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 when 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 > 0:00:22I kept thinking the hotel was going to fall on us.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26These are the people that have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It's a day they'll never forget -
0:00:29 > 0:00:31the day they had a close call.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Today on Close Calls...
0:00:49 > 0:00:50British tourist Steve
0:00:50 > 0:00:55on a safari holiday with his family struggles to remain calm as a large
0:00:55 > 0:00:58elephant invades their camp.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59I was doing some nervous tapping
0:00:59 > 0:01:02that was Morse code for "Get me out of here".
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I look over at Dineen, and I'm looking at her sunglasses.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09All of a sudden, the elephant is huge, so I'm like,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11"Uh-oh, it's right on top of us."
0:01:11 > 0:01:13But what happens next shocks them all.
0:01:16 > 0:01:22Also today, a climber plummeting from a high peak slams into rocks.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26My knee was pretty much in my face. My foot was twisted.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29I remember thinking to myself, "That's not right."
0:01:29 > 0:01:33The injury is severe. The only way off the mountain is by helicopter.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38But strong winds and poor visibility make the rescue treacherous.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44And New Year fun at rehearsals for jazz singer Anita and her band.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50But it's followed by fear, when fire interrupts their performance.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57And the five-star hotel where they're appearing is engulfed in flames.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01There was absolute panic, because we had no idea where to go,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04or how to get out. I kept thinking the hotel was going to fall on us.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Irishman Steve Montague and his family are enjoying getting close
0:02:18 > 0:02:20to the wildlife on a safari holiday.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24But then, one encounter gets too close when a ten-foot-high,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28five-tonne male elephant approaches their table.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32The guides tell us, "Stay still at all times.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36"Don't get up and run, cos that could provoke an attack."
0:02:36 > 0:02:40This footage, shot by his mum-in-law, captures the moment
0:02:40 > 0:02:43when, without warning, this elephant DOES attack.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Originally from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Steve now lives in California with his American wife, Shannon.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05'Shannon and I, we've been together since 2005.'
0:03:05 > 0:03:07How is it looking?
0:03:07 > 0:03:11We actually met in a pub, believe it or not, in Galway.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'Where I was working, and Stephen was a patron at the pub.'
0:03:16 > 0:03:18After living together in Northern Ireland,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21they recently moved to the States to be closer to Shannon's family.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And Steve has become firm friends with brother-in-law Shane.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Shane shares some of our interests with myself.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31He loves the mountains and hiking.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Stephen is a pretty adventurous guy, I'd say.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35He likes to be in the outdoors.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37He doesn't really show his emotions too much.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39He's very even-keeled.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Shane is a really calm person, you know.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44I've never seen him flustered, ever.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But Steve and Shane are soon to share an experience
0:03:47 > 0:03:49that will test them both.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Is that a mom and a cow?
0:03:52 > 0:03:56It's September. Steve and his extended family are on a special
0:03:56 > 0:03:58visit to Africa.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02We went on Safari because it was Mitch, my father-in-law's, 65th birthday
0:04:02 > 0:04:03and Shane's 30th birthday.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07As well as the boys, the party of six is made up of Shannon,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10her mother, Marianne, and Shane's wife, Dineen.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14We went to Botswana in 2013.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So, this was our second trip altogether.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The family film their progress.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Steve is in his element.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I've always been very interested in Africa, particularly the wildlife
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and my favourite animal is the elephant, probably.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And they're seeing plenty of elephants here in Mana Pools National Park.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37It's a camp that's specifically home to a very large herd of elephants.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39It was a home for the elephants prior to,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and then they built the camp there, and the elephants have gotten used to it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Yeah, pretty much in their territory, you know.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Really, they walk about freely through the camps.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54But these are still wild animals, and to be treated with caution.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56You have to be respectful of its size.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Even it being gentle could be fatal to something as small and
0:04:59 > 0:05:02insignificant as a human.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03It's late morning.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The family have just got back from an early safari,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and are sitting down to eat brunch, with the elephants nearby.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Steve's mother-in-law, Marianne, is filming.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Oh, it's a little boy.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20This is the time of day when the nearby trees drop their fruit pods
0:05:20 > 0:05:22on the ground, attracting the elephants into the camp.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27They had prepped us whenever we arrived at the camp and they said,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28"Look, elephants will walk around.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31"If they come close to you, don't move.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33"Stay as still as possible and they'll pass."
