0:00:02 > 0:00:06A close call. A moment of danger, when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Oh, my God.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11A split second where the outcome could go either way.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13If he's alive, it's going to be a miracle, really.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19He was shouting, "Don't die, Mummy!"
0:00:19 > 0:00:23These are the people who've been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I thought he'd broken his neck.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Their instincts and resources,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33coupled with the quick thinking of others, helped to pull them through.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35They were just engulfed in flames.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And their dramatic experiences were recorded on camera.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I wasn't going to be coming up. It was curtains. It was over.
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.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Today on Close Calls,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09emergency teams attempt to save a teenage girl who's
0:01:09 > 0:01:11fallen 200 feet down a cliff face.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16She was taking selfies with her best friend.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It's a horrible thing to watch.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I could see her bounce off rocks all the way to the bottom.
0:01:21 > 0:01:2415-year-old Leah isn't showing any sign of life.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Leah was unresponsive, she was in almost a foetal position, curled up.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And six fishermen in peril off Cornwall.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40A Royal Navy crewman risks his own life to pluck them to safety.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45He was, er, submerged by a very large wave which tumbled him
0:01:45 > 0:01:48around so he wasn't aware of where was up and where was down.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58Filey, North Yorkshire.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03A coastguard helicopter's thermal imaging camera shows a rescue
0:02:03 > 0:02:06team as they reach a teenage girl lying
0:02:06 > 0:02:08unconscious at the bottom of a 200ft cliff.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13They're going to need to winch her to safety.
0:02:16 > 0:02:1915-year-old Leah was taking selfies with a pal
0:02:19 > 0:02:24when she lost her footing, and plunged down the sheer cliff face.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Her hand slipped and I watched her fall.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32She has a severe head injury.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35A team of seven, including paramedics, has
0:02:35 > 0:02:39roped down the cliff to reach her, but they know her chances are slim.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Looking at the track record of people who've fallen there,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45you're obviously expecting the worst.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55Leah, from Nottingham,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00is a typical active teenager who loves spending time with her friends.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05I am 15 years old and I like to skate. Roller-skating.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07All sorts of tricks and stuff like that.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Mum Michelle says her daughter has a strong personality.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Very outspoken, mischievous, basically, a lovely girl.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Leah's best friend is Alina, they're inseparable.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I met Alina in school, in a geography lesson.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26We've been best friends for a year and a half now.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29What one does, the other one's not far behind.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31They are like the terrible two, basically.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37We get along with each other. She's got a great personality.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41She just cares for everyone around, yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It's Easter, Leah and Alina are on a fun-filled break
0:03:44 > 0:03:47at a holiday camp in Filey, North Yorkshire.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51I was with my dad and stepmum, and brother and sister,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52and I was with Alina
0:03:52 > 0:03:55because Dad said I could take a best friend with me.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58We stayed in a caravan near the coast.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It was about five minutes to walk to the cliffs.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08After ten days of fun at the idyllic spot, the holiday's coming to an end.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Best mates Leah and Alina want to take some final pictures
0:04:11 > 0:04:12as a memento.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18They leave the safety of the campsite for a stroll along this clifftop,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20but they're walking into danger.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24All I remember is saying to my dad, "Can I go out for ten minutes?"
