0:00:02 > 0:00:03A close call -
0:00:03 > 0:00:06a 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 people who've been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Whoa!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I thought he'd broken his neck.
0:00:26 > 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 > 0:00:34We were just engulfed in flames.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39And their dramatic experiences were recorded on camera.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Are you all right?
0:00:40 > 0:00:41I wasn't going to be coming up -
0:00:41 > 0:00:43it was curtains, it was over.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's a day they'll never forget.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47The day they had a close call.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Today on Close Calls,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07holiday horror.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- No! No... - SHE SCREAMS
0:01:09 > 0:01:12A teenage brother and sister are swept across the skies
0:01:12 > 0:01:17as their parasail becomes detached from its towboat in a freak storm.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20It's such a split second of just shock, adrenaline.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I think Anthony was trying to keep me calm.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27And...
0:01:28 > 0:01:32..CCTV footage captures the moment a young woman flees
0:01:32 > 0:01:34an explosion behind a pub bar.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It's caused by an e-cigarette charger.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It was just, like, a flash of light.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And this, just, huge bang and ball of fire.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I was absolutely terrified.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48COW MOOS
0:01:48 > 0:01:49Also today...
0:01:54 > 0:01:56..a couple viewing a farmhouse for sale
0:01:56 > 0:02:00find a barely-conscious woman surrounded by a herd of angry cows
0:02:00 > 0:02:01protecting their young.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The husband calls for help.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Mellieha Bay, Malta.
0:02:20 > 0:02:2380 metres up, a brother and sister dangle helplessly
0:02:23 > 0:02:25from a stranded parasail.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28A freak change in the weather has left the boat they're attached to
0:02:28 > 0:02:30grounded near the shore.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33The frightened teenagers are powerless.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34We started getting blown around in the air,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36and we were hitting each other with our legs,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and we were like rag dolls.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Holiday-makers rush into the sea
0:02:41 > 0:02:44to try and move the beached speedboat...
0:02:44 > 0:02:46but they can't shift it.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Then the unthinkable happens.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- No! No... - SHE SCREAMS
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The parasail is severed from the towline.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Tourists scream in horror as the wind carries the pair
0:02:57 > 0:03:00towards a string of high-voltage cables.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02I thought, "They're going to get electrocuted,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04"they're going to get electrocuted."
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Mario and Bridget Nisbet and their children are a close-knit family.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Teenagers Anthony and Grace are friends, as well as siblings.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The kids really get on together, they're smashing.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28It's like with any kids, you have little bits of arguments,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30but generally they're fine.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35We're close. We just get on - like, we're always joking and laughing.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Grace is about to finish school and Anthony is at university
0:03:38 > 0:03:42but the family, from Preston, still enjoy going on holiday together.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Being at uni, it's sort of like the only time you get to spend together,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50so that makes it even better, being able to have that two weeks
0:03:50 > 0:03:53or whatever where it's just your family.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It's August and the whole family, including grandparents,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59head off for a relaxing beach break to Malta -
0:03:59 > 0:04:02one of their favourite destinations.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Mellieha Bay, and it's just a small bay,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08really nice beach, beautiful blue water.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Just really like it, like, the locals are really friendly.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Towards the end of their two-week stay,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Anthony and Grace decide it's time to do something adventurous.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18At the beach,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Grace finds just what they're looking for.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I heard someone talk about parasailing
0:04:23 > 0:04:24and thought, "Ooh, that sounds fun."
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I said to Anthony, "Oh, do you fancy that?"
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and I thought it's safe, you know? It's not, like, a dangerous sport.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34The idea meets with Mum's approval.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36You think of parasailing
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and you think about the boat just pottering along
0:04:38 > 0:04:40in this beautiful bay,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and the parasail just let out a little bit.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45You're oblivious to danger on holiday
0:04:45 > 0:04:47because you're so relaxed.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The parasail boat hasn't been operating for a couple of days
0:04:50 > 0:04:53due to strong winds and rough seas,
0:04:53 > 0:04:54but the conditions have improved
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and Anthony and Grace are keen to have a go.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59We asked the guy, "Is it all right to sail today?"
