0:00:02 > 0:00:05A close call - a moment of danger when life can hang in the balance.
0:00:05 > 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 > 0:00:13Right, call 999 now.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The difference between disaster and survival.
0:00:16 > 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 > 0:00:32The day they had a close call.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Today on Close Calls,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52a family on their way home from a holiday weekend
0:00:52 > 0:00:54break down on a busy dual carriageway.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56There's no hard shoulder.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59A lorry driver fails to spot them.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Another motorist rushes to their aid.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Am I going to be pulling somebody's head off a windscreen?
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I just didn't know what to expect.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And a lifeboat crew receive reports of a sinking speedboat.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19They race across the water, worried they might be too late.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Our initial fears were they may possibly have drowned.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Also today, a grandfather mountain biking with a pal
0:01:27 > 0:01:29crash lands headfirst.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31They're in a remote location.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33His friend dials 999.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46The A55, North Wales -
0:01:46 > 0:01:50a family car has broken down and come to a halt in the slow lane.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Inside are a grandmother, her daughter
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and two young grandchildren.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The children's mum sees the danger coming.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02I'm looking in my wing mirror and seeing this lorry.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I just couldn't stop watching him -
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and I said to my mum, "There's a lorry coming."
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The lorry driver sees them too late.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13The huge truck smashes into the rear of the car,
0:02:13 > 0:02:14where the children are sitting.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Another family witness the horrifying accident.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- What- BLEEP?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Did you see it? It was awful.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The cab twisted to the left, just jumped into the air.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28The driver, he kept it straight.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I don't know how. The point it was rocking,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32that was one of the scariest things I've seen, really.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Huyton in Liverpool is home to Paula and her daughters,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48nine-year-old Georgia and five-year-old Amelia.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Paula's mum, Lynn, lives on the same street,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and the family see each other every day.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57I don't know what I'd do without her. We go everywhere together.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Holidays together.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Caravan trips together.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05We are always going somewhere together, doing something together.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I've always been close to my mum.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Really close to her. She's more like my best friend.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13We're always just out and about, me and my mum and the two girls.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18It's half term, and the close-knit family
0:03:18 > 0:03:20have been spending time together
0:03:20 > 0:03:23in Towyn near Rhyl in North Wales.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26For years, the family have enjoyed seaside holidays
0:03:26 > 0:03:29in Lynn's caravan there, but with plans to travel abroad,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31she's taken the decision to sell up.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34We decided to make it our last trip.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36While we were there, we did take the girls out.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39We took them to the fair and we did have a good time.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43The morning they were coming home, we both felt sad -
0:03:43 > 0:03:48and then the friends who were coming to buy the van from us arrived
0:03:48 > 0:03:50and we had a cup of tea with them
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and I gave them the keys and then we left.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56They set off in their four-wheel drive.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Lynn's driving with Paula in the passenger seat
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and the two girls in the rear.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04We drove down the country lanes, we were all singing.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07The children were singing in the back.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10We had smothered them around with the quilts, as well,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13in case they wanted to have a sleep on the way home.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18After a short time on the back roads, the family take the A55,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22the main express way connecting North Wales with the North West.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Travelling on the same road are the Atkinson family.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The dashboard camera on their car is recording the traffic
0:04:28 > 0:04:33as they head back after a day out in Rhyl. Dad Neil is driving.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34It had been a lovely day.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36We'd had fish and chips, we'd played on the beach.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37We'd played in the arcades.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39We'd been to see some friends.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40We were heading off home.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Clear skies, dry road.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It was a lovely driving day, really.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Lynn's car is ahead of Neil's as the road expands from a two-lane
0:04:48 > 0:04:50to a three-lane carriageway.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52She's heading up the hill
0:04:52 > 0:04:56when her car suffers a sudden total loss of power.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We'd just come around a bend and we were going up.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Halfway up, the car just cut out.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The girls, of course, were, "Nan, what's happened to the car?"
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I said, "It's all right, girls, Nan will pull over now."
