0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call - a moment of danger when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08What would happen if I wasn't found or didn't find a way out of it?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11A split-second where the outcome could go either way.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13It's a choice - life or death.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20We saw a lady who was critically ill, if not dying, in front of us.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I kept thinking the hotel was going to fall on us.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27These are the people that have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It's a day they'll never forget - the day they had a close call.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Today on Close Calls...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53A US Coast Guard helicopter hovers above a small rowing boat
0:00:53 > 0:00:56in the Pacific Ocean. It's sinking fast.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Below, in the darkness, four British rowers fear for their lives.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05There were waves coming through the size of a house.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It was hard to keep hold of the boat, as much as anything else,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10because the boat was moving around so much.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Three men make it to safety in the chopper,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17but there's no room for the rescue diver or the fourth rower.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Not really a religious person,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21but I said a little prayer that he'll be safe and well.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Also today - emergency services take an urgent call from a teenager.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35A little girl has run out into the road and been hit by a car.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42The child's mother is with her.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I was just holding her hand and just trying to tell her that I was there,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48but she wasn't responding to any of this.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The Pacific Ocean, 80 miles off California.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Four British rowers taking part in a challenging race,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04huddled together in their 24-foot boat.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08They're taking on water and close to going under.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12When you're at the bottom of one of the waves and you look up,
0:02:12 > 0:02:13it's like the size of a house.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17They've hung on for eight hours,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21but a storm's prevented a rescue yacht from getting close.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Now only a US Coast Guard helicopter crew can help,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26but they're short on fuel.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29We talked about our fuel state, we only had so much time on scene.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33There wouldn't have been enough fuel to get us all off in one hit.
0:02:40 > 0:02:4435-year-old Fraser Hart works as a computer programmer in London,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49but in his spare time he loves nothing better than being outside.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53I'm sat there in front of a computer typing all day 40 hours a week,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55so yeah, I guess it kind of offers me a bit of balance,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58to get out and do some physical, outdoorsy stuff.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03And it doesn't get much more physical than his latest adventure -
0:03:03 > 0:03:07an endurance rowing race across the Pacific Ocean.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I was drawn to it immediately, the second I found out about it.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13The attraction of looking at something from the outset
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and thinking it looks physically impossible,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18but then actually kind of taking the steps to achieving that
0:03:18 > 0:03:20was quite motivating.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26The Great Pacific Race is a 2,500-mile rowing competition
0:03:26 > 0:03:29that starts in Monterey, California,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and ends in Honolulu in Hawaii.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Joining Fraser in his four man team are Colin Parker,
0:03:37 > 0:03:38Sam Collins and James White.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Fraser dons the captain's hat.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I felt a lot of responsibility.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was the skipper, so I had the final say
0:03:46 > 0:03:47if there was any conflicts.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Fraser and Colin have been friends since school,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52but Colin now lives in New Zealand.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00That was the first I heard of it, and I actually said to Fraser,
0:04:00 > 0:04:01"Yeah, I'm up for it, I'll do it."
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Joining the two friends is marketing manager James White.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I've been wanting to do something different and bigger for a while,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10get away from
0:04:10 > 0:04:13the corporate, the usual world.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And the baby of the team is 24-year-old Sam Collins
0:04:16 > 0:04:17from Cornwall.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I'd love to say it was love at first sight, but...
0:04:22 > 0:04:23They were good, we got on well.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26We all said we had a bit of a juvenile sense of humour as well,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28so that was a very beneficial thing.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31100% I'd say we have the perfect team.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33For the next year and a half, the four men take on
0:04:33 > 0:04:37a vigorous training routine to get them mentally and physically ready
0:04:37 > 0:04:40for the most extreme challenge of their lives.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45We had to attend a sea survival course
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and successfully completed that. We had to get a VHF radio licence.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51We needed to be first aid qualified
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and we also needed to complete a Yachtmaster theory course.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58It was just a huge financial, mental, physical commitment,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00to even get to the start line.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But they do and in mid-June, the team,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10along with their specially designed boat, are in Monterey, California,
0:05:10 > 0:05:11for the start of the race.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17This vessel will be their home for the next few months.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It's just 24 feet long, with two tiny cabins - one at the front,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and one at the back.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The toilet is a bucket, the shower is a sponge,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and everything they need for months at sea is crammed into tiny lockers
0:05:30 > 0:05:31hidden in the floor.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34You could barely sit up in either of the cabins
0:05:34 > 0:05:36without hitting your head on the ceiling.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38We had a load of equipment in there as well.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So we had our survival suits, we had food bulging out the side netting.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Yeah, it was pretty uncomfortable.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46They set off in the early hours
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and are filming the entire trip on small waterproof cameras.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Everyone was very excited to set off.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00The idea was there'd be two people rowing for two hours at a time,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03and two people resting for two hours, 24 hours a day,
0:06:03 > 0:06:04until you hit dry land again.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07CHEERING
0:06:07 > 0:06:10We took off and it was really calm, it was flat, it was like a pond.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Amazing, amazing feeling.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Rowing off, out round the point at Monterey
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and going off into the unknown, that's what you do it for.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Good luck, guys!
