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 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 > 0:00:24These are the people who have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I thought he had broken his neck.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Their instincts and resources,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33coupled with the quick thinking of others, helped to pull them through.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35We were just engulfed in flames.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40And their dramatic experiences were recorded on camera.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I wasn't going to be coming up. It was curtains, it was over.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47It's a day they'll never forget. The day they had a close call.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Today on Close Calls...
0:01:06 > 0:01:11The shocking moment a fireball overwhelms a race team in the pits.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14A rider and a mechanic are on fire.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18In a split second we were just engulfed in flames.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Now the blaze is threatening to reach the fuel stores behind them.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And moments from disaster...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I was just watching my mum.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30All I heard was, "Pew!"
0:01:30 > 0:01:35..a pavement explosion misses a mum and her two terrified children by inches.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I had a load of black up the side of me,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and someone thought my face had been blown off.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Also today, these big cats are way too close for comfort this
0:01:46 > 0:01:49animal lover on safari.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52When he got very close to me, suddenly started snarling
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and the hackles went up.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58If you started running, without question you'll be attacked.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The Isle of Man. The TT races.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12A biker pulls into the pits.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15He's halfway through a 150 mile race.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18His support team get to work...when...
0:02:20 > 0:02:22..fuel sprays out over his bike.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It hits the hot exhaust,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and suddenly a violent burst of flames swamps the team.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Two men are on fire.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Their team-mates frantically try to extinguish the flames.
0:02:42 > 0:02:4749-year-old amateur motorcycle racer Grant Wagstaff lives in Bedford.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51When he's not reaching speeds of 160mph on the track,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55the father of two earns a living in his very family-oriented business.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59I'm a general builder. Have been since I left school.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02My father is a bricklayer. My son works for me as well, Zach...
0:03:02 > 0:03:05who is doing his apprenticeship with us.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08In fact, there are three generations of us working together.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11You can imagine the banter. Yeah, it is good, it is really good.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Grant lives with his partner Fay.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16They met in the pit lane at the Isle of Man track.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Fay walked past and I just looked at her and sort of gave her
0:03:19 > 0:03:21an admiring look.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I thought, "He's got a cheeky smile, he's got twinkly eyes."
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Grant graduated to bikes from go-karts.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29After leaving school, he became a national champion on four
0:03:29 > 0:03:32wheels, before turning his attention to two.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Racing means everything to Grant,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37but he's very different on and off the track.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43He's the most genuine person that you would ever come across.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47But can be very intense when he's focused, particularly on racing,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49because it is life or death, really.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Grant is a member of the Duck's Cross Racing team,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and since 2009 he's been fulfilling his dream of taking part
0:03:56 > 0:04:01in the world famous, but notoriously dangerous, Isle of Man TT road race.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Grant rides in the Supersport division,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10competing in two gruelling 150 mile endurance races over a week.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14We all know the dangers, we're big boys. We're not forced to gp there.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17We go there because it is the most spectacular place
0:04:17 > 0:04:20to compete in the world on a motorbike.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22It makes the hairs on my arm stand up.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24The hairs on my neck at the minute, I can feel them,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27they are trying to get away from my body.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It is very addictive.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's June, and Grant is back on the Isle of Man with Fay
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and the team for the annual TT.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40After the first race of the week,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42everyone is delighted with the performance of Grant
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and his bike, including team mechanic and part-time chef Ben Smith.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52From a mechanic's point of view, we were having a good week.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It was the best the bike had ever been.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57On the day, I said to the lads, "I'm really up for this."