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Lynn edges to the side of the road, trying to find a safe place to stop.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20And I pulled over to the barrier as far as I could,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but I had no engine on because it had cut out,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26so we crawled along to a stop.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31But there's no hard shoulder and the family are at the mercy
0:05:31 > 0:05:33of the fast flowing traffic.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Neil is catching them up.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38His dashboard camera shows a lorry approaching the hill.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Paula looks anxiously behind her
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and spots it heading towards them in the slow lane.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I'm looking in my wing mirror and seeing this lorry.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I just couldn't stop watching him -
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and I said to my mum, "There is a lorry coming."
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I said, "He's got plenty of time.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59"Stop panicking. You will worry the children."
0:05:59 > 0:06:03He was getting closer and I said, "He hasn't put his indicator on,"
0:06:03 > 0:06:04and my mum said, "He's fine.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06"He's got loads of time to see us."
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Neil's camera picks up Lynn's car
0:06:10 > 0:06:12only just visible in front of the lorry -
0:06:12 > 0:06:15but it's not the only camera filming that day.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The lorry has one, too.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Lynn's four by four, its hazards flashing, is clearly visible.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25In the front seat, Paula is becoming frantic.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I thought to myself, surely he's going to move.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Surely he's going to move -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33but there's no indication, nothing.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Neil's car is also getting closer to the lorry.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39He is aware other drivers are moving lane.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40They've seen something.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I was conscious, I was aware that there was an obstacle there
0:06:43 > 0:06:47because the cars in front of the lorry were moving over to the right.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51But the driver of the HGV isn't.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Aware of Paula's growing desperation,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Lynn tries to get the engine going again.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I went to start the car, and as I did, she screamed at me,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02"Mum, he's not going to stop,"
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and, as she said it, we both witnessed the front of his truck
0:07:06 > 0:07:09coming through the back of the car.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12This moment, recorded by the lorry's own camera,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16shows the 44 tonne juggernaut smashing into the family car.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The driver swerves, but it's too late.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The impact sends the car into a terrifying spin.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Neil and his family witness it all.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- BLEEP - Did you see it?- Yeah.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34That was awful.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The cab twisted to the left, just jumped into the air.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38The driver, he kept it straight.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I don't know how. The point it was rocking,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43that was just one of the scariest things I've seen, really.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48The main point of impact is the offside rear of Lynn's car,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50where her two granddaughters are sitting.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I knew that at that instant,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54there was nothing I could do to get to them.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I remember screaming, hold on tight.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It was grinding, crunching,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03we were spinning around -
0:08:03 > 0:08:06but all the time we were spinning, I thought, the kids are gone.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It's all over in a couple of seconds.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The mangled wreckage emerges from behind the lorry.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Lynn has taken a blow to the head.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18She's out cold -
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but her daughter's screams bring her around.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And she was screaming, Amelia's dead.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Amelia's dead. Which is the little one.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Amelia had, I think it was a quilt
0:08:30 > 0:08:32that fell over her, so I couldn't see her face,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I couldn't see movement or nothing.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Neil pulls up in front of the accident,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41leaving his wife and children in the car and races back.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42He's full of foreboding.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Am I going to be...
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Are you going to be covering people with a blanket?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Are you going to be trying to stem blood flow?
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Am I going to be pulling somebody's head off a windscreen?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I just didn't know what to expect at that time.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Nine-year-old Georgia emerges from the wreckage,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01but Paula still can't see four-year-old Amelia.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I was, at this point, hysterical, screaming, "The baby.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06"My baby's dead."
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Lynn struggles out of the driver's seat,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12desperate to check on her youngest granddaughter.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I managed to pull the quilt off her face
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and see that she was still alive
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and she was silently crying,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and I shouted, "Paula, she's alive."
0:09:22 > 0:09:26But to go from feeling like you've lost her
0:09:26 > 0:09:30to actually, no, she's OK,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32there's no words to explain that feeling.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It...
0:09:34 > 0:09:36You know, it's like...
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It's just massive, massive relief.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But that relief turns to dread as her mum, Lynn,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45suddenly collapses on the road.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I thought, what's wrong with my mum?
