0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call. A moment of danger
0:00:04 > 0:00:06when 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 a miracle, really.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:16 > 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 > 0:00:24YELLING
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 > 0:00:32helped to pull them through.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We were just engulfed in flames.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And their dramatic experiences, 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 > 0:00:47The day they had...a close call.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Today on Close Calls...
0:01:05 > 0:01:08It's the moment every parent dreads.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18A four-year-old boy is choking and unconscious.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25A CCTV camera shows his family frantically trying to save him.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I feel guilty because he's my grandkid,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and he should've...I should've been able to do that.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I thought he was dead.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Eh... So I ran out, I ran outside screaming.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And...
0:01:43 > 0:01:46A photographer captures the terrifying moment two men
0:01:46 > 0:01:50are suddenly swept away by a huge wave.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51There was nothing left on the road,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and the automatic reaction was, "They're gone."
0:01:55 > 0:02:00A phone belonging to one of the victims records the whole accident.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It was on you so fast, it just took us away.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Jimmy, are you all right?
0:02:06 > 0:02:07Are you all right, Jimmy?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Renfrew, West Scotland.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23A grandmother desperately tries to save her grandson from choking.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26With nothing working, in a panic, she calls 999.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34His life is on the line. Neighbours rush to the scene.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Four-year-old James is choking, struggling to breathe,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and has lost consciousness.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41That was it. He just collapsed and his eyes rolled.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44They need help fast.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55For grandmother Caroline Brown, family means everything.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58She even lives around the corner from her daughter, Donna,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and grandson, James.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03My house isn't a home without children.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I've got two daughters and a son.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I've got three grandsons and a granddaughter.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11James is the youngest of them all.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Caroline and James are inseparable.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Help you breathe.- Help me breathe? - Uh-huh.- Thank you.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19My mum's spoiled James rotten.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The two of them are really, really close.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24He's the most loving boy you could get.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Always wants to please.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30He loves everybody. Everybody's his friend.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34A former nursery nurse, Caroline goes to extraordinary
0:03:34 > 0:03:38lengths to prevent any accidents, especially with food.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39If I was making sausages,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I would take the skin off it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43If I was giving him potato scones,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I would cut them into soldiers and halve them.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I was peeling the grape skin off
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and chopping it up. And they'll go, "Oh, for goodness' sake,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54"Gran's at it again." You know what I mean?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56It was a daily joke
0:03:56 > 0:03:59about the grape situation cos Mum's like, "He can choke on it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03"He can choke on it." Peeling the skin and cutting them up.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I'm like, "Mum, he's four."
0:04:07 > 0:04:09It's a sunny Friday,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13and grandma Caroline is making lunch for the family.
0:04:13 > 0:04:19Her home security CCTV shows Donna arriving just after midday.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21My mum had his lunch ready,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25so he was sitting at the table. And it was sandwiches and a yoghurt
0:04:25 > 0:04:27that he was having for lunch.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Donna doesn't have time for lunch,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32so just grabs some grapes from the fridge.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But that simple choice will have terrible consequences.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Me and James are sitting at the table
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and my mum's on the sofa.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42I had turned round to speak to her
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and he'd stole the grape off the bunch
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and he stuck it in the yoghurt and put it in his mouth.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Before James has a chance to take a bite, the grape slides
0:04:52 > 0:04:56straight to the back of his mouth and gets caught in his throat.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58So he'd choked on it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So my mum had dived out and ran out into the kitchen,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and she's shouting, "Grab him, grab him, get it out, get it out."
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Seeing James choking on the grape, Donna tries to dislodge it
0:05:10 > 0:05:12by slapping his back.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14She's going, "It's OK, Mum, I'll get it,"
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and she's...she's hitting his back.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I thought it would have came up,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20but, see, the more I was banging it...at him,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22he just turned round and looked at me,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and I think it was the fear in his eyes that frightened me.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28He was struggling for breath.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30He couldnae make any sound.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And she's going, "Mummy, it's not coming.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34"I need to go and get help."
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Hoping for help from neighbours, they take James outside.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43As the CCTV shows, Caroline continues to try to dislodge the grape
0:05:43 > 0:05:47by turning her little grandson upside down and slapping his back.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52At that point, his lips were going blue
0:05:52 > 0:05:53and he was just going limp.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56And then that was it. He just collapsed and his eyes rolled
0:05:56 > 0:05:57and he was...
0:05:57 > 0:05:59That's when I panicked.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00I just couldn't do nothing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Nothing at all could I do for him.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I feel guilty because he's my grandkid, and he should've...
