0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call - a moment of danger when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07I 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 > 0:00:19You could see it on the faces of the crew, how life-threatening this was.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Why would you need to swim?
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Apparently 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 > 0:00:27I thought she had died.
0:00:27 > 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 > 0:00:52A mum-to-be is heading home when part of a huge tree
0:00:52 > 0:00:55crashes down onto her car.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57She's trapped.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Office workers come to her rescue.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01We didn't know how many people were in there,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and it was quite a big beast of a tree.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And Irishman Shane is surfing off an Australian beach
0:01:10 > 0:01:13when he spots something in the water.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17A fin pops up behind Dale, and boom!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22A man on the beach witnesses the horror and calls for help.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Also today, a family car ablaze on the motorway.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Another motorist knows she must act.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The family weren't making any attempt to get out of the car -
0:01:37 > 0:01:39they're clearly still in shock.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Syston, Leicestershire.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54A car edges slowly out of a tree-lined driveway.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56The vehicle's dash cam is recording
0:01:56 > 0:01:58as the driver carefully checks both directions...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02..then pulls out, turning right on to the main road.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The car isn't even out of second gear when this happens.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13The radio continues playing
0:02:13 > 0:02:16but there's no sound from the female driver.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Marketing manager Sarah enjoys her job with a major food company
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and often works from home.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32She lives in Melton Mowbray,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36along with her partner, Tony, and their three dogs.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40So I've got two rescue doggies and Tony's got a beagle.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43If I had to describe Tony in three words,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48I would describe him as fun-loving, confident and protective.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51What do I love about Sarah?
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Everything, everything she does.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54She's just a great person.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The couple met through a mutual friend.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Our first date was, I went round to Tony's house for tea
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and he cooked for me. He's an amazing cook.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I made a home-made lasagne.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10She's not a great cook.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13So, yeah, my cooking skills benefit in the relationship.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's February and weather warnings have been issued for much of the UK.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24A storm named Doris is on its way.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It was slightly windy and wet outside,
0:03:27 > 0:03:32but there was nothing to say it was going to be a strange day.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Sarah and Tony are expecting a baby,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and have recently bought a property together.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41They're in the process of moving out of their previous rented home.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44We still had some bits and bobs left at the old house.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46There were a few boxes in the garage -
0:03:46 > 0:03:49they were heavy ones, so I told her to leave them alone
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and I'd sort them at the weekend.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Tony heads off to work, leaving Sarah at her computer.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57At lunchtime, she decides to pop over to their old house
0:03:57 > 0:03:59to collect the post.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03But while I was there, I just thought, "Let's fill the car."
0:04:04 > 0:04:07With a car bursting at the seams, Sarah sets off home.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10She has a dash cam which is recording.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's a cul-de-sac and people park on the road,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15so it becomes single-lane.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Sarah edges cautiously out of the driveway,
0:04:17 > 0:04:22between a parked silver van on her left and a white car on the right.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27As I turned right into the road, I heard a bang.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And I honestly, hand on heart,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33thought I'd clipped the back end of the BMW
0:04:33 > 0:04:35that was parked on my right.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38But that's not what the noise is.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45It's a limb of a huge tree
0:04:45 > 0:04:49in the garden of her old home breaking away.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It crashes onto the car's bonnet,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54piercing the windscreen where Sarah is sitting.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57VOICES ON RADIO
0:04:57 > 0:04:58The car radio keeps playing,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but for 20 seconds there's no other sound.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Then the dash cam records Sarah's cries.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Help!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Help!
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Just across the road, office manager Belinda and her colleagues
0:05:16 > 0:05:18have been watching the weather deteriorate
0:05:18 > 0:05:21through their window on the third floor.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24A few times, you know, we'd looked out the window
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and saw all the trees outside sort of swaying and stuff.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28BRANCH CRACKS
0:05:28 > 0:05:31When they hear the loud crack, they know instinctively what it is.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33One of the girls just sort of went,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35"Oh, my God, the tree's coming down."
0:05:35 > 0:05:39We all looked round and it was almost as if it was in slow motion.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And then we just heard a sort of almighty crash.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Belinda and a female colleague, Chris, rush out of the office.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50We saw the tree on top of the car, obviously it was quite a shock,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and we didn't know how many people were in there,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56and it was quite a big beast of a tree.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59And trapped underneath, still in the vehicle, is Sarah.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I remember just looking at the windscreen...
0:06:04 > 0:06:08..thinking, "It's smashed but it's still in one piece."
0:06:08 > 0:06:13I could see a tree and I think it took quite a few seconds
0:06:13 > 0:06:15to actually realise what had happened.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Help!