0:09:47 > 0:09:51As she does, Neil arrives at the shocking scene.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53As I saw the back of the car, it was just horrific.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It was all smashed in, it was totalled.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It was... I don't think there was a window untouched.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00it was just totally smashed in.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02I got round the side of the car
0:10:02 > 0:10:04and the driver was crumpled on the floor.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Never seen anything like it in real life.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07It's what you see in films.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Neil dials 999, but help is already at hand.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16A doctor in the traffic behind, stops, too, and goes to help Lynn.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18And I was telling her, I can't breathe.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I've got chest pains.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I think I'm going to die.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The emergency services arrive
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and rescue little Amelia from the wrecked vehicle,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33while Lynn is transferred to an ambulance.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Her blood pressure has crashed.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38She's taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Paula and the children travel in a separate ambulance.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Neil goes back to his car and continues his journey home
0:10:44 > 0:10:46to Stockport with his family.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49The drive home was very sombre, very quiet.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It was a case of, what if that could have been us?
0:10:52 > 0:10:56At hospital, Lynn and her family are checked over and X-rayed.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00She has a broken rib, and is treated for a cut to her lip.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Georgia suffers a hairline fracture to her hip,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07while Paula and Amelia escape with cuts and serious bruising.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Later that evening, all four are allowed home.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The driver of the lorry
0:11:13 > 0:11:16was found guilty of careless driving and fined.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Lynn, Paula, and the children have since recovered from their injuries,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23but the shock has stayed with them.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24It was more than a close call.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I can't believe we're here to tell the tale.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Even after all these months, it's still very raw.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34I didn't watch the video.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38I can't watch it knowing that the kids are in the back of that car
0:11:38 > 0:11:40while that lorry's hitting it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I just can't bring myself to look at it.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45And all the what ifs...
0:11:45 > 0:11:47..still keep coming.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50We're just lucky, aren't we?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Coming up later...
0:11:55 > 0:11:57..a mountain biker crash lands.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01His worried friend calls the emergency services.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14The Solent near Portsmouth.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17An upended speedboat floats in the water.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Its passengers are nowhere to be seen.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25The 14-foot vessel has been swamped by the wash of a passing tanker,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28forcing the family on board to jump into the water.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32A lifeboat crew film as they speed towards the scene.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35As we were getting round there, we didn't know what we were getting to.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Jewellery shop manager Rhiannon and her boyfriend Jethro,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51known as Jet for short, have been together for the last four years -
0:12:51 > 0:12:54but the pair first met when they were teenagers.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56You know, it was just a crush at that point,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00but, yeah, and then, you know, life went on.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04We lost contact for 14 years or so,
0:13:04 > 0:13:05and then we re-met in our 30s.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Yeah, and the first time we met up,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10we sort of didn't really stop seeing each other after that.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14The couple live in the seaside resort of Southsea in Portsmouth.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I think both of us love living on the coast.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18I prefer to be on the shore,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20whereas Rhiannon likes to be out on the water.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25So much so that she decides to buy a second-hand speedboat.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I just thought it would be really nice, you know,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29take it over to the Isle of Wight.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Go fishing. You did think I was mad,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35but when I get things in my head I kind of just think...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37..well, actually, why not?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39That's when I looked at and bought it.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43It's a Saturday in April.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Rhiannon and Jet are looking forward to their second outing in the boat.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50They're planning a 14-mile trip along the Solent,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54from their local marina in Portsmouth, to the Isle of Wight,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57taking Jet's 12-year-old daughter, Tia, with them.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00It was sort of a, you know, proper planned day.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01Packed lunch...
