0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're an island nation, drawn to the sea that surrounds us.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10For many, it's a playground.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14For others, it's where we earn our living...
0:00:14 > 0:00:17but the sea's unpredictable.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19It can change in an instant -
0:00:19 > 0:00:23and when accidents happen, they happen very fast.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26The sea is a dangerous place.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28You don't respect the sea, the sea will bite you.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32There to save our lives is a volunteer army
0:00:32 > 0:00:34of nearly 5,000 ordinary people...
0:00:34 > 0:00:38ready to leave their jobs, their families,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40to race to our rescue.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up
0:00:45 > 0:00:48to know that, if it wasn't for you, that person wouldn't be here.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54They rescued me, but they also saved a mum, a daughter, a sister, a wife.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Oh, my gosh.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58To see someone disappear under the water right in front of you...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01is brutal, it's absolutely horrendous.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Equipped with their own cameras...
0:01:04 > 0:01:06- Is my light flashing?- Yeah, is mine?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10..the crews give us a unique insight into every call out
0:01:10 > 0:01:12as only they see it...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Another little wave.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18..speeding through the roughest weather,
0:01:18 > 0:01:23searching for people who may only have moments to live.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Can you still hear me?!
0:01:24 > 0:01:29For those who risk their lives, it has become a way of life.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34When those pagers go off, it's life and death.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The sandy beaches and rugged coastline of Tenby in South Wales
0:01:49 > 0:01:53have been drawing in tourists for over 200 years.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57The Victorians were content to swim and paddle,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00but today's visitors are more likely to push the boat out.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04There's always something new,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06like, the newest big thing that could be on the water.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Obviously, we get windsurfers down here, we get surfers down here,
0:02:10 > 0:02:11there'll be another big thing in a minute,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and that'll be something else that goes on the water that people buy,
0:02:14 > 0:02:15ready for the summer.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20People that live here and are around it all year, they respect the sea.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Now, many people that come on holiday are not aware of that,
0:02:24 > 0:02:25and they get in trouble.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29A beautiful morning towards the end of the season.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31SIREN WAILS
0:02:31 > 0:02:34The Tenby lifeboat crew is paged.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46A 55-year-old woman has been caught in a kayaking accident.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50It's believed she may have sustained injuries to her back and neck.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Phil came in,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56he'd obviously heard what the call was.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59We're always urgent - but it was really urgent.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00SIREN WAILS
0:03:00 > 0:03:03It was flat calm, it was sunny, it was a lovely day.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05There wasn't much sea.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I remember thinking, "How could sustain those kind of injuries
0:03:08 > 0:03:11"in those kind of conditions from a kayak?"
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The Tamar lifeboat is launched in under ten minutes.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The crew head to the cliffs of Stackpole Head,
0:03:28 > 0:03:29ten miles down the coast.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I know where Stackpole Head is, and I can visualise,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39but I don't know the actual scenario she's in.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I could feel the groundswell, it was a calm day, nice day -
0:03:41 > 0:03:43but there was a bit of heave in the water.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It just starts playing on your mind,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47sort of, "When we get there, what are you going to do?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49"Who's doing first aid?"
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Anything can change. The weather could change.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The wind might pick up, and it might start to get choppier,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58which is harder to get the casualty aboard.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03You don't know the full detail until you get on site.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07At a top speed of 25 knots,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10it takes nearly 20 minutes to reach the injured woman.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16No two jobs are the same. It can make things difficult,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18because what you had last time
0:04:18 > 0:04:20isn't necessarily what you're going to get this time.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Stackpole Head.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28As the crew reach the cliffs, they find a cluster of kayaks.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Lying on top of one of them is the casualty, surrounded by her friends.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The kayaks sort of parted, like the Red Sea,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and we could see the casualty.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58All right? Are you all right?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00We went straight over to her,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03just to make initial communications with her.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Well, you stay as still as you can, my love. My name's Geoff
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- and we're here to take you home, all right?- Thank you.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33You could see on everyone's faces
0:05:33 > 0:05:35that they were all panicking for their friend.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36They all knew the casualty,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and they were obviously all concerned for her welfare.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41OK?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I was pleased that she was talking, because I thought that was
0:05:43 > 0:05:46a...a good sign.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48She could breathe, because she was talking.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51She kept complaining of pain,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55sort of around her neck and on her back.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00You just feel so useless, because you can't do anything,
0:06:00 > 0:06:01and you have nothing to offer her -
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and I wasn't even sure that she could hear me,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06because I think she was concentrating so much
0:06:06 > 0:06:08on the pain she was in.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It was difficult. It was hard.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Can you just tuck your arm inside, so it doesn't get caught
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- on anything, all right, darling? - Keep it warm.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21At the time, we were suspecting back injury and head injury,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25which is the two worst, sort of, injuries you can be faced with
0:06:25 > 0:06:27when you're transferring casualties.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29SHE CRIES OUT IN PAIN
0:06:29 > 0:06:32You always go for the worst case. Always go for the worst case.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Move her as little as possible, and only move her when you need to.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Any bump or jolt could cause Libby further damage or even paralysis...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Thank you very much, guys.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49..but unless she can be lifted onto the lifeboat,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53she won't get the specialist medical treatment she needs.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Being that she was on the kayak,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01it wasn't an ideal position to be in.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03She obviously wasn't laid flat.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The kayak didn't have many handles on it for lifting it -
0:07:06 > 0:07:10but to try and transport it from the kayak into a stretcher,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14whilst being in the sea ourselves, would have been a big no-go.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17So it was decided the best course of action was to keep on the kayak
0:07:17 > 0:07:20for the time being, use that as a backboard.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23We're going to put your head up first, all right?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It takes four crew to lift Libby to deck level.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41One... Two... Three!
