0:00:02 > 0:00:03A close call, a moment of danger
0:00:03 > 0:00:05when life can hang in the balance....
0:00:05 > 0:00:08I could die here. This is really serious.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11..a split second where the outcome could go either way...
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Right, call 999 now.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15..the 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 > 0:00:26These are the people that have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:26 > 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 > 0:00:53a holiday fishing trip leaves two best friends fighting to survive
0:00:53 > 0:00:56in the swells of the Atlantic Ocean.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Their boat's gone down,
0:00:57 > 0:01:02no-one is sure where they are, and they've already drifted for miles.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04No GPS coordinates.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Just an approximation of where the boat was in distress and sinking.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11We've got nothing around us for miles.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14We can see land, but it's a long way off.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16What are we going to do now?
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Plus a fire at the home of an elderly bedridden man.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Firefighters are on the scene, but a neighbour who's climbed through
0:01:25 > 0:01:29a window to help is in great danger too.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I started panicking a bit because you could hear him choking.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I covered myself back up and crawled back upon my hands knees.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Now they both need rescuing.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The Atlantic Ocean, 13 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53A group of 11 desperate shipwreck survivors,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55including two British holiday-makers,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59cling to each other in a 25 foot swell.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02They've been in the water more than seven hours.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04On shore, their wives have just
0:02:04 > 0:02:06discovered their husbands are missing.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And then he said, "It's OK, they'll be fine, they're good swimmers."
0:02:09 > 0:02:12When he said that to me, alarm.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13Why would you need to swim?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Apparently, they're supposed to still be on a boat.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20But it's sunk and now its passengers and crew aren't just holding on to
0:02:20 > 0:02:24each other, they're struggling to hold on to life.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Close pals Steve and Craig have known each other since they were
0:02:37 > 0:02:42teenagers. They first met when Steve took a job working behind the bar
0:02:42 > 0:02:45in Craig's dad's pub 30 years ago.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48We got on really well so we started with his group of friends as well
0:02:48 > 0:02:51going out, doing the things that you do.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55The basis of this lasting friendship is a shared sense of humour
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and love of fun and they've been there for each other
0:02:59 > 0:03:01for all of life's big moments.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03I was best man at his wedding.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05He was best man at my wedding.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09We've gone out, played football together, stag dos, golf trips,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12things like that. We get on really well.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Their wives, Sarah and Jill, became best friends too.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19He'd obviously been friends with them for a long time.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Went out socially and got along with them very well.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23And enjoy a lot of the same things.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29The four pals have enjoyed many holidays together over the years,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33travelling across the globe, sharing their love of sunshine and sport.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34We like to ski and dive.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38So we generally do one in the summer, for the diving obviously,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40and Europe in the winter for a bit of skiing.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42We're not really lay on the beach type people.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44So if there's an activity, we'll be doing it
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and we're lucky enough that they enjoy the same activities we do.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50But what happens on a summer break in the Caribbean
0:03:50 > 0:03:53cements the bond between them for life.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59It's September and the foursome are enjoying an all-inclusive holiday
0:03:59 > 0:04:01in the Dominican Republic.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04As always, they've planned a very active trip.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Done two days' diving. We'd booked up the deep sea fishing for Friday.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And then the following day we were going to go white water rafting in
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the mountains, which sounded great.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16On day three, the girls decide it's time for a morning by the pool,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18while the boys head off on their fishing trip
0:04:18 > 0:04:20with a local boat captain.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I was looking forward to the trip.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27It gets me off the beach, it gives us something to do.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30They head for the harbour and meet up with seven other tourists,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33four men and three women, all different nationalities,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35who've booked the same trip.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Got down to the boat, which was a nice,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39new sort of American-style sports fishing boat.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Probably a couple of years old.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I remember saying to Craig, "This is lovely,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46"we could have this in Portsmouth Harbour and go fishing on this."