0:04:59 > 0:05:02He said, "Yeah, the weather's great," you know?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06While the siblings get kitted out, their parents relax on the beach.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10We just hung about and saw them, like, tootling off.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12You know, everything were fine.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15With their mum and dad watching from the shore,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Anthony and Grace excitedly board the boat and head out into the bay.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22We got our life jackets on, put our harnesses on.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26We couldn't wait to get up there and to experience it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Another couple went up before us,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31so me and Anthony were just, like, taking pictures of each other
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and getting excited, like, "Oh, look how high they're going!"
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and, you know, saying it looks fun.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39But back on the beach,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Mario and Bridget are beginning to feel anxious.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I could just start seeing quite a lot of mist
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and the weather just went a bit cooler,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and you could feel, like, flecks of sand.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And we thought, like, "Ooh, there's a storm brewing."
0:05:53 > 0:05:57On the boat, it's Grace and Anthony's turn to take to the sky.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59The other couple are coming down
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and the guy says, "Right, it's your go,"
0:06:01 > 0:06:04so we're really excited, and then he hooked us all up.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Other passengers on the boat take photos
0:06:08 > 0:06:11as Anthony and Grace are launched into the air.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13We were just slowly going up.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Didn't have a care in the world, really.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19We kept going higher and higher, and the sea was calm,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23but we were really high up - I kept thinking, "Whoa!"
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and I actually said to Anthony, "Oh, what would you do if it snapped?"
0:06:27 > 0:06:30They've have only been in the air for a few minutes
0:06:30 > 0:06:34when the change in the weather becomes more pronounced.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39I looked out into the distance and thought, "Ooh, what's that?"
0:06:39 > 0:06:44It looked like a block of grey compared to the block of the blue.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47We slowly saw, like, the weather getting darker,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but obviously you don't think it's going to be anything serious.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54And then we saw the boat struggling as the waves built up.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The dark skies are the beginnings of a freak storm.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02The wind increases dramatically
0:07:02 > 0:07:07and way below Anthony and Grace strong waves are building up.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Even at a distance Mario can see that something's not quite right.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14They didn't seem to be going out of the bay,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16they seemed to be coming in.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19The boat is battling against strong waves
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and being pushed towards the shore.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Grace starts to feel uneasy.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I was thinking, "It's going a bit wrong,"
0:07:25 > 0:07:27but I still thought we were safe.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And then it started moving backwards.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33And it didn't really occur to me
0:07:33 > 0:07:36that it shouldn't be moving backwards -
0:07:36 > 0:07:38that a parasail should be going forwards.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And 80 metres up above the sea,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43it's beginning to dawn on Anthony
0:07:43 > 0:07:45he and his sister could be in big trouble.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48The boat dragging us
0:07:48 > 0:07:51was actually hitting other boats in the harbour,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and they were trying to grab onto other boats
0:07:53 > 0:07:57to sort of anchor us down, to stop us getting blown further in-shore.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00A holiday-maker on the beach begins to film the scene
0:08:00 > 0:08:02with his mobile phone
0:08:02 > 0:08:05as the boat hits the shallows and turns on to its side.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07We started getting blown around in the air
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and we were hitting each other with our legs,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and we were like rag dolls up there, a bit.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17I was thinking, "This isn't really supposed to be happening."
0:08:17 > 0:08:20With the stricken boat now aground in the shallows,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22shocked holiday-makers rush to help.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26When the people were jumping in, sort of shouting,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28that heightened the experience of it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32My sister was getting quite worried, but I was just talking to her -
0:08:32 > 0:08:35we were just keeping each other calm.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Screams of horror as the parachute suddenly detaches from the boat.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Oh, no, don't... No! No...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45SHE SCREAMS
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And on the beach below,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50mum Bridget watches her children sweep across the sky.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Within no time at all they were in the distance,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and they were very close to some power lines.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Richmond, North Yorkshire.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11A young barmaid has a pub-full.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15A football team are celebrating the end of their season when...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18She was coming back to give me my change,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and all of a sudden this thing explodes behind the bar.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The young woman's face is engulfed by a fireball.
