0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call - a moment of danger
0:00:04 > 0:00:08when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11A split second where the outcome could go either way...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13I was rooted to the spot with fear.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..the difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Our hearts dropped. This was a big crash.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23These are the people that have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24I need an ambulance!
0:00:24 > 0:00:2715 minutes and your number would be up.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Their instincts and resources,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31coupled with the quick thinking of others,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33helped to pull them through.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Could have easily gone the wrong way.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38And their dramatic experiences were recorded on camera.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I think there were several things that could have killed me,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43should have killed me, and didn't.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's a day they'll never forget -
0:00:45 > 0:00:48the day they had a close call.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Today on Close Calls.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09A jockey racing for the line blacks out
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and falls under the hooves of the other horses...
0:01:11 > 0:01:14He looked like someone who'd suffered from serious blood loss,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and that immediately set alarm bells in my head. Obviously,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21in the context of that situation, that's really, really serious.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25..and a desperate father of a five-month-old baby calls 999.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I was thinking, "Just please get here really quickly.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41"This is beyond anything I've ever had to deal with as a mother before.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43"I don't know how to make this better.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45"I just need someone to come and take this out of my hands, almost,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48"because I don't know what I'm doing."
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Wincanton racecourse in Somerset.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Now they're off.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Ambitious young jockey Paul John makes a good start.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The horse was travelling real sweetly for me
0:02:07 > 0:02:11and he was jumping from hurdle to hurdle like a stag.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I thought, "I've got another winner here today."
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But a length ahead of the field, racing at nearly 40mph,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and with only two fences to go, Paul begins to sway in the saddle...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It was like my body was shutting down from the feet up.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29..before blacking out and dropping lifeless to the ground.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I knew what was happening, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.
0:02:39 > 0:02:4226-year-old Paul John has been riding horses on the family
0:02:42 > 0:02:45farm in Devon since he was two.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I've been interested in horses all my life.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51My dad ran a farm here and a dairy herd here.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53But I was always more interested in my ponies,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55always wanted to be a jockey.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56That was me jumping my first jump.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Paul's mum Lynn says it's a family tradition.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05That's my love of horses and my husband's, his father's,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09love of horses, so it was a natural progression.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Young Paul was also no stranger to taking the odd tumble,
0:03:12 > 0:03:13as Lynn recalls.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15He was always in trouble.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Breaking legs at two and a half climbing gates,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23breaking arms falling off of bales in the yard.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And as Paul progressed in the saddle,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30it was the adrenaline rush of going fast that drove him on.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I was always a speed freak on my pony.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Like, I was always getting told off.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38"Stop cantering around the field. Just stand still."
0:03:38 > 0:03:40And I loved my jumping and I loved going fast.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Like, I've always been a lover for it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Paul's dream has always been to be a professional jockey
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and beat the best, like champion AP McCoy.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And this season, he did just that.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57I don't know how I did it, but I beat McCoy at Fakenham.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It was a lovely day and a lovely day for the owners again
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and fantastic day for the trainer and brilliant day for me.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05But as with all jockeys,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08his success has come at the price of some impressive injuries.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12I've done my collarbones. I've had my spleen removed.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13Erm, different things like that.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The day before a busy race meeting at Wincanton,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21a course with a reputation for a fast track,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Paul is asked if he's free to ride a horse he hasn't ridden before.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27It was a lovely horse called Karl Marx,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and the first time I ever saw the horse was in the paddock.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The unexpected offer of the ride means Paul doesn't have much
0:04:33 > 0:04:38time to reach his optimum racing weight of 9st seven.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Horses in some races have weight handicaps, where the
0:04:41 > 0:04:43weight of the rider is taken into account.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47But Paul wasn't expecting to compete this week.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I've always kept myself under 10st.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Just before this particular race on Valentine's Day,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57probably hadn't been doing so much work as I should have been
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and I went up a few pound.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Keen to give the new horse the best racing chance,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Paul trains hard to lose some weight.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I've lost that sort of weight before, and been able to ride,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and ridden winners off it, so it's never affected me,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and it's never affected the way I've ridden or how I felt.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20By the time he's at the course, Paul is feeling on-form
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and ready to ride.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Just before the race, I was pumped.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I was ready to go, and I felt normal as I normally do.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27The adrenaline took over and I think, yeah,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29I was going out there and I felt fine.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I felt, "Yeah, let's get on with this."
