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 going to be a miracle, really.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19He was shouting, "Don't die, Mummy!"
0:00:19 > 0:00:23These are the people who have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I thought he'd broken his neck.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Their 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 > 0:00:45It'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 > 0:01:09A top British helicopter stunt pilot misjudges the conditions...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I never thought it was going wrong.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14..and smashes into the ground
0:01:14 > 0:01:17at an airshow in the American desert.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And a frantic husband searches for his wife
0:01:24 > 0:01:26when their car burst into flames
0:01:26 > 0:01:29during a day out in the Lake District.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I couldn't reach her, the fire was so intense.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Also...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41..a slight touch at high speed,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44two race drivers spin out of control...
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I actually saw Kevin somersaulting in the air.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51..and marshals flee for their lives.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- COMMENTATOR:- That is a very, very nasty accident.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Salt Lake City, Utah.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10British helicopter stunt pilot, Dennis Kenyon
0:02:10 > 0:02:14is putting on an aerobatic display at an American airshow.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17One of the spectator's cameras is filming it.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24But as he exits a 360-degree turn, he's dangerously low...
0:02:25 > 0:02:27..and he smashes into the ground.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Dennis is trapped in the wreckage and the helicopter is leaking fuel.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Dennis Kenyon dreamt of being a pilot as a young boy
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and when he graduated, he knew exactly where to head.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57I left college in 1952 and joined the Royal Air Force.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Even in those days they had boxes to tick
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and I remember ticking the box that said,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04"In the air and not on the ground."
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I went to a place called Cranwell, they taught me to fly
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and went through the RAF system.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10That's where I learnt to fly.
0:03:12 > 0:03:1620 years after joining, Dennis decided he needed a new challenge.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20He left the RAF and swapped two wings for one rotor.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Yeah, well, I started helicopters in 1972
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and you're in the air being nosy, looking at people's gardens.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's true, you really do look down and think,
0:03:31 > 0:03:32"He's not got a bad house."
0:03:36 > 0:03:39In his four decades as a helicopter pilot,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Dennis has specialised in stunt flying -
0:03:41 > 0:03:45performing acrobatic aerial displays and flying at airshows
0:03:45 > 0:03:47with great success.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51He was crowned freestyle world champion in 1992.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55I've represented the country a few times in world championships,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59got some success at it and I love doing it, I really do.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04This cockpit footage filmed some years ago
0:04:04 > 0:04:07shows a relaxed Dennis putting on a dizzying display
0:04:07 > 0:04:09of precision and skill.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13His world-class talent and experience even brought Hollywood knocking.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Dennis has worked as a stunt pilot and adviser
0:04:16 > 0:04:18on a range of blockbuster films.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I did GoldnEye on the New Valley Railway.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Oh, yeah, the big film of course was Black Hawk Down,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26that was the best I've ever done and most enjoyable.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It's a scorching day in the Utah desert
0:04:32 > 0:04:34and Dennis, who's in his 70s,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36is bringing all his moves to a small airshow
0:04:36 > 0:04:39for a group of helicopter enthusiasts.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Density, air density affects the amount of lift
0:04:42 > 0:04:44that the helicopter is producing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47As you go higher, the density gets less and less.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49The West Desert Airpark
0:04:49 > 0:04:52is just a whisker under 5,000ft above sea level.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56But that was aggravated by the temperature
0:04:56 > 0:04:58because temperature also affects density,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59particularly for helicopters.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01You lose power of the engine
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and the rotor blades have got thinner air to work on,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06so it's not something we like as helicopter pilots.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Dennis hasn't had the opportunity to practise his routine
0:05:11 > 0:05:13in the helicopter he is due to fly
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and the thin desert air is making the conditions challenging.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21But not wanting to disappoint the enthusiastic crowd,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Dennis decides to go ahead with the display.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It's a decision he'll regret.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32The crowd were there, I'd been asked to fly,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I'd come 6,000 miles to fly.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37All I've got to do is an eight-minute display
0:05:37 > 0:05:38and I went for it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43The display takes place away from the crowd over the empty desert.
