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 > 0:00:11..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 > 0:00:25These 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 > 0:00:53a couple's romantic break at a converted fort a mile out at sea
0:00:53 > 0:00:57ends in disaster. Julian and Linda are celebrating
0:00:57 > 0:01:01their silver wedding anniversary when she suddenly collapses.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I did not know where help was going to come from.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08A Coastguard helicopter races to the scene and a lifeboat is launched,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12but by the time they arrive, Linda's condition is deteriorating fast.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16You could see it on the faces of the rest of the crew
0:01:16 > 0:01:18how life-threatening this was.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And a trucker has just seconds to save his own life
0:01:23 > 0:01:27as another driver's load hurtles towards him.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Spitbank Fort, a mile off the coast of Portsmouth.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45A Coastguard helicopter and a lifeboat are called to the scene
0:01:45 > 0:01:50of an accident at the converted sea fort, now a luxury hotel.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53A woman celebrating her wedding anniversary has fallen
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and suffered a severe head injury.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Her husband is panic-stricken.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I was thinking, if help doesn't come,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02this girl is going to bleed to death.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The isolated fort can only be reached by helicopter or boat,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10but with the minutes ticking away,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14the medics on board both are going to be working against the clock.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28Helicopter medic Dave is part of a busy Coastguard team based at Lee-on-Solent.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31He's got 40 years on the job.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35It's a bank holiday Monday and the whole crew have had an early start,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38taking part in a search operation along the south coast.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44But they've just received an urgent call to divert to Spitbank Fort Hotel,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49a mile out at sea, where a woman has collapsed and has serious injuries.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Dave receives a full briefing en route.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55You know there's no medics on there, so you want to get there
0:02:55 > 0:02:58to get medical help as your first priority.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Members of the Gosport and Fareham inshore lifeboat service are also scrambled.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Ambulance technician Chris is one of the team who responds.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I was having a lie-in on the bank holiday Monday.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13My four-year-old knocked me on the head with my pager going off,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and obviously proceeded down to the lifeboat station.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19He's beaten to it by James, who films using a head cam.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23I was one of the first to arrive, so it's my job to help get the boat out.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Get ready, get in a suit, make sure that we're on the water
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and heading to the emergency as quickly as we can.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Skipper Phil spots the Coastguard team.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Whenever the helicopter's involved in an incident,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37to us, it instantly increases the urgency
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and the severity of the incident we're going to.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Chris arrives and the team are ready to launch.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48We waited for him to board the vessel cos he has a wealth of medical knowledge.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52My training includes intrafibrillation, oxygen therapy,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55scene management and extrication training that are above and beyond
0:03:55 > 0:03:57obviously a normal first aider, which our crews are.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- RADIO:- 'Solent Coastguard, Gosport lifeboat...'
0:04:00 > 0:04:04As they get closer to the fort, they can see the Coastguard helicopter hovering above.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Last time they did this, it was an exercise.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Today that could pay off.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14We all know what each other do
0:04:14 > 0:04:18and so that saves critical time - minutes and seconds.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22While they power across the water,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25winchman Dave has already been lowered onto the fort
0:04:25 > 0:04:28from the helicopter and reached the female victim.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I was pretty certain that she'd suffered a significant head injury.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I also noticed that there was blood, what appeared to be clear fluid,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38coming out of her left ear.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Now, that clear fluid is cerebral spinal fluid, OK?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So again, you know you're dealing with a fractured skull.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48He knows he'll need help
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and it arrives within minutes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55The lifeboat crew scramble up the ladder, with James still filming.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57This is his footage.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Lying barely conscious on the stone floor of a corridor
0:05:02 > 0:05:06on one of the fort's upper decks is Linda.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Dave kneels at her side.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Nearby, her husband Julian waits anxiously,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15along with members of the hotel staff.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16She didn't fall unconscious at any point.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So she shouted as soon as she hit the ground, did she?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Yes, she did. She was responsive throughout the whole time.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24All right. OK. All right, Linda, what I want you to do for me...