0:09:35 > 0:09:3818-year-old student Laura has worked part-time
0:09:38 > 0:09:41in The Buck Inn in Richmond for three years.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43The Buck's a friendly pub
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and it's a good place to work, I enjoy it.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50It's a busy Saturday night and the bar is packed with regulars,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55as well as local soccer players celebrating the end of the season.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Sharing the shift that night with Laura is another young student,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Stewart.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Laura, she gets on with everyone, she knows everyone.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06You always have a good time if you're working with Laura.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Stewart's trying to give up smoking and has switched to e-cigarettes.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13He thinks nothing of it when he plugs in the device to charge
0:10:13 > 0:10:14halfway through the evening.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I just used a standard mobile phone charger with a USB port in it
0:10:18 > 0:10:22to plug the charger end of this e-cigarette into...
0:10:22 > 0:10:24And that's something everyone does.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Leaving it to charge, and without a second thought,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31the pair carry on pulling pints in the packed bar.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Me and Laura were really rushed off our feet.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It was really busy, we had all the football team in,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38about 70-odd people in the pub at the time.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Tom is a regular in the pub
0:10:42 > 0:10:47and can be seen here on the bar's CCTV footage recorded that night.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It was the day of the Grand National,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51so the pub was very busy - it was packed out,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52it was a full house.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Me and a few friends had just come in here for a few drinks
0:10:54 > 0:10:59and to watch the race and see if we'd picked any winners that day.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02But Tom is about to get more than he bargained for.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Just opposite him next to the till
0:11:04 > 0:11:07is where Stewart has plugged in his e-cigarette to charge.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I was getting served by Laura.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14She went to the till, she was just coming back to give me my change
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and all of a sudden, this thing just explodes behind the bar.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23The moment's perfectly captured on the pub's security camera.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I heard a massive bang.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31It was just like a flash of light.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32I was absolutely terrified!
0:11:32 > 0:11:34I didn't know what it was.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Stewart's e-cigarette charger has exploded next to the till,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44launching a fireball that shoots a metre in one direction...
0:11:44 > 0:11:49then rockets back towards Laura, now stood at the front of the bar...
0:11:49 > 0:11:53creating more sparks and flames.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56In shock, Laura runs away to safety.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Everyone's confused, including Stewart.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I just heard this really loud bang,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and I look over to my right and see this yellow ball
0:12:06 > 0:12:08of what looked like fire
0:12:08 > 0:12:11just, you know, rolling around next to Laura's face.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Customer Tom is even closer to the horrifying explosion.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It must have been, you know, two foot away from me,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and just this huge bang and ball of fire,
0:12:22 > 0:12:23so, yeah, yeah, it was quite scary.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27The explosion may have been right next to Laura,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29but she has no idea what caused it.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I felt the heat on my arm,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and I think that's one of the reasons why I ran.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38A customer took me straight to the toilets and, like...
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I had, like, black soot all up me arm,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so she started, like, rubbing it off, like, to see what was wrong.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Still behind the bar, Stewart realises the explosion
0:12:49 > 0:12:53has in fact been caused by his charging e-cig battery.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55He finds the remains on the floor.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The stuff came out of the battery,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00it was just smouldering away on the floor for a while.
0:13:00 > 0:13:06What I had done was I had used a different USB charger
0:13:06 > 0:13:09that comes with the e-cigarette to charge it up
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and I had plugged it into this mobile phone charger,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and the current was too strong, or whatever.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18But it's something that a lot of people do.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Luckily, Laura isn't injured...
0:13:22 > 0:13:23I wasn't in pain,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I think it was just the initial shock of...