0:05:43 > 0:05:49A spectator is recording as Dennis begins with his trademark pirouette.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51His next trick is to take off backwards
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and rise into a climbing turn.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I turned away from the crowd and I'm heading for the mountains.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00They're five miles, ten miles away.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03But I'm heading for them, I turned back in towards the crowd...
0:06:05 > 0:06:07..and I should have thrown the display away there and then -
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- I didn't.- The routine continues
0:06:09 > 0:06:11with one of Dennis' most spectacular stunts,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14a dangerous high-speed manoeuvre called a wing over.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17He ascends vertically to 300ft
0:06:17 > 0:06:21before inverting the helicopter and doing a loop on its side.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23He then shoots towards the ground at 90mph,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26planning to pull up just feet from the desert floor.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I never thought it was going wrong.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I was already lining up the helicopter
0:06:31 > 0:06:34for the next manoeuvre at the other end of the display strip.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But the weight of the fuel and the thin density air
0:06:37 > 0:06:40have caused Dennis to make a catastrophic misjudgement.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I came out 10ft too low.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53After a stunned silence, spectators start shouting for help.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The helicopter looks to be obliterated
0:06:58 > 0:07:02but miraculously the cockpit is still largely intact with Denis inside.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05He's conscious and he needs to act fast.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08If any leaking fuel makes contact with the hot exhaust,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the wreckage could explode into a fireball.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14First thing to do is to make the helicopter safe,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18get the fuel off and get rid of any sources of fire and then get out.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21But as Dennis desperately tries to escape the cockpit,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24he soon realises he can't get out.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28I remember going round my body, moving my right arm, moving my left,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31then my back, right leg and realised I was OK
0:07:31 > 0:07:32except I couldn't move my left foot.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I tugged at it and couldn't get it out.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40His left foot is trapped underneath one of the broken pedals.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Luckily, Dennis knows exactly what to do.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Fortunately for me, on that particular helicopter,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49the pedals...your pedals are detachable.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52So, I lent down and my strap had broken, had gone.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I lent down and pulled the clip that held the pedals,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59turned it through 180 degrees and jumped out.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00Despite the horrific crash,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Dennis somehow drags himself away from the mangled helicopter.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15As the dust settles, the wreckage can be seen.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I had cuts on my face and they were bleeding
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and I had some on my body.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I think I scraped myself against some of the glass getting out.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25Despite his injuries,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Dennis manages an interview with the local news
0:08:27 > 0:08:30before heading quickly to hospital.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33X-rays reveal he's damaged one of his vertebrae.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Back at the crash site, the wreckage of the helicopter is recovered.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40It seems impossible someone can manage to walk away alive
0:08:40 > 0:08:42from such a terrible crash.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47If you've got a set of rules,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49as I had, don't change them.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Don't change those rules for any reason whatsoever.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55I should not have flown that day in those circumstances.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04It was a terrible accident but unbelievably just a month later,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Dennis was fully recovered and back in the skies.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The experience hasn't lessened his love of flying,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14even as he prepares to celebrate his upcoming 83rd birthday.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16You either sit at home in cotton wool
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and hope that a satellite doesn't drop on your head
0:09:19 > 0:09:22or you enjoy yourself and all forms of flying is so, so much fun...
0:09:24 > 0:09:26..and I still love every day.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I'm looking forward to the rest of my flying career.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32Coming up later,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36a brave passer-by acts to try and save an elderly couple
0:09:36 > 0:09:38when their car becomes a fireball.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I think they were in shock.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Somebody had to help them.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Amateur racing driver, Kevin Brent,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59is battling for top spot in the big race of the weekend.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01But as he exits a corner,
0:10:01 > 0:10:06his car is clipped from behind at more than 80mph
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and cartwheels violently down the track, smashing into a barrier.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14My reaction was, if he's alive it's going to be a miracle, really.