0:05:31 > 0:05:35The racecourse cameras capture Paul on his horse Karl Marx
0:05:35 > 0:05:37as they get off to a great start.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39They're off and racing!
0:05:39 > 0:05:41That's Paul in the orange colours.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Karl Marx was doing real well underneath me,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48travelling real sweetly for me, jumping from hurdle to hurdle
0:05:48 > 0:05:50like a stag.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It is Karl Marx that has the advantage.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54I thought I was going to win this race.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Paul John taking an extra seven off with the lead.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59We were travelling so sweetly,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I didn't really want to disappoint the horse,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03cos he was going along with his ears pricked
0:06:03 > 0:06:06like he was really enjoying his racing.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I thought, "I've got another winner here today."
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Still Karl Marx, Scales, Boston, Lamblord...
0:06:12 > 0:06:15As they turn for home, Paul is looking comfortable in the lead,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18with his horse tucked in nicely on the rails.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20But with just two fences to go,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24he begins to realise something is very wrong.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It was quite a scary thing.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30I was getting cramp everywhere. My fingers had cramped up.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I couldn't move my arms. All of a sudden, I felt my legs give way.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It looks like I'm pushing, on the camera, coming round that bend,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41but it's just my legs are completely gone. I've lost all the strength.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I've lost my balance, I've lost everything.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The course footage shows Paul struggling to stay in the saddle.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51As he takes the bend, he starts to wobble,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53then appears to lose his balance.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58A dozen other horses are thundering along behind him.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I could feel my body was shutting down from the feet up.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It was my legs had gone, my arms were going,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and then it was my head that went.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Unconscious, Paul hits the turf hard...
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Oh, he's been unseated there! Paul John.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14..bouncing into the path of the following horses.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Travelling at speed, some are unable to avoid him, and as they gallop on,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20he lies lifeless on the track.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26A call for urgent medical backup.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31It's a 25-year-old man who's come off at 35mph.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Caught on CCTV. The moment two boys bravely help a man on the street.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42It was kind of like unreal.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46We didn't think we'd ever have to use these actual first aid skills.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56It's frightening being involved in an emergency of any kind,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01but when the crisis involves a young baby - well, it's a nightmare.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Wymondham in Norfolk.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07The East of England Ambulance Service received
0:08:07 > 0:08:10this 999 call from the parents of a baby.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Baby Pepe is desperately ill,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19drifting in and out of consciousness.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Ambulances and a helicopter are rushing to the scene,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28but time is already running out for this little boy.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I remember at that stage thinking, "He looks so ill.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33"I think we might... I think we might lose him."
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Anna and Mark work as house parents at Wymondham College,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49a large state boarding school near Norwich.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I do two roles.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I teach Spanish, and then I'm a house parent as well.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57So we have 96 - approximately - boarders.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00The couple have years of experience looking after children,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03including three sons of their own.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Pepe, now 19 months old, is the youngest.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Pepe's a very happy, smiley baby, giggles a lot.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12He's just got a lovely personality.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15But when little Pepe was just five months old,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19the seemingly-healthy baby turned into a tired, listless child
0:09:19 > 0:09:23almost overnight, leaving his parents fraught with worry.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27We took him to the doctor's and they diagnosed gastroenteritis
0:09:27 > 0:09:29and told us just to keep an eye on him,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and if he got any worse, to let them know.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35In fact, that night, Pepe deteriorates rapidly.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39He was a kind of a grey colour and quite floppy,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and I thought, "This isn't right. This is really not right.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46"He looks quite seriously ill here."