0:04:24 > 0:04:27And he said, yeah, but not for long because tea was ready.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31So me and Alina went for a walk. That's all I can remember.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36But Alina can remember what happened next all too clearly.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Me and Leah had an idea to go and take pictures because we thought
0:04:39 > 0:04:40the view would be quite nice.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So when Leah's dad was doing the barbecue near the caravan,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45we decided to both go on a walk.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48We were just casually on our phones.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Clear warning signs are posted at the top of the cliffs
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but the teenagers seem oblivious to the dangers.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58There was a sign saying sheer cliffs,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00and we obviously went over that sign,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04to get closer to the view, and we just took pictures.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09We were just laughing about and everything, not knowing
0:05:09 > 0:05:11how dangerous it is.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But as they move closer and closer to the edge,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Leah makes a decision that will change her life.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22She wanted to go further down to try and get a better picture.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But then, without any real understanding of how serious
0:05:25 > 0:05:27the warning signs are,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Leah moves perilously close to the cliff edge.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33When we were getting further down, it was getting more steep.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34There was not much to hold on to,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37there's not much to step onto or grab onto.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41She grabbed the wrong part of a wall, unfortunately,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44the bit that crumbled, and her hand slipped.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I grabbed Leah's hands and Leah lost her footage as well.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49And I was holding on to her hand,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but her hand slipped through her hoodie.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And, unfortunately, I watched her fall...down.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Leah plummets down the sheer cliff, 200ft onto the rocks below.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's a horrible thing to watch,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I could see her bounce off rocks all the way to the bottom.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19And then I saw her roll, and lay still.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22She comes to rest at the bottom of the isolated cliff.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Alina looks for help, but there is no-one else around.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30She doesn't know if her best friend is alive or dead.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35The first thing I tried to do is try and go down and help her.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36But, obviously, I couldn't do that
0:06:36 > 0:06:39so then I went to ring Leah's dad straight away.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I was so panicky and scared.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I just said the basics like, "Leah's fell off a cliff",
0:06:44 > 0:06:46and he came straightaway.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Leah's dad races to the scene,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54while her stepmum calls the emergency services.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Leah is lying near the foot of the cliff,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02just yards from where the sea is crashing on to the rocky beach.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06It's an almost impossible part of the coastline to reach.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12By sheer luck, the local coastguard cliff rescue team
0:07:12 > 0:07:14are training nearby.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17They abandon the exercise and rush to the scene.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Rope technician Paul Lane knows the area well.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24What you've got in the first instance,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and this is what catches people out, is a fairly shallow angled
0:07:28 > 0:07:31embankment which is, more often than not, grassy.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34But, just beyond that, is a sheer band of rock
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and that then runs out into a slightly shallower gradient,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42but it's 200 feet all the way to the cliff bottom.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43It's a big drop.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Because of the remote location, the Humberside Search
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and Rescue helicopter, based 40 miles away, is also alerted.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54We were just crewing up, actually, for a training exercise.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Literally, as we were starting the aircraft, we got a call.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I started getting the medical kit ready in the back of the aircraft.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04At home in Nottingham, more than 100 miles from Filey,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Leah's Mum, Michelle, gets a phone call.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I was still down here watching some telly,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13it was about quarter to ten at night when her dad phoned me.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I did ask him what was wrong with Leah,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And Darren said that there'd been a serious accident,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24she'd fallen off a cliff.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29I asked him how. He said he didn't know how she'd fallen.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I asked him if she was alive.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And his words were, he didn't know.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Back in Filey, the coastguard rescue team are at the top
0:08:39 > 0:08:41of the cliff face.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42They know this spot.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The area where Leah fell is incredibly dangerous.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And, looking at the track record of people who've fallen there,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53you're obviously expecting the worst.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Later, rescue teams reach the teenager.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Leah was unresponsive. She was in almost a foetal position, curled up.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It quickly became apparent that she'd had a really nasty fall.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10And Leah's mum races 100 miles to her daughter's side.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Thoughts were going through my head, is she paralysed?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Is she still alive? It's not good.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Not good.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33When accidents happen in isolated, out of the way places
0:09:33 > 0:09:36we need to call on the help of a groups of some special people.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And thank goodness for them, their bravery and their skills.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Five miles off the Atlantic coast of Cornwall.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Weather conditions are ferocious.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Royal Navy winchman Russell 'Patch' Adams
0:09:56 > 0:09:58swings violently from a rescue helicopter.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Below him a fishing trawler is being battered by 30ft waves.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Six fishermen are on deck, fearing for their lives.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12A lifeboat's onboard camera shows Patch being plunged
0:10:12 > 0:10:17repeatedly below the huge waves as he tries to reach them.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19One minute, I was 20 feet above the sea,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21the next I was 60 or 70 feet above it.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26He would come down and be dunked, and then he'd disappear again.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Then you'd see him swing and he'd grab for the person
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and then suddenly he'd disappear again.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Next thing he'd be up in the air. It took a lot of guts.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36He's risking his own life, and he'll have to do it six times
0:10:36 > 0:10:38if he's going to save the lives of all six men.