0:10:23 > 0:10:2750-year-old Kevin Brent is passionate about cars.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33He dreamt about becoming a racing driver
0:10:33 > 0:10:35from a very young age.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I've always been pretty competitive and I've always fancied the racing.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I've played at go-karting and various other things
0:10:42 > 0:10:45just like I think probably most boys have, most kids have.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Now married and with three kids of his own,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51it wasn't until Kevin was in his mid-40s
0:10:51 > 0:10:55that his boyhood dream finally became a reality.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I was looking for a fairly low-cost entry series
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but one that was really competitive, had lots of other drivers in it,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05that would be really good fun and the MX5s fitted that bill.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09The popular open-top Mazda road car
0:11:09 > 0:11:13has been modified to make it faster and safer for high-speed racing.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18It's fitted with a roll cage, a fire extinguisher and a racing harness.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Kevin's been competing for three years now
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and still thrives on the rush he gets when he's sitting behind the wheel.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28There's just nothing really quite like it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The anticipation when you're on the start line ready for it
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and particularly when, I could still remember the first time
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I was sat right at the back of the grid
0:11:36 > 0:11:39for the first-ever race and your heart's pounding.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Kevin has moved through the ranks
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and is now one of the most competitive racers
0:11:46 > 0:11:48on the amateur circuit.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The first time I got on the podium was absolutely fantastic.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54You know, going from being right at the back
0:11:54 > 0:11:56to then having some 20-odd cars behind you
0:11:56 > 0:12:00is absolutely...that's really, that's really good.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02And for his latest race,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Kevin has brought his MX5 to Cadwell Park
0:12:04 > 0:12:06for a weekend's competition.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Also racing is his close competitor Richard Collins, known as Ric.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Kevin and I have always been fairly close
0:12:13 > 0:12:17with regards to our abilities and where we finish in races.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I'd beaten him before, so I knew that
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I'd got a chance of at least gaining one more place.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26As always, watching Ric from the stands is his partner, Shelley.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29I love the buzz that you get at a race weekend.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32And when everybody's going out on the track.
0:12:32 > 0:12:38It's that moment where the lights go out and everybody goes.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Ric and Kevin are both driving well
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and come Sunday, Kevin is on pole position
0:12:43 > 0:12:46with Ric behind him in line two on the grid
0:12:46 > 0:12:48for the final race of the weekend.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53A TV crew is filming the event for an online motorsport show.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55This is their race footage.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- COMMENTATOR:- Very quickly away is David Henderson
0:12:57 > 0:12:58from third on the grid
0:12:58 > 0:13:01but first and second, Kevin Brent and David Hart, have got away well.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Richard Collins is on the outside of row two,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07followed by Harry Dean in 15.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08A good start.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Had a little bit of a touch, so I lost a bit of momentum,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11lost a couple of places.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12...at the moment.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The battle for a podium place is on as Kevin, and Ric just behind him,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22approach one of the circuit bends known as Charlie's Corner.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Kevin is in the red number 41 car,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Ric is behind him in the black number five.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32We'd come out of a corner called Charlie's
0:13:32 > 0:13:34on to quite a long straight.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Coming out of Charlie's, I had a little bit of a slide.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I think he perhaps dropped a wheel off the actual tarmac
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and kicked up some dust.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49What that told me was he was going to be a little bit slower
0:13:49 > 0:13:51coming out of the corner than I would be.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56He had a much better exit out of that,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58carrying much more speed.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00As I came out of the corner, I changed up into fourth gear
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and Kevin had straightened up
0:14:02 > 0:14:03but I could see that I was gaining on him
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and coming alongside him on his right-hand side.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08And he touched.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14His front left wheel hit my rear right.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Both cars came up in the air then, wheels off the ground,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20probably about 85mph at that point
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and from that point on, neither of us had any control whatsoever,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27went straight into the tyre wall.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28- COMMENTATOR:- Into Park Straight
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and the challenge on here by Richard Collins.