0:09:46 > 0:09:49By now, Pepe is barely holding on to consciousness.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51They need help fast.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Mark dials 999.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11With a child this young, the call handler immediately
0:10:11 > 0:10:15recognises this could be a life and death situation.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It's a category red call.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I was thinking, "Just please get here really quickly,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22"cos this is beyond my experience now."
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The deterioration was so, so great.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I thought, "This is beyond anything I've ever had to deal
0:10:27 > 0:10:30"with as a mother before. I don't know how to make this better.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32"I just need someone to come and take this out of my hands almost,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35"because I don't know what I'm doing."
0:10:35 > 0:10:40A rapid-response vehicle and two ambulances are already on their way.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Dad Mark continues to brief the call-handler,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45so she can prepare the emergency crews.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05The call-handler knows it's crucial Dad keeps Pepe awake.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08If he loses consciousness, he could stop breathing.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Every second counts now, but the emergency
0:11:23 > 0:11:26services are struggling to find the remote location.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Mark makes the difficult decision to leave Pepe
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and Anna to find a colleague who can help direct the ambulances in.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42Anna takes over the call.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Anna watches helplessly.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05She feels her baby is slipping away before her eyes.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09At that point, I felt frightened, and I just...
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I felt completely out of my depth.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15One of Mark's workmates has directed two ambulances through
0:12:15 > 0:12:19the school gates, and the call handler has summoned even more help.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Mark's colleague is needed again.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Unbeknown to the family,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35the call handler has requested that a specialist paramedic is flown in.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39For Mark, the awful reality of the situation suddenly hits home.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Yeah, the penny definitely dropped then,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44because it's not every day they would send a helicopter out.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48It was severe, you know, something was seriously wrong with Pepe.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51One of the students films the air ambulance as it
0:12:51 > 0:12:52lands in the school grounds.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Critical care paramedic Andy Downs arrives
0:12:56 > 0:12:59to find Pepe close to cardiac arrest.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04He was grey. He wasn't getting much blood supply to his extremities.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So he was quite, sort of, shut down, as we call it.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Pepe was lying on the floor of the living room.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12It was like looking at a dead body, basically.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13He wasn't giving anything.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17There were so many bags and bits of machinery
0:13:17 > 0:13:22and equipment that there was hardly any room, and he looked so tiny.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Andy tests Pepe's blood sugar levels
0:13:25 > 0:13:26with shocking results.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It just read "high," so we knew it was off the scale.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I mean, I remember at that stage thinking, "He looks so ill.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33"I think we might lose him."
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Anna's right to be concerned.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Pepe's blood sugar levels suggest he's diabetic,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43almost unheard-of in a child so young.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48His body is shutting down. He needs insulin, fast.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I thought he was going to die.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55To survive, Pepe urgently needs intensive care in hospital.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57As it's a quiet Sunday morning,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01the crew decide the fastest way to get him there will be by road.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04He was very close to going into cardiac arrest.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06If not that, some serious brain damage
0:14:06 > 0:14:09from his blood sugars being so high for a prolonged period of time.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11So he was certainly in a critical,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13life-threatening condition when we arrived.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17A paediatric team is waiting for Pepe at the nearest hospital.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Over the next 48 hours, they fight to stabilise him.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25His diagnosis comes as a devastating blow.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27When the doctors said, erm,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30we know what's the matter with him. He's, erm,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32he's diabetic.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37To which you just say, that's not possible. He's like five months old.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38How can that be possible?
