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 > 0:00:17The 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 had broken his neck.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Their instincts and resources,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32coupled with the quick thinking of others, helped to pull them through.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We were just engulfed in flames.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And their dramatic experiences were recorded on camera.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40You all right?!
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 will 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 > 0:01:07Horror at the village fete.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10A fun-filled family go-kart race goes terribly wrong...
0:01:11 > 0:01:16..when one of the dads crashes at 30mph, suffers a head injury
0:01:16 > 0:01:17and is trapped in his kart.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23I ran to the scene. To be honest, I thought he had broken his neck.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The event is to raise funds for the local air ambulance,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30the same ambulance that's now called to the scene.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Also, a son races to rescue his disabled mum as the family
0:01:37 > 0:01:40home is engulfed in flames.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42You could start hearing cracks and bangs from upstairs
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and we knew this house was going to go up. This house is gone.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Plus, people power.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54A unicyclist is trapped under a London bus, but passers-by
0:01:54 > 0:01:57band together in a bid to lift it and free him from under its wheels.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09East Allington, in Devon.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Emergency vehicles flood the village during what should have
0:02:12 > 0:02:14been a happy family day out.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16Moments earlier,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18it was in full swing with crowds
0:02:18 > 0:02:21enjoying the annual downhill go-kart race.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Bidding for victory is teacher Rob van Es
0:02:24 > 0:02:27until something goes catastrophically wrong.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31CROWD SHOUTS IN SHOCK
0:02:31 > 0:02:34The kart somersaults, Rob is thrown onto his head,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37hitting the road with force.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40In the impact, he loses his helmet.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42In the crowd is his wife, Fiona.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45There was just this tumble of smoke.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Then I realised that he'd had this really hideous crash.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Rob is motionless on the ground.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56His head at an odd angle and there's blood coming from a wound.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The whole village is in shock.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Secondary school science teacher Rob is passionate about his job
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and the young people he gets to work with every day.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Oh, it's great fun.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I mean, working with children, teenagers,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19the inquiring minds that they've got is just golden.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23When he's not in the classroom, Rob takes his love for science,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and particularly engineering, back to the family home in the village of
0:03:27 > 0:03:31East Allington, which he shares with his two sons and his wife, Fiona.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36He is very talented in terms of engineering.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40There's always a creative solution to a problem.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Rob loves tinkering away in the garage.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45His currently constructing his second steamboat.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Well, it keeps me out of the house.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Maybe that's why we've been married for so long.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51It keeps me out of the way!
0:03:51 > 0:03:54And every year, Rob's passion and flair for engineering is
0:03:54 > 0:03:57demonstrated at the village go-kart race.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Every May, sleepy East Allington comes alive with the colour
0:04:02 > 0:04:06and sounds of the eccentric Wacky Races Festival,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09where racers take on a 400-meter downhill track
0:04:09 > 0:04:11to raise money for charity.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15This year, it's the local air ambulance that will benefit.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We've really gone all out for the wackiest go-kart
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and have come up with some interesting designs over the years.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28In fact, Rob has designed and built go-karts for the whole family,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31including a teddy bear's picnic,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33the yummy mummy,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and the yellow submarine.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39This year, Rob's constructed a magical flying carpet for Fiona
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and for himself, a go-kart which is nicknamed Thomas,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47fitted with a smoke machine to give it the real look of a steam train.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50As the day of the big race arrives, he is confident.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53A lovely day, beautiful sunshine.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56And I have to say, Thomas performed very well.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Leading the way as he comes into the first chicane.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02We had the puffing sounds, we had the whistle blowing
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and the smoke was very good.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The only drawback is that some idiot had put a funnel in the way,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10so you had to keep steering a bit to the left and a bit to the right
0:05:10 > 0:05:13to be able to see where you are going, which was a bit of an issue.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18After a successful first heat, Rob has qualified for the final
0:05:18 > 0:05:23as the fourth fastest kart and it's given him a thirst for glory.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25When you see that actually you are in fourth place
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and if you can go a little bit faster, you might be in third place
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and get on the podium, well, then, you know, a little edge
0:05:30 > 0:05:33comes in and you think, "What can I do to get a bit faster?"