0:14:01 > 0:14:05The hour journey across the busy stretch of water goes smoothly.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The boat was working well.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11We had stopped, we'd had our picnic at the Isle of Wight.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15However, on the way back, the conditions are very different.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Due to the tide coming out and being against the direction of the wind,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23we noticed that the choppy waves were starting to build up -
0:14:23 > 0:14:25but it was nothing that the boat couldn't handle.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29But they're alongside a major shipping lane.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Then saw the cargo ship, quite a big one.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The vessel creates a substantial wash
0:14:36 > 0:14:38as it ploughs through the water.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42You just don't think the wash is going to be that big
0:14:42 > 0:14:44when the cargo was that far away.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46But it is,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50creating a large wave which suddenly surges over the top of their boat
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and takes out the windscreen.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56The force of the water was quite shocking, actually.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58It's followed by another.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I then noticed the second wave coming, even bigger than the first,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and that just swamped the boat.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Then, all of a sudden I felt like I'd jumped into a swimming pool,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11cos I didn't see the wave coming.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I turned around, and I could see the stern and the engine
0:15:14 > 0:15:15were actually under water.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18And then I pretty much knew that that was it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Flooded, their speedboat rapidly sinks.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Jet's first instinct is to protect Tia.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I'd grabbed my daughter and we went into the sea.
0:15:28 > 0:15:3030 seconds, and then that was it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36The water's choppy and at this time of year, it's still very cold.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I think I was in a bit of shock and thinking, "Really?
0:15:39 > 0:15:40"Is this happening?"
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We were about 300/400 metres from the shore,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and so we gathered into a group and started kicking.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50But the tide's against them and pushing them backwards.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51After five minutes of swimming,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55we were actually further away from the shore than when we started.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And that's not all, they're being dragged towards the shipping lane!
0:15:59 > 0:16:02That's when I started to realise what danger we were really in.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05But they'd been spotted from the shore.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Their small speedboat has gone down
0:16:07 > 0:16:11opposite the local volunteer lifeboat station,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13the Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15known as GAFIRS.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Control room staff alert their rescue boat
0:16:19 > 0:16:21currently patrolling Portsmouth harbour.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Crew member James Baggott is on board.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27They could see that the people were in trouble.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31We knew it was something that we had to get to, and get to fast.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The boat, piloted by senior coxswain Brian Pack, heads back,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37its siren blaring.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39James is filming from a body camera.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Our initial fears
0:16:41 > 0:16:45was that they may be suffering from quite severe hypothermia,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47or, even, possibly they've drowned.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Several miles away, Rhiannon, Jet, and Tia
0:16:50 > 0:16:54have been fighting against the tide for ten minutes.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57They're cold and exhausted.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58It was so choppy at that point
0:16:58 > 0:17:01that, you know, the waves were just going over.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I was looking around for other boats.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07They're in luck. Highly experienced sailors John and Debbie
0:17:07 > 0:17:10are practising in their racing dinghy
0:17:10 > 0:17:13when they notice the front of the sunken speedboat
0:17:13 > 0:17:14sticking out of the water.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16We spotted that,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and obviously you assume that there's going to be people in it
0:17:18 > 0:17:20who are no longer in it and floating.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And they're likely to be getting very, very cold, very quickly.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25They immediately start searching.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And there was debris everywhere,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31oars and bags and bits and pieces.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32We could definitely see one group,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and I'd wave to them to let them know that we had seen them
0:17:35 > 0:17:37and we were coming to them.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38At that point, I felt relief.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I raised my arm back to them.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44As they approach, Debbie realises it's a man, woman, and child.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Then the man passed the child to me.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50So he gave me her hand.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52They pulled her aboard first.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54John pulled Rhiannon up onto the back of the boat,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and then I climbed on afterwards.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I mean, he was like, "I'm so glad you're here."
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Rhiannon and Tia were both shocked and suffering with mild hypothermia.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Debbie and John know they need to get the family back
0:18:07 > 0:18:08to dry land quickly,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11but their boat isn't designed to take so many people.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Obviously, with now five people in a two-person boat,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18we're a lot lower in the water than we should be -
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and the boat also became pretty uncontrollable at that point.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24They're now all in danger of ending up in the water.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Being a racing boat, it's very, very tippy.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Any slight thing, it would quite happily just flick over.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33So that was the main thing, is to keep the weight in the right place
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and make sure that it didn't turn over
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and they didn't end up back in the water.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41As John and Debbie battle to keep their small dinghy afloat,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43the rescue boat comes into view.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46The crew spot the sunken speed boat...