0:07:41 > 0:07:43SHE SCREAMS IN PAIN
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Sorry, love. - That's it. Now, that's it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48She looked quite pale.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52She was shaking. She was just barely...barely talking.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54She was obviously in a lot of pain.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57All right?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59With the nature of her injuries still unknown,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03the coastguard has scrambled urgent medical assistance.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10The fastest way to get to hospital is via helicopter.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12The coxswain maintained his speed,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and the paramedic from the helicopter
0:08:14 > 0:08:17was winched down and landed on the deck.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20So, what were going to have to do, guys,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I want to get her wet suit off her completely,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25so once I've finished what I'm doing now, we'll cut down the legs,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and then we're going to look at moving her.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Now, I'm just going to feel around your back...
0:08:31 > 0:08:34A bit further down...
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I'll do the legs, you do the kayak...
0:08:37 > 0:08:40We're going to lift her up on three, and drag the kayak at first count.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43One, two, three, lift.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46That's it. Keep her in the air.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49There was no way that she was going to be winched on the kayak,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51so it has to be in the stretcher.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It's a matter of getting a lot of people around her,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56so that we can lift her in a way that is supportive,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and that she doesn't really move
0:08:58 > 0:09:01from transferring from one position in a stretcher to another.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02One, two, three, lower.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07- There we go. - SHE SCREAMS
0:09:07 > 0:09:08She was in a lot of pain.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You could see she was in a lot of pain.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I think she was frightened. She was a brave woman, mind.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21She... She listened to us, she communicated with us.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24OK, so blanket over.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Libby's already spent more than 30 minutes in severe pain...
0:09:28 > 0:09:31but after her time in the water,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35her body temperature has dropped significantly.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Airlifting her in this state would increase the likelihood
0:09:38 > 0:09:41of her developing hypothermia.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Pick them up.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48The paramedic decides to delay taking Libby to hospital
0:09:48 > 0:09:51till her temperature starts to rise.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55We brought one of her friends on board from the...from her kayak,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57just to reassure her.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01You want a friendly face when you're scared and in need of help.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I just kept saying, everything's going to be all right, now,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11everything's going to be all right, and just squeezing her hand.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Let me know as soon as that winch is ready.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22Finally, after 20 minutes, Libby's core temperature has begun to climb.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Overhead, the Coastguard helicopter flies into the wind
0:10:25 > 0:10:28at the highest speed possible, to maintain stability.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The swell's going to be the most awkward thing for them.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Yeah, yeah, totally.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37At the helm, coxswain Phil must match the heading and speed,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40while keeping the lifeboat deck as steady as possible.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42OK, so that's good, that one's good.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Yeah.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45They're good.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49The helicopter's pretty stable,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but the lifeboat's going up and down on the seas.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Just to help the situation, we lifted the...
0:10:56 > 0:11:00We lifted Libby up to a position level with the rail.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It seems like quite a snatch from-from the boat,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and it's-it's almost unavoidable.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14It's probably quite scary.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26You always think, you know, what's going to happen now
0:11:26 > 0:11:28is, you know, is it just a bit of bruising?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Is it, you know, is she just cold?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Or, you know, is she, you know, genuinely hurt?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37And you always hold out for the call that you're going to find out
0:11:37 > 0:11:39what happens - and sometimes you don't,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and, you know, sometimes you do.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Libby had been in Tenby enjoying a girls' weekend
0:11:53 > 0:11:54with a group of friends.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57They'd hired kayaks for the day
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and had gone out with experienced instructors.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04As Libby took her turn to navigate a gap in the rocks,
0:12:04 > 0:12:05she was caught by a freak wave.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13It is the scariest thing that's ever happened to me, I think.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The doctors told me...
0:12:16 > 0:12:18..how...what the state of my injuries were.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Well, I'd broken seven ribs, five of them in two places,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27so had a total of 12 fractures...
0:12:29 > 0:12:33..and there was one chap there whose hand I was holding really tight!
0:12:33 > 0:12:35And I'm sure he didn't have any fingers left
0:12:35 > 0:12:37by the time I'd been holding his hand,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38because I was holding it so tight.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42You feel blessed that you were there.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44You feel humbled that you were able to get there in time
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and help her, basically.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50She was a very strong and a tough woman.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53I would have made a lot more noise than she did, God love her.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I wouldn't mind going there again,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00just stand and watch the waves and see whether it WAS just a freak wave
0:13:00 > 0:13:03or whether, you know, whether I was just unlucky -
0:13:03 > 0:13:05but I think that the sea is just so unpredictable
0:13:05 > 0:13:06that you can never tell.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09All seamen will tell you that the sea's unpredictable.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's the nature of it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23Around the country, all volunteers attend regular training sessions
0:13:23 > 0:13:27to prepare for whatever the sea can throw at them.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29From recovering a capsize...
0:13:29 > 0:13:32One, two, three.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35..to casualty care...
0:13:36 > 0:13:38..but however long you've been learning the ropes,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42there are some events that no-one can predict or plan for.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47You've got to kind of switch common sense off,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49because things aren't predictable at sea.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50You know, you've got the waves,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52you've got the wind, you've got...
0:13:52 > 0:13:55a 30-plus-tonne lifeboat pitching and rolling.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Common sense just doesn't go how you want it to when you're at sea.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03You might think it might be a nice, easy call-out
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and maybe halfway through it, something else might happen, and...
0:14:07 > 0:14:09everything changes on a call-out.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11You're never guaranteed an easy call-out.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13We've been known to rescue a goat
0:14:13 > 0:14:16down near Lynmouth that had been stuck on the cliff
0:14:16 > 0:14:17and actually got an award
0:14:17 > 0:14:21from the Feral Goat Society for rescuing this particular goat,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24so, any animal is a good rescue.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27We were called out to a Viking ship one day,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31just up the coast, I think it was about five mile up the coast,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33they were in difficulty,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and it's the strangest thing that we'd ever gone.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37They're all kitted out with Viking hats and swords,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40it was some kind of re-enactment.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Go and get dressed, yeah?