0:05:34 > 0:05:38The final is a time to run against the clock. Fastest kart wins.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Fiona hasn't qualified
0:05:40 > 0:05:43so she is track-side with the enthusiastic supporters.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Despite Rob's excellent start to the day, he's still feeling nervous
0:05:47 > 0:05:49as he prepares to set off on his final run
0:05:49 > 0:05:51down the steep village streets.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53When you are standing at the bottom of the hill,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56it looks quite tame and safe and it's all lovely.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58But when you get to the top of the hill,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01there's line painted on the road surface
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and you look down the hill and you realise how steep the hill is
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and how long the hill is, how narrow the track is.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08And that is when you get a bit nervy.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13HORN BLOWS
0:06:13 > 0:06:17He's off to a great start and flying down the first part of the track.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20But, with spectators filming through the crowds,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Rob's steering looks a little erratic as he swerves from side to side
0:06:24 > 0:06:25to see past the car's funnel.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And as Rob reaches around 30mph - disaster.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40He loses control. His kart skids and violently flips over.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43He slammed hard into the road surface.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45The helmet he is wearing to protect his head comes
0:06:45 > 0:06:49flying off as the kart smashes into bits.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52He lands on his back, scraping along the road.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56His legs entangled in the remnants of the kart.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Fiona is watching on, horrified, from the sidelines.
0:07:00 > 0:07:07There was just this tumble of smoke and the go-kart rolled.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Did this tremendous barrel roll
0:07:09 > 0:07:14and then I realised that he'd had this really hideous crash.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The cheering crowd falls silent.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The fun of the village fete comes to a sudden and dramatic halt.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Marshalls and St John Ambulance crewmen race towards Rob
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and the mangled remains of his go-kart.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31He's rather invincible in my mind, I think.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34So, it couldn't happen to him.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So, yeah, it was shock and disbelief.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Later, Rob lies trapped in his wrecked kart.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47And he was moaning. It did scare me.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51And with fears of a serious head injury, emergency teams
0:07:51 > 0:07:54call in the very air ambulance Rob and the other competitors
0:07:54 > 0:07:57are raising money for.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59A bleed inside the skull is our main concern
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and something that really needs to be dealt with very quickly.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Coming up, a family home in flames.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10The whole of the roof was on fire, which made me think that clearly
0:08:10 > 0:08:13there is something within that roof space which was highly combustible.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Neighbours filming fear the worst.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Oh, gosh, it's really going up now. Might be a big explosion.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Walthamstow, London.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33In the high street, an extraordinary scene.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Scores of people surround a bus.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Trapped under the wheels is well-known local character,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Wrayson Shields.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43He's badly injured and bleeding heavily.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47That pain is like 1,000 knives is in my foot.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50To save him, the crowd need to work together.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55They're going to have to lift a 12-tonne London bus.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06From Jamaica, 55-year-old Wrayson is a professional entertainer.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10As a young man, he worked with an acrobatic circus troupe
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and he's also performed at corporate events in the UK and abroad.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19I've been performing from 1982 to 2015.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23He's a familiar face around his hometown of Walthamstow,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25where he has lived for 30 years.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Everybody knows me.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31I grew up in Walthamstow, really, cos I came here when I was 25.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Now semiretired,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37he keeps up his balancing skills by riding his unicycle.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I like the unicycle cos I like to ride it backwards.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44I can sprint with it. I can even lean on and sleep on it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Wrayson's so adept at the one-wheeled mode of transport,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50he even uses it to get around town.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54But it's his passion for the unicycle that nearly costs him his life.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01It's a Thursday, early evening, rush hour.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Wrayson is coming up to a busy junction.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I'm riding my unicycle and I'm on my way home and I ride passing
0:10:08 > 0:10:11that junction for 30 years and it's the first I've ever had an accident.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17He draws up alongside a double-decker bus,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19but doesn't realise it is turning right.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22As it moves off, he is dragged under the wheels.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31And the bus crushed me. That pain is like 1,000 knives is in my foot.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Estate agent Robin is working right by the collision.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39What I heard was a big crash, a big bang.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43The guy had been caught directly underneath the driver's wheel.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Running out of the office, he is confronted with a shocking sight.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51He was laying face down, so his head was facing the same way as the bus.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And initially the wheel was on the back of his calf.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I mean, he was completely pinned under it.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He was conscious and he was screaming.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I mean, it was... Obviously caused him a lot of pain.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06The events that follow are recorded by an office worker on her
0:11:06 > 0:11:07mobile phone.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14And on and in-car camera of a driver approaching the scene.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18A crowd, including the passengers of the bus,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20gather round the injured Wrayson.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23People run out of their shop, you know, they left the till,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26the mortgage place, the restaurant...