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Pepe is put into a medically-induced coma to allow him time to recover.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48But amazingly, after just two weeks, he's well enough to return home
0:14:48 > 0:14:52with an insulin pump to regulate his blood sugar levels.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54We felt like we were handling something made of glass.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57It was like having a newborn,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00but even worse because there's an element of medical care involved.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Pepe is the youngest child ever to be diagnosed with
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Type 1 diabetes in the UK.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It's a lifelong condition,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12but one this little boy and his family are learning to live with.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15He'll be on insulin for the rest of his life.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19He never cries. He doesn't complain. He's one amazing little baby.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22He's going to be a winner, whatever he does.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Now a close call from my part of the world,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40featuring two young men who knew exactly what to do in an emergency.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45It's a busy Saturday night in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49A man has suddenly collapsed on the street
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and stopped breathing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Caught on camera, two teenagers rush to help him.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59They've both learnt basic resuscitation,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01but this isn't a drill.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02We just get there and we're like,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04"Oh, my gosh. He's not actually breathing."
0:16:04 > 0:16:06This is real.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The worst situation doesn't really bear thinking about.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11This person maybe has a family or kids, you know?
0:16:19 > 0:16:2334-year-old Gavin enjoys a night out in his home town of Merthyr.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27But one such evening ends up with Gavin fighting for his life.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30The Saturday night starts badly.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Gavin is hit over the head and robbed of his bag.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36This is the only part of the eventful evening he remembers.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39He split my eye, right down there,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and I think I fell backwards, and I hit the back of my head.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48After the attack, Gavin staggers to the nearby Belle Vue pub,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and talks to the doormen.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The whole episode is caught on the pub's CCTV cameras.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Also there is Barry, the pub's landlord.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02As he's about to enter, I could see the blood on his forehead,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04blood on his arm.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07"Could you grab me a little bit of tissue paper," I said, "so I can
0:17:07 > 0:17:10"wipe this blood off my face? Because I've just been assaulted."
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Gavin goes to leave, but worried about his condition,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Barry and the doormen don't want to let him go.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18The two door staff identified that he looked a bit
0:17:18 > 0:17:22concussed at the time from his eyes and the way he was swaying around.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Had we let him go with an assault concussion,
0:17:25 > 0:17:26he could've collapsed anywhere.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30They'll soon find out that they are right to be worried about Gavin.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Also out on this night were two 17-year-old friends, Huw
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and Giorgio, known as Jojo.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Yeah!
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Me and Jojo have known each other a very long time.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46We went to the Air Cadets together, Duke of Edinburgh
0:17:46 > 0:17:47and Young Firefighters.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50It was on their Duke of Edinburgh course that Huw
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and Jojo learned first aid, including resuscitation.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55I didn't pay much attention to it.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58You know, I kind of just did it because it was part of the
0:17:58 > 0:18:02course, getting that extra badge, you know, getting that signed off.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05I'm really, really glad that we did learn it.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Huw and Jojo are out with two other friends in a car.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10They stop near the Belle Vue pub
0:18:10 > 0:18:13so Huw can get some money from a nearby bank machine.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So I got out the car, I started walking towards the cash point...
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Huw can be seen here on the pub's CCTV camera.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Across the road, he notices Gavin being looked after by the doormen.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27..I saw this guy slumped on the ground,
0:18:27 > 0:18:28and I thought nothing of it, really.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Kind of bit of a commotion round him.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I just thought it's another thing that happens on a Saturday night.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Huw walks on.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Gavin's unsteady on his feet, swaying about.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41The doormen try to support him.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Suddenly, the situation gets serious.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Gavin collapses completely
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and Barry the landlord immediately dials 999.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I'm saying, "Look, you need an ambulance here now.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55"That's the be-all, the end-all of it."
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Meanwhile, Huw, having got his cash out at the machine,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01walks past the scene on his way back to the car.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04On the way back, like, he was lying on the floor at this point.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I saw people standing over him.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Like, the bouncers kind of like just tapping his face
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Went back to the car, and I said,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17"Er, guys, I'm not sure if that guy's all right.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I don't think he's breathing."
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Shouting out to the doormen that they know CPR, Huw
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and Jojo rush to Gavin's aid.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28We were hoping for the best, and then we just go there and we're like,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31"Oh, my gosh. He's not actually breathing."