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Because of the dangers involved,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Grant has to have absolute faith in Ben and the rest of his crew.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06When they are preparing the bikes, and when they are helping me
0:05:06 > 0:05:09out, my life is in their hands.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Today is race number two, the final run.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Out of 90 riders, Grant is currently placed in the top 30
0:05:16 > 0:05:20and has his eye on climbing even further up the leaderboard.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Each lap of the famous mountain course is 38 miles long,
0:05:24 > 0:05:29so he is rarely in sight. It's terrifying for Fay.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31You get the feeling in the pit of your stomach
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that is just dread, really,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I think is probably the best way to describe it.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Fay is nervously following Grant's progress using an app on her
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- smartphone.- It breaks the course down into six sectors.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Once they have gone past a sector, you know they are safe,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and then it starts to build again.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54Until you get to the next checkpoint and it is, "Yes, OK, he's through."
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Grant wants to achieve an average lap speed of a staggering 120mph
0:05:59 > 0:06:02over the race, and he's looking good.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06The first lap went well, the second lap, again,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08the bike was running tremendously well.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10It was handling superb, I was in a good frame of mind.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Grant was doing the best times he'd ever done.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15We were looking for a really good result, especially that day.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19He was overtaking people, he was really flying, really flying.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21And he was going up the leaderboard as well.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But this is a race that Grant won't be finishing.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Halfway through the 150 mile competition,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31he needs to come into the pit lane and refuel his bike.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34A spectator's camera is rolling as he pulls up to Ben
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and the rest of the team.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- SPECTATOR:- Here's Grant.- They need to work fast to get Grant back
0:06:39 > 0:06:41out on the track as soon as they can.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Just like Formula One, every second counts towards his final time.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48There is pressure to get it done quickly. At the end of the day you are in a race
0:06:48 > 0:06:50and you want to get it done as quickly and smoothly as you can.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53While one member of the team checks Grant's visor, and another
0:06:53 > 0:06:57checks the tyres, Ben's job is to connect the fuel nozzle to the tank.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59That's him at the back there.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03He fills up the bike from the suspended petrol container above,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but in the frenzy of the pit stop, something goes wrong.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I'm kind of jostling for position and I move forward slightly.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Greg is having his visor changed, and the bike moves backwards
0:07:12 > 0:07:15slightly, so the nozzle comes out, some fuel gets spilled.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Probably at least about a litre and a half of fuel.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22The highly flammable petrol sprays out of the hose, drenching Ben,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25the bike and Grant.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I then realised instantly the potential of the danger of having
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- the fuel lit.- And the spectators know it too.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39We tried mopping it up, and I was trying to stop the fuel with my arms and my thighs.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41And it seemed to have worked,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43because Ben then carried on refuelling.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Suddenly the fuel ignites on the hot exhaust.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49BEEP!
0:07:49 > 0:07:54In an absolute split second we were just engulfed in flames.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59The fire explodes over the whole crew.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Grant has his visor up - flames shoot out of the top of his helmet.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07On fire, he jumps off the bike straight into the busy pit lane, where
0:08:07 > 0:08:11other riders are still flying past to rejoin the race.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Fay is watching the drama unfold from just across the track.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18I was just absolutely horrified.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19Horrified.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22All I knew was that my arms were on fire.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25But didn't realise that my legs and torso were all on fire.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Just didn't realise. I was just trying to put my hands out.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The... The trouble is I had my visor up as well,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33so, of course, that had taken a lot of the fumes up into the helmet.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Grant blindly stumbles out of shot.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38He collapses to the ground, still on fire.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40The rest of his team rush to his aid.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But on the other side of the track, Ben is in trouble, too.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Panic in the pit lane.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Mechanic Ben tries to stop the blaze reaching the overhead fuel tanks...
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I've still got a hopper above my head that got about
0:08:57 > 0:08:5930, 40 litres of fuel in it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02..as team-mates fight to put out the flames engulfing him.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10A safari game drive takes the dangerous turn
0:09:10 > 0:09:14when a tourist comes face-to-face with an agitated wild cheetah.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17They're killing machines.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21If I had panicked or shown fear, I think he would have seen me as prey.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37It's 7am, and mum Jemma is walking her children to school.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39She stops at a cashpoint,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41not knowing she's only inches from disaster.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42Suddenly...
