0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call, a moment of danger when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08I could die here, this is really serious.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11A split second where the outcome could go either way.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Right, call 999 now.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18You could see it on the faces of the crew how life-threatening this was.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Why would you need to swim? Apparently, they're supposed to still be on a boat.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25These are the people that have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26I thought she had died.
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 > 0:00:52Today on Close Calls - a cyclist collapses on a quiet country road.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55His friend dials 999.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00He needs help now.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04It turns up unexpectedly, in the form of three female off-duty
0:01:04 > 0:01:07paramedics on their way to a spa day.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10At first it looked like a very tired cyclist,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13but it was the look on the face of the friend - just scared.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17We all decided together that we needed to just go and have a look.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18The car was dark.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It was like the scene out of Charlie's Angels.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25But they're going to have to perform miracles to save this patient.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Also today, a lorry driver takes evasive action when a motorist
0:01:30 > 0:01:34drifts dangerously across the carriageway in front of him.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35LORRY BEEPS
0:01:35 > 0:01:39The weight of the 40-tonner sends it crashing onto its side.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44The driver's trapped in the lorry as it bursts into flames.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Another trucker feels he must act.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It's a case of, I don't want to die in this situation
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and I would never let anyone else die in this situation.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The A38 near Gloucester.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06A cyclist has collapsed at the roadside.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09His panicked friend calls 999.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18His face was totally contorted and then I thought he'd stopped breathing.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20He has stopped breathing.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23He's gone into full cardiac arrest.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The cyclist's partner, already on her way to meet them,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32arrives just after the ambulance.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35One of the paramedics stared me in the eye and said, "Cath,
0:02:35 > 0:02:40"he is very sick and unless we get him to hospital, he's going to die."
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Paul and Cath live together in Gloucester.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Their first meeting, 13 years ago,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56wasn't in the most romantic of locations.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57In fact, it was at the local prison,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01where Paul worked as a dog handler for the Home Office.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I'm a mental health nurse and my job was to set-up and manage the mental
0:03:05 > 0:03:06health team within the prison.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08He used to come up into the office quite a lot
0:03:08 > 0:03:09and he always made us laugh.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I'd just come out of one relationship and so had she,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and we just sort of collided, if you know what I mean.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Paul isn't normally the kind of guy I'd have gone for, but we hit it off.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22We have got quite a unique relationship, actually.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23It's very special.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Very special.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Paul recently decided to give up smoking and improve his fitness,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32with the help of his close friend Simon.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35We've known each other for about 15 years.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38He's someone you can ring up, just sort of pop round for a coffee.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40What you get is what you see with Paul, really.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45He's very honest, very open, very well liked by a lot of people.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Simon agreed to join Paul on regular bike rides.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I started doing, like everybody does,
0:03:50 > 0:03:5315 miles and thought, "You've just done the Tour de France,"
0:03:53 > 0:03:55to doing 30 or 40 miles regular on a Saturday morning,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57just to keep myself fit, basically.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's a Saturday in May.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Paul and Simon are planning their longest cycle ride yet -
0:04:04 > 0:04:08an 80 mile loop which includes crossing the old Severn Bridge
0:04:08 > 0:04:11linking England with south Wales.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I can remember Paul woke me up that morning...with a drink.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19For some bizarre reason, that morning, I woke her up and said,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22"Come on, darling, say you love me, because this is quite
0:04:22 > 0:04:24"a dangerous ride and you might never see me again."
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Bent over, gave me a kiss, said, "I love you."
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I thought it was all a bit dramatic, really.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I've never done that before. I know that sounds a bit weird,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but that's actually what was said that morning.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Paul and Simon meet up and head off on their challenging journey.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Everything is going well and they stop to take this picture as they
0:04:44 > 0:04:48cross the bridge. Just over halfway through the ride,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51they stop for coffee and cake, as a reward.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I instantly started to feel poorly
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and I felt like there was a bit of...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59a bit of cake stuck
0:04:59 > 0:05:01about here, about mid-chest region.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02I said, "Everything all right?"
0:05:02 > 0:05:04He just said, "I think I've got indigestion."