0:10:47 > 0:10:5041-year-old Patch Adams has been a winchman for the Royal Navy's
0:10:50 > 0:10:53search and rescue team for seven years.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58It was something he always wanted to do when growing up in Canada.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59I always wanted to fly.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And that's what led me into the air crewman role.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05The ability to be able to help people is really satisfying.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08When they turn around, you see in their face, and they say thank you,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10you realise you've made a difference,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13that's the most satisfying part of the job, definitely.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It's a cold February afternoon,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Patch and his crew mates at the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose
0:11:21 > 0:11:24in Cornwall suspect they're about to be called out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26We could hear it on the radio.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31It was a job off the north Cornish coast. Sort of a bad storm.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The French fishing trawler Le Sillon is being battered by high winds.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39They've lost all power, so the crew can't communicate by radio,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42but the six fishermen on board
0:11:42 > 0:11:45have managed to contact the coastguard via mobile phone.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The lifeboat at RNLI Padstow is launched
0:11:51 > 0:11:55and heads to Le Sillon's position, five miles off the coast.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59When they reach the stricken trawler, the lifeboat's onboard
0:11:59 > 0:12:03camera shows the French vessel rising and falling in the huge waves.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Without help, the fishing boat is in danger of being swept towards
0:12:07 > 0:12:11land and wrecked on the rocky coastline.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The first thing the RNLI do is attach a tow rope.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Initially, our main thought was
0:12:16 > 0:12:19we wanted to get her clear of the land.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20The closer it is to the shore,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24the harder it will be to attempt a rescue if something went wrong.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Being towed out to the deeper sea to sit out the storm is one
0:12:29 > 0:12:32option, but the fishermen have been stuck amongst the hazardous
0:12:32 > 0:12:3630ft waves for more than six hours,
0:12:36 > 0:12:37and the weather is not improving.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The crew had phoned through and said that they wanted to abandon ship.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49So the best so the best way to do it, and, for the time we had,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52we called for a helicopter.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Patch and his team-mates respond.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58In charge of the four-man crew on the Navy's Sea King helicopter is
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Steffen Volkwein.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04The wind at that point was gusting up to 70 knots which is quite a lot.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05That was one of the reasons we were called,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and the small helicopters can respond to that.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Sea state, round about 30 feet, so ten metre waves.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And then quite a large swell with a lot of movement.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Darkness falls as the helicopter arrives, and it's just in time.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22The tow rope between the lifeboat
0:13:22 > 0:13:26and the trawler snaps, it's drifting again towards the rocks.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The helicopter's onboard camera is rolling
0:13:28 > 0:13:32and captures these images of the boat and its stricken crew.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Because the vessel had shifted and it was beam onto the swell,
0:13:35 > 0:13:36it was rolling quite a lot,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and as it was drifting towards shore,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41the sea state was getting worse.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Ideally, they would winch me down to somewhere on the deck,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49but the deck was quite cluttered and there wasn't a good place to put me.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52That's when the conversation shifted towards getting them
0:13:52 > 0:13:53to jump in the sea.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It's a terrifying situation, the fishermen,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02visible here on deck, are wearing survival suits,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07the water temperature is just six degrees and the waves, ferocious.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10The decision was made that it might be better for the fishermen
0:14:10 > 0:14:12to jump one at a time, swim clear of the vessel
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and then I would go down and recover them one at a time.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I think the key is the RNLI had a vessel there which was
0:14:21 > 0:14:23sort of a safety blanket for us.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28We were acting as a goalkeeper, if you like, as well.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Just to pick up any stragglers,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32or to be there in case something went wrong.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The lifeboat's onboard camera shows Patch beginning to
0:14:35 > 0:14:38descend on the helicopter winch line for the first time,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40but the 35 mile per hour wind
0:14:40 > 0:14:43causes him to swing violently back and forth.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49So the sea state was coming up and down so one minute I was sort of
0:14:49 > 0:14:5320 feet above the sea and the next minute I was 60 or 70 feet above it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54The winch operator was trying to keep me
0:14:54 > 0:14:57at a certain height above the water,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59it was moving too quickly, the mechanics of the winch couldn't
0:14:59 > 0:15:02keep up with it so I was sort of in and out of the sea as well.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06And I think the fishermen realised that it was probably the best option