0:14:31 > 0:14:38Goodness me, that is a very, very nasty accident.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40TYRES SCREECH
0:14:44 > 0:14:48The slightest of touches has led to a horrifying crash.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Kevin's car somersaults four times down the track.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56His head is thrown around violently.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Footage from the car immediately behind the collision
0:15:02 > 0:15:05shows Ric's black MX5 bouncing back onto the circuit
0:15:05 > 0:15:07before being shunted,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10spinning him around, leaving him facing the other drivers head-on.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16I remember looking the wrong way up the circuit
0:15:16 > 0:15:18at the oncoming traffic thinking, you know,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20"I just don't want you to hit me."
0:15:24 > 0:15:28At the same time I actually saw Kevin somersaulting in the air.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Later, emergency doctors race to help both drivers
0:15:37 > 0:15:41and in the crowd, Ric's partner, Shelley, is unsure who's involved.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46The commentator, all of a sudden he went really quiet
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and all he said was, "That's absolutely horrific."
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I remember his word, he said it was horrific.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55And when Ric's car fails to reappear, she's frantic with worry.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I just literally, I just kept saying to myself, "Don't be dead."
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Grasmere, in the Lake District.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16A car is blazing dangerously out of control.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21The owner, Chris, is desperate to save his wife, Brenda,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24who is still right by the burning car.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28I couldn't reach her, the fire was so intense.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31If Brenda doesn't get away soon, she'll choke in the toxic smoke.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Chris and Brenda Tyrrall have been together for over 60 years.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Now in their 80s,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49they were just 17 when they first set eyes on each other.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55We met at a local dance hall in Middleton, where I was born.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59He just came to ask me for a dance, yeah, that was it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03And she survived the fact that I wasn't very good at dancing
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and was constantly treading on her toes.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12The pair have been inseparable ever since.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14One of their favourite things to do
0:17:14 > 0:17:17is take breaks in the beauty and tranquillity of the Lake District.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20One May day, they set off on the 90-mile journey
0:17:20 > 0:17:22from their home in Rochdale,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24heading for one of their favourite spots,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28St Oswald's Church in the village of Grasmere.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Whenever we go, we have to go to that church.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I do like to make my own private prayer
0:17:34 > 0:17:40and I find St Oswald's is the ideal spot.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's just peaceful.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But on this occasion, they're disappointed.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It was closed.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It was six o'clock, so I said, "It's closed."
0:17:52 > 0:17:56But when they go to leave and Chris starts up the car again,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00it turns into a trip the couple will never forget.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Almost immediately Brenda said,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05"There's smoke coming from underneath the seat."
0:18:05 > 0:18:10So, I said to my wife, "You get out of the car immediately."
0:18:10 > 0:18:13"Oh, I'll get a spanner," he said, and disconnect the battery.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15While Chris heads to the front of the car,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Brenda leans in to the back seat to grab their things,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20including their walking sticks.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25So, he was at the bonnet and I thought, "It's coming more."