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Behind her, a manhole cover explodes,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49shooting flames into the air
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and sending debris flying.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53If they'd have moved a step left, they'd have been right on top of it.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Jemma lives with her three children.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Ten-year-old Gage, eight-year-old Blaze and four-year-old Davy.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15My mum's great because she makes us dinner. She helps us...
0:10:15 > 0:10:19She helps us build things and fix things.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22As with any young family, mornings are hectic for Jemma.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24She gets the kids up, prepares their breakfast,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25helps them dress,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and they're out of the door by 8:30 for the start of the school run.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35The school is about 20 minutes from my house, away from town.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And we walk to school every morning.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Early summer, and it's the last few weeks of the school term.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Youngest daughter Davy is staying with her gran,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49so, Jemma decides to set out earlier to do something a bit different.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Of course, the kids have been really well-behaved.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So, I was going to take them out for breakfast instead.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57We were just going to pop into a little cafe down the road
0:10:57 > 0:10:59and have some breakfast before they went to school.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00They were happy.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Blaze was skipping along.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Gage was jumping about all excited to go for breakfast.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10A local shop's CCTV footage shows the family clearly.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But their carefree morning is about to change dramatically,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18as Jemma heads to a cashpoint to get some money to pay for breakfast.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21I just told the kids to come a bit nearer to me
0:11:21 > 0:11:24so I could see what they were doing while I was distracted.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But her safety conscious approach couldn't foresee
0:11:27 > 0:11:29what's about to happen.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32As we just stood there, there was a big explosion.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Really intense heat.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40It felt boiling hot and we sort of got pushed back.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42The concrete manhole cover,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44only inches from where the family are standing,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47has suddenly blown upwards in a sheet of flames.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49EXPLOSION
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I was just watching my mum.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54All I heard was, "Pew!", and then a massive flame appeared
0:11:54 > 0:11:56out of the ground, and we'll got pushed back.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58As soon as she pressed the button,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00it exploded.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I was right in front of the flames, so was Gage.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07The manhole blasts deadly debris into the air.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It rains down on the family as they flee.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Bits of rubble flying up everywhere.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The explosion of the light fitting above the shop as well,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17it looks like the whole thing was going to come down.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21In an upstairs flat, two doors along from the explosion,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26shop worker Laura Abbott has no idea what's just happened.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27The flat shook.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28We ran out to the window.
0:12:28 > 0:12:34We thought somebody had perhaps driven into the building, or something.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Or it sounded like an explosion, something like that,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39because it was quite... Quite violent, really.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Obviously, we are just above it, so if anything had kind of gone into it...
0:12:44 > 0:12:46We don't want anything to collapse.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And if it was something that had exploded,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51we were a bit worried... Obviously, we were on a higher level.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The CCTV footage shows a panic stricken Jemma and her children
0:12:55 > 0:13:00running away from the blast, unsure if any of them have been injured.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03They are helped by local people.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04I had a load of, um...
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Black up the side of me, and somebody had thought it was blood.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Someone thought my face had been blown off.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Blaze was screaming because something hit her in the leg,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15which we think was the light fitting.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17I just grabbed the kids.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21As soon as I seen there was no more... No more explosion behind us,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and just run across the road with them.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28The guy over the other side that runs the lighting shop took us
0:13:28 > 0:13:31in there and make coffees and waited for the ambulance people to come.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Minutes later, the fire service arrived.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36The police closed the road
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and paramedics care for the bewildered family.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I was shaking.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44The ambulance people said that they think I was in shock.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- That's you there.- Yeah.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50The family has had a terrifying ordeal.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53This was a very close call.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55When I saw the footage,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I was just really relieved for them, really, that they were OK
0:13:57 > 0:14:00because it could have been so much more serious
0:14:00 > 0:14:03if they'd have been standing, you know, a couple of feet the other way.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07The cause of the blast is thought to have been an electrical fault
0:14:07 > 0:14:09in a network junction box.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11It left 70 local properties without power
0:14:11 > 0:14:13until it was repaired later that day.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The effect on Jemma and her family lasted longer.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23She experienced tinnitus, and the children became quite anxious.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I was shaking for about a week afterwards.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28My ear whistles.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It still does it now, from where I was right next to it.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32It was very loud.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Gage has a fear of electricals in the house
0:14:35 > 0:14:36being on when he goes to bed.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39And Blaze said she had nightmares about waking up
0:14:39 > 0:14:41with her legs blown off.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43So, that's not been fun to deal with.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I think we spent the first week with them in my bed afterwards.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Jemma knows they were lucky not to have been closer
0:14:50 > 0:14:52to the blast.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Blaze was only a couple of inches away from the manhole cover.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Gage was about half a foot away from that.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01And...