0:14:41 > 0:14:42Yeah.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44You can actually think you're going out to one job,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and you can actually end up doing another job.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48We went out to a helicopter job last year
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and we actually ended up going out to a sinking fishing boat.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Oh, for sure, it definitely makes things unpredictable.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59When the pagers go off, it can literally be anything.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08UK and Ireland's rocky beaches and sandy shores
0:15:08 > 0:15:09provide food and shelter
0:15:09 > 0:15:15to all manner of fur, feather and fins - both locals and tourists.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20In Devon, the Dart estuary sits in a deep-sided river valley,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23in which a grey seal colony, otters,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26and even the occasional dolphin has made its home...
0:15:27 > 0:15:32..but earlier this year, its biggest visitor to date made national news.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36A moment that will live with a 12-year-old forever.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Woohoo!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Most people have never seen a humpback whale in the UK,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42so Slapton became a viewing hot spot.
0:15:44 > 0:15:4820-foot humpback whales are normally found in the waters off Scandinavia
0:15:48 > 0:15:52or New England, but, to the town's surprise, this one stayed.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I'm not sure why it was in the area at all.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56It just suddenly appeared,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and it stayed for ages.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I think it just liked Dartmouth.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08SIREN WAILS
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The crew at Dart lifeboat station are answering an emergency call.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It's rookie volunteer Katy's third shout.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21I was actually in work, about to leave, and then it went off,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and then I was... quickly ripped the apron off.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I thought, "What's going to be faster, the car or run?"
0:16:25 > 0:16:27And I just decided to run.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Chris was there already, and I said, "What is it?"
0:16:29 > 0:16:32And he said, "The whale's got stuck." Couldn't believe it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36While trying to feed in the shallows of a nearby bay,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38the Dartmouth whale's become trapped
0:16:38 > 0:16:41in fishing lines attached to whelk pots.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Unless he can be freed quickly,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45he could be seriously injured or even drown.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- RADIO:- Will you be able to send your team up along the beach?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Reach across, we've got some rope down here you can grab hold of.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Five miles up the coast,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04a team of divers specialising in marine life rescue
0:17:04 > 0:17:06has also been called in.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The plan, to get them as close as possible to the whale
0:17:10 > 0:17:12so they can cut him free from the fishing lines.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19For the crew, it means placing the lifeboat carefully over the whale
0:17:19 > 0:17:21as he thrashes below, and holding position.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29When we got close enough to the whale,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33the whale rescue guys had asked that we cut the engine...
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and we were actually holding on to the pot and, pretty much,
0:17:36 > 0:17:37when she came up out of the water,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40any way you looked around the boat was just whale,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42so she seemed pretty big in comparison to our boat.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47That's going straight from there onto the tail.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- Yeah.- Which means that these wraps and the pots
0:17:49 > 0:17:51are going straight down to the bed.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Yeah. Tying around.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Already several hours into his ordeal,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00the whale's becoming increasingly agitated by the ropes.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04You just see it, obviously, coming up
0:18:04 > 0:18:06every kind of three to five minutes,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and then it got... like, the gap got smaller,
0:18:09 > 0:18:10so it was more every two minutes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14You could just see netting around it, really,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16and obviously it was very distressed.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22It was a fair chunk of weight for it to be towing.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Of course, while it's towing it, all the buoys are...
0:18:25 > 0:18:28all the pots are bouncing on the bottom, getting entangled.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The whale probably weighed 15-20 tonnes,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and our boat was about five-and-a-half metres.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42To know that that animal could swipe you out the boat
0:18:42 > 0:18:44with one flick of its tail, terrifying.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51In the small lifeboat, it's too dangerous to proceed.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53We needed to come up with a better plan,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57which, to me, meant more manpower and maybe a more stable platform.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The fishing boat that radioed in the alarm is still in the area,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05so the crew take a different tack.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Cheers, guys.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The new strategy - hoist the whale's tail as high as possible
0:19:14 > 0:19:16out of the water
0:19:16 > 0:19:20while a diver waits for it to rise, armed with a sharp knife.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It was a very tense few moments on the boat.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Um, something we'd never trained for, so it was brand-new,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31brand-new situation.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33I think even the marine life divers,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35although they're trained in whale rescue,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38this is the first one they'd actually been to.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45On any job, but especially with animals,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48you don't know how they are going to react, especially in distress.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Things can go wrong very, very quickly.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Your nerves are jangling at that point.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03If a 20-tonne whale decides it wants to go somewhere else,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06there's not a lot nine blokes are going to do about it, unfortunately.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Come on, guys!
0:20:08 > 0:20:11It felt very tense, watching what was going on.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12It got so close each time.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14It got so close, and we just wanted it to happen.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It's quite an adrenaline buzz.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26I felt quite humbled, actually,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29being so close, to help such a large animal.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Everybody was pulling with all their might.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37The whale surfaced more and more rapidly.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43The final one, we knew it had been done because it just went,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45it just really went.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47There it is!
0:20:54 > 0:20:55Hey, hey!
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03I think any rescue is very rewarding, but this one,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07it was special and it will always be special.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09We've been on several shouts where we've saved lives
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and done dramatic things and nothing has ever been said,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14but all of a sudden, after this shout,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17a lot of people have mentioned, "Oh, I heard you saved the whale!"