0:04:46 > 0:04:47We were just on a high.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It was a lovely day, we were going fishing.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The boat has a skipper and a first mate.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56They set sail almost immediately.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58But there's no safety briefing.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00I guess because you are on holiday mode,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03you think you are being looked after and you're not in a position that
0:05:03 > 0:05:04you need to worry about it.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The captain started by telling us he had 30 years' experience.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09You felt confident in his presence, you know.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11He did seem to know what he was doing.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16They head out just before 9am with four hours' fishing time to look
0:05:16 > 0:05:19forward to. About five miles out, they get lucky.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23This fish came flying out of the water with the lures on.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25The captain said it's probably 450 pounds.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Blue marlin. And then the adrenaline started running.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35But even as they celebrate their catch,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Steve begins to notice the back end of the boat is retaining water.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42But the captain was like, I mentioned it to him and he said,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45we'll be swimming in the back here soon.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46The back of the boat is a wet deck, basically.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49So the water is supposed to come in and out of there anyway.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51There's a door in the back to bring the big fish in.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53But the water wasn't going back out.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Within minutes, the water level begins rising rapidly.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00But then the captain seemed
0:06:00 > 0:06:03to become slightly agitated about something.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And then someone said, "There's water in the cabin."
0:06:08 > 0:06:12One of the crew starts frantically bailing out with a bucket.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I thought, this is desperate.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17You could tell that things weren't working out well.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Within minutes, the boat begins to sink.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26One more big wave and it's going down,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29taking Steve, Craig and everyone else with it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The captain has only seconds to summon help.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35He reaches for the radio.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39He told them that we were taking on water
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and that the engines have failed.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45But I don't think he had any more time
0:06:45 > 0:06:46to say anything more than that.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51The mayday gets picked up by the Puerto Plata military base,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54home of the island's search and rescue team.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56American Leon Altar,
0:06:56 > 0:07:01an expert adviser in search and rescue for 35 years, is on hand.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04He immediately takes charge of the operation.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08I got an alert that about 10:45 in the morning, 11 o'clock,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12that a boat was going down in the ocean,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15approximately seven miles offshore from Maimon,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17which is west of Puerto Plata.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21But the information on the boat's position is sketchy.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23No GPS coordinates.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Just an approximation of where the boat was in distress and sinking.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And Leon knows strong winds and currents
0:07:30 > 0:07:32will pull survivors further out to sea.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35So we were starting from an approximate location,
0:07:35 > 0:07:36about a mile back from where
0:07:36 > 0:07:38approximately they said they went down,
0:07:38 > 0:07:43and doing grid searches for over a five mile to seven mile radius
0:07:43 > 0:07:44in that area.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Using all the island's military resources,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50he dispatches two helicopters,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54three rescue boats and a Super Tucano aircraft.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56As one of the helis takes to the air,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58a colleague on the ground films.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Out in the swells of the Atlantic,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07the fishing boat is listing at a 30 degree angle.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Craig frantically searches for life jackets.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14We've realised there's not enough to go round.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17He said, "I've given them all out. You and I haven't got one."
0:08:17 > 0:08:20What do you do now? You can't stay on the boat.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21You have to get off the boat.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Craig had another quick look in the storage the life jackets were in
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and found two buoyancy aids.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29They weren't life jackets.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31But they were just like yellow square things,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35which he had one in each hand, which kept him afloat.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I noticed there was buoy tied onto the handrail, so I undid the knot,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40put a slipknot on, but it round my waist and at that point,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43it was evident that people were getting in the water.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47And I had to basically jump off the bow.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It was a very strange feeling when I jumped off that bow,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I felt like I was in the air for about an hour.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It was just a very surreal thing to have to do.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The boat slips slowly beneath the waves,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07leaving a group of 11 men and women floating in shark infested waters
0:09:07 > 0:09:11a mile deep and at least five miles off land.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Steve and Craig encourage everyone to keep together
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and they form a huddled group.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19We didn't even know each other's names, really.