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Try to stay still when there's elephants next to you...!
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Most just graze on the pods and walk harmlessly on through the camp.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But suddenly, one elephant comes round the corner towards them.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It's a ten-foot-high male, weighing around five tonnes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51That's the equivalent of four cars.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It had really big tusks.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58As they've been instructed, the family freeze.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01The elephant started to approach a little bit closer,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and move up the hill.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07And at this stage I had my back to the elephant.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09As it was coming up, I was trying not to look at it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13I was sort of looking at Stephen a little bit,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and looking at Dineen a little bit.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And then, trying to sort of keep my composure.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I could sense by the other people at the other side of the table,
0:06:20 > 0:06:21they were getting tense.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26I'm looking across and could see my sister, my dad and my mum.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29They're all trying to keep their composure.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Then a pod drops off the tree in front of the elephant,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35bringing it even closer to the group,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and directly behind Shane and Steve.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I was doing some nervous tapping. It was like...
0:06:40 > 0:06:42that was Morse code for "get me out of here".
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Stephen's looking over there, and you could see he is really tense.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48There is a bit of a conflict in your mind,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50because natural instinct is to flee.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54But, actually, fleeing probably could provoke an attack.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57But then, Steve can't resist looking round.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And I thought, right, I need to look around or else I'm...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06You know, it could be standing literally at my back.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, Steve looks at the elephant.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10And the elephant looks at Steve.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Probably that look around maybe triggered some sort of aggression.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Steve's mother-in-law is so transfixed by what she sees down the lens,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21she keeps filming what happens next.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Another holiday-maker also photographed
0:07:31 > 0:07:34the moment the elephant hit Steve.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36I thought, if I caught the tusk,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39it could actually propel me back and I could escape without an injury,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and that's what happened.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The elephant's power simply swats Steve out of the way.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48It then aims a more aggressive blow at Shane,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50which sends him flying between the tables.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I look over at Dineen, and I'm looking at her sunglasses
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and all of a sudden the elephant is huge,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01like, filling up her sunglasses.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03So, I'm like, "Uh-oh, it's right on top of us."
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It hit me and threw me through the table,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and luckily the tables broke away, otherwise I think I could have got
0:08:09 > 0:08:10smashed a little bit.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13When I got tossed on the ground, I was thinking,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16"Oh, my God. Is this thing going to, like, trample me?"
0:08:16 > 0:08:18At that point, once it started knocking Shane over,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21that's where I like crouched down behind the table.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22That was really scary.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The rest of the family jump to their feet and try to move out of the way
0:08:26 > 0:08:29as Shane staggers back up.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31The elephant looked back at Shane
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and made, like, two steps toward him again.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39But a camp worker quickly claps his hands to deter the elephant.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Thankfully, it backs off
0:08:43 > 0:08:47as the family take refuge under one of the camp's wooden shelters.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Shane, you OK?- Yeah.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52It just was like a blunt blow to the hip
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and it sort of was just numb.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And once the adrenaline started to go away,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59it hurt pretty good and started swelling up.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Was that the tusk, or...? - Yeah, the tusk.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Whoa, bad boy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I'm very surprised I didn't get badly hurt.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Shane was hit by a two-and-a-half-foot-long tusk.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Remarkably, it didn't impale him and he escaped with just soft tissue
0:09:15 > 0:09:17damage and serious bruising.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Get back!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's been about six months, eight months and...