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Wrayson's situation is desperate.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32With his lower leg firmly wedged under the wheel, the bus driver
0:11:32 > 0:11:37can't move forwards or backwards for fear of inflicting greater damage.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The emergency services are called, but Wrayson is in agony and losing
0:11:41 > 0:11:44so much blood, he is in danger of bleeding to death.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49There are anxious discussions in the crowd about what they can do to help.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55My first instinct was, you know, don't move. Wait for the services.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I suppose what was happening around was several other people
0:11:58 > 0:12:00maybe going through that first impression,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03but then when the possibility of being able to kind of help
0:12:03 > 0:12:05started to kind of sink into people,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I think that's where people sort of come together.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Some of the crowd come up with the idea of lifting the bus.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Initially, I thought there was no hope of us
0:12:15 > 0:12:16being able to move the bus.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19But the group in the middle that were encouraging people to push
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and were counting, "One, two, three."
0:12:23 > 0:12:27To help him through this ordeal, Wrayson's turned to his faith.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30I said I'd give God everything, my prayer already.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33But I know somehow, you know, I'm going to get out of this, you know?
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Around 100 people prepare to attempt the seemingly impossible -
0:12:38 > 0:12:40to lift a 12-tonne bus.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The hope and fear of the office worker filming can be heard.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49They are encouraged when the bus does move a little.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51But it's not enough to free Wrayson's leg.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56And I just look at the people and we're telepathic
0:12:56 > 0:12:57and they look at me.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And the people say, "Let's try again."
0:13:00 > 0:13:01And they try again.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06This time, they move the bus right
0:13:06 > 0:13:09over and Wrayson is freed.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17Like an angel was there and said, "Slide out." I slide out.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Police officers arrive.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Not far behind is paramedic Stephen Hines
0:13:21 > 0:13:24in his rapid response car.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26When I got to him, he had some fairly obvious injuries
0:13:26 > 0:13:30to the top of his leg, with very significant bleed being
0:13:30 > 0:13:32controlled at the time by a policeman.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Also a distinctive open wound
0:13:34 > 0:13:37further down his leg where a visible broken bone could be seen.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40First priority after checking he was actually still talking to us
0:13:40 > 0:13:44was to control the bleed by using a pressure dressing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The crowd disperse. Their job is done.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51And an ambulance crew takes Wrayson to the nearby Royal London Hospital
0:13:51 > 0:13:55for emergency surgery on his legs, including skin grafts.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Their skills meant Wrayson was able to leave hospital
0:13:58 > 0:14:00just three weeks later.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03The lovely doctors of the UK cut here
0:14:03 > 0:14:05and they take the muscles
0:14:05 > 0:14:08from here and put here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And then the plastic surgery, it's a plastic surgeon do it,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13you know, seal up here.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16The engraft, they take it here, put it here.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It will be some time before Wrayson rides a unicycle again.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But the fact he's here at all is largely down to this
0:14:23 > 0:14:26extraordinary demonstration of people power.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27What it sort of told you, in fact,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30that when people do come together, there are things that are achievable
0:14:30 > 0:14:33that probably people didn't think possibly could be.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35If the crowd hadn't come together to lift that bus, it's quite
0:14:35 > 0:14:38possible he would have bled to death from the injuries he had.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Every time I look at it and see people running like ants,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46they look like little ants going to their nest, you know,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48going to the red bus, you know,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I said, "Why these people do that? For me?"