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I should've been able to do that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Frantic with worry,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15gran Caroline knows she needs more help.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19She takes James back inside and dials 999.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Panic-stricken mum Donna runs into the street calling to
0:06:22 > 0:06:24neighbours for help.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I thought he was dead.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29So I ran out, I ran outside screaming.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Across the road, neighbour Janice hears Donna's cries.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35And I thought, "I need to go out and see what this is."
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And there I seen Donna.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40And she was just screaming,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43shouting, "Somebody help us, help us."
0:06:43 > 0:06:48I ran across. I seen Caroline at the door with James,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50and she's on the phone
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and she's got him underneath her arm.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Within seconds, four neighbours come to their aid.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58One man desperately tries to dislodge the grape.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02And nothing was happening.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06He...he... He just looked dead.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Other neighbours take over
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and attempt to unblock James' windpipe,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12but nothing is working.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Panicked grandmother Caroline is talking
0:07:14 > 0:07:16with the emergency call handler.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I'm on the phone, I'm saying, "Please, please..."
0:07:22 > 0:07:26And I know that girl done a lot to try and calm me down.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Of course, she's got to find out what's happening.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56The 999 call handler explains how to position James on the ground
0:07:56 > 0:07:59to check for blockages in his mouth.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08The CCTV footage shows the neighbours following
0:08:08 > 0:08:13the call handler's first aid instructions as Caroline relays them.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21When I had done that, he seemed to kind of come conscious again.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26I don't know if he was getting a wee bit of air through.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27But it seemed to help.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But James is far from being out of danger
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and mum Donna is increasingly agitated.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I was very, very anxious.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10That's all I kept saying to my friend Bianca,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12"Where's the ambulance, where's the ambulance?"
0:09:15 > 0:09:19As paramedics reach the family's home, little James' life starts
0:09:19 > 0:09:20to slip away.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Suddenly, James' heart rate dropped
0:09:23 > 0:09:26from 96 beats per minute
0:09:26 > 0:09:28down to 26, very dramatically.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I was petrified
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and I kept saying to the paramedic,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33"Is he going to be all right?
0:09:33 > 0:09:34"Is he going to be all right?"
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Bantry, South-West Ireland.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Businessman John Murphy is filming the stormy sea
0:09:50 > 0:09:52threatening to close off this road.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56It's the only way in and out of his seafood factory.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59He and his friend Jimmy are debating
0:09:59 > 0:10:01whether the road's safe to make deliveries
0:10:01 > 0:10:02when out of nowhere...
0:10:05 > 0:10:09..a massive wave sweeps them off of their feet.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12The terrifying moment is captured on John's camera phone
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The two men are separated by the force of the wave,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and John loses sight of his friend.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Jimmy, are you all right?
0:10:21 > 0:10:22Are you all right, Jimmy?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Entrepreneur John Murphy is very much a family man.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I have seven children.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40I have four boys and then I have three girls after that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45John's other passion is his mussel farming business, which he
0:10:45 > 0:10:49started up over 30 years ago here, in Bantry.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Murphy's Irish Seafood, located in this idyllic spot,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55has since grown into a global company,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58supplying local produce to countries all over the world.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03We started farming mussels here in the early '80s,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and they grew quite well.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And we produced a very, very nice mussel.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11The business developed, and then we started cooking
0:11:11 > 0:11:12the product ourselves.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And then we started exporting into other markets.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19And it's fulfilling the orders for those foreign markets
0:11:19 > 0:11:22that's on John's mind this cold January morning.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Localised storms have been battering his factory
0:11:26 > 0:11:28on the southwest coast of Ireland for weeks.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The weather was just horrendous.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I've never seen it as bad.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36John's worried it will affect his business.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Today, he's desperate to get his latest catch off to Italy.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43It takes about three days, three to four days to get to Italy.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45It had to be there before the end of the week,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47so that's why we were quite restricted on time.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And it had to go out on that day.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56John needs to assess whether he can get an articulated lorry
0:11:56 > 0:12:00load of mussels out of the isolated factory via the only available road.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04But it's being battered by waves and is barely accessible.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09He films the turbulent sea with his phone as he considers
0:12:09 > 0:12:12the problem with his friend Jimmy, a local road worker.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Jimmy's a great guy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18He helped me, and he was assessing the damage as well.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23John and Jimmy move further down the road to see if it's passable.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26But the final decision as to whether or not the road can be opened
0:12:26 > 0:12:29to traffic rests with the local council.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30We were looking for the road,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32that there was enough width to get the truck in.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And therefore, I'd call the council engineer.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And she was coming out to meet me.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40On her way out, when she was leaving the office,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43it so happened the photographer from The Examiner
0:12:43 > 0:12:46called in to say, "Look, I need to get a few photographs of the coast
0:12:46 > 0:12:48"and the damage that's done," and she said,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50"Come with me and you'll see damage."