0:05:24 > 0:05:26I knew we were dealing with a serious situation.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29You could see it on the faces of the rest of the crew
0:05:29 > 0:05:31how life-threatening this was.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The trip to the fort had all started so differently
0:05:40 > 0:05:42for devoted Southsea couple Julian and Linda,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45who've been together for 31 years.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50We've been married 25 years, but we've known each other for 31.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56Linda, she is a gregarious person and she means everything to me.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I can't believe that 31 years has passed.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04With their silver wedding anniversary approaching,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Linda arranges a special night away.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Her chosen hotel is only a few miles from their home -
0:06:10 > 0:06:12nautical miles, that is.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I heard about Spitbank Fort through a colleague at work.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20It's been modernised and converted into a leisure site.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I thought that sounded ideal.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25She had booked a night,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28which was reassuringly expensive.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We don't normally stay in luxury hotels and this was
0:06:31 > 0:06:34a good opportunity to spend some money and lavish it upon ourselves.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The couple are excited as they set off on a bright August day
0:06:41 > 0:06:43to celebrate at sea.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The boat got us out from Gunwharf to the fort in about ten minutes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53It's a lovely place to have some time together
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and look out at the place that you've lived all your life
0:06:57 > 0:06:58from a different angle.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04We were given a champagne reception and then they just take you round
0:07:04 > 0:07:09the fort. We had our lunch and then after that, we...
0:07:10 > 0:07:13..went and made cocktails in the bar at the top.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Went and chilled out in the hot tub under the light of the stars.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It's proving a magical experience for them both,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25but it's going to be short-lived.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29The following morning,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32we went off to breakfast at 8:30,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I felt unwell and excused myself.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I didn't think there was much to worry about.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Sometimes you don't feel great.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It was quite early.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I hadn't got very far actually, just out of the dining room
0:07:45 > 0:07:47onto the concrete flooring, and...
0:07:49 > 0:07:51..I fell.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55And apparently I screamed, and that must have alerted the staff.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59As she falls, her head hits the stone floor.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05And that's pretty much where Linda's memory of their special night on the fort ends.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08But for Julian, every last second of what follows
0:08:08 > 0:08:10is etched in his mind forever.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16As one of the staff tends to Linda, another rushes to fetch him.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I went over by her side and...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22..tried to do what I could to...
0:08:24 > 0:08:26..reassure her.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28She wanted to be sick.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And she was laying on her side and she was bleeding heavily from her ear.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Julian is gripped with fear.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38They're on a fort a mile off the coast, surrounded by water,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41with only the staff and other visitors.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I did not know where help was going to come from.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46We were out in the middle of the Solent...
0:08:47 > 0:08:50..she needed help, I didn't know where it was going to come from.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I remember panicking about that.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Rescue workers discover Linda's injuries are very serious.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04And it's a race against time to get her off the fort.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I was concerned for her. Very, very concerned.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Our biggest fear that Linda would lose consciousness
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and ultimately, further down the line,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13she could eventually die from that serious head injury.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Falling ill out at sea must be a pretty frightening experience,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27but at least we know there are volunteers out there ready to help.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30But now back to dry land, where a fast reaction time,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34literally a split second, can make all the difference.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46An HGV driver approaches a roundabout on a busy main road.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49His dash cam is recording the journey.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Less than 50 metres from the junction,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55he sees a builder's truck laden with scaffolding
0:09:55 > 0:09:58heading towards him from the opposite direction.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03As it begins to pull level, he has two seconds to save his life.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05All I knew is I had to duck.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19David Monaghan is a professional driver.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22These days he's mostly behind the wheel of his car,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26but for more than 30 years, he's driven enormous HGVs,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28transporting food around the country.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31What I like about HGV driver, I'm more-or-less my own boss.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I've got nobody looking over my shoulder,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36telling me what I can and cannot do.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I drive the road, the road tells me what I can and cannot do.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44David lives with his wife Barbara in Eccles, Greater Manchester.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47They have four children, eight grandchildren
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and two great-grandchildren.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52He loves driving, he's done it for quite a number of years now,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54so it's his passion.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56There's nobody there to mither him so he can just get on
0:10:56 > 0:10:58with doing what he enjoys most.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03When he isn't behind the wheel, David's very much the family man.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Everybody would say their dad's the best dad they could ever have,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10but in my terms, he really is.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Anybody needs help, even outside the family,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14they'll always come to my dad.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Although he loves his job, David admits it has its stresses.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22You have to have good reactions to be a driver, because
0:11:22 > 0:11:26in a fully loaded articulated vehicle, it's 44 tonne.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's not a car. Can't stop like a car.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32So we have to be aware of what's coming up beside of you,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35what's in front of you, what's further up the road
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and what you're carrying.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41When he's on the road, the family can't help worrying about him,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44particularly when they see some of the footage
0:11:44 > 0:11:46his dash cam has captured.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It does scare you because you hear of wagons coming off bridges,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52getting blown over, other wagons falling asleep
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and crossing central reservations.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- You hear it all the time. - I've worried about him for years.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00My worst fear is someone knocking on the door and saying
0:12:00 > 0:12:02there's been a bad accident. That is my worst fear.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05As soon as he walks through that door, I can,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07you know, sigh of relief.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09He's home yet again.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14During his 30 years crisscrossing the country,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18David's had his own occasional near misses with other drivers.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23That's why he's installed a front-facing dash cam.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Numerous people have clipped me...