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And I say in my mind, "They would do it for everyone."
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Everybody should visit Walthamstow Market, go shopping,
0:14:59 > 0:15:00it's lovely people, you know?
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Yeah, it's lovely people.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Back in the village of East Allington, in Devon,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18science teacher and engineering enthusiast Rob van Es
0:15:18 > 0:15:21has been racing his home-made go-kart down a steep hill
0:15:21 > 0:15:24at 30mph during the annual village festival.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But somehow, the kart has somersaulted and crashed.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32In the impact, Rob has lost his helmet
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and he now lies trapped in the wreckage.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40His wife Fiona, watching in the crowd, fights away to his side.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I ran to the scene and he was moaning.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49To be honest, I thought he had broken his neck.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51I think he had been knocked unconscious,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55but he started to talk to the people around him.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Crewmen from the St John Ambulance are on the scene
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and the emergency services have been called.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Rob is showing worrying symptoms of a head injury.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09And he'd say about four or five different things
0:16:09 > 0:16:13and then he'd start again. It was like a goldfish loop of questions.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15So, we'd be back to, "Where's my wife?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18"She'll be really worried." Erm...
0:16:18 > 0:16:19"I guess I've crashed.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21"Was it spectacular?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23"Nobody else was hurt, were they?"
0:16:23 > 0:16:28And we'd go on that loop time and time again. It did scare me.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33It was clear that he'd obviously got some sort of injury.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Fiona finds Rob's helmet on the ground and it shows
0:16:36 > 0:16:40signs of severe damage where his head has smashed into the tarmac.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And you could see already that it had blue
0:16:42 > 0:16:47stripes of paint from his go-kart on it and also it looked like it
0:16:47 > 0:16:52melted in parts where the friction from grinding across the road.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Two ambulance crews arrived, but with the nearest hospital
0:16:57 > 0:17:02over 50 minutes away, the Devon Air Ambulance is called in.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Ironically, it's the very charity the event is raising money for.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Aircrew paramedic Richard Walker is leading the team.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Well, he was lying in the road beside his go-kart,
0:17:13 > 0:17:18luckily he was conscious, which was nice to see. Very repetitive.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Clearly had no memory of what had gone on.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Obviously a bleed inside the skull is our main concern
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and something that really needs to be dealt with very quickly.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31The crowd watch on horrified.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35These are pictures taken by some of them at the time.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37The crew need to remove Rob from the wreckage
0:17:37 > 0:17:39and get into hospital as soon as they can.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43But Fiona is petrified that there may be even more damage to Rob
0:17:43 > 0:17:45than just his head injury.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49I assumed that he wouldn't be able to move his legs,
0:17:49 > 0:17:56so I was so relieved when I realised he was trying to help
0:17:56 > 0:18:02move his legs out from the pedals and the chassis of the go-kart.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Rob is moving but Richard
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and the other paramedics aren't taking any risks.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09We immobilised him together with the St John Ambulance
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and the other land crew paramedics onto a scoop stretcher,
0:18:12 > 0:18:13put a collar around his neck
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and then we carried him up to the aircraft.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22As he was carried up the track, the crowds that were left applauded
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and he was really saluted and that was so touching.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33It's a speedy nine-minute flight to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Fiona follows by car.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Rob is immediately assessed for any serious neurological damage.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43When Fiona arrives, almost an hour later, the doctors
0:18:43 > 0:18:48already have the result of Rob's CT scans and thankfully it is good news.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And she came straight out, sat down with me and said,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57"We've done the scans. There is nothing serious on his brain." So...