0:13:25 > 0:13:27something's just blew up.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31..but she does have a new policy behind the bar.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I don't mind, like, mobile phones on charge and that,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but e-cigarettes, I won't let them charge behind the bar,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38especially when I'm working.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52A call to the emergency services after a house-hunting couple
0:13:52 > 0:13:55find a horrifically-injured woman on farmland.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59The cows were five, ten metres away, circling,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01sort of making a lot of noise.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03She had been so badly trampled.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I mean, there were cloven hoof marks across her back.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Back in Malta, Anthony and Grace's parasail ride
0:14:19 > 0:14:21has turned into a terrifying ordeal.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25A freak storm has grounded the boat towing them
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and they're dangling helplessly 80 metres in the air.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34On the beach below, dad Mario is very worried.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The paraglider was just stationary...
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and then I could just see their legs moving backwards and forwards.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Desperate holiday-makers are trying to right the boat
0:14:44 > 0:14:46stranded in the shallows.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Probably a lot of them thought, you know, it might be OK,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51they're going to be able to sort this out, like we did
0:14:51 > 0:14:52when we were up there.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Then the unthinkable happens -
0:14:55 > 0:14:59the rope holding Anthony and Grace's parasail suddenly detaches.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- No! No... - SCREAMING
0:15:01 > 0:15:04The tourist filming the drama on his mobile phone
0:15:04 > 0:15:07picks up cries of terror from people watching below -
0:15:07 > 0:15:09including their mum and dad.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I think the most scary thing was hearing all
0:15:13 > 0:15:15the people on the beach scream,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18like, all them people screaming because of us.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20SCREAMING
0:15:20 > 0:15:22When the rope detaches, you know,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25the screaming really hit home for my sister -
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and me, I guess - that, you know,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30we're in a really bad situation here
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and, you know, anything could happen.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35With nothing to hold it, the parasail is blown inland
0:15:35 > 0:15:39towards a busy dual carriageway.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41There's a road right next to the beach,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45but I wasn't thinking, like, "Oh, what if we land in the road?"
0:15:45 > 0:15:47or, "What if?"
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I was just thinking, like, we need to land.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Anthony and Grace fly over the road
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but, to the horror of their mum Bridget,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57they're heading into even more peril.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Within no time at all, they were in the distance
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and they were very close to some power lines.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I thought, "They're going to get electrocuted.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08"They're going to get electrocuted."
0:16:08 > 0:16:12The brother and sister narrowly miss the high-voltage cables,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14but aren't out of danger yet.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16We couldn't see where we were landing
0:16:16 > 0:16:19cos we were going backwards, so that was, like, quite scary.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Such a split second of just shock, adrenaline.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I was shouting to my sister, like, land on her feet.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27You know, if you're going to break your leg,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30it's better than breaking anywhere else in the body -
0:16:30 > 0:16:32especially your back and your neck.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34The pair drop out of sight
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and the mobile phone footage loses them,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40but they continue to be dragged across the countryside,
0:16:40 > 0:16:45flying over these trees and bushes towards houses and scrubland behind.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Watching 300 metres away in a caravan park
0:16:48 > 0:16:50is local resident John Peel.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54All of a sudden - we were looking there - and everybody...
0:16:54 > 0:16:56We hear a lot of people, like, screaming.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58We're very close to the beach
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and we could see that a parachute was drifting away.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03The parachute hit the field,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08and then it was moving upwards onto these caravans, bungalows.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13The couple descend at speed, still being rocked about by the wind.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15I thought, "I'm going to break my legs."