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I mean, there's a tiny, little O,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28like little baby bruise right there.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32But it was about that big before - swelled up and got a little purple.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35I thought it was going to be a huge, like, gouge all the way up.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So, I was pretty lucky.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And Steve got away with no injuries at all.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Some emotional scarring, but that can heal.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49It's fair to say this is one of the family's most re-watched home videos.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50Too close for comfort.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55Nobody knows for sure why the elephant behaved the way it did.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56When I looked at the elephant,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00there was a delay for a couple of seconds before it actually, um,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04poked its ears up and then attacked, so who knows?
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It mightn't have liked Irishmen!
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Coming up... Anita and her band were planning a five-star performance.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I knew that it was going to be THE gig for our career, really.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It was incredible.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Now they're fleeing for their lives.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I remember hysteria. I lost my band members.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You know, we all lost each other.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Helvellyn in the Lake District.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46A mountain rescue team and a coastguard helicopter crew
0:10:46 > 0:10:50join forces to get an injured climber to hospital
0:10:50 > 0:10:51following an horrific fall.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Adam went over the edge, catapulting down the side of the mountain.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00I was just in front, and I just heard a scream.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I was just gone. Just thought that I was going to die.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The Lake District is one of the UK's most popular tourist destinations.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19It's also a Mecca for ramblers and rock climbers.
0:11:19 > 0:11:2228-year-old electrician Adam, from Stockton-on-Tees,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24is one of those who has the bug.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I've in climbing for about a year now.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Since I started climbing, I just haven't stopped.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33People always ask me, "Why the hell do you go climbing mountains?"
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I suppose the way you'd say it is it makes you feel alive, kind of thing.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Life's problems just go away.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Up until now, Adam's only climbed the small stuff.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46But, eager to reach new heights,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50he's been training with his more experienced climbing buddy, Johnny.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I go climbing all around the country.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It's just the thrill you get
0:11:54 > 0:11:57from climbing up something and looking down,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59just thinking...
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- "I've just got up that." - After a few trips together,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Johnny invites Adam to join him on an ice climb up Helvellyn,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08in the Lake District.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10I was like, "Yeah." I was like, "I'll get the day off."
0:12:10 > 0:12:12950 metres tall,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Helvellyn is the third-highest peak in England.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Thousands visit each year.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20This is Adam and Johnny's footage,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23as they start their day at the base of the mountain.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28'You just have to go slow and steady and take your time to make sure you
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'don't have an accident before you even get there.'
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Helvellyn's summit is up ahead, but shrouded by the clouds.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38This is where the climb really begins,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and the lads are fully equipped.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42That was when we started putting all our gear on,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45we put our crampons on and stuff like that. Got our ice axes out.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Crampons fit over a climber's shoes, and help give them grip on the ice.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55They use their ice axes to help support them as they climb.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57You can see, this bit's really icy.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59This is Adam's first ice climb.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02I was grinning all the way up to the top, I kept turning around,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05looking back at Johnny. He was like, "You OK?"
0:13:06 > 0:13:07"Yeah, man. I'm fine."
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I was like, "I'm having a whale of a time."
0:13:10 > 0:13:14After a couple of hours' hard climbing, they reach Helvellyn's summit.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Whoo! 'We were both really excited, huge grins on our faces.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25After a snack, the boys decide to come back down one of the mountain's
0:13:25 > 0:13:27other popular routes - Swirral Edge.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34It's a narrow ridge, with steep, sharp slopes on either side.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36We only got about ten metres along it, not even that, so,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39we're pretty much still at the top of the mountain.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I was just in front of Adam, and I just heard a scream.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I'm just put my foot on, like, an extra-icy piece of snow,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50you know, it was really hard underneath it.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54The crampons didn't go into the ice, and unfortunately I slipped.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So, all my weight came down onto the ice axe.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And my hand slid straight off the ice axe,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and the sling that you have round it
0:14:00 > 0:14:02to stop it falling off.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Just came straight off my wrist, like that.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08The first thing I thought was to shout, "Use your axe."