0:18:49 > 0:18:51..and then the struggling dinghy.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The occupants of the sailing dinghy were waving towards the lifeboat
0:18:56 > 0:18:59to say that they've managed to retrieve the people from the water.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Crew member James calls out to them.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04How many of you on there?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10OK, we're going to tie you onto lifeboat and then sort that out, OK?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13James gathers together thermal clothes for the casualties.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Coxswain Brian cautiously manoeuvres the rescue boat
0:19:25 > 0:19:27alongside the unstable dinghy.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29They came alongside and took the family.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32That was quite a relief to see them, I have to say.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33OK.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Phil, we're going to need your help, mate.
0:19:37 > 0:19:4012-year-old Tia is hauled aboard first.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Both she and Rhiannon are showing signs of hypothermia.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46All right. OK.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51The lady was incredibly cold, and just the shock on her face was...
0:19:51 > 0:19:53It was stark!
0:19:54 > 0:19:56I couldn't stop shaking.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I was just feeling, you know, just cold.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Step inside, that's it.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03When we got her on board the lifeboat,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06we've got some bags to warm them up in as quickly as we could.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09I didn't remember a great deal about it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Apart from there was someone at the back of me
0:20:11 > 0:20:14with their arms around me, making sure I was warm enough.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Fortunately, it's a quick run back to the lifeboat station.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Rescue base lifeboat,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23please can you sort some warm clothing ASAP?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25More volunteers are there to help
0:20:25 > 0:20:27when the frightened family are brought to shore.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Let's go into my house as quickly as we can, please.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Lifeboatman James thinks they owe their survival
0:20:32 > 0:20:35to dinghy sailors Debbie and John.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I mean, the fact that they spotted those people
0:20:37 > 0:20:38saved those people's lives.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41That boat wasn't designed to take five people -
0:20:41 > 0:20:44but they managed to get those three casualties on board
0:20:44 > 0:20:46and keep them safe until we arrived.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I mean, they really should be applauded for what they did.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52It wasn't sort of until everything had calmed down
0:20:52 > 0:20:54that I got quite upset.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I kept saying sorry to Jet, because his daughter was on board.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I know it's no-one's fault, what happened,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03but it was still my boat. It was still my responsibility.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07The boat didn't bother me. Boats, you know...
0:21:07 > 0:21:10As long as we were all, you know, OK.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Later, the rescue crew go back to retrieve the speedboat.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Up until that experience,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I didn't realise just how important GAFIRS is.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28They will certainly be receiving my support after that.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31John and Debbie turned up
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and I shook John's hand, gave Debbie a big hug.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38What else could you say but thank you, you know?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And there's nothing else that can say -
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and obviously they'll have my gratitude forever.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It could've been a lot different and it could've been a lot worse, yeah.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58A combination of helpful boaters
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and the rescue services working together there. Good work, boyo.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05All our emergency services are pretty wonderful, aren't they?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And there are plenty of people with good reason to be grateful to them.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13The Calf Hey Reservoir in Lancashire.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17A mountain biker desperately dials 999 after his friend
0:22:17 > 0:22:19has a horrific accident.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I heard it crack, and I felt the worst pain imaginable.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Mountain Rescue are on their way...
0:22:31 > 0:22:33..but on the treacherous terrain,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37getting a casualty with such a hazardous injury down safely
0:22:37 > 0:22:38will require all their skill.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Andrew Morton lives with his wife, Janice,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51in the small town of Waterfoot, Lancashire.