0:09:19 > 0:09:25The mood in the water at that point was probably state of shock.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28We were just trying to experience a nice day out and all of a sudden,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31we've got nothing around us for miles.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34We can see land but it's a long way off.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36What are we going to do now?
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Later, hopes rise when a sailing yacht appears on the horizon.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44We thought that was our saviour.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47But turn to despair when it fails to see them.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48You are just thinking...
0:09:50 > 0:09:52..was that the last chance?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56I was getting ready that I wasn't going back.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08The stuff of holiday nightmares with two good friends in real trouble.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09And when we're in a tight spot,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12it's often friends and neighbours we rely on
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and that's exactly what happens in this next close call.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Newton Heath, Manchester.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Smoke pours from the window of a suburban semi.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Firefighters have just arrived.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35They know a bedridden elderly man is trapped inside.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38But they also need to rescue a mum of six
0:10:38 > 0:10:41who is battling through the blaze to help him.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Crews treat this with the most urgency
0:10:42 > 0:10:44because when people are trapped
0:10:44 > 0:10:46inside a property, every second counts.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Busy mum Angela grew up in Newton Heath.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It's a close-knit community.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05I've lived here for 30 years.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06Moved away and come back.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Because it's a nice place to be.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Angela's mum, Annie, also still lives in the area.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17She used to run a local shop, so the family is well known.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It's a lovely community and if anyone wants anything,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24they'll ask the other neighbour to do it and they'll do it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Annie's glad middle daughter Angela
0:11:26 > 0:11:29has moved back to be near her mum and sisters.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32She's a very loving and caring person.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35She'd do anything for anybody
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and she'd give anyone her last penny if she had it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Angela's youngest children are
0:11:40 > 0:11:43five-year-old Sky and 16-year-old Angel.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46She's a loving mother and friend.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50She's always there when you need her.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52She's just great to have about.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Angela and the kids often pop over to Annie's house and stay the night.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02They come here on and off all the time, different days and all that.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And we all meet up or usually we're all here together,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07and it's like a madhouse.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Across the road from Annie lives 76-year-old Billy,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14one of nine brothers who grew up here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Younger brother Eddie remembers their early days.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24Billy was very kind, very caring and very well respected.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28He used to look after us when me mam died,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32making meals for us all and he was just a cracking brother.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Unfortunately, Billy now suffers from ill-health and is bedbound.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Billy can't walk very good.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44He has had a Zimmer frame.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's a warm Saturday evening in August.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Angela and five-year-old Sky are staying the night at Annie's.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It was an ordinary evening, just at my mum's, having a coffee.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I was just in my pyjamas and my house coat,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02ready to relax for the evening.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06They're in the kitchen when a neighbour bangs on the door.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09My friend Nicky come in and asked for a hammer.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So I said, "What do you want the hammer for?"
0:13:12 > 0:13:14She went, "Billy's house is on fire."
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So Angela went down to see what was going on.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Out on the street, Angela sees smoke pouring out of an upstairs window.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29It was shocking. It's not every day you expect the house across the road
0:13:29 > 0:13:30to go up in flames.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33A group of neighbours are hammering
0:13:33 > 0:13:36at Billy's front door in an attempt to rescue him.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40There's about 15 people trying to break in the door.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42It was a thick, solid door.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's too strong.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47In an instant, Angela takes charge.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I suppose panic got into me, really,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52with him not being able to move out of the bed.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53I said, "Smash the window."
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But the man with the hammer hesitates.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59So I took the hammer off him, smashed the window myself.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02Got him to help me in.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Still dressed in just her pyjamas and dressing gown,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Angela enters the smoke-filled house.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Her first instinct is to open the front door.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17I looked for the keys first, to try and let people in.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19There was no keys.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Looked for his jacket, there was no keys, no jacket.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So I had no choice but to go up.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Angela guesses Billy is trapped in his bedroom and heads up the stairs.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32It was scary.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Thick, black...
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The smell...