0:05:04 > 0:05:08But as the pair begin the return journey, Paul's pain gets worse.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Because he often suffers from heartburn and reflux,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Paul assumes that's what's wrong.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16He calls Cath at home and asks her to meet them and bring him the
0:05:16 > 0:05:19indigestion medication he often takes.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I said, "If it's that bad, you really need to phone an ambulance.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25"But if you really want me to bring the meds, I will."
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Cath sets off,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31and Paul and Simon continue cycling to link up with her closer to home.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I sort of ran out of energy and ended up sort of semi-crashing
0:05:35 > 0:05:37into a gateway.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39The gate leads to a farmer's field.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41It's an isolated spot.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Nobody else is around
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and Simon's beginning to worry about his friend's health.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49And then he sat with his arms behind him.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50I decided to ring 999.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It just, it didn't look right.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54This is Simon's emergency call.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07But Simon isn't sure where they are
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and Paul's condition is deteriorating fast.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14It was like a wooden stake being driven through
0:06:14 > 0:06:15the centre of my chest.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Then two cyclists appear around the bend.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Luckily, one of them has local knowledge and takes over the call.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Help needs to reach them soon.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Paul is gravely ill.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53His face was totally contorted.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55His colouration had changed.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57And then I thought he'd stopped breathing.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I remember looking at this young lad, the cyclist that was with me
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and I sort of said, "What do we do now?"
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And he looked at me, "I don't know."
0:07:11 > 0:07:16The emergency call taker tells Simon to start CPR on Paul.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19She relays instructions through the young cyclist
0:07:19 > 0:07:20who stays on the phone.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37Paul isn't responding.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39They need a miracle.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40And three arrive.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46A car stopped. I looked up and this lady was coming towards me,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49possibly two ladies, and another one was coming
0:07:49 > 0:07:52from the outside of the car. Said, "Can we help?"
0:07:52 > 0:07:54And she said, "We're paramedics."
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Dee, Ali and Tara are on a day off, on their way to a relaxing treat
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- at a health spa.- At first, it looked like a very tired cyclist.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07But it was the look on the face of the friend - just scared.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10We all decided together that we need to just go and have a look.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12It was like the scene out of Charlie's Angels.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14The car was dark, they were well-dressed.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16They very much took control of the situation.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Ali jumped straight on the chest and got good CPR going.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Dee and myself were managing the airway.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I was trying to talk to the Ambulance Service on the phone as well.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45In order to concentrate on saving Paul,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Tara hands the phone back to Simon.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02The paramedics keep frantically working on Paul.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Suddenly, his pulse returns.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10We managed to get him back from the first arrest.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Because of the lack of oxygen to his brain,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23he wasn't aware of what was happening.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25We were very glad when the ambulance turned up.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39Tara rushes to one of the ambulances to grab oxygen and a heart monitor,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41but the news isn't good.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Paul's having a massive heart attack.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46It was in a very dangerous place of the heart.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50If you have a blockage in this artery, it's called the widow-maker.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It is normally non-survivable.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56They must get Paul to hospital.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59An air ambulance has been called and is approaching.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Then, Paul's partner, Cath, arrives.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04She thought he needed heartburn medication.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Instead, she finds him fighting for his life.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09He was totally wired up.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14He was conscious, he was...
0:10:14 > 0:10:16asking them to not let him die.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19With that, Paul arrested again.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22They then shouted, "We've lost him."
0:10:22 > 0:10:24His heart was shaking, rather than pumping
0:10:24 > 0:10:30and we shocked him, which then got him back again.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33The air ambulance arrives, landing close by.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38It was then that one of the paramedics kind of grabbed my hands,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41absolutely stared me in the eye and said, "That is for Paul.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44"Cath, he is very sick, and unless we get him into hospital...
0:10:47 > 0:10:52"..he's going to die." And so that was quite...
0:10:52 > 0:10:53scary.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Paul is flown 23 miles to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03One of his coronary arteries is completely blocked.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07He has emergency surgery to fit a tube inside the vessel,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10opening it up and allowing the blood to flow.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Incredibly, just two hours later, Paul is awake.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And I instantly, apparently, felt better.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19I was, like, up and about.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23When we went in to see him, he was totally wired up,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26but he looked like Paul, colour,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and his first question to Simon is,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31"Do you know where my bike is, mate?"