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Rob had suffered concussion and a broken rib.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Later that evening, when he comes around in a hospital bed,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07he is shocked to find out what has happened.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Fiona had written me a note to say that I had
0:19:09 > 0:19:12been in the air ambulance, which is really exciting.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Cos I would have enjoyed that if I could remember it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And that, yeah, I'd had a nasty accident
0:19:18 > 0:19:22and that Thomas had had a crash, which is really sad.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26But I can't remember anything about it at all. Nothing at all.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Things could have turned out very differently that day.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It's quite obvious Rob's life was saved by the protective cycle
0:19:32 > 0:19:33helmet he was wearing.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35The consultant at the hospital,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38she said that basically I had lost two hours of memory beforehand
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and about six hours of memory afterwards,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46which sort of makes it a significant brain injury.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Could have been looking at chest injuries, fractured limbs,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53certainly a far worse head injury.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55In fact, I'm very surprised he didn't have
0:19:55 > 0:19:57a far worse head injury, to be honest.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Rob is back home and recovering well.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03He still can't remember anything about the accident
0:20:03 > 0:20:07but he is already planning a new go-kart for next year's race.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11And it's a tribute to the team who flew him to hospital that day.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Probably has to be an air ambulance.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16If I can work out how to do it,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19a helicopter will be going down the track next year.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29A family home is full of memories.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It's generally a place we remember and treasure.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35So it really is heartbreaking when it all goes up in smoke.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44The village of Bladon, Oxfordshire.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Fire rips through the roof of a family home.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Flames leap into the air as firefighters arrive
0:20:50 > 0:20:52to tackle the blaze.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56A horrified neighbour films the destruction.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Keep everyone away from the windows. God, it's really awful.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02As the fire takes hold, 19-year-old Peter Salway's
0:21:02 > 0:21:06first instinct is to save his wheelchair-bound mum.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08At this point, you don't think.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10The adrenaline does it all for you and it just kicks in.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Engineering apprentice Peter has lived in the family
0:21:23 > 0:21:26house in Bladon all his life.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It was home to me. It always felt safe and sturdy.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31The house is like the centre of a family, though.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33That's where family is, is in the house.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Peter lives with his parents and younger sister.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39His mum, Jane, suffers from multiple sclerosis.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46It's Easter Sunday afternoon and Peter is relaxing in his bedroom
0:21:46 > 0:21:49when suddenly his dad hammers on the door.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51He just shouts, "Peter, there's a fire, you need to get out!"
0:21:52 > 0:21:55So I opened the door and there's just smoke,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57like, on the landing. And the smell was acrid.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00You could tell by the smell something wasn't right.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And it isn't. The family are in mortal danger.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08While Dad dials 999, Peter springs into action.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10At this point, you don't think.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12The adrenaline does it all for you and it just kicks in.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I didn't even think of grabbing my phone or my laptop or
0:22:15 > 0:22:17anything from my room.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Instead, his first thought is for his disabled mum, Jane,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24downstairs watching TV, unaware there's a fire upstairs.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30She can't get off the sofa and into her wheelchair without help.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I ran downstairs and first was to just grab Mum.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I smelt the smoke and I thought, "No, he's not joking.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38"It really is serious."
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I normally pick her up and stand her up, but this time it wasn't
0:22:43 > 0:22:45standing up - it was swing around as quick as possible.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46And I think at that moment,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50that's when Mum realised that something serious was happening.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54He's quite a forethought boy. So I just got out.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57At that point, you could start hearing cracks
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and bangs from upstairs. We knew that this house was going to go up.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01This house is gone.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06The distraught family gather outside
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and the gravity of the situation they've just escaped becomes evident.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13They are also missing Sutty, the family cat.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I didn't want to think about what had happened to her.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18I was hoping she got out OK
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but I didn't want to think about it just in case.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22You looked up at the house
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and there was smoke basically coming out of the roofing tiles.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It looked like it was steaming.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31The Oxfordshire Fire Service is already racing to the village
0:23:31 > 0:23:33after Peter's dad's call.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Watch manager Nick Mason is in the first truck.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39There was a huge smoke plume
0:23:39 > 0:23:42so we pretty much got a whiff of it as soon as we got to the
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Bladon roundabout, which was literally a mile away.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It's probably the biggest smoke plume I've seen for a long,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50long time from a domestic property.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54And so my first actions really were to ascertain,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57where there any persons in the house?