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I just got as many things as I could
0:18:28 > 0:18:30and walked round and put them on the floor
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and the things off the back seat, I put on the church wall.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Chris is trying to disconnect the battery
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but is forced to give up.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And by that time, I was being choked by the smoke.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48While the couple deal with the crisis,
0:18:48 > 0:18:49two walkers, Mark and Erica,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53who were also visiting Grasmere for the day, spot what's happening.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57You could see the smoke starting to develop
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and there was quite a crowd congregating.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And then saw from a distance,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07a little bit of a fire in the well of the car.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Suddenly, the situation gets much worse.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Just...ignited.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It went off like you've never seen before.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Shocked visitors and locals at the far end of the street
0:19:19 > 0:19:21are brought to a standstill.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Some take pictures on their phones.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Close up, this photo shows Chris frantically looking for Brenda.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30He can't see her through the raging fire in front of him.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36I couldn't reach her, the fire was so intense.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Mark and Erica can see Chris desperately searching for someone
0:19:40 > 0:19:41in the fire.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The wind is picking up, fanning the flames dangerously.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48They looked an elderly couple.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50They were moving very slowly.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I think they were in shock.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Somebody had to help them.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Somebody had to go and get the couple out of the way.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Mark decides it's him.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03He sprints towards Chris as an anxious Erica watches on,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06terrified the fire will spread to the fuel tank.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10The flames were hitting 20ft.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14If it blows, it would kill people instantly.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18My beeline was him
0:20:18 > 0:20:22but he started to move slightly away with me screaming and shouting.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Mark needs to find Brenda.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Bravely he walks towards the burning car,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29which could explode at any moment.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32He finds Brenda confused and disorientated
0:20:32 > 0:20:36between the car and the church wall, where she's put their belongings.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Blinded by the smoke, she's not fully aware of the danger
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and is looking for her husband.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I thought, "Where is everybody?" And then Mark came.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I just dragged her.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I had three walking sticks and her, like, "Come on."
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Mark pulls Brenda away and through a gate in the church wall.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59He took me to the other side of the churchyard
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and we were on the pathway and I sat down.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04And all the time she was asking for her husband.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09Next, Mark reunites a very relieved Chris with his wife.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14I was very grateful to God that she'd not got injured.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I thought, "Thank goodness, we're OK."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Erica's also relieved to see Mark is unharmed
0:21:20 > 0:21:25after his rescue efforts took him into a very dangerous situation.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Yeah, I gave him a big hug.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I think I gave him a bit of a slap to say,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31"Don't frighten me like that again."
0:21:31 > 0:21:34The fire service arrived to put out the car.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37They believe the blaze was caused by an electrical short circuit.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41After the fire has been extinguished,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Mark returns to retrieve Brenda's handbag from the church wall.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48The damage done to it shows just how close to harm she came.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I ran over and I thought, "No way am I touching that."
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It wasn't on fire, it was melting from the heat.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Without doubt she would have got burned and possibly got killed.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I'm just very, very grateful that, you know, I thought,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03"Oh, thank goodness, Mark's here."
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Brenda and Chris have another car now
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and their experience hasn't put them off
0:22:07 > 0:22:11returning to the Lake District together, as always.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14We both have comfort by the fact that
0:22:14 > 0:22:17we're both looking out for each other.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23And it just reinforced the strength of our marriage, really.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I think she must feel that it wasn't a bad decision after 59 years.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38When things go wrong,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41we count on the emergency services to come to the rescue.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43But sometimes it's a member of the public
0:22:43 > 0:22:45who becomes the hero of the hour.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Back to Cadwell Park race track,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56where TV cameras are recording when two cars collide
0:22:56 > 0:22:59as they fight it out for a podium finish.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Ric Collins, in the black car,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06has clipped the rear wheel of Kevin Brent's red car
0:23:06 > 0:23:08at more than 80mph,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11causing marshals to run for their lives.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Kevin's car is reduced to a tangle of metal
0:23:14 > 0:23:16as it somersaults along the track.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20As the car lands back on all four wheels,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Kevin is motionless and unconscious.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25Race marshal, Andy Spencer,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29had a terrifying track-side view of the smash.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Fear is a strange thing.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34The reaction was just literally run.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Yell, "Run" and go.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It probably came within 10ft of where we were.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46The impact that was felt was tremendous.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48You could actually feel it in your chest
0:23:48 > 0:23:51as the air came through the barriers.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55My reaction was, "That's not going to be very nice."