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The smoke is so thick, Angela can't breathe.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42She returns to the bottom of the stairs to catch her breath.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Across the street, Annie is starting to wonder where her daughter is.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I said to my friend Nicky,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52"Nicky, where's Angela?"
0:14:52 > 0:14:54She went, "She's in the house."
0:14:54 > 0:14:55And I panicked.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I thought, "What has she done?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00"Why is she going into a house that's on fire?"
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It was really frightening.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06She joins the anxious group of neighbours outside.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08One has already called the Fire Service.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11They're on their way.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16Station Manager Val Husain is on board one of the vehicles.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Crews treat this with the most urgency because when people are
0:15:19 > 0:15:22trapped inside a property, every second counts.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26En route, Val receives an alarming update.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Members of the public were trying to get inside the property
0:15:29 > 0:15:30to assist Billy.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Everybody knows it's the smoke that kills and we wear breathing
0:15:33 > 0:15:36apparatus whenever we enter a property that's on fire.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Members of the public don't have any of this protection and are putting
0:15:39 > 0:15:40themselves in extreme danger.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45In the burning house at the bottom of the stairs,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Angela comes up with a plan to reach Billy.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I was grateful for the house coat because it had a hood on it
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and it protected me from the smoke.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I had the hood over my head and over my mouth.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I was on my hands and knees then.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02She crawls up the stairs in a bid to find him.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I was shouting when I was going up the stairs, "Which room are you in?"
0:16:04 > 0:16:07And all I could hear was him coughing.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08He couldn't talk to me,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12so it was through his coughing which I figured out which room he was in.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15She narrows it down to the back bedroom but is forced back again.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I started panicking a bit because you could hear him choking.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So I went back downstairs to catch my breath again with the smoke.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Covered myself back up and crawled back up on my hands and knees
0:16:25 > 0:16:27to get into the back.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Just as Angela is making one last superhuman effort,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33the Fire Service arrive.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36A neighbour films as three engines pull up.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Officers smash their way in.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42One of the firemen grabbed me and lifted me out.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Breathing apparatus crews found Billy on the floor.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It looked like he'd tried to make...
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Make his way into another bedroom.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I think if he would have been in there any longer,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54there could have been a much more serious outcome.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Annie is relieved when she discovers Angela is safe.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02When she come out, I put my arms around her and I said to her,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04"You stink of smoke, you silly girl."
0:17:05 > 0:17:08But that's Angela.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10She was thinking of Billy, not herself.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Billy recovered from the smoke inhalation
0:17:14 > 0:17:18but moved into a care home because of the fire damage to his house.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22He's still too upset to talk about the fire but Eddie knows how
0:17:22 > 0:17:24grateful Billy is to Angela.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27She gave no thought for her own safety.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29One of the bravest girls going.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33And on Billy's behalf,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I'd like to thank the Fire Brigade and Angela.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Angela's daughter has mixed feelings about her mother's actions that day.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44She put her own life at risk
0:17:44 > 0:17:46for another person.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51So it's very shocking, but it's good at the same time.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53We would never advise anybody to go
0:17:53 > 0:17:55inside a property that is on fire
0:17:55 > 0:17:58but I've got to commend Angie's bravery.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02She has shown courage to do what she did.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04But Angela's priority was always Billy.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09My sister thinks I'm a hero, my mum does,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13but I just see myself as just trying to help someone.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28In the Atlantic Ocean, more than ten miles off the Dominican Republic,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31best friends Steve and Craig are being pulled further
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and further out to sea.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Their holiday fishing trip has become a nightmare.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The boat's gone down and they're floating helplessly
0:18:42 > 0:18:47in a 25-foot swell with seven other tourists and two boat crew.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50We've got nothing around us for miles.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54We can see land, but it's a long way off.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55What are we going to do now?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00They're pretty sure a search has been launched.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04In the far, far distance they can just make out aircraft which appear
0:19:04 > 0:19:06to be scouring the seas.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08We figured we'd be there for an hour probably.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The captain had assured us he got a call out.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15They knew that the engines had failed and we were taking on water.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18We just thought, "Let's hang tight for an hour and
0:19:18 > 0:19:20"we'll see what happens."