0:15:01 > 0:15:03If they'd have moved a step left,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05they'd have been right on top of it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Back to the Isle of Man TT races,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19where motorcyclist Grant Wagstaff's bike has burst into flames
0:15:19 > 0:15:22in the pit lane during refuelling.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24BLEEP!
0:15:24 > 0:15:29A race fan is filming as the fuel explodes, setting the biker alight.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Grant scrambles off the burning bike and runs across the pit lane.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38His partner, Fay, is horrified
0:15:38 > 0:15:41at the scene unravelling before her eyes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Time stood still.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45I saw the bike was in flames, and looked beyond that
0:15:45 > 0:15:49and I saw Ben was in flames, around his face area.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I've got a hose which has still got fuel coming out of it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55So I put a cloth over the fuel line to stop it,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57because the last thing I wanted was any flames to go back up
0:15:57 > 0:16:00because I've still got a hopper above my head
0:16:00 > 0:16:02that's got about 30, 40 litres of fuel in it.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06And at that point, I looked down and I realise that I'm actually on fire.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And he was patting, trying to pat all the flames down.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Both men are alight and in grave danger.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Fire marshals rush towards Grant.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18And the next minute, all I know is being pushed to the floor,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and then just engulfed in a white powder.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And it was actually the fire marshals putting me out.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28As the dust clears, Grant is on his knees and in shock.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Struggling to breathe amongst the toxic fumes.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35On the other side of the pit, a frantic effort by team-mates
0:16:35 > 0:16:39has extinguished the flames that have enveloped Ben.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41He's helped towards an ambulance
0:16:41 > 0:16:43so the extent of his burns can be assessed.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48And then I'm walking away, to find the paramedics,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50because obviously I've burned,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54I've burned my face and my left hand badly.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56With his helmet removed, Grant is helped up
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and walked to the first aid hut.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Fay is desperate to see him, not knowing the extent of his injuries.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06I'm sort of fighting to get out of this throng of people
0:17:06 > 0:17:09that have crowded round behind me.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And I'm sort of almost leaping the gate to get over.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I just needed to get into the medical hut,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18come hell or high water, really. Just to see if he was OK.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And surprisingly, he is.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I was a bit scorched, but I was very lucky
0:17:23 > 0:17:28because inside your leathers, you're absolutely soaking wet with sweat.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30And that actually helped save me
0:17:30 > 0:17:33because the moment the fuel went up in flames,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37it just evaporated all the sweat instantly in my leathers.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39And then basically, I just had,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42it was more like bad case of sunburn, really.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46But his team-mate Ben hasn't escaped so lightly.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48As soon as Grant finds out about his friend,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51he's seriously worried for him.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I just wanted to know how Ben was.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I need to know, I want to know, I want to make sure he's OK.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00They just said that he'd been quite badly burned,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and so your mind is racing, you're thinking the worst,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05you're thinking, God, how bad is he?