0:15:06 > 0:15:08that they got off the vessel, even if
0:15:08 > 0:15:11it meant jumping into that sort of sea.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17The first fisherman leaps into the water, Patch needs to grab him fast
0:15:17 > 0:15:21but the treacherous seas are playing havoc with the rescue attempt.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24We realised as the course of the first rescue was going on
0:15:24 > 0:15:27that it was just easier for the winch operator to pay out
0:15:27 > 0:15:31a lot of cable and for me to swim to the fishermen.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32Quite an amazing thing to watch.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35He would come down and be dunked and then he would disappear again,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and then you'd see him swing and he grabbed the person.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Then suddenly he disappear again.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The next thing, he'd be up in the air.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43You know, it took a lot of guts.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Patch's modesty belies the danger he's putting himself through.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And he'd have to do this six times, each time risking his own
0:15:51 > 0:15:52life to haul them clear.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Once we got hold of them,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57they know that, without any sort of language barrier,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01they know that they are a lot safer than they were five minutes earlier.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04So, once the first one was recovered it sort of gave us confidence
0:16:04 > 0:16:06to know that we could do it.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09It takes Patch around ten minutes to get the first two men
0:16:09 > 0:16:13safely on board, then he goes down again.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19On the third casualty we recovered, he was submerged by a very
0:16:19 > 0:16:21large wave which tumbled him around,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24so he wasn't aware of where was up and where was down.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26And I had a mouthful of water, I couldn't get my head
0:16:26 > 0:16:28above the surface. So I had to inflate my jacket.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33When he sat in the cargo door after the third casualty, I saw him,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37er, breathing a lot, and being a bit exhausted.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40So I gave him some rest and said we stop
0:16:40 > 0:16:44here for another ten minutes to give you some breathing time.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46My belly was full of salt water, really.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I wanted to throw it up, and I started involuntarily retching.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I sort of hoped that it would come up, but it wouldn't come up. So...
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Steffen insists Patch takes a rest,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but ten minutes later he's on his way back down.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02He wanted to get everybody safe on that fishing vessel,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04as soon as possible.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Although he needed some time to rest,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09he was trying to get down there as soon as, and get the next one up.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The RNLI camera shows Patch struggling against the huge waves.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17If he swallows too much sea water, he's at risk of drowning,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19and if he's carried too far by the waves
0:17:19 > 0:17:22he could get smashed against the trawler's hull.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24But he manages to get the next two men to safety.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30However, the sixth crewman, the skipper, makes a mistake
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and jumps into the water from the far side of the boat,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36out of Patch's reach.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38He, sort of, just started drifting away.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40All I saw was his little light on his life jacket,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43sort of, disappearing. That was the scariest part.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47As the skipper vanishes from Patch's view,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Steffen decides to radio down to the lifeboat.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52We realised immediately that it was the best
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and safest effort at that point to call in the lifeboat, which we did.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58They are now in charge.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I was on the radio and it came through we'd lost him,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and I just got right back on the radio, "Right, we'll go in."
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And just went right up and saw him
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and the lads jumped down on the starboard deck
0:18:09 > 0:18:10and grabbed him on board.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14With one fisherman in the lifeboat and five on the helicopter,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16all six are now safe.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20We brought the five guys back here and then
0:18:20 > 0:18:23someone from the Fisherman's Mission in Newlyn came to get them.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And just hours later, the unmanned trawler lies wrecked
0:18:30 > 0:18:33on the rocks, seen here from the Navy helicopter the following day.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It could have been so different.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39If she'd been swamped in the middle of the night by big sea,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41turned over, it might have been days before anyone
0:18:41 > 0:18:44knew that there was something wrong.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Worst-case scenario is, you know, someone loses their life,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49but luckily that didn't happen.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52To be able to help somebody who's having a bad day,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55it doesn't get any better than that, really.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59That night, six lives were saved, without a doubt,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and, you know, it was...