0:12:27 > 0:12:29..and I have to prove my innocence.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I thought if I've got a dash cam, I don't have to prove anything.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34The videos show it all.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39In the early hours, one cold January morning,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41David sets off from his Manchester depot
0:12:41 > 0:12:43with a truck full of deliveries.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I drove all the way down to Shrewsbury...
0:12:47 > 0:12:51..done three drops, just coming up to the roundabout,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53bin wagon in front of me.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Turn left, he got away,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57then the transit van came off the roundabout with his indicator on.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Just looked at him.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The van is a builder's pick-up, carrying a scaffolding platform.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It exits the roundabout and heads up the road towards him.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13But the platform isn't fully secure.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16A split second later, it starts to slide.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I knew I was going to get hit.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Where I was going to get hit, didn't have a clue.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Whether it would land on the floor and hit the engine,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29didn't have a clue. All I knew is, I had to duck.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31In one dramatic moment,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35David lowers his head and body behind the wheel and dives down
0:13:35 > 0:13:37towards the footwell. As he does,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41the metal scaffolding platform, weighing 200 kilos,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43crashes through his windscreen.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52The speed he was going, the speed I was going,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54total impact 50-plus miles per hour.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's like putting a spear into butter.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59It just goes straight through it.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08The clock on the dash cam records less than two seconds between
0:14:08 > 0:14:12the huge load sliding towards him and smashing through the cab.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14I just heard the glass shatter.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Didn't see nothing. Didn't know nothing.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19How was I able to react to it quickly?
0:14:19 > 0:14:20I haven't got a clue.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It was instantaneous.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23Didn't think about it.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The scaffolding platform passes over David's head
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and comes to rest in the driver's position,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31at head height.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Somehow, David brings the truck to a stop.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37He's stunned into silence.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Only the sound of the vehicle's fan can be heard.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Outside, other motorists who witnessed the accident are frozen in horror.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It takes 41 seconds before one reaches him.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56I'm all right.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Get an ambulance.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04He opened the door. He asked me, am I all right?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08I couldn't say nothing cos I was covered in glass.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Then I heard him say, "Do you want to me to turn the engine off?"
0:15:14 > 0:15:18And that's when I realised I still had my foot on the clutch.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19And my foot on the brake.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24David's reflex action has stopped the truck careering through the roundabout.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34The next driver to get to David is an off-duty paramedic.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I was just showered in glass, blood on my face.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56The scaffolding platform was over the top of my head.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I couldn't get up. I was told to stay where I was.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18An ambulance crew arrive and help David out of his wrecked cab.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22As I was climbing down, that's when I knew I'd hurt my back and my neck.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28They fear he has whiplash from the impact and the speed he had to move to avoid it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Later, David sends son Michael some photographs of his lorry.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36I was laughing at it at first.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I thought, he's gone to work and somebody's smashed the wagon up.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Then he texts back, "I just ducked."
0:16:41 > 0:16:44So obviously when I got that I thought, this is...