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Like, from that height, you don't expect to just walk away.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20We hit the ground quite hard.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27We didn't just stop - we got dragged for about 40 to 50 metres.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31The wind was so strong, we were just, you know, rolling around.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Couldn't see anything, it was all just a blur
0:17:33 > 0:17:35because we were going so fast.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So I couldn't look for anything to hold on to.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Finally, something stops their relentless drag along the ground.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45There was, like, a breeze block wall sort of semi-built,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and I hit that with my side and sort of knocked that over.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53After watching their children vanish from sight,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Mario and Bridget can only pray they've landed safely.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00At that point, I was frightened.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I just tried to think positive that they were OK,
0:18:03 > 0:18:04but deep, deep down,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09I were just hoping they weren't badly maimed or even killed.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It's actually upsetting me now,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15thinking about it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16Sorry.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Anthony and Grace have come down to earth with a bang,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24but they're still in danger.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26They've crash-landed near John's home.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29He and his neighbours rush to their aid.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Everybody was worried, you know?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34The parachute - we had to stop it because if it lifts again,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37it can take them a bit more.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41And at that same time, another mate of mine, and others,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44we were sort of grabbing them and I was telling them,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47holding the camera, "Hold the parachute,"
0:18:47 > 0:18:49so it won't keep dragging them.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Two men jumped on the parachute, got us unclipped.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57We could have kept going, like, we could have gone up again,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but, yeah, I'm so thankful they were there.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02They were back on the ground,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05but the teenagers are deeply concerned about each other.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I kept looking at my sister,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I was like, "Please, don't have a neck injury," you know?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13They're the things you're thinking at the time.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I remember Anthony saying, "Grace, are you all right?"
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and I was looking at him, seeing if there was anything, like,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21wrong with him, cos I thought we must have broken something.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24And a woman was there who helped me,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and I remember just getting up and hugging her,
0:19:26 > 0:19:31cos...I don't know why, maybe just wanted to feel safe.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34The locals call an ambulance
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and Anthony and Grace are taken to hospital.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Mum and Dad head there in a taxi.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- MARIO:- The drive to the hospital,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45we didn't really say a word to each other.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46We just held hands
0:19:46 > 0:19:50and we were just hoping that everything was going to be fine.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55The Maltese nurse said, "It's OK, it's not grievous."
0:19:55 > 0:19:57We were just elated.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Astonishingly, Grace and Anthony walk away
0:20:00 > 0:20:03with only scratches and grazes.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I've got a few scars there from all the brushes,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09but I couldn't believe I hadn't broken anything.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I was probably scraped up the worst - I've got some scars,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15you know, down my leg, arms.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18But I think my right leg had taken a lot of the impact from the fall.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20But we were just so relieved.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24The brother and sister know they were very lucky that day,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27but it hasn't put them off future adventures.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31I'd like to go, like, skydiving or, like, bungee jumping.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I'm going to try and not let it limit me, but, yeah,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35it's definitely made me more cautious
0:20:35 > 0:20:37of what I'm going to do in the future!
0:20:37 > 0:20:40My mum and nana probably wouldn't want me to do it,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42but it's just the person I am -
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I like things like that!
0:20:53 > 0:20:56The difference between a close call or a disaster
0:20:56 > 0:20:58can be a matter of minutes or seconds,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and a quick response can really affect the outcome.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Lewdown, West Devon.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09A call comes in to the emergency services.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16A couple viewing a cottage on farmland have discovered
0:21:16 > 0:21:18a severely-injured woman lying in a field.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24There was this lady curled up like a foetus.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28I never expected to see somebody so mutilated.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31They need help - fast.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Children's author and illustrator Babette Cole
0:21:47 > 0:21:52has lived in the countryside for most of her life, and loves her horses.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Looking to downsize, she's hunting for a cottage with some land.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03One July day, she arranges to see a property in a pretty Devon village.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I was shown around the cottage by the estate agent,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08but she didn't have time to show me around the land
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and so I walked around the land myself.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13House-hunters Rachel and Andy Hobbs
0:22:13 > 0:22:15are also looking for a property with a field
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and have their eye on the same cottage.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22They're next to view the house that day.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Outside, Babette is still there, investigating the attached land.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I was told by the estate agent, "Don't go into THAT field
0:22:29 > 0:22:31"because there are cows in there."