0:21:24 > 0:21:26At the most westerly point of the mainland,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31the cliffs of Land's End have been carved out by powerful waves,
0:21:31 > 0:21:32rolling in off the Atlantic Ocean.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The waters here are patrolled by two crews,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Sennen Cove and the Penlee team based in Newlyn.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47The area is a magnet for surfers and holiday-makers,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50many oblivious to the fact they are just miles from some of the busiest
0:21:50 > 0:21:52shipping lanes in the country.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Ships are going around there,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59carrying all sorts. Chemicals, tankers, oil.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The coastline tells its own story of how dangerous the water here can be.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11The land sticks out into the Atlantic
0:22:11 > 0:22:13and is a corner, really foreboding.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16That's Poldark country, if you like.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Mainly it's granite rocks.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Granite cliffs, so if you get washed ashore,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23then only one thing will happen.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25That is, the boat is going to get smashed to pieces.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33SIREN WAILS
0:22:37 > 0:22:423am - Penlee's 16-strong crew is paged by the coastguard.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I picked my best crew that had turned up,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52picked the most experienced guys, and off we went.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55SIREN WAILS
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Eight miles away, the team at Sennen Cove
0:22:58 > 0:22:59is also pulled from their sleep.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Right, guys, one, two, three.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Turning somebody out of their bed at three o'clock in the morning,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10as on this occasion,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and jump in the seat and be able to navigate
0:23:13 > 0:23:15within ten minutes of being asleep
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and dreaming of a Caribbean island or something,
0:23:18 > 0:23:19it is a big ask.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Three miles south of Gwennap Head, a 3,500-tonne coaster,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35laden with cargo and fuel has suffered engine failure
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and broken down.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Her anchor is no longer holding, and a strong south-westerly wind
0:23:41 > 0:23:46has started to push her towards the shore at a rate of a mile an hour.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50The two crews now have just 2.5 hours
0:23:50 > 0:23:53to stop her breaking up on the local cliffs.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58I felt, this is not going to be an easy job.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01If a ship ends up on a piece of coast like that,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04he won't be getting off again.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Environmentally, it's a disaster.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Making best speed of 25 knots, both crews race to the scene.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21We get on with Sennen, we've got a good relationship with Sennen
0:24:21 > 0:24:23and there is a bit of friendly rivalry.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27They're a right bunch down there, down Newlyn.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29We've got the bigger boat,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31but I expect Terry will say he's got a better boat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Their boat is bigger than ours,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34but our propeller has got five blades,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35they've only got four.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40When it comes to saving people's lives,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42what bit of friendly rivalry you might have
0:24:42 > 0:24:45just goes out the window when it's a job like that.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I know most of the crew - they're good as gold.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50They're a good station.
0:24:52 > 0:24:5425 minutes after launching,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57the two crews get their first glimpse of the job in hand.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05A coaster called the Lady Alida, all 3,500 tonnes of her.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14I was thinking,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16we might need a bigger boat!
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Because of the way the wind was, and the strength of the wind,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25she was drifting quite quick.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30On the Penlee lifeboat, Patch has come up with a plan.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33He wants to buy time by towing the coaster into deeper water
0:25:33 > 0:25:37until a tug boat can reach her and deliver her safely into port.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Patch needs Terry in the Sennen Cove boat to agree.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Terry's initial reaction was,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48he wasn't so sure whether we should or not.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53We tow plenty of stuff but we rarely tow anything that big.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56I knew that we had no choice, really,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00because there was only one way that she was going to go if we couldn't.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The Penlee and Sennen Cove volunteers agree to work together
0:26:04 > 0:26:08to bring the 88-metre wall of welded steel under control.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Both lifeboat crews need to find a position in front of the bow
0:26:14 > 0:26:18so that lines can be thrown to the Alida's waiting crew -
0:26:18 > 0:26:21but if they get too close, their own boats could be crushed.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27One minute you're airborne and then you come down with a crash,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and then you go on again.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33It's not a pleasant place to be when it's rough
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and you've got pressure on to try and get to someone who's in trouble.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Just a question of timing, really.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42You can feel you're not going to make it when the ship rose up
0:26:42 > 0:26:45on the top of the sea - it's just waiting for it to drop back down,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and when you feel happy that you can make the throw, throw it.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Both lifeboat crews managed to throw their tow lines at the first attempt
0:27:02 > 0:27:05but they still don't know if they have enough combined power
0:27:05 > 0:27:07to pull the ship to safety.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We started to try and turn the boat 180 degrees
0:27:11 > 0:27:13to get it pointing in the right direction.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16We weren't even sure if we were going to be effective -
0:27:16 > 0:27:18whether our boat would actually even move this boat.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26It's quite hard, really, to train to tow vessels that sort of size,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29but I did have my doubts whether we would be able to move it or not,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30I must admit.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Gradually the coaster starts to turn.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39With both lifeboats side by side, the slow tow out to sea begins.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43It took two boats.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45We would have struggled on our own.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50When it's dark, you lose a sense of bearings, as well,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52so you don't exactly always know which way you're going
0:27:52 > 0:27:54and which way is left or right,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57so you just get a little bit disorientated.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It was quite easy for one lifeboat to drift away from the other one
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and go off at a larger angle.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Finally, after almost three hours,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21the crews reach safe deep water five miles offshore.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25The Lady Alida is able to drop anchor
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and wait for the tug to arrive.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32It was really good, the way the boats worked together.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Both crews did a really good job.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38There's a lot of satisfaction
0:28:38 > 0:28:40when you come from two opposite directions
0:28:40 > 0:28:44in the middle of the night and put two ropes on a ship
0:28:44 > 0:28:47and get it out of trouble.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50As day breaks, both lifeboat crews head back
0:28:50 > 0:28:53to the Penlee boathouse in Newlyn.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59We got back to Newlyn about six o'clock in the morning
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and we were all planning what we were going to have for our fry-up.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Have a cup of tea.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08I think I got through about half a cup.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10SIREN WAILS
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Another page from the coastguard.