0:19:31 > 0:19:32So training kicked in,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and we thought back to all the times we did it on the dummy.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38You know, hearing the little chest bump thing going down,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and we just started doing that.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I thought I'd forgotten all the first aid, kind of CPR stuff,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48but in that moment, like, I just did it like it was natural.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Erm, which I think was quite a relief.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Huw can be seen on the camera pushing down hard
0:19:55 > 0:19:56repeatedly on Gavin's chest.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Until finally, he gets a response.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I just kept doing it and like after maybe
0:20:03 > 0:20:0515, 16 compressions, he started breathing.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07He coughed and spluttered a bit.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11But as soon as they've brought Gavin back, he slips away once more.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Unfortunately, after we put him in the recovery position,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16he stopped breathing again.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20The boys start to wonder if Gavin is too ill to be saved.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The worst situation doesn't really bear thinking about.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26This person maybe has a family or kids, you know.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29But they have no choice. They have to try again.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30We didn't want to think all those things.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32We wanted to do what we knew how to do.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36We wanted to try use our training to save this man's life first.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And luckily he did start breathing, spluttered again.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We get him breathing, put him in the recovery position, and then he would stop.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46You know, we would put him back, start chest compressions again.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50He'd breathe, recovery position, he'd stop. We realised the recovery position might not be
0:20:50 > 0:20:53the best thing for this man, so we kept him straight.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Finally, after six minutes, they managed to keep Gavin breathing.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03We let the ambulance and paramedics take over and we just stepped back.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Hugh and Jojo walk back to the car with their friends.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09When the paramedics feel it's safe to transport Gavin,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13they put him in the ambulance and take him to Merthyr's Prince Charles Hospital.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18As the boys leave, they have a chance to reflect on what's happened.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22And it sinks in that they have just saved a life.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Afterwards, we started thinking, "Oh, my gosh, we actually just did this.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30"This actually just happened to us." And it was crazy.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The two lads, they were quite chuffed with themselves, as naturally they should be.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It was probably the first time they have done something like that
0:21:36 > 0:21:41- in their life.- It was kind of, like, unreal, we didn't, like, just happen to us, you know.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45We didn't think we would ever have to use these actual first aid skills.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Gavin still doesn't know what caused him to stop breathing and collapse
0:21:48 > 0:21:52that night, but he is to undergo further medical investigations.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55'I'm feeling fit and well at the moment.'
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I have an eight-year-old son, who'll be turning nine in August.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01My son hasn't got to grow up now, thinking,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04"Well, I haven't got a dad." Thanks to the quick,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07sharp thinking of the lads that were there that night.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Back to Wincanton Racecourse in Somerset.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Professional jockey Paul John has passed out during a race.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28All of a sudden, I felt my legs give way.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Just two fences from home, he crashes to the ground.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- I've lost my balance, I have lost everything.- It is not a normal fall.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Paul is already unconscious when he leaves the saddle,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42which means he is unable to tuck himself into a ball to reduce
0:22:42 > 0:22:45the risk of being trampled by the rest of the field.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Crashing falls in racing aren't that unusual,
0:22:52 > 0:22:57and Wincanton's emergency procedures swing into action.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Racecourse doctor Jim Blackburn is following the riders
0:23:00 > 0:23:02around the course by car.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05He instantly suspects he's going to be dealing with a potentially
0:23:05 > 0:23:08catastrophic injury.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11I got to him within about 30 seconds, along with two paramedics.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15He was really pale. He looked like someone who was bleeding internally.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18He looked like someone who had suffered from serious blood loss.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20And that immediately set alarm bells in my head,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23in the context of that situation. It was really, really serious.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Paul is taken to the medical room at the course.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Immobilised on a body board, he's drifting in
0:23:29 > 0:23:30and out of consciousness.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32He was clearly very confused about what was going on
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and was a bit repetitive as well, so, again,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38warning signs there might be a severe concussion or a brain injury.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Dr Blackburn isn't taking any chances.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Wincanton is 90 minutes by road from the nearest major hospital,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and Paul needs to get to a specialist trauma unit.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54The doctor calls in the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Service.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58'It is a 25-year-old male who has come off at 35mph.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03'The doctor on scene is concerned about a bleeding risk because the patient has abdominal pain.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The air ambulance must have been on the scene within about eight to ten minutes.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11There are no horses running, so we can approach over the racecourse.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Lovely.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15The helicopter sets down near the car park.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18There are cameras onboard with the team.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20They film paramedics Michelle and Rob
0:24:20 > 0:24:23as they hurry to the medical room.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25So the movement isn't going to take...