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I couldn't believe how well he was and buoyant.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37If it wasn't for those three paramedics being where they were,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40at that time, that would've been it, that would've just been, bang,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- out, game over.- We let out a sigh of relief, really,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46that all our efforts had been...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49good and that it had been successful.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Paul and Cath later visit the ambulance station to thank Tara and
0:11:52 > 0:11:53her colleagues.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54It was very emotional.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- I know I spoilt their spa day. - HE CHUCKLES
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So I did treat them to another one,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I bought them another spa day.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08Amazingly, Paul is able to go home from hospital five days after his
0:12:08 > 0:12:12heart attack, but disaster is about to strike once more.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Later - Cath wakes up in the middle of the night
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and finds Paul motionless beside her.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I couldn't wake him up.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27And I knew immediately that he'd had another heart attack.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29She dials 999, but this time,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33it's down to her alone to keep Paul alive.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51Three passing paramedics - what a piece of luck for Paul that day.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54In an emergency, you never know where help is going to come from.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Sometimes it's complete strangers who come to the rescue -
0:12:56 > 0:12:58even risking their lives to do so.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Birmingham, the M6 motorway.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11A lorry driver's dashboard camera is recording when a car joining the
0:13:11 > 0:13:13carriageway cuts in front of him.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15LORRY BEEPS
0:13:15 > 0:13:19He's forced to take evasive action, with terrifying consequences.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27The lorry tips over, landing on its side, then catches fire.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The unconscious driver is trapped in the upturned cab.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Other motorists watch in horror.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35It's the most scariest thing I've ever seen.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38The flames were spreading, I'd say, a metre every 30 seconds.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40We need to get this guy out.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Rockcliffe is a small coastal village in Scotland,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54looking out onto the Solway Firth,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57the body of water that forms part of the border with England.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Lorry driver William lives here with his wife
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and enjoys the peace and quiet.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I've lived here for four years. I love it here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I work away all week. I'm away, Monday to Friday,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10or at least five days a week, anyway.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12So when I get home at the weekends, I just like to relax.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17William's been a trucker for more than 25 years
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and still covers hundreds of miles a week.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I grew up in lorries. My dad was a lorry driver.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It's in the blood. I had an uncle that had a business,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27my grandad drove lorries,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29so it's something I've always done.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30I love the open road.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31It's a great way of life.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Or it is if you enjoy it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's a summer's morning in June and today,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43William's enjoying a sunny drive from Scotland to Northampton
0:14:43 > 0:14:47to deliver a lorry load of wood chippings for a pet store.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50When you're hauling 44 tonnes up and down the road,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54you're constantly alert of what's happening round about you,
0:14:54 > 0:15:00potential hazards, trying to forethink what other people are going to do before they do them.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And to provide a record in case of any problems on the road,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07William has a camera fixed to the dashboard in his cab.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11It's recording as he approaches the junction where the M6 toll road
0:15:11 > 0:15:13rejoins the normal motorway.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16As always, William's keeping a watchful eye out.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20But nothing can prepare him for what this driver's going to do next.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24When I first saw the car, she was going real slow,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26with nothing front of her.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29She had no reason to cut across in front of me from where she was.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35But then the car driver dangerously drifts across the chevrons.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39First of all I thought, "What the hell's happening here? Where's she going?"
0:15:40 > 0:15:44She's going right in front of his 44-tonne lorry.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47If I'd hit her, the speed I was going,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51I don't know what would've happened. My first priority was don't hit her,
0:15:51 > 0:15:52avoid hitting that car.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54This is what happens.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57LORRY BEEPS
0:16:08 > 0:16:10William can't stop.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13There is traffic in the outer lane, so he can't move right.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15He bangs his horn in desperation.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18BEEPS HORN
0:16:18 > 0:16:21He then swerves left to avoid the car,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24but he has to turn so sharply the massive weight of his fully-loaded
0:16:24 > 0:16:27trailer shifts to one side.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30He's doing 60mph.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33The momentum is too great for him to straighten up.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35The lorry starts tipping.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38This 60-foot long truck is going over.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40There's nothing he can do.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And it went over...