0:29:12 > 0:29:13It's the Lady Alida.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Her skipper is reporting that she's beginning to drag her anchor again.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Meanwhile, the rescue tug has been delayed by bad weather.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36To make matters worse, the coaster is back where she started,
0:29:36 > 0:29:402.5 miles from shore and drifting inwards.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Your priority is the safety of the ship and the people on it.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45We did need to be back out there.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47You don't want to see a ship going on the rocks.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I've seen a few and it's awful.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52They're living things, as far as I'm concerned -
0:29:52 > 0:29:54a boat's a living thing,
0:29:54 > 0:29:59and to see one go on the rocks and smash up is awful.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07Once again, the two lifeboat crews must throw their tow lines on board.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11In the daylight, the scale of the task, and of the Lady Alida,
0:30:11 > 0:30:12is even clearer.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27It was a fair old size boat and she was rolling quite heavily, beam on.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Can we get a rope on it and can we hold her off?
0:30:32 > 0:30:35People say they've never been frightened at sea -
0:30:35 > 0:30:37well, they're dangerous people,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39because we've all been frightened at sea.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00For a second time, the crews begin the long tow back into deeper water.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07You do get tired.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Yeah, I was a little bit jaded by that point.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19Fatigue and lack of awareness are things that creep in,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23particularly if you are called out in the early hours
0:31:23 > 0:31:26when your crew would have been at work all the day before.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Maybe they've had a couple of hours' sleep.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31That's when it's at its most dangerous.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33All they want to do is get home.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39It takes a further six hours before the crews are able to rendezvous
0:31:39 > 0:31:42with the salvage tug brought in to retrieve the coaster.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48It was a good job.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50There's no doubt that we saved that vessel from going ashore,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53without a doubt, so it was a good job.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57When it comes to saving people's lives,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59you're carrying on a tradition
0:31:59 > 0:32:02and you're also representing your community.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Nearly 40 years ago,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08an earlier generation of Penlee volunteers
0:32:08 > 0:32:12were called to the aid of another drifting coaster.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15It was the 19th of December 1981.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26I remember it...
0:32:26 > 0:32:28I remember it as if it was yesterday, really,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30I think everyone does.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37They'd been called to something fairly similar to what we'd had
0:32:37 > 0:32:40with the Lady Alida. A ship called the Union Star...
0:32:42 > 0:32:47..had difficulties, unable to manoeuvre, and was drifting ashore.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50The Penlee lifeboat, known as the Solomon Brown,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53went to her aid that night in hurricane conditions.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56My dad was a trawler skipper.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01He still says now that that was the worst weather that we've had, um...
0:33:02 > 0:33:06..and he said that there hasn't been a night as bad as that since.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08It was horrific.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11The Solomon Brown attempted to get the crew off the Union Star
0:33:11 > 0:33:14by going alongside.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16The actual Solomon Brown lifeboat
0:33:16 > 0:33:17got washed onto the deck of the Union Star.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19They got some of them off
0:33:19 > 0:33:21and went to attempt it again.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I think that's where it went horribly wrong, then.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27The morning after,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31the wreck of the Union Star was seen washed up on the cliffs.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33There were no survivors.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36The entire lifeboat crew was also lost at sea.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38We drove through Mousehole the next morning
0:33:38 > 0:33:41after we knew that a lifeboat had been lost,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43and it was just people lining the streets.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45It was horrible.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48You could see bits of wreckage.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51It was just horrible.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55It was just a nightmare.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02The Mousehole Christmas lights are dimmed for an hour
0:34:02 > 0:34:06every year to honour the rescue that cost eight men their lives
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and left ten children without their fathers.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13What you think about on your shout
0:34:13 > 0:34:14is the guys who were on the shout
0:34:14 > 0:34:16and that you're following in their footsteps.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23You just want to live up to their expectations, really.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You want to do the job right for them.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29I think anyone...
0:34:31 > 0:34:34..that can say they've been a cox in the Penlee lifeboat,
0:34:34 > 0:34:35it's quite a big deal.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36I think.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59If you take that one, I'll take the heavy one.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Among nearly 5,000 volunteers,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07many serve alongside members of their own families -
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and it's never too early to start.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Can you point out the engine for me?
0:35:14 > 0:35:16All right. OK, what horsepower is it?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- 50.- Where's the aerial?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Good stuff. Compass?
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Ace. Where's the quoit?
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Great. How many fuel tanks are there?
0:35:27 > 0:35:28Two.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Greg is the helm of the Conwy lifeboat.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34His ten-year-old daughter, Jasmine,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36is already keen to find her own sea legs.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Everything I know about boats, he's taught me.
0:35:40 > 0:35:46Just built my confidence with the water and the lifeboat things.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48She'll have the training and she won't be able to go afloat
0:35:48 > 0:35:53until she's passed the skills, so, no, I should be fine with it,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55as long as she stays safe and looks after herself
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and then, obviously, the others, they'll all look after her, as well.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I think it's a good tradition to follow,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and I think it must be a very proud moment when father and son
0:36:05 > 0:36:07or father and daughter can get together
0:36:07 > 0:36:12and share that experience hand-in-hand on the front line.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The lifeboat station here is on the River Conwy,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20which leads onto a tidal estuary and a busy harbour
0:36:20 > 0:36:22where many locals dock their boats.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26On the surface, a tranquil setting - but looks can be deceiving.
0:36:29 > 0:36:35We are very tidal, surrounded in sandbanks and local hazards,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37rocks and currents,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41so it makes it quite a challenging entrance to a harbour.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45On a cold day at the end of January...
0:36:45 > 0:36:46SIREN WAILS
0:36:48 > 0:36:52..a 70-year-old man has fallen into the marina and can't get out.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Somebody ends up in the water this time of year in Conwy,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58certainly in the estuary, they're not there through choice,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00they're there because there's an accident,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and they need help, and they're in danger.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09In January, water temperatures can be as low as seven degrees.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Not only is the man at risk of drowning,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15but hypothermia could set in within 15 minutes.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22The conditions, especially that day,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25it was very cold, so we knew that the casualty,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28if they were in the water for a long period of time,
0:37:28 > 0:37:29they didn't have a chance.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42I was waiting outside my house for one of my friends to pick me up
0:37:42 > 0:37:44to go and watch a local football game.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47I only live round the corner from the station,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50so it was about a 30-second run.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Have we got power on?