0:22:51 > 0:22:5559, and a grandfather of two, he's now semiretired
0:22:55 > 0:23:00and has more time to indulge his number one hobby, mountain biking.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I've probably been cycling 25 years.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I used to be a water skier.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06Ended up with dodgy knees,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09so, to improve my knees, I started cycling -
0:23:09 > 0:23:13and then got the bug, and... We're cycling three or four times a week.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15We all go biking.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17All the family bike -
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and we've got the countryside around here, as well.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Nick is one of Andrew's long-time cycling buddies.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29I've been a good friend of Drew's for about 15 to 20 years.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31We share the same interests.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Generally good friends, really.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It's November, a late Sunday afternoon
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and the pair are visiting one of their favourite destinations -
0:23:42 > 0:23:43the Calf Hey Reservoir.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46We go along the top of the hill,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and then there's a steep descent.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It's got stones sticking up under the heather,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55so you've got to be really careful and keep well back on your bike.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Andrew's well ahead, out of sight of Nick
0:23:57 > 0:24:00as he approaches a steep section of the track.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Came down a dip, like a gully,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and up the other side of the gully and took off.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Andrew's lost control.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11He's sent flying over his handlebars and high into the air.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Came down vertical on my head...
0:24:14 > 0:24:17..and then I felt my head crash into my helmet,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and I heard a big crack.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Andrew's first instinct is to try and get to his feet.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Turned my neck - the worst pain imaginable,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and my legs went to jelly underneath me
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and I collapsed on the floor.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Andrew fears he has a very serious injury.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I know I broke my neck, because I heard it crack.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I knew that if I moved, it could be very dangerous.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Desperate, Andrew shouts out.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Coming up behind him, pal Nick rushes over.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45He was laying on the floor with his bike to one side.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49I could tell he was in a lot of pain and it was quite serious.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Nick knows Andrew's injuries could be life-changing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Trying to keep calm for his friend's sake, he dials 999.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57This is his call.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09A quarter of a mile from any road,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Nick realises it's impossible
0:25:11 > 0:25:13for a regular ambulance crew to reach them.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20An ambulance is already on its way
0:25:20 > 0:25:25and the local voluntary Mountain Rescue team is alerted.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Andrew frantically checks the rest of himself over.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46I could feel my fingers and wiggle my toes,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and I thought that's good, and that I can move my legs a bit -
0:25:49 > 0:25:53but I knew that if I moved, it could be very dangerous.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55He was getting quite agitated,
0:25:55 > 0:26:00and I think when he got agitated, he was in a lot of pain.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Kevin Garvey is with the Mountain Rescue team, who are on their way.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Everything now depends on them getting there.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20So we were called to get the casualty
0:26:20 > 0:26:22down to the waiting ambulance.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25They reach Andrew as the light's fading.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28One of the team is a doctor who quickly assesses him.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31The team doctor provided morphine,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35to reduce his pain and make the carry more comfortable.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36It was a real concern to us
0:26:36 > 0:26:38that he'd actually done something quite serious to his neck.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42To get Andrew safely to the ambulance,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45the team carefully carry him for a quarter of a mile
0:26:45 > 0:26:48down the steep, treacherous, slope.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50We were very aware that one wrong move
0:26:50 > 0:26:53could have caused him some severe paralysis or even ended his life.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The waiting ambulance rushes Andrew to Preston's Spinal Injuries Unit
0:26:57 > 0:26:59where wife Janice is waiting anxiously.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05They took us into where they scan, and then brought him out again,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and looked at the scan, and they said,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10"We're sorry but you've broken your neck."
0:27:10 > 0:27:14The bone at the top of Andrew's spine has broken into three pieces.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16They said that it's too dangerous to operate.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19"The only thing we can do is brace your neck,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21"and put you a halo brace on."
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Andrew has to wear this device for the next three months,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26to keep his head and neck steady
0:27:26 > 0:27:29while the broken bone knits itself back together.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33The points screw right into your skull.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I had to tighten up the screws twice a week.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Which wasn't very nice, because obviously it hurt him.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44It was hard work, but we managed.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Andrew's injury is now healed.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Although he will never completely regain full movement in his neck,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53he's still fit enough to carry on
0:27:53 > 0:27:55pedalling away with his friend, Nick.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Back on my bike now, and still doing three or four times a week.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Which is good, because you can't let these things stop you
0:28:03 > 0:28:04doing what you love.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I'm a bit more careful now, it's quite safe most of the time -
0:28:08 > 0:28:10but now and then, you can get caught out.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12As I did.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Join us again for more amazing close calls.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24See you next time.