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Is it a life-threatening? But nobody could give me no information.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Despite the petrifying ordeal he's just been through,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Grant immediately drives to Noble's Hospital.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19And when I eventually got in to see him,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I walked in there and I was... actually, I was quite shocked.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24And quite emotional as well,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28I was a bit emotional when I walked in there and saw him.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Yeah.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32We had a bit of a hug and a chat,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and it was like one of those instances where nobody blames
0:18:35 > 0:18:37anybody else, because these things happen.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39It's part and parcel of racing.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Ben has second-degree burns on his face and hands.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It's two months before he's fully healed.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48But it could have been a lot worse for everyone
0:18:48 > 0:18:51if the fire had reached the fuel tanks.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52It's always fortunate to be fortunate,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55it's always good to be lucky. And we were lucky.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00If Ben had got two-thirds of the fuel in the tank,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04or even half a tank, before we'd had the fire,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06that whole pit lane would have went up.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08You would never have stopped it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11It would have been a massive, massive fireball.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15It's just a split second, it could have...it could have gone
0:19:15 > 0:19:18any which way and he wouldn't be here to tell you about it.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23But Grant did survive, and just a month after the horrifying event,
0:19:23 > 0:19:28he and Fay decided to tie the knot. Where else but at the home of the TT.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Both of us agreed that we were going to have a fun wedding,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and we were going to have it in the Isle of Man no matter what.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38It was just such a fun-filled day, it was just laughter packed,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41it was exactly what we wanted.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Despite the horrors of that day, Ben is still part of the team
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but Grant won't be returning to the Isle of Man any time soon.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51At least not in a racing capacity.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55He's recently become a grandad and decided to hang up his leathers.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59From now on, he'll be competing in a slightly slower paced sport.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm playing golf now, believe it or not.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'm really enjoying it, I'm absolutely loving it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07It's a bit of a step from racing at 200mph to playing golf,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I know, and a lot of people are going to take the micky out of me
0:20:10 > 0:20:12but it's a lot safer.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Now for an unusual close call.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Businessman Mickey loves animals,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30and when he booked a safari holiday, he hoped he'd see lots of them.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32But he got a lot more than he bargained for.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36The Masai Mara, Kenya.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41A family of cheetahs has taken over a tourist safari jeep.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42But the passengers' excitement
0:20:42 > 0:20:47at seeing these magnificent creatures close-up turns to alarm.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Without warning, two of the cats come frighteningly close.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Then, one of them does the unthinkable.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It leaps up and lands on the back-seat of the jeep,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07right next to a stunned holiday-maker.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The big cat's tail flicks signal its agitation.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15The unfolding drama is captured by a camera in another vehicle.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20In the back seat, with a wild cheetah just inches from his face,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Mickey McCaldin doesn't dare move.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26In he came, and the hackles went up
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and when he got very close to me, started snarling.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Chartered fishing boat supplier Mickey loves the great outdoors.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46When he's not working in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48he enjoys holidaying with his family
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and for the third time in his life, he's about to head out to Kenya.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59My sister has had a lifelong affair with Kenya.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01She refers to it as Ireland with sunshine.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05She had persuaded my wife and I, yet again,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10and it wasn't very difficult, to accompany her on holiday there.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Travelling with Mickey and his family are friends
0:22:13 > 0:22:17who've lived in Kenya for many years, David Horsey and his wife Vicky.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20We were their tour guides.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23They stayed in our house for a week or so,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and we went on a week's safari.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27As his holiday snaps show,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Mickey and his party are having a great time
0:22:30 > 0:22:34in one of Kenya's vast safari parks, the Masai Mara.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's Eden, it's heaven on earth.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39I'm no biologist, I'm no expert,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42but it's such a privilege to be able to see it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's a beautiful clear day as they set out,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49halfway through their holiday, for an early morning game drive.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51And today, there's an added bonus
0:22:51 > 0:22:54with some good news from their local guide.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Our driver, James, said to us, "Oh, I know where there is
0:22:58 > 0:23:02"a mother and four adolescent cheetahs."