0:37:56 > 0:37:58From the shower to actually hitting the water,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01it was four minutes and 37 seconds, I think.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05You can't really prepare for what you're going to.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09The details you get given are... very limited.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Which one?
0:38:14 > 0:38:17The harbour is within sight of the lifeboat station,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20but reaching the casualty quickly will still be a challenge.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28The conditions on the river were quite choppy,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31very unusually choppy for outside the lifeboat station.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36A lot of spray coming into our face.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Once in the harbour,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43the crew still need to locate the man
0:38:43 > 0:38:47amongst up to 60 boats docked on the pontoons.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49It is a complex searching area,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51because the people could be trapped underneath the pontoon,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53trapped underneath a boat,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55trapped between boats.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Finally, the casualty comes into view.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03OK, OK, I'll jump on.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11An onlooker has managed to get a life belt to him...
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Anything I can grab hold of?
0:39:13 > 0:39:15..but he's wedged in against the boat,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17weighed down by heavy clothing.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21When we got to the casualty,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26he couldn't talk to us, he was unresponsive.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29The colour was very grey.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34The 70-year-old man has now been in the water for 12 minutes,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36his body temperature dropping rapidly.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39We'll lose this life buoy and bring him up.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Greg decides to get one of his crew in alongside
0:39:43 > 0:39:45to help keep him conscious.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47OK, we need an ambulance.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50As soon as I jumped in the water, I could feel the cold straightaway.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It hit me and I was in shock
0:39:53 > 0:39:58but I knew I had to grab him so he didn't just give up and let go.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01We'll lose this life buoy and bring him up.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- VOICEOVER:- There's a lot of pressure on my shoulders
0:40:03 > 0:40:05and the decisions I make could be life or death,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07certainly for the casualty,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09so I don't want to be getting it wrong.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11I need an ambulance.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Yeah, it's on its way.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17The casualty was a dead weight.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19A heavy lift out, because he was wet,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21but also it was the angle of us trying to pull him out
0:40:21 > 0:40:24because we were over the side of a pontoon.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Finally, with the help of an onlooker,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31the crew are able to heave the man clear of the water.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34OK.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Are you OK? Can you hear me?
0:40:40 > 0:40:41His muscles had all stopped working.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44He was... He was lifeless.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47We'll get you on the lifeboat and we'll get you somewhere warm
0:40:47 > 0:40:48as quick as we can.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Keep going, keep going, keep going. Then get in the boat.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03I think he was quietly slipping away.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07A lot of people, when they see the orange,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10they think help has got there,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13they can now give up because they're going to be OK.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16For the casualty, that was not the case
0:41:16 > 0:41:18because hypothermia had kicked in.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23The crew's biggest concern is to keep the man conscious.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26If he falls asleep, his whole body could start shutting down.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Dave, can you still hear me?
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- He's still there. - Dave, keep talking to me, OK?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Keep talking to me.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Get the rope up.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40I was very conscious of...
0:41:40 > 0:41:44shouting at the casualty and keeping a good strong grip of him,
0:41:44 > 0:41:49but I was also trying to drive the boat back to the slipway, as well.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Dave, keep talking to me.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53It was very scary.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55I think he was very close to death.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04There should be an ambulance coming to us straightaway.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Are you feeling really cold? Yeah, do you know your name?
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It was important that we kept on talking to him,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13engaging with him, to keep the casualty awake.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15How old are you, Dave?
0:42:15 > 0:42:20- 70.- 70? Really? You're not going to give up on me now, are you?
0:42:20 > 0:42:23What's your grandkid's name, Dave?
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Sioned...
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Sioned? Very good, how old's Sioned?
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Again, what's the name of that granddaughter of yours?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32By talking about his family,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34the casualty knows he's got something to fight for.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37All right, Dave, we're just going to get into the boathouse now,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39we're backing into the boathouse, getting you out of the wind, OK?
0:42:39 > 0:42:41So, it should be a lot warmer in here now.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44OK, Dave, keep on talking, mate.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48The crew have reached the warm shelter of the lifeboat house
0:42:48 > 0:42:50and the paramedics are on their way.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Ambulance on the top of the bridge.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57- Minutes.- Dave, don't go to sleep, all right?
0:42:57 > 0:43:00It's important you don't to sleep.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01- Are you with me on that programme? - Mm...
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Good lad, well done.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- RADIO:- This is Holyhead coastguard,
0:43:05 > 0:43:10can I have a sitrep on the casualty's condition, please?
0:43:10 > 0:43:11- Over.- We're on the edge.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17Less than eight minutes after they plucked him from the water,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20the Conwy crew hand the casualty over to the care of the paramedics.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22He hasn't lost consciousness.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- He hasn't?- When we got there, he was very unresponsive.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26He's picking up a bit now, opened his eyes,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28talking a little bit better.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Hello, sir.
0:43:30 > 0:43:31Do you reckon you can stand, Dave?
0:43:31 > 0:43:33If we stand you up?
0:43:35 > 0:43:36If we hold you?
0:43:37 > 0:43:39OK. Can you...
0:43:48 > 0:43:52I was very worried. Nobody likes to come across that, and see that,
0:43:52 > 0:43:56and feel that experience of somebody slipping away in front of your eyes.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02When the ambulance went, we didn't really know what the outcome
0:44:02 > 0:44:04of that patient was going to be.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06It was on my mind...
0:44:06 > 0:44:11for a while after the call-out, what had happened to the casualty?