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The day starts well and it looks like all their training
0:06:26 > 0:06:28is paying off.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32We got into a nice routine, we were rowing pretty quick, nice seas,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34everything was going in the right direction
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and we were making really good speed.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The race should take them around six weeks to two months to complete,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43but towards the end of day one, things take an ominous turn.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49We were about 12 hours into the race when the weather started to change.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Things have moved on from calm seas.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55The wind was up and the sea was starting to get choppy.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It was a consensus to stop rowing.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03They ride out the night, but the bad weather continues.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06By the middle of day two, they've hunkered down in the cabin together,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08to escape the storm.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Their on board camera records the scene.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Later that day, the storm subsides,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22but Fraser discovers it's left its mark on their boat.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27During the night, I'd actually felt water coming up through the mattress
0:07:27 > 0:07:28that we were laying on.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30It didn't seem too serious at that stage,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33it was just like a little leak, just like a tap dripping.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37But over the next few hours, it slowly gets worse.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41After some investigation, they find the source.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45We identified a couple of holes in the wall
0:07:45 > 0:07:50between the cabin and the deck lockers.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53You could see that water was coming through these holes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We had putty and we had a lot of other tools
0:07:56 > 0:07:59at our disposal to patch it up.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The team are determined not to give up.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06They come up with a plan, but it means no-one will get any rest.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Try and pump out that locker, that's what you do, right?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12If there's water in your boat, you get it out.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14So we pump it out and we check it an hour later
0:08:14 > 0:08:16and it's filled straight back up again
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and we cannot find the source of this water.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It was getting progressively worse,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and then the main deck was then filling up.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So the water was now spreading around the main deck in the boat.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Water is not meant to be there at all.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36All of that water coming out of the hatches, stern cabin...
0:08:36 > 0:08:41We literally can't get water out as much as it's coming in.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46I remember getting probably the most sad I've ever been out on deck.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Just watching our boat gently sink and just thinking,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51this is awful, horrible.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Their troubles increase as the weather takes another dramatic turn
0:08:54 > 0:08:55for the worse.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00'The height of the waves was probably about 15 to 20 feet.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:04You know, when you're at the bottom, you look up,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06it's like the size of a big house.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Then you're getting hit and you're getting smashed,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12you're going from one side to the other
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and then you're getting smashed from another direction.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18'Couldn't get over the fact that they were just non-stop.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:23With the situation deteriorating by the minute,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27skipper Fraser has no option but to reluctantly call race headquarters
0:09:27 > 0:09:28for help.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'We put a radio call out to the race support yacht,'
0:09:34 > 0:09:38who then dispatched themselves to come and help us.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The race support boat sets off towards their position,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45but it's going to take eight hours to arrive.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48We didn't know at what rate we were sinking at that stage.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49So, yeah, it was...
0:09:51 > 0:09:55It was quite concerning to know they were so far away.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Realising they're all in serious trouble,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59they put on their survival gear.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02These are really thick suits that will protect them from the elements
0:10:02 > 0:10:04and help keep them warm.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07But Sam is struggling to get into his.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10We all took turns putting our survival suits on,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13so when it came to Sam's turn to put his own,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16a wave crashed over the boat and filled his suit with water,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18so he physically couldn't put his survival suit on
0:10:18 > 0:10:22because his feet were creating too much friction to get into the legs.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26So I was borderline hypothermic.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30The sun was setting at this point, so we knew we were limited on time.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32James was hugging him on the front of the boat,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34trying to keep him warm,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and he was shivering and he wasn't making a lot of sense.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Finally, after a long, uncomfortable and bitterly cold wait
0:10:42 > 0:10:45of eight hours, the rescue boat arrives,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48but the height of the waves and the appalling weather means
0:10:48 > 0:10:51the support yacht can't get near them.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Then sea water blows the electrics,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and with it, all radio communication.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01That was the worst moment because that was the first time that we
0:11:01 > 0:11:05realised that, actually, this could be quite a bad situation.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Later, help arrives, but somebody has to be left behind.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16The guy that's in the helicopter closes the door and we fly away...