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And sure enough, under the tree, was Mum and her four kids.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08And they were lolling about.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10It was very exciting for us
0:23:10 > 0:23:14to get to within 20 or 30 metres of a family of cheetah.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19He doesn't know it yet, but Mickey is going to get a lot closer than that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Suddenly, the mother cheetah decides she needs a high point
0:23:27 > 0:23:29to spot possible prey on the vast plain.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32David is an old Africa hand,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36but even he is surprised when she picks the jeep they're sitting in
0:23:36 > 0:23:37to get a better view.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43The mother cheetah jumped up over the spare wheel at the back,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45and up on top of the car,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and the first inkling we knew she was on the car
0:23:48 > 0:23:52was when she landed on the roof above Mickey's head.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57It was very unnerving, because the canvas wasn't in pristine condition,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00you could see daylight through the canvas.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02And I could hear this ripping noise
0:24:02 > 0:24:04with the weight of Mum above my head.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09Video footage from a tourist in a different car shows the mother,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13now joined by some of her cubs, lying on the canvas roof.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Then, some possible quarry comes into view.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And the family of carnivores go on the alert.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26This little Thomson's gazelle came ambling by,
0:24:26 > 0:24:31and their whole demeanour changed in an instant.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Absolute attention.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37The mother cheetah keeps watch
0:24:37 > 0:24:40as two of her cubs head off to stalk the gazelle.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Teenagers being teenagers,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45two of the adolescents had a go far too early
0:24:45 > 0:24:48when the Tommy was still 100 metres away.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54The two young cheetahs return from their unsuccessful hunting trip.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57David, sitting in front of Mickey, is taking pictures on his camera,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00as one of them jumps on the bonnet.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04But the other can't figure out how to join its mother up on top.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He hadn't witnessed his siblings getting onto the roof,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12which they had done via the spare tyre on the back.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16It thought that the right way to get to its mother
0:25:16 > 0:25:18was through the car.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24First thing I saw were two paws appearing at the top of the door.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29In he came, and the hackles went up
0:25:29 > 0:25:33and when he got very close to me, suddenly started snarling.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40David's picture captures the panicked cheetah just inches from Mickey.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43The terror on his face is plain to see.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It may not be the biggest cat, the cheetah,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51but they're fairly impressive claws and they're fairly impressive teeth.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53They're killing machines.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55If I had panicked or shown fear,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I think possibly he would have seen me as prey.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Mickey needs to stay very still.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Running away is the worst thing to do.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06As soon as you run for it,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10you invoke this chase instinct of the cheetah.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14So if you started running, without question, you'll be attacked.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20These guys can run at 60mph. Usain Bolt can nearly do 30mph.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Downhill with the wind behind me, maybe 15mph is what I'm good for.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29So just had to sit there and grin and bear it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The confused young cheetah, still trying to reach its mother,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35makes a move to walk straight across Mickey's lap.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's only when it went towards him,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and looked like it was going to actually step over him,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44to get out of the other side of the car,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47that I think he quite rightly started panicking a bit.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Just before the cheetah takes another step,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52a nervous Mickey shifts position.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57At that stage, I decided this was not Disney World.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Mickey's reaction like this caused it to stop.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Because it probably realised, "I've gone too far."
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It then turned around, and just hopped out of the car.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The cheetah's exit is a big relief for Mickey and his fellow passengers.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Now they just need to evict the mother cheetah
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and the rest of the cubs from the jeep's roof.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24So it ended up with five or six of us pushing up the rotten campus.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Mum was not at all pleased. That's when she really started snarling.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31But eventually, they were able to persuade them
0:27:31 > 0:27:33to jump off the roof.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It's been an exciting but unnerving experience for Mickey,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and one he'll certainly never forget.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44A picture paints a thousand words, doesn't it?
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I admit it is a look of sheer terror on my face.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52One of my friends said to me, "It's a damn good job
0:27:52 > 0:27:54"you weren't eating a beef sandwich, Mickey,"
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and I said, "I was the beef sandwich!"
0:28:04 > 0:28:07That was a close-up call, never mind a close call!
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Join us next time for more extraordinary stories.