0:06:17 > 0:06:22I remember trying to open the driver side door, and I couldn't.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And then I think panic really did begin to set in.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27As Belinda and Chris reach the car,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31they realise the tree isn't the only thing that's come down.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I saw this cable down, so I was like,
0:06:34 > 0:06:35"Chris, there's a cable, hold on."
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Started yelling that there was an electric line down
0:06:42 > 0:06:47and I was a bit like, "Oh, my God, what happens now?"
0:06:49 > 0:06:51A group of builders who are working around the corner
0:06:51 > 0:06:53quickly check out the cable.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And then I remember hearing a couple of guys saying,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57"No, no, it's fine, it's telephone cables."
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Chris ran to the car as I dialled the 999.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06An anxious Sarah is worried about her unborn baby.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I was like, "Oh, my God, she's pregnant," down the phone.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I hadn't told anybody at that point.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20I was only just about,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I was just 11, 12 weeks pregnant when it happened.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28The builders and office workers struggle to get Sarah out of the car
0:07:28 > 0:07:31but the tree is blocking the driver's door.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34They urge her to climb across to the passenger side of the vehicle.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Right, you're all right.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Are you able to climb over?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Her in-car camera records her
0:07:42 > 0:07:45scrambling across the seat to safety.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It was obvious that she was shook up and a bit shocked,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and she was sort of in a bit of a daze.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I remember looking at the car, and just very shocked
0:07:57 > 0:08:01and just not really registering that it had happened to me.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02She calls Tony.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05All of a sudden, there was FaceTime came up from Sarah on the phone.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And I said, "Oh, I'm OK,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11"but I need you to not panic when I show you the car."
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The first thing I did was I panicked.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16So I turned round FaceTime and showed him.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I could see the car was just flattened by this tree.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And I think I pretty much just got, "I'm on my way."
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Sarah is taken to Leicester's Royal Infirmary, where Tony meets her.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33She and the baby get the all-clear and the couple return to the car.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36As we pulled up, it just looked like carnage.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40There was tree, bits of tree all over the road.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45When that branch came down, it did a considerable amount of damage.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48You could see this branch going right through the dash,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and the whole roof had literally caved in.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55It really hit me then how bad it could have been.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Every panel on the car was dented.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It was absolute devastation.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Yeah, it was really close,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and if I had been a little less cautious pulling out of there,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10it wouldn't have been the steering column it had pierced,
0:09:10 > 0:09:11it would've been me.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Comin up later, a family car is hit by a van on the motorway.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Both vehicles go up in flames.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31That 20 seconds I think is the worst of my life because it was something
0:09:31 > 0:09:34came into my mind, "Oh, now the game is over."
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Port Macquarie, Australia.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The emergency services receive a call from a man on a beach
0:09:49 > 0:09:51who's just witnessed an horrific event.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59In the water, Irishman Shane was only metres away
0:09:59 > 0:10:03when a great white shark locked its jaws onto his surfing buddy, Dale.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09His eyeballs go white and that's when I know he's being bitten.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26An attractive coastal town just north of Sydney
0:10:26 > 0:10:28on Australia's eastern coast.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It's late afternoon when a call comes in
0:10:30 > 0:10:34to the local emergency services from a shocked beach-goer.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43On the shoreline, passers-by are trying to save the life
0:10:43 > 0:10:45of a severely injured man.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48He's been attacked by a great white shark
0:10:48 > 0:10:50while body-boarding in the surf.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58The man who witnessed the horror unfold
0:10:58 > 0:11:00urges the call-taker to send help quickly.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10As the call continues, the injured man's friend,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14who was in the sea with him, rushes out of the water to help.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15The call picks up the drama.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27The man's rescuers fear he's dying in front of them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Body-boarder Dale is losing blood rapidly.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41His friend, Irishman Shane, was only metres away when the shark struck.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I can see the grey head, I can see its eyeball.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It rolls under and Dale's screaming, "Get out!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50"Shark!"
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Now he's trying to stop his best mate bleeding to death.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56His leg is almost off.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57We can see bone...
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Life in Australia's been good for Irishman Shane.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11He made his home in Port Macquarie after a temporary trip
0:12:11 > 0:12:13turned into something a little longer.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Working as a painter and decorator,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Shane met and fell in love with his Australian partner, Shani.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23We've got a kid on the way, due in three months.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Exciting times ahead.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29And Shane can't wait to take his new family back to his old home
0:12:29 > 0:12:32in historic Wexford in south-east Ireland.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36It's beautiful. Beautiful place and we've kind of planned, actually,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38to spend a year back in Ireland at some point.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Since arriving in Australia, Shane has become best mates with Dale,
0:12:42 > 0:12:47an engineer and devoted dad of two who also lives in Port Macquarie.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49He's got a bit of ticker in him. I admire that in Shane.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52When you come and you leave your home in Ireland
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and come to Australia and try and set up life again, you know,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58that takes a lot of character, and I think he's got spades of that.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03And it was Dale who introduced Shane to the joys of body-boarding...