0:14:08 > 0:14:11I turned round and his axe was still where he placed it to stop himself.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Adam starts hurtling down the steep side of the ridge,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17lying on his stomach. Feet first.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I was just gone. Like, Johnny was gone.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- In a second.- Cos you are in full waterproofs,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26you just, like, get on a plastic bag, basically.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31I mean, you just pick speed up, and pick speed up, and pick speed up.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I'm travelling 20, 30 mile an hour.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34And I was only getting faster.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36I knew that if I stuck my heels in,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39I was going to flip myself over and go down headfirst.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Which is a million times worse.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Just thought that I was going to die.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Desperate, Adam manages to turn himself onto his back,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51so at least he can see where he's going.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I remember seeing this rock sticking up,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56probably just enough to be able to get my foot flat on it.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Straight away, I thought, I'll steer myself towards it,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and put myself into the rock.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I did think, I'm going to hurt myself here,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07but I thought it's got to be better than carrying...keeping going.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Using his hands as paddles,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14he steers himself towards the rock and braces for the impact.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18I hit the rock. And my knee was pretty much in my face.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22I remember looking at my foot, and it was just twisted on the rock.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I remember thinking to myself, "That's not right."
0:15:24 > 0:15:28And the next thing I knew, again, I was sliding down the mountain again.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I remember clawing in the snow, trying to grab the rock and stuff,
0:15:31 > 0:15:32and I just went again.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And then, that's when I did really think, "That's it."
0:15:36 > 0:15:38There's no... That was my chance.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43But crucially, although Adam's badly injured from hitting the rock,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45he has succeeded in reducing his speed.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50He comes to a stop just before a cluster of sharp rocks,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52at the bottom of the slope.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56If I didn't hit the rock, I would have just obviously picked up more speed
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and would have hit those rocks at the bottom...
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I just don't think it would have ended well.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06He's survived.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But Adam's left leg is badly broken.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12He can't walk, and it's freezing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But then, to his left, he catches sight of another climber.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17And that's when I shouted, "Help".
0:16:17 > 0:16:21As chance would have it, the man Adam's spotted, Mark,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23is a local mountain guide.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26He is with a client, teaching them winter survival skills,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29when he hears Adam's cry and rushes over.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I knew, immediately, that he'd fallen.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Not exactly sure from where.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I felt I kind of sigh of relief when he told me he was a guide.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Mark knows their exact position and immediately puts a call in
0:16:42 > 0:16:46to mountain rescue. But it's going to take them at least an hour
0:16:46 > 0:16:49to get there, and the air temperature's dropping fast.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54The main concern for Adam was, um, hypothermia.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56As a guide in the Lakes,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I carry with me sufficient emergency equipment
0:16:59 > 0:17:01to deal with that sort of situation.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Mark uses his special survival sleeping bag and tent to keep
0:17:06 > 0:17:11Adam warm. Meanwhile, not knowing whether his friend is alive or dead,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Johnny has carefully worked his way down the slope.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I've never been so happy to see Adam.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I found him, with his leg out in front of him,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22just saying, "It's bust. It's bust."
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The local mountain rescue team are on their way.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29First to reach them is Alistair,
0:17:29 > 0:17:34who realises Adam has fallen at least 150 metres.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I informed our duty leader, Andy,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39and he immediately requested a helicopter as well.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45This photograph shows the arrival of the rest of the mountain rescue team,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47minutes later.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51But it's another 45 minutes before a coastguard rescue helicopter reaches
0:17:51 > 0:17:55them, battling through strong winds and poor visibility.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Johnny begins to film on his mobile phone.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03The helicopter's winchman is lowered down.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Then, with the aid of the mountain rescue team,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09he puts Adam on a stretcher, and attaches it to a line.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14So, everyone had to batten down the hatches for the downdraught.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18And one of the mountain rescue blokes gave me his dog and said to keep tight
0:18:18 > 0:18:21hold of her, because she'll get blown off.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Next, the winchman signals the helicopter down to a safe height,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28so they can be lifted off the mountain.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30But they're in a steep-sided bowl,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34which funnels the wind and puts them into an unavoidable spin.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38When I was getting winched up, and like the wind was...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41crazy. I've never experienced wind like that.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Obviously it will be from the downforce from the blades of the helicopter as well.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49But I just remember thinking, like, "Man, these guys are pretty crazy,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52"coming out to try and get me off this mountain."
