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Mountain Rescue teams, one of which is based at RAF Valley.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46We have located the casualty and are moving to his location. Over.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51The 20-strong team are all RAF volunteers.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56They train most weekends in and around Snowdonia.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Can you start getting the stretcher together for us?
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Sometimes, having ground support is invaluable to the Sea King crews.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Casualties are often found in difficult locations.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09That's when the Mountain Rescue team can transfer them to a safer place
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and prepare them for the Sea King.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16But it's not all about mountains.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Over a third of callouts to the Search and Rescue force
0:16:18 > 0:16:19are from the coastguard.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25They often train with other rescue agencies like the RNLI lifeboats.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Where the mountains offer us
0:16:26 > 0:16:31a challenge in the fact that the weather and the terrain itself, over
0:16:31 > 0:16:36the water, for boats, they move, so it's the same, except the target
0:16:36 > 0:16:38we're trying to get to is moving in a rough sea state or in the wind,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and obviously people in the water is a whole new technique again.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Over the water, I'd say, searching-wise,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46it is the hardest one we do.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You're a tiny head bobbing around in these big waves, there's white
0:16:49 > 0:16:52water, and it's such a big area, you can drift, you can blow in the wind.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55There's a number of things that happen to you in the water,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58whereas on land, yes, there are going to be things getting
0:16:58 > 0:17:01in the way of you, but on the whole, we can usually find you a lot easier.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Today, a call from Holyhead coastguard
0:17:05 > 0:17:09will put that sea search training to the test.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'Rescue 122. Holyhead Coastguard.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:16'Male was last seen entering the water believed to be trying
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'to retrieve his kite surfboard.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'Male was wearing a black wetsuit and no buoyancy aid.'
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- No buoyancy aid.- Oops.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34On the shores of Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Rescue 122 from RAF Valley is looking for a missing kite surfer.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42He was last seen 30 minutes ago.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45It's October. The crew know that a wet suit
0:17:45 > 0:17:47can't protect him for long from the cold sea.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Hypothermia can set in within minutes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Time is ticking.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Black Rock Sands is there.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01So from now, really, we're actively searching.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13We've got various tools to help us find people.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The majority of the time, the best asset to use is your eye.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Sometimes the best way is just to get everyone looking out the window.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23You're in the general area, you fly along, searching.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28With your eye, you can see maybe some movement in the corner of your eye,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30your peripheral vision, which could be absolutely critical,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and that might be the only chance you get to find them.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40There's something white coming to the left of us now.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41That's the board.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47They've found the kite board, but no trace of the missing kite surfer.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49The crew fire a flare
0:18:49 > 0:18:52so that the RNLI crew can check the surrounding area.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Search and Rescue crews know that sea rescues are never easy.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It's a constantly changing environment.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The crew's action can easily mean the difference
0:19:03 > 0:19:06between life and death for the casualty.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I remember one particular job, it was one of my first few jobs,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14was about two guys on a jet ski,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17who were missing out to sea about a mile off the coast,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and they were basically in the water for roughly four and a half hours.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23And after an airborne search with ourselves, the coast guard
0:19:23 > 0:19:27and the lifeboat, we managed to spot these two guys poking out the water.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Trying to find them was a needle in a haystack,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33and after about 45 minutes of searching,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36looked out the window and saw these two guys, and one of them was
0:19:36 > 0:19:42wearing a life-preserver, and just saw orange strip on his shoulder,
0:19:42 > 0:19:43and they were hugging each other,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and they were absolutely severe hypothermic,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and they were blue and really quite ill.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Got them to hospital and they made a full recovery.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Back on the shores of Porthmadog, it's been 45 minutes
0:19:57 > 0:20:00since they spotted the kite board.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02The surfer is still missing.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06As night falls, Rescue 122 are still searching.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I think he's going to be under the surface now.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I'm pretty confident there's a head and shoulders possibly in the water.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16If he's still alive.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It doesn't look good.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The kite surfer's been missing for more than an hour and a half.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Exhaustion and unconsciousness can strike
0:20:26 > 0:20:28after less than an hour in the water.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35But minutes later, the coast guard call in with some good news.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Roger.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The missing kite surfer has been found on the beach nearby,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56safe and sound.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59A positive result is the aim for all the Search and Rescue crews,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02whichever way the casualty reaches safety.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05People sometimes end up getting into bother,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07but we're not there to judge.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13We're there to make sure if they do need help, we're there to help them.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The RAF Search and Rescue crews
0:21:21 > 0:21:25are always on standby for the next callout, whatever the weather.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It can get a bit dull without a job sometimes.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32It depends. If the weather's good, then we can get out training.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34I think the worst days for us are the days
0:21:34 > 0:21:36when the weather's really bad.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38You can't go flying,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and the minutes can feel like hours sometimes.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Everyone's been quite sensible so far.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'd be surprised if there's anyone up in the hills,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49but there usually is, regardless of the weather.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50But all quiet so far.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56The crew are on rolling shifts and eat, rest and sleep on base.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Between callouts, they make the most of their quiet periods.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01They may not last for long.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04..actually, that's a very good point.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We're here for 24 hours, so we'll start at nine in the morning,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10we'll be here till nine tomorrow morning, so at some point
0:22:10 > 0:22:13in the day we've just got to take a bit of a wind-down time and relax.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17So we watch a bit of telly and just sometimes sit
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and have a chat and a cup of tea.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22We've got no real way of knowing when a job will come in, either,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25so we might work hard all the way through the day,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28work hard into the evening, get back for a couple of hours to
0:22:28 > 0:22:31chill out, and that could be when the job comes in
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and it could last us for the rest of the night, you just don't know,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36so we try and grab a bit of downtime when we can.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Plus, Ed drives you mad anyway after a while.