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Council engineer Ruth arrives at the top of the road
0:12:53 > 0:12:56with local newspaper photographer Adrian Cronin.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59He's keen to take some pictures of the stormy seas
0:12:59 > 0:13:00for the evening edition.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04But his camera's about to capture something even more dramatic.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08He begins taking pictures of the road leading to John's factory.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Then suddenly, what appeared to be two people appeared
0:13:13 > 0:13:14at the bottom of the road.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19And one of them seemed to have a camera phone in his hand,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22filming or photographing what was going on.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26It's John. He's hoping his video will explain to his customers
0:13:26 > 0:13:31how the stormy weather is affecting his ability to deliver their goods.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32I was taking video of the road.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34And I know I turned out to the sea.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36And, yeah, there was a wave coming,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39but there was nothing that was extraordinary about it.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It looked more or less the same as other waves.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45But this one just... The force...
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It must have gone eight, ten feet up into the air.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52I mean, you didn't hear it because it was on you so fast
0:13:52 > 0:13:53and it just took us away.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00This is the moment John gets swept off his feet
0:14:00 > 0:14:01and carried along by the sea.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05All the time, his phone camera,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07in its waterproof case,
0:14:07 > 0:14:08is still rolling,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10capturing his desperate situation.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Adrian's pictures show the massive wave breaking onto the road,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17swamping John and Jimmy.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20The two men have suddenly disappeared from view.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They've been washed away.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And then, as soon as it receded,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26there was nothing left on the road.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29And the automatic reaction was, "They're gone."
0:14:31 > 0:14:32It's a chilling scene.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37Adrian fears John and Jimmy have been dragged out into the violent waves.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39In the near freezing conditions,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44in such an angry sea, he knows they'll have no chance of survival.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46The engineer was crying and she was saying,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48"Ring emergency services."
0:14:48 > 0:14:51She got on and she started ringing for coastguard and everything.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But the first thought was that these two people were dead.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58But John is alive
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and fighting for his life.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01He's being tossed about in the current.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04His camera is still filming.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Water came in and obviously took my body, took me,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and I was on my back and I could feel myself
0:15:12 > 0:15:14just being carried along underwater.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16So, it was bang, bang, bang.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18And you didn't know where you were going
0:15:18 > 0:15:20because you were moving inside this wave.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Had it gone out to sea, I wasn't going to be coming up.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I really wasn't. It was...curtains, it was over.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32As the fierce water throws him around, John somehow manages
0:15:32 > 0:15:34to grasp hold of something.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I was passing something and I hit. And it so happened it was a gate
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and I was able to hang on to the gate.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42But the water kept pushing me along.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44John clings onto the broken gate for dear life,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48praying the strong current doesn't suck him out to sea.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53And as the wave recedes, he realises he can just about stand up.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Jimmy, though, is nowhere to be seen.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I was able to get up and then realise
0:15:59 > 0:16:02that I wasn't out at sea, I was on the land.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05So my first thought was, "Jesus, where's Jimmy?"
0:16:05 > 0:16:07COUGHING
0:16:07 > 0:16:10John has swallowed a lot of sea water,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13but he's more concerned with finding his friend.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19I knew Jimmy couldn't swim, so I was...I really was concerned.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23John knows Jimmy's unlikely to survive long in the sea.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27With his camera still rolling, he begins a desperate search for him.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31So I started calling for Jimmy.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Jimmy, are you all right?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35COUGHING
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Are you all right, Jimmy?
0:16:37 > 0:16:41John frantically looks for his friend, but nothing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47When there were no replies, when I called and called and called,
0:16:47 > 0:16:48I was really concerned.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Suddenly, above the noise of the waves,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55he hears a muffled voice and hurries towards it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Jimmy! Are you all right, Jimmy?
0:16:57 > 0:17:02And then... I mean, just hearing his voice answering was...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05The relief of that was just unbelievable.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09MUFFLED SPEECH
0:17:09 > 0:17:10I got carried up the road.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14John's found him. Astonishingly,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17they've both survived the terrifying ordeal.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19There was a bog area.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21And he'd been carried through the bog area
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and he was passing a tree, and he caught onto the tree
0:17:23 > 0:17:25because the bog was much lower than the road.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29He finished up about 35 yards away from where I finished up.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I was taken in one direction and he was taken in another direction.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35John helps to rescue his struggling friend.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I was able to get down...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40There was a little bit of a bridge area,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42so I was able to get some footing there.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And I was able to... Jimmy was able to reach me.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And I was able to pull him across and pull him out.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53And... Oh! The relief of that was just...