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The two men make it safely into the helicopter,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57which is hovering nearly 20 metres above.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02He's flown to the Royal Preston Hospital.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I found out that I had actually broken my leg and my ankle,
0:19:05 > 0:19:06not just one or the other.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It is quite a serious break in my ankle.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Adam has an emergency operation,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15where surgeons insert pins to stabilise his leg.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Eight weeks on, he's still recovering at home.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25But everyone involved acknowledges how lucky he was that day.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27He's gone probably 150, 200 metres.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29That's quite a bum slide, that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32He's lucky he's just got a broken leg.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I just feel lucky that nothing else happened.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I saw, like, the first news story posted about it.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41And I scrolled to the bottom,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45and all the related articles were people falling less than I did -
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and dying. And that's kind of when it sunk in, like really, really,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51really...how lucky I'd just been.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01When things go wrong, we often need to depend on others.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05And it's good to know there are plenty of people out there willing to help.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Downtown Dubai.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16New Year's Eve, the five-star Address Hotel.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22A fire rages 20 floors up the 63-storey building.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24We need to go. There is a fire.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30On the rear terrace, performing with her band, is singer Anita Williams.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It was just out of control, in literally under a minute.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35All you could see is bits coming down.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37They were coming away from the building.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41They are trapped on the wrong side of the hotel,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43not sure which is the safest escape route.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Singer and mum-of-two Anita Williams is originally from Cork in Ireland,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02but now lives in Dubai with her husband.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Anita's passion is jazz.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08It's my whole life now, and I love it...
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I love it, love it, love it.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14# Sweet rhythm captivates me Hot rhythm stimulates me... #
0:21:14 > 0:21:18She has her own band, and performs on the hotel and nightclub scene
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- in the popular holiday hot spot. - Well, there's...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25there's five of us, and I'm so blessed with these guys.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28We are multinational, so my bass player's Danish,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31my guitar player's Russian, my drummer is Ivory Coast,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and my sax player is Chicago Korean.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35So, we are... We're some bunch.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's New Year's Eve, and Anita and the band
0:21:40 > 0:21:43are due to perform at the five-star Address Hotel.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47It's located across from the iconic Burj Khalifa,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49the world's tallest building,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51which is putting on a massive fireworks display
0:21:51 > 0:21:53later in the evening.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58I knew that it was going to be THE gig for our career, really.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01You know, so we were thrilled to have been given that opportunity.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It was incredible.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Anita and the band are appearing on the rear terrace of the luxury
0:22:07 > 0:22:11building, which soars to nearly 1,000 feet.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Part of the pool has been covered to form their stage.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17In the afternoon sunshine, the band do a sound check
0:22:17 > 0:22:21to make sure everything is perfect for the evening's performance.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24So, then we all went to the green room.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Chilled out, ate, got ready and then we were called to perform.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Anita's husband is with her, but her mum, who is visiting from Ireland,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37decides at the last moment to stay at the house
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and watch the midnight fireworks on TV.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42She'd been down the beach all that day and she was too tired.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44And I had an argument with her.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46"You're missing the best night of your life."
0:22:46 > 0:22:51But even without her mum, Anita's determined to enjoy her big night.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It was this huge, big party atmosphere.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It was like a movie. It was incredible, it really was.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01It's two hours to midnight,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and Anita is just finishing her fifth number,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06when she realises something is wrong.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I remember the song distinctly.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Cheek To Cheek, by Irving Berlin.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14# ..dancing cheek-to-cheek... #
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I will never forget it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It was either my bass player or the drummer,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22they were the first to notice there's a fire
0:23:22 > 0:23:24on the balcony.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26So, the fire was just behind us.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27So everybody looked.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30You know, we all looked at the balcony, which was there.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34At first, no-one is aware quite how serious it is.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35And it was, you know, it was...