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The estate agent knows the cows have just calved
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and might be fiercely protective of their offspring.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Babette follows the advice,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and instead checks out an adjacent piece of land.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47What she doesn't know is that the gate between the two fields
0:22:47 > 0:22:50has been left open.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56She's alone in the field with her two dogs, and doesn't see the herd.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58But then she hears them.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03They were thundering towards me - the whole herd of about 40 of them.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Babette is unable to outrun the cows.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And then one of them more or less picked me up with its nose,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13like that, and I went straight up in the air,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16landed on the backs of the other cows,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20fell in amongst them and they just trampled me and tried to kill me.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Dozens of hooves are now stamping down on Babette,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28battering her limbs, body and face.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33By now, the other prospective buyers, Rachel and Andy,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36have finished viewing the house and are keen to see the land.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Outside, they find one of Babette's dogs, but can't see the owner.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43They do see the cows, though...
0:23:43 > 0:23:46We saw the cattle charging
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and making a lot of noise.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50..but they still haven't noticed Babette,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53who's fighting for her life on the ground.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56There was no way out of it, and I couldn't stand up,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59I couldn't move, and I got lots of blows to the head,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and I had just given up.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I thought, "One more blow and I'm out, that's it."
0:24:03 > 0:24:07While Andy ties up the dog, Rachel goes to investigate.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Well, I went over to the gate
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and I could just hear some sort of groaning, very faint groaning.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Instinctively, Rachel climbs over the locked gate
0:24:17 > 0:24:19between the house and the field.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22She can't believe what she finds.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26There was this lady curled up like a foetus,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30half her clothes missing.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Ear was in a most frightful state,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and her eyes.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I never expected to see somebody so mutilated.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41I was just thinking, "I'm going to die,"
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and in a lot of pain,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and all of a sudden the cows went away,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50and then this lovely lady, Rachel, was pulling me out of the mud.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52When Andy returns,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55he immediately realises both women are in great danger.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The cows were five, ten metres away,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03circling, making a lot of noise, stamping their feet.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Rachel acts fast.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I bullied her, I suppose, if you like,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10to sort of get up and help me out a bit.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And she somehow managed to stand upright,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and she just slumped across the gate,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18a bit like a corpse.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22But the angry cows are heading towards them again.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24And I thought, "My God, we've got to get out of here
0:25:24 > 0:25:26"or we're all going to be in trouble."
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Unable to open the gate,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Rachel desperately drags Babette under it,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and somehow gets her to a nearby barn.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Meanwhile, Andy has called 999.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52In the barn, Rachel realises the full extent of Babette's injuries.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56There was blood around her ears,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00there were cloven hoof marks across her back.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I don't think there was a part of her that didn't look hurt.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Andy relays Babette's condition to the emergency call handler.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Although barely able to speak,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Babette just wants news of her missing dog.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Paramedic Nicholas Gue arrives on the scene.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49He's expecting the worst.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52When you consider, you know, the weight of such an animal -
0:26:52 > 0:26:53it's just under a tonne -
0:26:53 > 0:26:56that has potential to cause some really serious injuries.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00It crossed my mind, you know, "Is this patient going to survive?"
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Babette is rushed by air ambulance to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07She's found to have multiple lacerations
0:27:07 > 0:27:09to her face, ears and liver.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Her torso is horrifically bruised.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18She has broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and damaged kidneys.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20The shoulder blade on the X-rays
0:27:20 > 0:27:24looked as if somebody had hit it with a sledgehammer.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Despite her injuries, amazingly,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Babette only spends a week in hospital
0:27:29 > 0:27:31before being allowed home to recover fully.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Rachel is still haunted by what might have happened that day.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I had nightmares that night when Andy was fast asleep snoring,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and it kept going through my head, and the vision of her.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48To think, if we hadn't been there, she could have died.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And Babette is certainly grateful
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Rachel and Andy were viewing the same property.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58I certainly wouldn't be here today if it hadn't have been for Rachel.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01She saved me from being trampled to death by cows.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Some very emotional stories today on Close Calls.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Join us for more next time.