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I've never experienced anything like that relief, really.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Because I was...I was sure Jimmy was gone.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The massive wave had pushed John and Jimmy from the path
0:18:04 > 0:18:05into fields and ditches.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Reunited, they make their way back to the road,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14much to the astonishment of Ruth, the council engineer,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and photographer Adrian, who witnessed the whole event.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The two appeared...
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And I...
0:18:24 > 0:18:25We couldn't believe it.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26It was crazy.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33John and Jimmy decide to take the rest of the day off.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35They're uninjured but still shocked.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37John has a remedy for that.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I remember that evening coming back out to meet Jimmy.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And brought Jimmy over a bottle of brandy.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46And I said, "Jimmy..."
0:18:46 > 0:18:48And the two of us sat down and we had a drink,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- and Jimmy was in good form. - HE LAUGHS
0:18:51 > 0:18:55This is the spot where it happened, captured on a calmer day.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59The wave came from the sea, scooping up John and Jimmy from this road,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02flinging them into this overgrown wooded area.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Photographer Adrian can't believe they're still here
0:19:05 > 0:19:07to tell the tale.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09When I saw the force of that thing coming in,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I don't know how those two boys survived.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It was an absolute miracle.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18John has been able to relive the day,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20but Jimmy doesn't like talking about it.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24It's incredible that they both survived being pummelled
0:19:24 > 0:19:25by the gigantic wave.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29They could have easily been swept out into the stormy open sea.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30We were very lucky.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34If we had gone to sea, there was no way we would've been...
0:19:34 > 0:19:36we could've got out of that alive.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Absolutely no way.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Any medical crisis is stressful, but when there's a young child involved,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53well, it's very emotional for all concerned.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Back to Renfrew.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05½Four-year-old James is choking on a grape and has lost consciousness.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Mum Donna, gran Caroline and their neighbours have all tried
0:20:09 > 0:20:11first-aid techniques to unblock his airway.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13But nothing is working.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17The distraught family have called for help.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Paramedics are on the way, and they need to get there fast.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I heard the ambulance and I just thought, "Thank God they're here."
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Just eight minutes after gran Caroline dialled 999,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33fast response paramedics Stephen and Ian arrive.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36A very emotional scene.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39You've got the parents, the grandparents,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41bystanders pleading with you to help.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44What was in front of them wasn't a very nice sight.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It doesn't matter how long you're in a job,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48if it affects a child,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51there will be that wee bit extra adrenaline.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53It was like a sense of relief
0:20:53 > 0:20:57when the paramedics arrived. I thought, "OK, they're here.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01"They know what they're doing, they can make it better."
0:21:01 > 0:21:05CCTV footage outside the family home shows the paramedics trying
0:21:05 > 0:21:09to get the grape to move, but it still doesn't.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Stephen then uses a suction pump to remove excess saliva
0:21:13 > 0:21:15from James' windpipe.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19What we don't want with an unconscious person
0:21:19 > 0:21:21is any secretions getting down
0:21:21 > 0:21:24the windpipe and then to the lungs, cos that can cause
0:21:24 > 0:21:26aspirated pneumonia.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28His airway is clearer, but James
0:21:28 > 0:21:30still isn't breathing properly.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Next, paramedic Stephen uses a manual ventilator to force
0:21:34 > 0:21:38air into James' lungs, giving him much needed oxygen.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Mum Donna kneels beside her unconscious son,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43clasping his hand in support.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I was trying to reassure him
0:21:46 > 0:21:48at the same time, but I was frightened.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I was petrified.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And I just kept saying to the paramedic,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54"Is he going to be all right? Is he going to be all right?"