0:13:04 > 0:13:08..the sport they were enjoying that fateful Saturday afternoon
0:13:08 > 0:13:09at Lighthouse Beach.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17There's a break-out off a shipwreck which is out of Watonga Rocks,
0:13:17 > 0:13:18a bit further distance out.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20So we paddled down that way.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25They're 200 metres from shore with no-one else in the water,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and enjoying catching the waves.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It's a great spot so you want to be there,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32you want to be in that bigger surf.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Magic.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Until...
0:13:37 > 0:13:41As he waits for a wave, Shane sees something chilling.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Fin pops up behind Dale...
0:13:45 > 0:13:47..and, boom!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Hits him from his board.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56And that's when I see a big white belly, I can see the grey head,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I can see its eyeball.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59A great white shark.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The shark came out of the water and I went, "Holy weavers,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06"I'm in a bit of strife."
0:14:06 > 0:14:10And Dale's looking at me at this point, screaming, "Get out!
0:14:10 > 0:14:11"Shark!"
0:14:12 > 0:14:16And he screams before his eyeballs go white,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19just massive white eyeballs looking at me, and that's when I know...
0:14:20 > 0:14:22..he's being bitten.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26And the teeth just went straight in, onto the thigh
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and, mate, I'd never been hit so hard in my life.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I had this instant reaction to just close the right fist.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I hit across its nose,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and it was like hitting a suitcase full of concrete.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It all happens in seconds.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Shane watches in horror as his friend struggles
0:14:42 > 0:14:44in the jaws of the shark.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Desperate to help, he instinctively heads towards the terrifying scene.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50"What are you going to do when you get there?"
0:14:50 > 0:14:52That's what I'm thinking in my head.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54You've got a great white shark.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It can chew the two of us up in a second.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Only metres away, still in the shark's vice-like grip,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Dale's fighting for his life.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08And I realise that the shark had actually had my whole...
0:15:08 > 0:15:11My rear end and underneath the hamstring
0:15:11 > 0:15:14actually caught between the board,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17that the bottom teeth was actually stuck into the teeth of the board.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Frantic, Dale suddenly sees his chance -
0:15:19 > 0:15:22the shark's eye is above the water.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26With the right hand, finger straight into the shark's eye.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29The shark convulsed, the mouth opened...
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And in that instant of releasing its bite,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34a big set of waves came through.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I just thought, "Hang on a second, here's my opportunity."
0:15:37 > 0:15:38With an extreme effort,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Dale lunges forward and manages to catch a wave
0:15:42 > 0:15:44that sweeps him back towards the shore.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47He's out of the danger zone.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48But Shane isn't.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And I know I've got to get the hell out of there.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55But the waves have died down.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Shane is gripped with fear.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59It's a terrible place be,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02that not knowing when you're going to feel those teeth
0:16:02 > 0:16:05sink into your legs and pull you under.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10He readies himself, convinced an attack is imminent.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Let myself sink underwater and I'm looking for the great white.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18But I never found him.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21He paddles furiously back towards the beach.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Dale's already there.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I remember having, like, you know, cataracts vision.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Like, it was all sort of cloudy round the outside
0:16:28 > 0:16:30but I knew I was still getting towards the shore.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36And I saw a guy on the beach with his hand to his ear.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's Lachlan, a local man visiting the beach with his family.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42He's already on his mobile to the emergency services.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47As I came to the shore, threw the board out,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51I looked down and all of a sudden my shorts fell forward
0:16:51 > 0:16:55and the thigh of my... Actually just flopped straight off my leg.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Dale's injury is severe.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59I knew straight away that I was losing a lot of blood.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Blood was everywhere.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Shane, now at his side, tries to do what he can
0:17:03 > 0:17:06as a concerned Lachlan continues his call.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16At that moment, Andrew, another local resident,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19runs over to join the group.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Dale was right at the water's edge.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Between us, we got him up, probably three or four metres up the beach.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I said, "You've got to stop the blood flow, stop the blood flow."
0:17:41 > 0:17:44And Andrew was like, "No, no, I've got a shirt, I've got a shirt,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46"no problem." So he took his shirt off.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50I noticed Dale has got some shoelaces attached to his flippers.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I think, "Let's tie him up like a big Christmas ham."