0:11:18 > 0:11:19..without Fraser.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The village of Earls Barton, Northamptonshire.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33A panicked young woman makes an emergency call
0:11:33 > 0:11:36to the East of England Ambulance Control Centre.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39She's just witnessed an appalling accident.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Four-year-old Jess has been hit by a car
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and is lying motionless in the road.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Her distraught mother Katie is with her.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54I was just thinking she was dying.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56There was nothing I could do.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Jess has a serious head injury.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Without urgent medical attention, she's not going to survive.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The picturesque village of Earls Barton, Northamptonshire
0:12:18 > 0:12:21is home to four-year-old Jess, her brother Harry,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Mum Katie and Stepdad Sid.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Jess is crazy.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29That's the only word to describe her, she's crazy.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33She's everyone's friend, the teachers love her,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36she's cuddling the teachers all the time.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39She's like the mother hen, she looks after everyone.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Stop.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43All my family like going to the park,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46playing on the swings and roundabout.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Whee!
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I love them lots and lots.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It's a warm August afternoon
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and the family are heading home after going to
0:12:55 > 0:12:58a christening reception at the local bowling and tennis club
0:12:58 > 0:12:59in the village.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01The entrance to the bowling club is in an alleyway
0:13:01 > 0:13:06and we came out of the alleyway and Harry and Sid were walking in front.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10It was a really hot day, so I'd stopped to take my shoes off,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12because I had heels on and my feet were hurting.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Jessica was making fun of me and telling me I was so silly,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and then she ran off towards Sid and Harry.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I didn't realise how far they were ahead.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Sid thought she was back with me
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and he started to cross the road with Harry.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Jess went down the steps and ran out after them.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Close to the steps,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32parked at the side of the road with their engine running,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35a local teenager, Vicky and her boyfriend Ant.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Our car was facing, like, down the road.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42A littl'un came running down the steps.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44She was skipping, she was smiling.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The couple remain stationary as Jess steps into the road.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51She knew that we weren't going to pull away because we saw her,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54so she went in front of Ant's car, just skipping along,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and didn't look to her left.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59And then that was when a car came along.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04The woman driver has no chance
0:14:04 > 0:14:08as Jess appears from nowhere and runs into the middle of the road.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12She hits the brakes, but it's too late.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I heard the tyres screech and then Sid shout, "Oh, my God".
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I just knew it was one of my two. I just knew.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23You could hear the bang, she did go flying.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26She looked like a ragdoll, it was horrible.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28I couldn't get to the road quick enough.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Got down the bottom of the steps and then saw Jess in the
0:14:31 > 0:14:34middle of the road, just laying there, not moving.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Her eyes were closed, I thought she was dead.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I jumped out, got my phone, called 999 straightaway.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46A shocked Vicky is put through to the ambulance control room -
0:14:46 > 0:14:48this is that call.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06While Vicky briefs the call handler, Katie kneels at her daughter's side.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09There were big grazes all the way up her leg.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The side of her face here was coming out in a big mark.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14You could see the road print on it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:1818-year-old Vicky stays on the line,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22feeding back information to the emergency services.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38I remember Sid shouting at me not to move her, not to pick her up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I just kept telling her to keep breathing.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I was just thinking, she is dying.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54There was nothing I could do.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57But then she started to come round.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59She didn't know I was there.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01She was just kind of staring into space.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12The force of the impact means the chances of Jess
0:16:12 > 0:16:16having a serious head injury are high.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20So the emergency call taker also sends for the local air ambulance.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Sid ran down the road to Nan's house. She's a nurse.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Leaving Harry in his grandfather's care,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Sid comes back with Jess's nana.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35She took over, basically.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38She was just checking, doing her observations.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Vicky passes on the information from Jess's grandmother
0:16:41 > 0:16:42to the call handler.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I was just holding her hand and just trying to tell her that I was there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09But she wasn't responding to any of us.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23As Vicky hangs up, the air ambulance comes into sight
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and, within minutes, lands in a nearby field.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Critical care paramedic Danny Evans is one of the crew.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34She'd got a very lowered level of consciousness.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36She was deteriorating on the road.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40My concern was her brain was swelling within her skull.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42If she didn't get rapid interventions,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44that ultimately would kill her.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Jess needs to be flown 50 miles to Birmingham Children's Hospital
0:17:48 > 0:17:49for specialist treatment.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53There's no room for mum Katie in the helicopter.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55The police take her by car.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Kissing your daughter goodbye and then seeing her
0:17:58 > 0:18:00take off in a helicopter...