0:21:56 > 0:22:01But despite all the paramedics' efforts, James is still unresponsive
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and the grape is still blocking his windpipe.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08An ambulance with more specialist equipment arrives.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12The medics lift James' lifeless form onto the trolley,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15his limp arm dangling off the side of the bed.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They wheel him quickly to the ambulance,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21closely followed by his mum and grandma.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Once we got him in the ambulance, however,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27things changed for the worse.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Suddenly, James' heart rate dropped
0:22:30 > 0:22:34from 96 beats per minute
0:22:34 > 0:22:36down to 26, very dramatically.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42And without doing anything immediately,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44he would have passed away quite quickly.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48A lack of oxygen is causing James' heart rate to plummet.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51With the four-year-old's life in the balance,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Stephen decides he needs to perform a more invasive procedure
0:22:54 > 0:22:56to unblock his airway.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58He uses a piece of kit called a laryngoscope that
0:22:58 > 0:23:03flattens his tongue and gives him a better view of the obstruction.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04As we did that,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I could see the top of the grape
0:23:08 > 0:23:10just above James' vocal cords.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12But the next step is risky
0:23:12 > 0:23:17and could make the already extreme situation even worse.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I was a wee bit nervous about knocking it further down
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and then not getting access to it to retrieve it
0:23:23 > 0:23:27so what we decided to do is use some suction -
0:23:27 > 0:23:29on a hard suction catheter,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33put that down onto the top of the grape
0:23:33 > 0:23:35with the suction on full power.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I managed to bring the grape up
0:23:38 > 0:23:40from the vocal cords
0:23:40 > 0:23:44to a position that I was confident I could get the forceps around
0:23:44 > 0:23:45the body of the grape
0:23:45 > 0:23:46and take it out.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52But this procedure Stephen is performing with the forceps requires
0:23:52 > 0:23:53absolute precision.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Any sudden movement could have tragic consequences.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02And the ambulance went to move and Stephen shouted stop,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04because he had a hold of the grape.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And the next thing I heard...
0:24:07 > 0:24:09"We've got it, we've got it!"
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And he got the grape out and he went,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14"Was that it? Is that all?"
0:24:14 > 0:24:16And I'm like that, "I think so."
0:24:16 > 0:24:19With James' windpipe cleared of its obstruction,
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Donna gets a vital sign that his condition seems to be improving.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27And instantly, his hands just heated up.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Going from freezing cold to heating up instantly.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36With his airway unblocked but James still unconscious,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39the ambulance races to the nearest A & E.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42On the way up the hill to the emergency department
0:24:42 > 0:24:43at RAH,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45James started to cry,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48which is a very good thing to hear cos we know
0:24:48 > 0:24:52they're conscious and we know the area is relatively
0:24:52 > 0:24:55clear and they're breathing.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57As James lies in A & E,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00the medical staff realise he's far from recovered.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03James was getting very agitated
0:25:03 > 0:25:05with the fact that the oxygen mask was on his face.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09When they took the mask off, his oxygen level
0:25:09 > 0:25:11dipped very, very fast.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15And that's when they realised that, no, there was still something wrong.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19In ten minutes, he was away again, and he was in the ambulance.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23James is immediately transferred to Yorkhill Children's Hospital
0:25:23 > 0:25:25for further investigation.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30The chest X-ray had come back and it had shown a shadow in his lung.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So they thought part of the grape had come off
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and part of the grape is stuck in his lung.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38James is rushed into theatre,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41where it's discovered he has fluid in his lung.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44It's removed under anaesthetic.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It's an anxious wait for Mum and Gran,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but eventually James is brought back to the ward.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53He came out of theatre,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55we were sitting, waiting.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And we just heard him crying.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And it was just a relief to hear him crying,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03coming along the corridor.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06The surgeon came and he went, "He's a lucky boy."
0:26:15 > 0:26:17When James comes around from the surgery,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21there's one person he wants to see more than anyone.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24All James wanted was a drink
0:26:24 > 0:26:25and his gran.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30He was just screaming, "Gran, Gran, Gran."
0:26:30 > 0:26:32And it was just a whole relief.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I thought, "It's finally over."
0:26:35 > 0:26:38And it turns out there was a surprising reason why no-one
0:26:38 > 0:26:41was able to dislodge the grape.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42The reason why it happened
0:26:42 > 0:26:45was his tonsils are far too big for his mouth.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48And they went like that, "Look, he's a very lucky boy.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50"He shouldnae be here."
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I was so close to losing him.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Since his recovery, the family have become even closer.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Whey-hey!
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Now he's a wee typical boy.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Like I said, all the mischief,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04but he's still the most loving boy you can get,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05you know what I mean?
0:27:05 > 0:27:09And, um, it's just a bond we'll always have.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Just a bond we'll always have.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And they know if it wasn't for the ambulance service
0:27:13 > 0:27:18and their neighbours, it could have been a very different outcome.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I've got no doubt about it, my wee boy wouldnae be here
0:27:21 > 0:27:24if it wasnae for everybody who helped that day.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I've never ever acknowledged paramedics
0:27:27 > 0:27:31or anything, and you don't thank the job and everything they do
0:27:31 > 0:27:36until it's something very, very personal to yourself.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51A great outcome for everyone today, thank goodness.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Join us next time for more Close Calls.