0:17:53 > 0:17:57The men use the shoelaces to loosely keep the shirt in place
0:17:57 > 0:18:00as they apply pressure to stem the flow of blood.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04With a shirt and two pairs of shoelaces,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06these guys managed to bind the wound.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09A woman further up the beach taking photographs
0:18:09 > 0:18:12unwittingly captures the scene.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Dale is lying injured
0:18:14 > 0:18:17with a now shirtless Andrew supporting his head.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Shane's out of sight, putting pressure on the wound,
0:18:20 > 0:18:21while Lachlan's on the phone.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31When I heard the sirens, that was a really good sound.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Yeah, ambos arriving, best thing ever.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36A local man films medics arriving
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and another photographs them as they treat Dale's wounds.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Shane lies next to him on the sand, trying to reassure him.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Everybody on the beach had done what they could do
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and now it was up to everyone at the hospital to save my life.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Dale has lost around two and a half litres of blood,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56nearly half the amount in his body.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59He's rushed into intensive care.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02All he can think about is his wife and two young daughters.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Would Charlotte and Samantha grow up without a father?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Would, you know, Trish be able to cope?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Quite horrific to think that I wouldn't be around.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15That was quite scary.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17The shark was just a millimetre away
0:19:17 > 0:19:20from severing the main artery in Dale's leg.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23But surgeons not only save Dale's life,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26they save his leg, and everything else too.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Not many people in the world can say
0:19:29 > 0:19:30that they have had their crown jewels
0:19:30 > 0:19:32inside the mouth of a great white shark.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The terrifying ordeal has cemented the men's friendship for life.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42We've got a really strong connection, myself and Dale.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43We have been through something...
0:19:45 > 0:19:46..unimaginable together.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I look back on what Shane had done.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Extraordinary acts in extraordinary circumstances
0:19:52 > 0:19:54defines my mate, Shane.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And I'll always be grateful.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Going to the help of your mate
0:20:07 > 0:20:09who's being attacked by a great white shark -
0:20:09 > 0:20:12now THAT is friendship.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It's always good to know you can depend on friends
0:20:15 > 0:20:16but in this next story,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19a family owe their lives to someone they've never even met.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The M40 near Leamington Spa.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27A car and a van are ablaze blocking two lanes of the motorway.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Vehicles try to edge round them.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And sheltering on the hard shoulder, just behind the fire,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38a family of four together with their rescuer.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43If anybody had been in the car, they would have perished.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Taxi driver Imran and his family live in Spark Hill, Birmingham.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59His wife and two young sons, Zayn, who's 11, and Arfan, aged three,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02mean everything to their devoted dad.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06I try to give maximum time for them, for my kids.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09And my eldest son is very sensible, very quiet
0:21:09 > 0:21:13and you can say in the sense of he's a very decent human being.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17But the younger one, he's a bit naughty.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I am very sentimental, very family-orientated
0:21:20 > 0:21:22because they are, for me, everything.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Originally from Pakistan, Imran has been taxi driving for four years.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29He supports his family in the UK
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and also sends money back home to his mum and dad.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35My father, he is living ill
0:21:35 > 0:21:39so he didn't see my younger son since he was born.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41He said, "When are you going to bring,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43"when are you going to bring the younger one?"
0:21:43 > 0:21:47So, one day, I see a internet ticket and I thought, "Oh, it's cheap."
0:21:47 > 0:21:50So I booked for me and for him.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52But before Imran and his son can travel,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Arfan needs a passport and with little time before the planned trip,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59it means a visit to the Passport Office in central London.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It's 6am on a cold January morning
0:22:06 > 0:22:09as the family set off from their home in Spark Hill
0:22:09 > 0:22:12for the 112-mile journey to central London.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It's one they'll never forget.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18That day, we were planning to go early morning
0:22:18 > 0:22:20because it was a ten o'clock appointment
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and London is very busy.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25My younger son, his mum was sitting in the back.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27My eldest son and me, we were sitting in the front.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32After an hour or so, the family hit the morning rush-hour.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37They're on the M40, one of the busiest motorways in the UK,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39linking the Midlands with London.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Roughly 35 miles from Birmingham,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46there was a traffic build-up so obviously I have to slow down.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Another driver stuck in the commuter traffic is Kate Krowiak,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53an engineer on her way to work
0:22:53 > 0:22:56at the nearby Jaguar Land Rover factory.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57As I went on to the M40,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00the traffic was quite stop-start
0:23:00 > 0:23:03so there was a lot of braking and accelerating.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Kate travels this route every day
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and is used to the frustrations of tailbacks.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11But, today, something catches her attention.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12I checked my rear-view mirrors
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and I was aware of a van in the outside lane
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and I felt that he was going to struggle to stop
0:23:17 > 0:23:19with the slow-moving traffic.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23The car in front of the van is Imran's.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26He too spots it approaching at speed from the rear.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The first thing I did, I give him a hazard light on,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33thinking he's going to see there's traffic build-up,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35but he didn't realise anything.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40In the other lane, Kate can only watch as the inevitable happens.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44I was aware that there was going to be an impact. I didn't know how big,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46but I knew that the van was going to go into the car.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It does, ploughing into the back of Imran's vehicle.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56That 20 seconds, I think, is the worst of my life
0:23:56 > 0:23:59because when you see your whole family, basically,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02for who you live life and you see, like,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04there is a danger on your head,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07it was something that came into my mind, "Oh, now the game is over."