0:16:54 > 0:16:56As it went over, I just shut my eyes
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and hoped nothing comes through the windscreen.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15As William's vehicle careers off the road, another lorry driver,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Lee Taylor, is just joining the motorway.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I didn't expect anything to happen.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21It was just a normal join the motorway.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26And then, all of a sudden, a car just cut straight across in front
0:17:26 > 0:17:29of this HGV truck. I was then about four cars behind.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32The lorry driver couldn't have done anything to avoid the crash at all.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36The truck literally, as he swerved, just fell over like a domino.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I was slowing myself down, obviously trying to check the mirrors.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And all of a sudden it's skidding along the floor.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46There is smoke everywhere, because of the dust that's coming up,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and the cars then all trying to brake, swerve round.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I don't know how someone didn't run into the lorry.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Lee pulls up, gets out of his truck and runs over to the crashed lorry,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02now lying on the hard shoulder.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05He sees William inside the upturned cab.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07He's unconscious, his head's bleeding,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and he's dangling from the driver's seat, suspended by his seat belt.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Although half the windscreen is cracked,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16it hasn't broken and Lee can't reach him.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I jumped out with my fire extinguisher.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I hit the window screen, it hasn't even cracked it.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It's amazing how strong the piece of glass is, really, on an HGV.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Then the situation gets a whole lot worse.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31By this time, you can smell burning.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33As I looked to the side of the truck,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36a quarter of the trailer was already on fire.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40The only thing I could think of is, we've got to get on to the cab, get him out.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Luckily, the cab's landed on its side,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45close to the crash barrier on the hard shoulder.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Lee and another passing motorist clamber onto it to reach the cab.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52He's told me to hold the door open, I've held William's arm.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54He's then slid into the cab.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58But William's unconscious and a dead weight.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00It's an agonising struggle to free him.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03I was just trying to shake him.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Hello, hello, and I was getting no response from him.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I was stood looking at the back of the trailer.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09It was the most scariest thing I've ever seen.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11The flames were at a quarter of the truck,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and it was spreading within, I would say, a metre every 30 seconds.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18All that was going through my mind was my partner was seven months
0:19:18 > 0:19:21pregnant at the time. So I knew...
0:19:21 > 0:19:25My mind was, I don't want to die in this situation and I would never let
0:19:25 > 0:19:26anyone else die in this situation.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31William's been out cold for a couple of minutes.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But now he's coming to.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35You could see his eyes rolling a little bit.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39He was trying to look up at the door to see why the door was the wrong
0:19:39 > 0:19:42way. We had to just, come on, you've been in an accident.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45You need to be able to help us get you out.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49He took my weight, and then pulled me up through the driver's door.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53They get William down safely and away from the lorry.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Looking at his head, you could see that he'd actually took a good whack.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I could just see blood.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03I think he was more shocked how fast the flames were coming up the truck.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Within 15, 20 seconds of actually getting off the truck,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the cab was completely full of smoke.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And then within a minute, the whole truck had gone in flames.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17It's a good thing I got helped out.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18If I wasn't helped out,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22if that had happened in the middle of the night and I was left there,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and I didn't get helped out, I don't know how it would have turned out.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Bruised and battered, William is taken to hospital for a checkup,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34but thankfully has no serious injuries.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38It's remarkable after such an horrendous accident.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50The Fire Service couldn't save the lorry, which was incinerated.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But William's camera survived after being rescued from the cab with him.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59When I first got the camera back from the police,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01it would have been the first time I'd seen the footage.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I watched it then and I've only ever watched it one other time since.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's not the best thing to watch.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The driver who cut in front of William failed to stop.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13But with her numberplate caught on camera,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17she was tracked down by the police and charged with careless driving.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21She received a £200 fine and nine points on her licence.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Williams still needs physiotherapy on his neck and shoulders,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32but he's back at work and knows how fortunate he's been.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35If I'd hit the car, either would've killed her,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39I could have swerved in the other direction and killed somebody else,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42or, if there was nobody to help me, it could have killed me.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Soon after the day Lee's brave actions helped save William,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47he and his partner had a baby boy.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Lee and William have stayed in touch.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54He kept sending me messages, saying, thank you very much, I owe you my life and everything.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I just wish him all the best, really. I just hope it never happens to him or anyone else again.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I thank him from the bottom of my heart.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I think that day an angel was looking after me that day.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16William was saved by the quick thinking actions of Lee,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18a total stranger at the time.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19But often when the chips are down,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21it's up to our nearest and dearest to help.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26In Gloucestershire, while out on a bike ride in the countryside with a
0:22:26 > 0:22:30pal, cyclist Paul suffered a massive cardiac arrest.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34His life was saved by three off duty female paramedics,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38who appeared out of nowhere and gave him CPR until an air ambulance
0:22:38 > 0:22:41arrived to rush him to Bristol Royal Infirmary.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46After emergency surgery and a five-day stay in hospital,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Paul is allowed home, much to the relief of his partner, Cath.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53We realised how fortunate he been, how lucky he'd been.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57One in ten, I think they said, survive an off-site cardiac arrest.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00On the Friday, they discharge me.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03They said, yes, your damage to your heart is quite minimal,
0:23:03 > 0:23:04you're quite well to go home.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I can remember Paul asked me,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09"Are you scared I'm going to have another one?"