0:19:20 > 0:19:25But as the hour passes, hope turns to fear.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28The aircraft don't appear to be getting any closer.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Two hours pass.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Three hours.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35You knew the helicopter had been out looking for you
0:19:35 > 0:19:37because you could see them. But because we...
0:19:37 > 0:19:38Initially when the boat went down,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41we were already further out than we should have been,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43they were never going to see us from that far away.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Back at the hotel, the men's wives, Sarah and Jill,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49are beginning to wonder what's happened to their husbands.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Jill started to get a bit worried about half past one, saying,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55"They should be back by now."
0:19:55 > 0:19:57I said, "Oh, you know what they're like.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59"They've probably gone for a drink."
0:19:59 > 0:20:02After another hour, they ask hotel reception
0:20:02 > 0:20:04if the fishing trip is back.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07He just looked at us and said, all of a sudden,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09"There's been a bit of an incident."
0:20:09 > 0:20:12To which we replied, "What type of incident?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14"What do you mean?"
0:20:14 > 0:20:16And he said, "There's been a problem with the boat."
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Sarah and Jill head to the marina to see if they can find out more.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And we spoke to one of the dive people.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Asked him what was going on and he said, "It's OK, they'll be fine.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28"They're good swimmers."
0:20:28 > 0:20:30When he said that to me, alarm.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Just pure alarm.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Why would you need to swim? Why would you need to swim?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Apparently, they're supposed to still be on a boat.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39The two women are gripped with fear.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Meanwhile, their partners are battling
0:20:41 > 0:20:46even rougher seas and suffering from the searing 30 degree heat.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48The swell is massive.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51It's like 25 foot, some of the bigger ones.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55So we're constantly getting washed over by the waves, swallowing water.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57They've been drifting for six hours.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02They're all beginning to show signs of severe dehydration and sunstroke.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The water is a warm 28 degrees
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but their bodies are starting to get cold.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Keeping sort of warm by not swimming because we knew we were never going
0:21:10 > 0:21:12to make the land but just gently
0:21:12 > 0:21:14kicking our legs to keep the body temperature up.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20It's now 5pm. There are only two hours of daylight left,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22a concern for rescue coordinator Leon.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25As soon as it goes dark and they can't see...
0:21:25 > 0:21:29They can't see lights on shore, panic could start to set in.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33So it was imperative to find them during daylight hours.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Steve and Craig's concerns are also growing as daylight fades.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40But then, a moment of elation.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Steve spots a boat on the horizon.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47We thought that was our saviour.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50All 11 try desperately to attract attention.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We were screaming and shouting and waving.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56For one heart-stopping moment, the boat appears to slow down.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00But then it simply sails on by.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It was...
0:22:02 > 0:22:05a really bad moment because you...
0:22:06 > 0:22:09You're thinking, like, "This is it."
0:22:09 > 0:22:10You're just thinking...
0:22:12 > 0:22:13"Was that the last chance?"
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I was getting ready,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20in my mind...
0:22:21 > 0:22:23..that I wasn't going back.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30But Leon and the rescue team aren't giving up.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32They continue searching,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36trying to estimate which direction any survivors might have drifted.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Then, out of the blue, a pilot catches a flash of orange,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43amongst the 25 foot waves.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45He dives down for a closer look.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48We start waving at that
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and when that comes over the top and it did its wing tip...