0:44:19 > 0:44:22I mean, I did sort of contemplate what it would be like
0:44:22 > 0:44:24just to let your eyes... just to close your eyes...
0:44:26 > 0:44:28..but the only thing you've got to do,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31hang on to that flipping rope for life.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37David is a retired engineer with two children and five grandchildren.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41He had been trying to step onto his own boat when he lost his footing
0:44:41 > 0:44:44and fell into the harbour.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47While I was hanging on to the rope,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50hoping that the lifeboat would arrive,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53and you're thinking, all the time, "Any time now, any time now,"
0:44:53 > 0:44:56but when I saw it just in the right-hand side,
0:44:56 > 0:45:02and I still had my glasses on, I just saw an orange flash go past.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05That was the point in time when I knew, God,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08that somebody is here to help.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12How lucky was David? A scale of one to ten?
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Probably about 11. His angels were definitely around him that day.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21It was amazing to me to think...
0:45:23 > 0:45:28..that only four or five hours ago, I was...
0:45:29 > 0:45:35..dicing with the idea of, "Will I die, or will I get out of here?"
0:45:35 > 0:45:39To about four or five hours later, maybe six hours later, thinking,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42"I wonder what we're going to have for tea."
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Shoreham-by-Sea, on the south coast, was once a small fishing port.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03These days, visitors to the beach
0:46:03 > 0:46:06can enjoy a gentler seaside experience
0:46:06 > 0:46:08than the one up the road in busy Brighton.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Since 2006,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Shoreham's shingle beach has been designated a nature reserve
0:46:15 > 0:46:17for its unique vegetation.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23The local crew are used to dealing with most of the challenges
0:46:23 > 0:46:25the English Channel can throw at them.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27We like to think that we're prepared
0:46:27 > 0:46:29for everything here at Shoreham.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Most of the time we are.
0:46:31 > 0:46:32SIREN WAILS
0:46:32 > 0:46:35On a mild afternoon at the end of March,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38the coastguard has paged for assistance
0:46:38 > 0:46:42after receiving 999 calls from worried members of the public.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45I had no idea what I was coming to when I got into the station.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49It was only once I came up and met some of the crew that were assembled
0:46:49 > 0:46:53that they informed me there was an aircraft had come down into the sea.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57I think a plane was the last thing I expected.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00I just thought it would possibly be a towing or something like that,
0:47:00 > 0:47:02I wasn't expecting a plane at all.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07An aircraft has suffered engine failure and crash landed in the sea
0:47:07 > 0:47:09en route to Shoreham Airport.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13The crew have been told that the passengers were seen
0:47:13 > 0:47:14climbing onto the wings
0:47:14 > 0:47:17before jumping into the water and swimming safely to shore...
0:47:18 > 0:47:21..but the abandoned plane is still a danger.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22INDISTINCT RADIO COMMS
0:47:25 > 0:47:27It was necessary to go and find the plane
0:47:27 > 0:47:30because it was now afloat and drifting out to sea
0:47:30 > 0:47:35and therefore could become a hazard to shipping and navigation.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37On top of that,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40the crew have no idea if it is leaking fuel into the water.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52The plane went down two miles away, just off Lancing Beach.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Making your way down there,
0:48:03 > 0:48:04you could have blinked and missed it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07If you didn't know there was a plane there, you wouldn't have known.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17I can't see any pollution.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21There is no fuel spillage to contain,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25but the crew do have to work out how to get a 35-foot plane
0:48:25 > 0:48:27weighing three quarters of a tonne
0:48:27 > 0:48:28back to dry land.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Does he want us to try and tow it in?
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Because it's floating.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35- What's its call sign? - I don't know, 08 Delta.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40My concerns was what are we going to do with it
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and how do you get a plane out of the water?
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- There's the wings there. - The tail fin here.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49If we get a line around here, a hook on that little bit there.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Believe me, that bit's quite strong.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55We just had to be cautious and not rush.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01It's not something that happens every day, is it?
0:49:01 > 0:49:03You get the chance to tow an aircraft.
0:49:03 > 0:49:04Nice and slow...
0:49:06 > 0:49:08OK, the weight is just about to come on, mate.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13She's going, she's all right.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Lifeboats weren't really designed to pull planes,
0:49:17 > 0:49:21and planes weren't really designed to travel through the sea.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Power wasn't an issue, it was more of a slow and steady.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31It's definitely the first time I've towed a plane!
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Done the odd jet ski, and boat, but nothing like a plane.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Not with a lifeboat!
0:49:46 > 0:49:48Once in shallower water,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Mark and I were able to get out of the boat.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54The water was just over knee deep,
0:49:54 > 0:49:56and we could physically get hold of the aeroplane.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59The wheels, by this time, were touching the ground.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06After ten minutes, with the help of an outgoing tide,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09the plane taxis onto the beach,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13where a three-strong team of coastguards lend some extra muscle.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14That's it.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Keep it going, we've got a bit of soft sand here.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26It's not every day you see a plane being dragged up the beach
0:50:26 > 0:50:29by an RNLI crew, so, yeah, I think it raised a few smiles.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38The aircraft looked...
0:50:38 > 0:50:40pretty good, considering what had happened.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41There was very little damage to it.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44I think the crew of the plane were extremely lucky.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47I don't know how he managed to do it, land it how he did,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50because he was metres from the shingle beach.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52It must have been a textbook landing, I think.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55It looked as if it could just be refuelled and fly again.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59I can't say I'd want to go back up in the plane
0:50:59 > 0:51:01after it's been in the sea, though!
0:51:03 > 0:51:06It was sort of like, "Oh, I just pulled a plane from the water!"
0:51:06 > 0:51:09That was perfect, absolutely perfect.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10Well done, lads.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23200 miles down the south coast,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Salcombe in Devon is a fishing village that's become a hot spot
0:51:26 > 0:51:28for well-heeled holiday-makers.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36The lifeboat crew are used to dealing with emergency calls
0:51:36 > 0:51:37from the great and the good...