0:18:01 > 0:18:02It's really hard.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07The journey takes at least two hours by car,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09but the rapid speed of the air ambulance accomplishes it
0:18:09 > 0:18:12in just 17 minutes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16But that still might not be quick enough to save little Jess.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Her level of consciousness visibly decreased during the flight.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24So, when we landed, there was a full paediatric trauma team waiting.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Jess is immediately put into an induced coma
0:18:27 > 0:18:29and taken for a CT scan.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34It shows she has two bleeds to the brain as well as heavy swelling.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38They told us she may not have survived the night.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There was a big chance she wouldn't walk and talk again.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Doctors perform the risky procedure of inserting a device
0:18:44 > 0:18:47into Jess's head to monitor the pressure on her brain.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It helps them know how long to keep her under.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55If they'd woke her up too early, it could have caused brain damage.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Jess is kept in an induced coma until doctors
0:18:58 > 0:19:02are satisfied the swelling of her brain is under control.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04It takes four days.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10They reduced her sedation and she started moving her arms...
0:19:12 > 0:19:14..and then her eyes opened.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And I remember holding her hand and saying, "If you know Mummy's here,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20"squeeze my hand."
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And she did, straightaway.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I had to go in hospital.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Mummy was quite upset.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30When I woke up, Mummy was happy.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35But Jess faces a battle to return to the active and bubbly
0:19:35 > 0:19:36little girl she was.
0:19:36 > 0:19:42She had to learn how to sit up, eat, talk, walk.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44She had to learn how to do it all over again.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Incredibly, 18 days later, Jess is managing to do most of that.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Yay! Good girl.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And the brave little girl is allowed to go home.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And that was the first time she walked on her own.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02She walked in that door and just went off on her own.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05She's a little miracle.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08She is an amazing little girl.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Teenager Vicky, who made the 999 call,
0:20:10 > 0:20:15and boyfriend Ant, were overjoyed to hear the little girl they helped
0:20:15 > 0:20:16had pulled through.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I was calm on the 999 call, but straight after you just think,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21what's going to happen to this little girl?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Me and Ant went into the Disney store,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25bought her loads of little presents.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Bought her teddies and books and everything for her recovery
0:20:28 > 0:20:31while she's in hospital.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I'm just so amazed by her recovery.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34So amazed by it.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Mum Katie is so grateful to the local Air Ambulance Service,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39she's joined them as a volunteer.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43And Jess was the face of their recent fundraising campaign.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49I want to thank the air ambulance and all the other grown-ups
0:20:49 > 0:20:50who looked after me.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Lives can be turned upside down in a split second when disaster strikes.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07So there's nothing like a close call
0:21:07 > 0:21:09to make you feel lucky to be alive.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Back in the Pacific Ocean,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16a team of British amateur rowers are caught in a huge storm.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Their boat is damaged and sinking.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24A rescue yacht has attempted to reach them
0:21:24 > 0:21:27but the huge waves mean it's too dangerous.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32We could have been crushed by the support yacht
0:21:32 > 0:21:33if it had got too close.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36We were in big trouble, we were in a bad way.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The sea water has blown their electrics,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42so the only way of communicating with the rescue team
0:21:42 > 0:21:45on the yacht is by shouting across the raging sea.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49They shouted something to the effect of "the coastguard",
0:21:49 > 0:21:53or "helicopter", or something along those lines along the way.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55A helicopter is their only hope,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58but it's going to take two hours to get there.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01It's pitch-black, the temperature is below freezing,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05and as they hunker down in their sinking boat, Fraser, James,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Colin and Sam could only hope it stays afloat long enough.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14We literally just huddled together in our emergency suits, waiting.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Finally, in the distance, the helicopter appears.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25And we just all looked together and saw this red flashing light
0:22:25 > 0:22:28on the horizon and it got closer and closer and we were like,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30"Wow, this is brilliant."