0:19:01 > 0:19:03six lives saved by some very good teamwork, to be honest.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07The entire helicopter crew were commended
0:19:07 > 0:19:10by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society for their work that night,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and Patch later went to Buckingham Palace
0:19:13 > 0:19:15to receive the Queen's Gallantry Medal.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Back to Filey.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33A coastguard helicopter's thermal imaging camera
0:19:33 > 0:19:37shows 15-year-old Leah lying motionless after plummeting 200 feet
0:19:37 > 0:19:41down a sheer cliff while taking selfies with her best friend Alina.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43She ignored warning signs.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49We were just laughing about and everything,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52not knowing how dangerous it is.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Paramedics rope down the cliff to reach Leah.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00The coastguard helicopter hovers above and a lifeboat stands by.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Rope technician Paul is one of the first on the scene.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Leah was unresponsive. She was in almost a foetal position.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12She was curled up, but it quickly became apparent
0:20:12 > 0:20:15that she'd had a really nasty fall and she was really pretty poorly.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17But she was breathing.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's a good sign but the team are worried.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Her airway was quite badly compromised,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27so then it became about doing the best we could for her
0:20:27 > 0:20:29with the tools that we had to hand.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31The medics attempt to open up her airway.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Unfortunately, Leah seemed to have
0:20:35 > 0:20:39involuntarily clamped down on her tongue,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43so she was unable to breathe properly through her mouth.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45It was just through her nose.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50While rescue workers do all they can for Leah,
0:20:50 > 0:20:51her desperate mum, Michelle,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55is already on the road heading for Filey, 100 miles away.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It will take her more than two hours,
0:20:58 > 0:21:03and for the entire journey, all she can think about is her daughter.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06What must have been going through her head?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Who was she crying out for?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10That was frightening. Very frightening.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14In Filey, light is fading rapidly.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18The coastguard helicopter's camera
0:21:18 > 0:21:22shows winchman Alec being lowered down to the rocky shoreline.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The cliff face was just sheer,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28completely vertical all the way down.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31There's nothing to stop any fall.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34So my instant gut reaction was that she was going to be...
0:21:34 > 0:21:35probably dead.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Alec joins the rescue team on the ground.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The paramedic reported that, you know,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43other than a bruise to the head
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and she suspected there was abdominal breathing,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48there was actually apparently nothing else wrong with her.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50So you start questioning yourself,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53because she's clearly very poorly and has fallen a very long way,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and you're just wondering, what have I missed, you know?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And I'm sure that the paramedic on scene was thinking the same.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Leah is placed onto the helicopter's specialist stretcher,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and with Alec at her side, is winched up to the waiting aircraft,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and pulled on board.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14But as they speed off towards the hospital in Hull 40 miles away,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Alec realises that Leah's condition is taking a turn for the worse.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Quite rapidly it became apparent that her pulse rate was increasing,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and just as worrying - a little bit more so to me at the time -
0:22:26 > 0:22:28was her breathing rate.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Leah is still struggling to breathe.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Alec finally manages to clear her airway.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And her breathing rate quite rapidly settled down,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41er, so that was the one comforting thing,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43but it was clear that she wasn't well.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44It was pointing more and more
0:22:44 > 0:22:47towards some quite severe neurological deficit.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52With Leah showing signs of a brain injury, as the helicopter
0:22:52 > 0:22:56approaches the hospital, Alec knows they have no time to waste.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I do recall that the pilot said, "I'm just going to do an orbit
0:22:59 > 0:23:01"and recce the landing site,"
0:23:01 > 0:23:04and I said, "No, no, can we go straight in, please?"