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Nick and his crew are relieved to find the family safe.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02But the house is a different matter.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06At this point, roofing tiles started falling off
0:24:06 > 0:24:09onto the neighbour's car, into the neighbour's garden.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11And, obviously, as the roofing tiles fell off,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13the flames got more air and the flames burst through
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and it must have been minutes, three, five minutes.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19The neighbour is still filming on their phone
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and captures how quickly the fire takes hold.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Oh, gosh, it's really going up now. There might be a great explosion.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28It was quite unusual cos the whole of the roof was on fire, which
0:24:28 > 0:24:31made me think that clearly there's something within that roof space
0:24:31 > 0:24:34which was clearly highly combustible.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38He's right. It's more than 20 years of memories.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40The family have run out of storage space
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and many of their precious belongings are packed in the loft.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It was rammed to the rafters,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48was the information I got from the owner.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Nick decides to send two firefighters wearing breathing
0:24:55 > 0:24:57apparatus into the house to assess the fire,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00in the hope that they can save part of the building.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05We really had to contain the fire and stop fire spread.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But it's not good news.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12The fire had taken hold to a degree whereby the second floor had
0:25:12 > 0:25:15collapsed into the first floor. So it was too dangerous, really.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It was too dangerous.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Keep everyone away from the windows. I'm frightened, actually.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Quite scary, isn't it?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23The Salway family are moved to safety along with
0:25:23 > 0:25:26some of their neighbours who have just joined them on the street.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Peter watches as his childhood home goes up in flames.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35You can see, like, chunks of ash
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and burning material getting flown up cos the power of it is immense.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45- They've got the hose on it, have they?- Yeah.- Oh, good.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48To the relief of everyone watching, the fire brigade
0:25:48 > 0:25:50get the blaze under control.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54By now, there are three fire trucks, support vehicles,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57police and ambulances all on the scene.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Local villagers also offer help.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The neighbours were really supportive at the same time.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Like, they were there before the fire brigade.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08They were giving us help before the fire brigade.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The fire crews do their best to save what they can.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It'd be nice to save the ground floor for them,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15which was possibly some consolation.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18But the rest of the house is a write-off.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23And there is one member of the family
0:26:23 > 0:26:26no-one has seen since the fire began -
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Sutty, their much-loved moggy.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33But two days later, when Peter is back at the wrecked house...
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Luckily we found her on my parents' bed crying away.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43I literally pulled open the window, shouted, "Sutty, come here!"
0:26:43 > 0:26:44And I've never had her climb on me so fast.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47She just jumped up and climbed straight out.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So I grabbed her, ran to the car, rushed her to the vet
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and she got checked out and she was all OK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Finding Sutty, that was the best day ever.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59The Red Cross helped the family find temporary accommodation,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03and although they've lost much of their home and belongings,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06the Salways are aware they could have lost their lives.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10In the living room, there's a chair which my mum sits on a daily basis
0:27:10 > 0:27:12when she's not in her wheelchair.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And a good two-metre sort of ring of the ceiling
0:27:15 > 0:27:16had collapsed onto that chair.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19That's the only place the ceiling had collapsed downstairs
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and it was straight onto her chair where she would have been sat.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24That was...that was hard.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26That was like knowing that if I didn't get Mum out
0:27:26 > 0:27:29she would've been under that and that would have killed her.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It was afterwards and you think, when you're sleeping, you say,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37"If he wasn't that quick getting me out, I wouldn't be here."
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Watch manager Nick considers the family extremely lucky.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46A fire like that - for instance, in the dead of night -
0:27:46 > 0:27:48you would have died. There is no doubt about that.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Two or three gulps of toxic smoke will kill you before the fire
0:27:52 > 0:27:53gets anywhere near you.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56So, it is vital that you have smoke alarms fitted
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and they are properly maintained.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10That's it for today. Join us next time for more Close Calls.