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And that just seemed crazy.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12"No."
0:23:14 > 0:23:17But just gone midnight the very next evening,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21when the couple are tucked up in bed, something wakes Cath.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25I remember hearing what I thought was Paul crying.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I said, "It's OK, it's OK, wake up, it's just a nightmare."
0:23:28 > 0:23:29And the noise stopped.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I thought, "That noise has stopped."
0:23:32 > 0:23:34But, actually, I can't hear a thing.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Switching on the light, Cath is horrified to find Paul isn't breathing.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42So I screamed at him, shouted at him.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I couldn't wake him up.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And I knew immediately that he had another heart attack.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Panicked, Cath calls 999.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52This is her call.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Leilani is the call handler at the other end.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07As soon as she came through and said not breathing,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I essentially send that ambulance.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26I was trying to get her to essentially do CPR.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29So it was getting her back to the phone, getting her to listen,
0:24:29 > 0:24:30because she was panicked.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51I had the phone on loudspeaker, which I put on the bed.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Leilani tells Cath where to place her hands.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04I put my entire weight down on to Paul's chest,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06and she was counting with me.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16If you don't start pushing that oxygenated blood through somebody's
0:25:16 > 0:25:19system and getting it to their organs, they might survive,
0:25:19 > 0:25:20but they may have brain damage.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Just kept bashing away.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Suddenly, there's a response from Paul.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54Cath must start CPR again and keep going until the ambulance crew arrive.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55They're there within minutes.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I do remember screaming at them.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05"He's upstairs.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08"This is his second heart attack in a week."
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Kristian is one of the paramedics.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13When he sees Paul, he's not hopeful.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16No vital signs, wasn't breathing, very pale.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18He looked like he was dead.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21The crew continue performing CPR.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25They give Paul oxygen and prepare to shock his heart with a defibrillator.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30To see signs of life come back is quite rare.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34But Cath's earlier CPR has given Paul a chance.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Amazingly, he is still fighting.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Had signs of a pulse come back.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And then he started to make respiratory effort himself.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The best place for any patient then is to be in hospital.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I just said goodbye to him on the stairs.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53I didn't say goodbye to him, but I did kind of tell him, you know,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57I've given you a heartbeat, you owe it to me to keep that going.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I do remember saying that.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Paul is rushed back to hospital in Bristol,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05where it's confirmed he's had a second heart attack.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07It's linked to the damage caused by the first one.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13Doctors put him into an induced coma to help recovery.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17I remember them saying the likelihood of brain damage was significant.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Paul is woken up four days later.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Remarkably, he has no brain damage and has suffered very little further
0:27:24 > 0:27:25damage to his heart.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29He was going to be OK, amazing as it was, really.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33I was just a really, really, really fortunate guy.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Paul's now been fitted with an internal defibrillator that should
0:27:37 > 0:27:40automatically kick in if he has another heart attack.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43He's on his way back to full fitness.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46We've both been out on our bike, we did 50 miles a few weeks ago.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48It's nothing short of miraculous.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Two cardiac arrests within a week, and he's made a full recovery.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Yeah, it's unbelievable.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55He's probably one of the luckiest guys ever.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Obviously what Cath did, and everybody else did, that saved me,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I'm eternally in their debt.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03You know? Given me back my life.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Twice.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Paul's one lucky man.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17He certainly beat the odds.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19And I'm glad to tell you he's back on his bike.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21See you next time for more Close Calls.