0:22:30 > 0:22:33But the rescue isn't going to be straightforward.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Survival technician Chris Leon is aboard
0:22:35 > 0:22:37the US Coast Guard helicopter.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40As soon as we put our searchlight on,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45we could tell they were pretty much completely submerged in the boat.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47The waves were swamping the rowboat.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The footage filmed by the helicopter's onboard camera
0:22:51 > 0:22:54shows the team's boat close to being swallowed up
0:22:54 > 0:22:56by the raging sea.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The four rowers need to be rescued and fast.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Chris is lowered on a winch cable, but he's so concerned,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06he doesn't wait to reach the boat.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09He, sort of, unhooked himself and then just fell into the sea.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Jumping into the ocean from 40 feet,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15I tried to keep focus and keep my eye on the boat.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20He dove into the sea and we can't see him.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22He's 200 metres away, it's pitch-black.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Chris fights his way through the massive waves
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and eventually reaches the stricken rowing boat.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32On board, Sam is now suffering from full-on hypothermia.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Chris decides he needs to be rescued first.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38I was, like, frozen, rigid stiff.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The helicopter's lowering this cage into the sea.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Just below the surface of the water,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46so that Sam could be dragged over the cage and then they could
0:23:46 > 0:23:49scoop him up and take him up to the helicopter to safety.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54This footage shows Sam in the cage being winched up to the helicopter.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Looking down at three close mates,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59getting completely destroyed by the ocean,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I genuinely realised that any of us could have died
0:24:02 > 0:24:04within almost no time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06But there's a problem.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The helicopter's fuel level means it could only do one more pick up.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13There's no way it can take the whole team.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Because of the weather conditions,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19they were having to use more fuel to keep in place and it was the weight
0:24:19 > 0:24:20of taking everyone off.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23There wouldn't have enough fuel to get us all off in one hit.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28Fraser, Colin and James are all still stuck in the sinking boat,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30as the sea crashes overhead.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Rescue swimmer Chris makes a monumental decision.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37He sacrifices his place on the helicopter,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40so two of them can be saved in the final pick-up.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43He will stay behind with the last rower.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Everyone's heart sank.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It was completely black out there and the wind was howling.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54The crew must decide which of them will remain on board.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I immediately put my hand up and said that I'd stay behind.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I was the skipper, so it wouldn't have been right for me to
0:25:00 > 0:25:03leave someone else behind.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I don't like leaving Fraser behind,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08but then there was a certain amount of faith in Chris.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The guy was, like, superhuman.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12There's no time for arguments,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16so Colin and James are winched up to the safety of the helicopter,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20leaving Fraser and coastguard Chris
0:25:20 > 0:25:23in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a sinking boat.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26The guy that's in the helicopter closes the door.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27We fly away...
0:25:29 > 0:25:30..without Fraser.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I'm not really a religious person,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36but I said a little prayer that, you know, he'd be safe and well and
0:25:36 > 0:25:39him and Chris will get their turn in a couple of hours.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45It's going to take at least two hours for the helicopter to return.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49In the freezing seas, as his team members vanish into the night,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Fraser struggles to stay positive.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I'd say at that point it was very difficult to keep spirits up, yeah.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I was very disheartened at that point.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I was concerned about if my parents knew what was going on.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I was thinking about if the other guys had got back to shore OK,
0:26:03 > 0:26:04if the helicopter had made it OK.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Rescuer Chris knows he needs to keep Fraser's mind occupied
0:26:09 > 0:26:11as the boat sinks lower in the water.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15We're completely level with the water line at that point,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19so I just started to ask him how he ended up out here,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20how did he begin training for this.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Trying to keep his mind, I guess, off the actual scenario.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26It was hugely comforting to have Chris with me at that point.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29So, yeah, that was very much the lowest point.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Then, with the boat barely afloat,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35after an agonising two-and-a-half-hour wait,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37the coastguard helicopter is back.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39It felt really good.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42We saw it again on the horizon with the searchlight.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Chris was in contact with the helicopter
0:26:44 > 0:26:46through the radio in his snorkel.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The helicopter crew lower down the cage and Fraser musters up his last
0:26:49 > 0:26:52bit of energy to pull himself in.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58It's now been over 20 hours since he put out the call for help.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It was very exhausting after all that time.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02In three days, I'd slept for one or two hours.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05We'd hardly eaten during that time.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The second I stepped into the helicopter,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I sat down and fell asleep almost instantly.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12With Chris also safely out of the water,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14the helicopter returns to base.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It's only when the team are reunited that the full extent
0:27:21 > 0:27:23of their dice with death sinks in.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I still remember when Fraser got back.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29We all just looked at each other
0:27:29 > 0:27:31and that was the first time I cried.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Those seas were big.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It could be said that we were lucky in the fact that our
0:27:37 > 0:27:40boat was not upturned by a rogue wave.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43With hindsight, and when you speak to family and friends,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45you do realise, you know, you were very lucky.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50For his selfless actions that night and his heroic rescue
0:27:50 > 0:27:54of the entire crew, survival technician Chris
0:27:54 > 0:27:56was presented with the Maritime Organisation's
0:27:56 > 0:28:00bravery award and the eternal gratitude of the four rowers.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I think Chris was very brave for deciding to stay with us.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07At the end of the day, he had to come out and rescue us.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It's quite a huge thing.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Some very emotional stories today.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Join us next time for more moving and inspiring close calls.