0:22:39 > 0:22:4024 hours with this guy!
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The vast majority of callouts to RAF Valley
0:22:45 > 0:22:47are from the mountains of Snowdonia,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and today Wales's highest peak has claimed its latest victim.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Kinloss Rescue. Rescue 122. En route to Snowdon.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Person with a dislocated knee.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Estimate nine minutes to on-scene.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Rescue 122 heads for one of the more popular routes up Snowdon -
0:23:13 > 0:23:14the Miners' Track.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Rescue 122. Receiving you loud and clear.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22It's a party of four who are en route at this time
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and include a doctor.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We also have a doctor on board.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31On board today is Dr Linda Dykes.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Her Emergency Department at Bangor is part of a survey
0:23:35 > 0:23:39of mountain casualties called the Mountain Medicine Project.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Their research reveals the reality of being injured in Snowdonia.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Knowing the pattern of injuries that we get in Snowdonia
0:23:47 > 0:23:48is actually very helpful.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50When patients are seriously injured,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54there's a phrase we use called the Golden Hour for trauma,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and in that very short period of time,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59if somebody has got critically life-threatening injuries,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01you may be able to intervene to stop them dying.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04One of the problems we have with mountain casualties is that
0:24:04 > 0:24:07with the best will in the world, if you come to serious
0:24:07 > 0:24:11grief in the mountains, it's likely to be at least 45 minutes
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and possibly an hour before anybody can get to you.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And that means that our mountain casualties completely miss
0:24:16 > 0:24:17the Golden Hour,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20so that does mean that the most seriously injured casualties
0:24:20 > 0:24:24from the mountains may well be dead by the time help arrives,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26which means that if they are still alive,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29to reach here in the emergency department,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31then they should have survivable injuries.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33No problem with her being managed on that,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36but she needs to have all the resuscitation bundle done.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Thankfully, for the majority, the prognosis is not so bleak.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43The commonest single thing we see in mountain casualties
0:24:43 > 0:24:45is lower limb injuries and ankle injuries.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47A lot of ankle sprains, a lot of ankle fractures,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and of course, that's completely disabling.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52You know, you turn your ankle over and you can't walk,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and you're going to have to have assistance to get off.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58So something that can be a relatively minor injury
0:24:58 > 0:24:59can be a very significant problem.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01If you can't evacuate yourself from the mountain,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03then you're going to need the assistance
0:25:03 > 0:25:05of the RAF or MRT or both.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Today's casualty is a typical case.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11A man has tripped while walking down from the summit
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and has injured his knee.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Winching out over the side.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Height is good. Speed is good.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Right one only.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Steady.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29On the ground.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Winchman making his way down to the party.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Winchman Ed Griffiths knows that this is a serious injury.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39He needs to take urgent action.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43It was a classic dislocated patella, which is the kneecap.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47He was sat there, his leg was flexed and it was quite obvious
0:25:47 > 0:25:50that his kneecap was up into his thigh area, if you like.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And that had just been through him just twisting it
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and planting it badly on the uneven ground,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00so I put some morphine into him, and then straightened his leg, and at
0:26:00 > 0:26:04the same time, just gave his kneecap a little bit of a push, as well
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and it all popped back into place.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Winch complete.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15The medical team at Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd
0:26:15 > 0:26:20confirm that Ian Hepburn's walking holiday has indeed come to an end.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Oooh!
0:26:22 > 0:26:25This is a holiday snap to remember!
0:26:25 > 0:26:29First time up Snowdon, first time on a helicopter, first time on crutches.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Big day of firsts!
0:26:31 > 0:26:33And first time on film, so...
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I thought it was only meant to come in threes!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Ian had to have an operation on his knee two weeks later,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44and was out of action for three months after his fall.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46But he's since returned to Wales to climb,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and is planning another trip in the near future.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And recuperating in Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58walker Alan White won't be scrambling in the Berwyn hills
0:26:58 > 0:27:00for a while yet.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04I've ruptured the quadricep tendons,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07can't put any weight on the leg for 12 weeks,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09probably won't be able to drive for 16 weeks.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Alone and in agony on a Welsh hillside,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Alan's signalling paid off.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17I just had a big silver survival bag which I was waving about to try
0:27:17 > 0:27:18and attract attention.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20They came with the big yellow bird.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Seen them practicing and training and hoped I never had to use one.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26But they were there, and they did an excellent job.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And Dominic Stratton's coasteering adventure on a stag do weekend
0:27:29 > 0:27:33resulted in a fractured spine.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34But five weeks after his fall,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38he managed to make it to the groom's wedding, on time.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47The beauty of the Welsh landscape attracts millions of visitors
0:27:47 > 0:27:49to its mountains and coast every year.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And for the few that need help,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54the yellow Sea Kings are always on standby.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Next time on Helicopter Rescue.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Four young climbers have been stuck
0:28:05 > 0:28:07for six hours in freezing conditions.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12We're here now. Let's get them, and let's get out of there.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It's a battle on the battlements.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20The Sea King is called to a damsel in distress
0:28:20 > 0:28:23on Caernarfon Castle's medieval turrets.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28That's something that you don't train day-in, day-out for.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And for one pilot, it's nearly time to say goodbye.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37I'm really trying not to think about it in terms of,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39"Oh, God, this is the last shift."
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media