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I was that concerned that the extra couple of minutes to do the recce
0:23:07 > 0:23:10would have resulted in me having to, you know,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13conduct CPR as we were landing the aeroplane,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16which is always going to be a little bit difficult.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17A trauma team are waiting,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and doctors get to work attempting to save the teenager's life.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24As mum Michelle arrives in Hull,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27she has no idea of her daughter's condition.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Thoughts were going through my head.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Is she still alive?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Has she broken her back? Has she broken her neck?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Is she paralysed?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39When I did get to Hull, Leah was pulled out on a trolley,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and she looked terrible.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45And it's not good.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Not good.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Leah undergoes a series of tests.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54But for the family, it's a waiting game
0:23:54 > 0:23:56It wasn't till about half past 12 that night
0:23:56 > 0:23:59that we got the diagnosis from her,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03that she'd got a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and masses and masses of swelling.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Doctors put Leah into an induced coma
0:24:10 > 0:24:13while her mum and dad maintain a bedside vigil.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16The questions were, was she going to wake up?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18What sort of damage was done?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Is she going to have a normal life?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25The family are joined by Alina, desperate to see her best friend.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28She didn't look like Leah at all.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Cos obviously her face was swollen,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and she had bruises all over her hands.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34She had loads of tubes and everything.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36She looked completely different.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It's an agonising ten days before the family finally get
0:24:39 > 0:24:42the sign they've all been praying for.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47When she started to come round, we was talking to her.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50We played music to her, and I said to her,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53"If you can hear me," I says, either open your eyes,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56"or hold my hand, squeeze my hand."
0:24:56 > 0:24:58And I just felt this little squeeze.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Oh, that was it, that just blew me away.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's an emotional moment.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12But now Leah is awake, the severity of her injuries become clear.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15When we was talking to her she was trying to speak,
0:25:15 > 0:25:20but one side of her was not quite as functional as the other side.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Apart from her fractured skull, Leah didn't break any other bones,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28but doctors discover she has had a stroke as a result of the fall,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32causing paralysis, impaired speech, and memory loss.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34She was very spaced-out.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Er, and she just constantly stared.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And we did tell her that she was in hospital,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44but it was like we was talking to her but nothing was going on.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Leah spends three weeks in Hull Royal Infirmary.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49As her condition improves
0:25:49 > 0:25:52she's transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56nearer her home in Nottingham, and her long recovery starts.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00She couldn't move the left side of her at all,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04so intense physio during the stay in the hospital, obviously,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06gain that strength back up.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Now she's close to home, Alina is able to visit her best friend.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I think we both started crying.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Leah gave me a hug and I gave her a hug.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20It was just such a nice feeling, to see her after all this time.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I remember, like, waking up in hospital.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I wasn't quite sure what had happened,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27but I was with my best friend because she was laying next to me.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29She just said, "You had a serious accident,"
0:26:29 > 0:26:31and she just said that "you nearly died."
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I was like, "Oh," but I didn't believe her.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Five weeks later, Leah leaves hospital,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39but no-one can say how long it'll be
0:26:39 > 0:26:42before she fully recovers from this terrible fall.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48We have been informed that this could take up to another seven years
0:26:48 > 0:26:50before her brain is fully functioning again.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53So we've got a long road ahead of us, really.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I'm getting recovered.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00Like, I still can't walk very far, but I can walk.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Obviously because I was paralysed, but I'm not paralysed any more.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I've still got brain damage.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08She is...one lucky lady.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Very lucky,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and I don't know what all our family would have done
0:27:13 > 0:27:16if the situation was different.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Everybody calls her the miracle angel.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Leah still struggles with her memory and speech,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25but there is one thing she wants to say.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27I don't personally remember what happened,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30or, like, the coastguards, but I'd like to thank them especially.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And in the hospital in Hull, I'd like to thank all the nurses there.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Without them, I wouldn't be here.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39And she knows just how lucky she is.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42250-feet fall off a cliff, you expect to die.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44But I pulled through it.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Two very close calls today.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00Join us next time for more tales of bravery and survival.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Subtitles by Ericsson.