0:51:37 > 0:51:41It's a mix. Out on the sea, it could be the £100-boat man
0:51:41 > 0:51:44or it could be the million pound super yacht.
0:51:44 > 0:51:45You don't know who they are.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47..but it's the first day of April,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50the tourist season has barely kicked off,
0:51:50 > 0:51:51and a call has already come in.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53SIREN WAILS
0:51:59 > 0:52:01We thought it was all April Fool's but it was after midday
0:52:01 > 0:52:03and he assured us it wasn't.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11Just two weeks after its whelk pot emergency,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13the Dartmouth whale has returned,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15and it's entangled in fishing lines again.
0:52:16 > 0:52:21This time, the Salcombe crew are paged to save the local leviathan.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27The whale was up in Blackpool Sands again, so it's about 25 minutes,
0:52:27 > 0:52:2830 minutes steam up there.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33There's not really a lot you can do on the boat in preparation,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36because you don't know what you're going to come across.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Southern coastguard, southern coastguard, Dart lifeboat, over.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Marine life rescue officers have also been recalled,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48along with two members of the Dart lifeboat crew.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51I know very little about whales.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54I've seen one in the Natural History Museum but other than that,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56I've never really been up close to a whale.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04The whale could still move,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07probably, 25 metre radius, I suppose.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11It's still quite an area, so we had lookouts on the bow.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15Chris was as high as possible to get a good view when we came in.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21This time, the Dartmouth whale is in even more trouble.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23He's enmeshed in more lines than before
0:53:23 > 0:53:26and there's a danger the enormous weight of the whelk pots
0:53:26 > 0:53:27will drag him down.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30The whale was well and truly entangled.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I think there were various lines
0:53:33 > 0:53:36around the tail and the fins and around the body.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43It was pulling it around like you wouldn't believe.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46You can't get over how strong an animal like that is,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48even in a slightly weakened state.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52It's amazing how the whale managed to swim and survive
0:53:52 > 0:53:56with that amount of gear on it.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59He was extremely worn out - and that became more apparent
0:53:59 > 0:54:02the closer it got to us, because there were periods of time
0:54:02 > 0:54:04where it just lay in the water doing nothing.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11When it was coming to the surface and blowing,
0:54:11 > 0:54:12it was almost like a scream.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14It was a bit eerie, really.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Last time, a marine diver had to hang out of a boat
0:54:18 > 0:54:20to cut the whale free...
0:54:22 > 0:54:25..but the Salcombe team have a heavy-duty winch at their disposal.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31Today's plan - to hoist the tangled rope up and out of the water
0:54:31 > 0:54:33while a diver on a second boat
0:54:33 > 0:54:36comes alongside to cut the whale free.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40You've got to treat it like it's something you'd normally do,
0:54:40 > 0:54:41so the things we'd normally do
0:54:41 > 0:54:43is pull an anchor up or something like that,
0:54:43 > 0:54:46so it's the same operation, it's just a different context.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Once we were committed to hauling the whale
0:55:01 > 0:55:03and we had to keep on going,
0:55:03 > 0:55:06we couldn't risk the lines parting off from the whale
0:55:06 > 0:55:10and the whale swimming away still attached to gear.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14If it did, it would have died, there's no two ways about it.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23Marine divers have more than 20 tangled lines to hack through.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28The boat could be looking up to the east one minute
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and down to the west the next.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34We really were being pulled around, because the whale had such power.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39In exercises, we can tow the lifeboat with the smaller lifeboat
0:55:39 > 0:55:40and it's quite a challenge -
0:55:40 > 0:55:43but the whale was pulling it around with ease.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46It was amazing, the amount of power it had.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53I thought, "Oh, my God, it's too late," you know,
0:55:53 > 0:55:55"It's had it."
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Finally, after more than an hour...
0:56:14 > 0:56:15Hey!
0:56:16 > 0:56:18..freedom.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Absolutely unforgettable moment.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Where else are you ever going to get the experience
0:56:26 > 0:56:30to be there and have a humpback whale that needs rescuing?
0:56:30 > 0:56:31So, yeah, what a great job!
0:56:33 > 0:56:36No, we're not expecting to see it for a third time -
0:56:36 > 0:56:37touch wood!
0:56:39 > 0:56:42I'm pretty sure the collection tin the next day was a bit heavier
0:56:42 > 0:56:44after people had found out about it.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46I have to lift it in at the end of the day
0:56:46 > 0:56:47and, yeah, definitely heavier.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Six months after her kayaking accident...
0:56:59 > 0:57:01..Libby is back on her feet.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06She and her group of friends are weighing up
0:57:06 > 0:57:08what activity to try out next.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13We have joked that we will be doing something a little less adventurous.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Crocheting.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17A spa weekend might be a better idea!
0:57:20 > 0:57:25Falling into Conwy harbour hasn't put David off taking his boat out.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29He and his partner Susan are planning to spend the summer at sea.
0:57:30 > 0:57:31We like dabbling about on the water,
0:57:31 > 0:57:34sort of living on the water, in that sense.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Take the paper with us, and some sandwiches and that.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Make a pot of tea.
0:57:39 > 0:57:40It will be all right now.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42He'll have a bit more common sense this time.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50As for the Dartmouth whale, he is expected to make a good recovery.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52We saw the whale swimming freely again,
0:57:52 > 0:57:54and that was about three days later.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56That's how you want to see them, not all caught up.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05We have to go into danger
0:58:05 > 0:58:07to get somebody out of that danger.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11You're thinking to yourself, "What if, what if?"
0:58:11 > 0:58:14Your concern is falling into the water between both boats.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18First information was a guy was in a sailing boat,
0:58:18 > 0:58:20sailing to America.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27At sea, if you don't give it any respect, it will kill you.