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- As far as I'm aware, it is all normal.- Fine. How is his pain level?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Michelle and her colleagues examine Paul,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34while Dr Blackburn keeps his head stable.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Paul's body temperature has plummeted.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41His blood pressure is low and he is still complaining of abdominal pain.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43He may have internal bleeding.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- Oh, I'm so cold, so cold! - I know, mate, we'll get you warm in the second, OK.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49The guys here have got some pretty clever toys to get you warm.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51It is such a serious fall.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Someone puts a call into Paul's mum, Lynn, back home in Devon.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It was the worst case scenario that went
0:24:58 > 0:25:01through my brain at the time.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Being paralysed.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I think it is the end of his career.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The teams start an intravenous saline drip to increase
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Paul's fluids in case he is dehydrated.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Right, so we've got monitoring on. We've got the splint on.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Yes, we just need to get his body armour off and then we can
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- get that splint on.- Next they need to remove his body protector.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25But to do that, they're going to have to turn him.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Ready, set, turn.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Stop there.- Oh, oh!
0:25:29 > 0:25:34You're all right. Paul, you're doing really well, mate. There we go.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Beautiful. Are we ready? That looks fine.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40There is no bruising at the back. Ready, set and down.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Oh!- You will warm up really quickly.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Paul is still feeling very cold
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and his blood pressure is barely registering.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- Are we having problems with blood pressure?- Yeah, we can't get one.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It's got no radial... Keeps going up...
0:25:54 > 0:25:55OK.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01To move Paul safely, his body is encased in a vacuum splint.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Have you got the pump? - Paul, try relax your breathing.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- You're quite safe.- I'm so cold. - I know, lovely.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11He has still got... That's at 90.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Paul's blood oxygen levels are also low.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He needs to get to hospital...fast.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25The course ambulance takes him to the waiting helicopter.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29- Are you all right, Paul?- Yeah.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34I remember being out on front, and then the next thing I remember was waking up in the ambulance,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38and I thought, "This is definitely not the winner's enclosure." I thought, "Oh, where am I?"
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- It is going to be about a 20-minute flight, all right?- OK, then.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Paul is flown to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- Are you all right, Paul?- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- How are you feeling?- Thirsty.- OK.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Tests at the hospital show that severe dehydration has caused
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Paul to black out.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- Where are we going, sorry? - Southmead Hospital, Bristol.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Amazingly, scans and x-rays reveal no internal injuries.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Despite having hit the ground
0:27:12 > 0:27:15unconscious in the path of a dozen horses, doctors are surprised
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Paul has escaped with only a slightly bruised shoulder.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22This is me coming out in front here now,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25coming round the bend, and I've just completely passed out.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Paul realises the fall happened because he mismanaged
0:27:29 > 0:27:33his attempt to lose weight and became dangerously dehydrated.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I just feel awful about it.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36It wasn't me coming off that hurt more,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39it was the disappointment I had caused for everyone else.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41That's another winner...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44they or I will never get back.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48When you fall off a horse, hitting the ground at 40, 45mph,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50in his case he was unconscious as well,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53so I think he was incredibly lucky not to have a more serious injury.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I am very lucky. Um...
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Thank God...someone was looking down on me.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Join us next time for more
0:28:07 > 0:28:11stories from survivors about their close calls.