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Yes, there was a fire, but it was a tiny fire, so we presumed, you know,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44it'll go out. Somebody will out it, or somebody will do something.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45And we carried on.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48'That was it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50'We carried on our performance.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:55However, within seconds, the blaze intensifies.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It happened so quickly.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59It is incredible how quickly it happened.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03It was just out of control in literally under a minute.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06All you could see is bits coming down, you know, coming away from the building.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10My husband just came and grabbed me and said, "We've got to go.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14"Everybody's got to go. Everybody, get offstage."
0:24:14 > 0:24:17One of the guests on the terrace begins to film the blaze -
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and the panic - on his phone.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Anita and the band can be heard trying to decide what to do.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I was telling all the band to get off the stage, and go...
0:24:38 > 0:24:41The drummer ran, you know, he left all his gear.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43We all ran.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But they're not sure where they should be heading.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48At that stage there was absolute panic,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53because we had no idea, you know, what we... Where to go, or how to get out.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54What we were supposed to do.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57And we all ran in different directions.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58I lost my band members.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00You know, we all lost each other.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03My husband was very calm.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07He just kept saying, "Keep going, keep going, keep going."
0:25:07 > 0:25:09But I...I remember hysteria.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I honestly thought the building was going to fall down.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Anita, the band, and their audience are at the rear of the hotel.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20The fire is 20 floors up.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24But debris is raining down, and the flames are shooting higher,
0:25:24 > 0:25:29beginning to engulf one whole side of the hotel, above the terrace.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Some people were running out front,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and you couldn't get out the front.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35So we had to go down the back.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, then we all turned back and went down the stairwell.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The stairs take them under the hotel
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and into a passageway which comes out near its main entrance.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47There was a lovely young guy, I'll never forget him,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49he worked for the hotel.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53And he was so calm, and he guided everybody down that stairwell.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And when we got down the stairwell, there was another guy,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58and he led as all out the tunnel.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05The escaping crowds are channelled through a shopping mall
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and out onto a main road.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Hundreds of people there. Hundreds of people.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18People with buggies, kids, people... you know, all walks of life.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25By now, fire crews have arrived at the front of the building.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28The emergency services were everywhere.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29It was incredible,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31the speed that they got things done.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37I didn't start to feel safe until we got out onto the main road
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and there was huge pandemonium there.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And that's when I really started to feel, "Where is the band?
0:26:44 > 0:26:45"Where is everybody?"
0:26:46 > 0:26:50So, I started to call the band and I couldn't really get through.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55I think the first person I got through to was Alex, my guitar player.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Within an hour, Anita manages to track them all down.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Along with the thousands of partygoers and staff,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03they've all made it out of the building.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11But, back at the house, Anita's mum, watching the whole thing on TV,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14is desperately trying to get hold of her.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17She actually called my sons to see if THEY could get us.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I mean, obviously everybody was hugely upset because
0:27:20 > 0:27:24they could see it on TV. You know, she was absolutely petrified.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29And then my mum got through, so at that stage you start to feel relief.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And then we found one taxi driver on the road,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36and he picked us up and dropped us home.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's not until you get out afterwards and look at it from afar,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41that you realise how bad it was.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47You know, from a tiny, tiny thing to a huge inferno.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Emergency services bring the fire under control before midnight -
0:27:51 > 0:27:53although it continues to smoulder,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57as the Burj Khalifa fireworks display welcomes in the New Year.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I was actually here, in the house, and I could hear the fireworks.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08And I was so genuinely thrilled that they did decide to go ahead,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11because the work that had gone in to those fireworks.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13They were going to be the biggest fireworks ever.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Some really close calls today, but all with remarkably good outcomes.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27See you next time.