0:24:08 > 0:24:12The impact launches Imran's car forwards and sideways,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14towards the central reservation.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Both cars skidding, skidding.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22In the adjacent lane, Kate manages to stop her car just in time.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Her first thoughts are for the passengers in both vehicles.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Immediately, I thought I need to phone the emergency services
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and I used the SOS button that I've got in the car.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38This automatically calls an operator and gives the vehicle's location,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41but Kate doesn't have time to wait for a response.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Instead, she rushes over to the crash site.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47The van driver started to get out of the car.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49He must be OK.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53I then went to the car driver, opened the car door.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54There was a family in there.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I was shocked. Obviously, I see my kids and my wife,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02they were also crying and in shock and everything.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Kate's relief at finding the family conscious quickly turns to horror...
0:25:07 > 0:25:09..as the situation escalates.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I was aware of the smell of burning.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And I could see smoke from the engine bay.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21A fire has started only inches from the rear door of Imran's car,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24where his wife and youngest son are strapped in.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The family weren't making any attempt to get out of the car -
0:25:27 > 0:25:29they're clearly still in shock.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31They didn't know that the car was smoking.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33And she opened both doors and said,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36"Out, out, there is a fire in the back."
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I beckoned the boy to come out.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Mum and the small child had followed
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and I could see the van driver and I could see Dad.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46The family make it out just in time.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50A driver, stopped on the opposite carriageway,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53films as the fire takes hold.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56From the moment of impact to the flames engulfing the vehicle
0:25:56 > 0:25:57is just 40 seconds.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It went up with a loud bang and flames shot in the air.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Kate reports the fire and location of the crash
0:26:08 > 0:26:09to the emergency services
0:26:09 > 0:26:13before rounding up the shocked family and ushering them to safety.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17She took my younger son. She said, "Come on the hard shoulder."
0:26:17 > 0:26:19And we go there.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23This footage shows them reaching the relative safety of the grass verge.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25My son, he was pointing his finger.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28He said, "Our car is fire, our car is fire."
0:26:28 > 0:26:31My younger son, he was more panicked.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33He no speak anything, totally silent.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35They were watching the car burn
0:26:35 > 0:26:38which they'd literally got out of seconds earlier.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41If anybody had been in the car, they would have perished.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Imran notices the driver of the van that crashed into them.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50He said, "I really apologise."
0:26:50 > 0:26:53He saw my kids and he was sad.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54I appreciate his apology.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It takes 25 minutes for the Fire Service
0:26:58 > 0:27:00to fight their way through the traffic
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and reach the burning vehicles.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07These photographs show the moment the crews start to tackle the blaze.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10By that point, both vehicles were sort of ablaze,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12tyres were exploding,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15thick, billowing smoke going across the motorway.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The firefighters quickly bring the blaze under control
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and Imran and his family, plus the driver,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23are taken to hospital by ambulance.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Heroine of the hour Kate continues with her journey to work.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30In a little bit of shock
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and replaying the accident over and over again
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and my colleague said, "Are you OK?"
0:27:37 > 0:27:39And I went, "No, not really."
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Kate knows just how close Imran and his family came
0:27:43 > 0:27:45to losing their lives.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I think if I'd stopped to finish the phone call
0:27:48 > 0:27:50to the emergency services,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52the vehicle would have been on fire.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54It could've been a different story.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Imran knows who he needs to thank for their lucky escape.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03She was very, very important for me and I thanked her there,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I called her later, I really appreciate it, I am really thankful.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09If that lady couldn't help us
0:28:09 > 0:28:12or if the door was locked then we was not maybe here.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26That's all from Close Calls for today. See you next time.