0:22:53 > 0:22:55..dips...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It was such a feeling of elation.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03They'd been found, 13 miles from where their boat went down.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Back in Puerto Plata, Leon orders a helicopter to the scene.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10A team member films as it races off.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The helicopter headed out to do the extraction with the pilot,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16a co-pilot and two rescuers.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20But back at the hotel,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24distraught wives Sarah and Jill haven't heard the news.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27You don't want to admit it to yourself but it's there.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31It's like we've come on a trip and I could be going home without him.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Steve means everything. He's my life.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37With the increased military activity,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39news starts to trickle through.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41They spot a holiday rep.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42He turned round with such a look,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I actually thought it was the worst news ever.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49I just saw her sort of fling her arms around him and I ran across
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and that's when they told us they'd found them.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55That's when they told us that he was safe.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And that's when we found out they'd been in the water all that time.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00We didn't know. We had no idea.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05It was just a relief.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It was just an utter relief.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12But the men's ordeal isn't over yet.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17This footage shows the moment the rescue helicopter reaches them.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The crew of another aircraft film as it moves into position.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Below, still huddled together,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27the group of 11 are tossed about by the waves.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30A rescue swimmer is already in the water.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32He's leapt from the chopper and is battling his way
0:24:32 > 0:24:35through the heavy swell to reach them.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38He grabs the nearest survivor and heads back to the helicopter,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41now hovering just metres above the ocean.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44But it's going to take more than one man
0:24:44 > 0:24:46to save all 11 exhausted survivors.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Another rescuer plunges into the sea and battles the swell to reach them.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55We're obviously happy to see the helicopter but we are getting tired.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57A lot of kicking of the legs.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I'm running on adrenaline because the rescue's going on.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05With the waves crashing and the sun beginning to set,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07the first survivor is pulled upwards.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11A member of the heli crew sits in the doorway, ready to haul him in.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16The rescuers work as quickly as they can.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22This footage shows the chaotic scenes
0:25:22 > 0:25:25as the seventh survivor is pulled to safety.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32There's no more space, the chopper is crammed with survivors and crew
0:25:32 > 0:25:33and it's at its weight limit.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35The pilot must return to base.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40But down below, four people are still in the water,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43clinging to hope and each other.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Steve and Craig are two of them.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You've just got to keep thinking that yeah, you will get out,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50you will make it. You can't give up.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53You've got to stay there and keep swimming.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58But just as the men are steeling themselves for a wait,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01over the top of a wave, Steve spots something.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04There's this lifeboat.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Right, OK. Let's get on that.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The final four are plucked from the waves to safety.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14It was a very emotional time, you know,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17to get out of that water and know
0:26:17 > 0:26:20that you actually are going to go back home.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And see your wives and your friends and family and have a tale to tell.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29This is the scene back at the military base in Puerto Plata
0:26:29 > 0:26:31when, with the sun setting behind the trees,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34the first seven survivors land.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But for Sarah and Jill, it's another two long hours
0:26:37 > 0:26:40before they're reunited with their loved ones.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45At 9pm, 12 hours after the men set off for a four-hour fishing trip,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47they arrive back at the marina.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50They're taken straight to hospital, where their wives meet them.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Just walked straight in, kissed him, just total relief.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Had a bit of a hug. And a few tears.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05I couldn't believe it when I saw him. Just gave him a big hug.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Cuddled him. He was freezing.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10He looked awful but it was just
0:27:10 > 0:27:14lovely to see him again and so happy, really.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Seeing your wife after not expecting to live, yeah,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22it's another moment of pure joy and you just want to hold on to them
0:27:22 > 0:27:25and not let go for a while, you know.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Steve and Craig spend the night
0:27:28 > 0:27:31in hospital hooked up to saline drips
0:27:31 > 0:27:35and covered in medicated cream to counter their severe dehydration
0:27:35 > 0:27:36and sun burn.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Back at the military base, it's mission accomplished for Leon.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44In my seven years in the Dominican Republic,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46never seen anything like it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47It was quite the operation.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50One that continues to haunt Craig.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It's something that's going to keep coming back to me and you just have
0:27:55 > 0:27:57to shudder and just carry on.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Steve acknowledges how close to disaster they came.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I do feel that if that aircraft hadn't seen us,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09we would have been so far out
0:28:09 > 0:28:11in the middle of the ocean by the morning,
0:28:11 > 0:28:12we wouldn't have been found.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25That's all from Close Calls today. See you next time.