0:23:56 > 0:23:59If he's alive, it's going to be a miracle, really.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Andy immediately springs into action, waving a red flag to stop the race.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09His colleagues rush towards both cars.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The emergency paramedics are just moments behind.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16While Kevin remains unconscious, Ric is in shock.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20After Kevin and I touched, I knew it wasn't going to end well.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23And I think my initial thought and probably only thought at the time
0:24:23 > 0:24:25was, "This is really going to hurt."
0:24:25 > 0:24:29His partner, Shelley, is at the far side of the circuit.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Unsighted, she has no idea who's been involved in the smash
0:24:32 > 0:24:34but she can hear that it's a bad one
0:24:34 > 0:24:36by the horror in the voice of the race announcer.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The commentator, all of a sudden, he went really quiet.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44And all he said was, "That's absolutely horrific."
0:24:44 > 0:24:46I remember his word, he said it was horrific.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51When Ric's car doesn't appear from around the bend,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Shelley knows he's been involved.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54She fears the worst.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56"Don't be dead."
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I just literary, I just kept saying to myself, "Don't be dead."
0:25:06 > 0:25:09The only pain really was when I moved or breathed,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13so I knew that I'd done some sort of damage to my chest area.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I climbed out of the passenger side,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19where I was then put on a stretcher and taken off to the medical centre.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Ric has had a lucky escape.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Kevin though is still motionless in his wrecked vehicle.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30One of the marshals lets off the car's in-built fire extinguisher
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and flicks the kill switch to turn off the battery power.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37All the activity brings a groggy Kevin back round.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40I was pretty dazed.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45I had blacked out and I think I was probably out for about 20 seconds.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Two things I clearly remember was being covered in foam on my legs
0:25:49 > 0:25:51but also wanting to get my helmet off, get the straps off
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and I just wanted to get out of the car as quickly as possible.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57The race has been halted but the cameras are still rolling.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01To everyone's surprise, Kevin isn't showing any signs of injury.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Doctors allow him to walk to the nearby emergency vehicle,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07much to marshal Andy's amazement.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11The next thing you know he's unbuckling his seat
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and standing up and walking towards the ambulance,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16which was such a surreal thing to see.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19You know, I was expecting him to be cut out of the car
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and on body boards and everything and he literally just got out,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23and walked away.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I remember getting in the ambulance
0:26:25 > 0:26:27and then I was taken straight to the medical centre.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Also there being checked out by the doctors is Ric,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32who isn't badly injured either.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36It's a great relief for Shelley when she hears the news.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39This really, really sweet guy, this paramedic, came up to me
0:26:39 > 0:26:40and he turned round and he said...
0:26:40 > 0:26:44He literally just said, "Look, it's OK. He's all right, he's fine."
0:26:44 > 0:26:47A couple of cracked ribs and then damage to my knee
0:26:47 > 0:26:51where the impact had pushed my door into my leg
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and through the roll cage.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57How both drivers managed to escape from such an extreme accident,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00relatively unharmed, is down to good luck.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04But Kevin is also sure it's the safety modifications to his car
0:27:04 > 0:27:06that helped to save his life.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11The regulations that we have to adhere to
0:27:11 > 0:27:12are clearly there for a very good reason
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and it shows that it works.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16You know, without that cage, I think I would have been crushed
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and definitely would not have walked away from that.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Pictures taken after the crash show just how badly battered
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Kevin's car is.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Unsurprisingly, his MX5 was written off.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32He's managed to salvage the engine and built a new car around it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Just two weeks after the crash he was back on the track
0:27:35 > 0:27:38competing in the sport he loves.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I could have jacked it in there and just thought,
0:27:40 > 0:27:41"You know, that's it."
0:27:41 > 0:27:43There was a bit of me that was tempted to do that
0:27:43 > 0:27:46but equally I knew that... I thought if I didn't actually get back
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and get in a car pretty quickly, it would get harder to do it.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59That's all for now.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Join us again next time to hear more experiences from people
0:28:02 > 0:28:05about the day they had a close call.