0:16:44 > 0:16:48I just went white and went dead cold and it just freaked me out.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Michael phones his dad straightaway,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54who instructs him not to tell his mum.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Instead, Michael rushes over to see his sister, Joanne,
0:16:57 > 0:16:58who lives across the street.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04He showed me the pictures of me dad's wagon and I was like,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07"Whoa, that's close, how's the driver?"
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And that's when my brother turned round and said it's me dad.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And I was just... I was just in shock.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15And she just stood there and she just went...
0:17:15 > 0:17:17"Nearly lost me dad."
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And we both just stood there and stared at each other for a few minutes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Back at the scene, David's truck is towed away
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and after the ambulance crew treat his cuts and grazes,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29a colleague collects him and takes him home.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34He just showed me the photographs, he didn't say anything,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37just said he nearly wasn't home, and they were horrendous.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Just couldn't believe that something like that had happened.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44He showed me the video and that was even worse.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I was crying and he didn't really speak much.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But later, the shock registers.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I think it was about ten o'clock that night
0:17:53 > 0:17:57that he started feeling emotional
0:17:57 > 0:18:01and I think that's when it really set in, that what's just happened.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03You know, "I shouldn't be here now."
0:18:03 > 0:18:07David's close call has had a lasting effect.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09He's suffering from post-traumatic stress
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and currently isn't able to drive commercial vehicles.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I do still watch the dash cam video now and again.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Just to remind myself just how close I did come...
0:18:21 > 0:18:23..to being killed.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Like you say...
0:18:27 > 0:18:29..two seconds from death.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42At an isolated hotel based on a fort in the middle of the Solent,
0:18:42 > 0:18:47wedding anniversary celebrations for mum-of-two Linda ended suddenly
0:18:47 > 0:18:49when she collapsed and hit her head.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54A Coastguard helicopter and a lifeboat have responded to the emergency.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58The lifeboat crew have just arrived at the scene
0:18:58 > 0:19:01to discover Linda's condition is grave.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05They've linked up with helicopter winchman paramedic Dave
0:19:05 > 0:19:08from the Coastguard, who's seriously concerned.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Hotel staff have told him what happened.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13She'd suddenly gone rigid when she was stood
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and went straight back like an ironing board,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and banged her head, and the ground that she banged her head on
0:19:19 > 0:19:21was solid granite.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26I was pretty certain that she'd suffered a significant head injury.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30I also noticed that there was blood and what appeared to be clear fluid
0:19:30 > 0:19:32coming out of her left ear.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Now, that clear fluid is cerebral spinal fluid, OK?
0:19:35 > 0:19:39So again, you know you're dealing with a fractured skull.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Dave's also concerned Linda may have damaged her spine.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48So you don't want to move that patient initially at all really.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55The lifeboat team, working alongside Dave, film, using a helmet camera.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59She was just being tended to by the paramedic from the helicopter.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01There was a lot of noise, a lot of commotion.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05They were obviously glad to see us and Linda was in a very upset state
0:20:05 > 0:20:06with an obvious head injury.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09As she went back, was she unconscious?
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Her husband Julian, circled here, is glad to see them.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18One of them went round and collected information from the witnesses and myself.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Paramedic winchman Dave and lifeboat medic Chris
0:20:22 > 0:20:24liaise about what's needed.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29This lady was going to have a C-spine collar put on.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Stay with me, Linda.
0:20:31 > 0:20:37'We were going to stretcher her off and get her evacuated as quickly as possible.'
0:20:37 > 0:20:40But they're worried about further complications.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Our biggest fear that Linda would lose consciousness and ultimately,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47further down the line, she could eventually die from that serious head injury.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Can you open your eyes for me?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50We were allocated obviously different roles,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52who would take charge of the head,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54who would take charge of personal possessions,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56who would take charge of Linda's husband.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58He was very, very worried.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01We just had to try and speak to him and get any information from him,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04and try and calm him as well.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Help me.- We're going to help you, Linda.- Help me.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11While the paramedics and crew get to work, Julian feels helpless.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Help me.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16When someone you know and love is distressed like that
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and they're calling out for help, you want to help them,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and you're trying to think of more things that you could do to help.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25OK, go.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29I now knew that she was being treated by a team
0:21:29 > 0:21:32that's going to make things all right.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36So from that point of view, I was calm, but I... Inside, I was...
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I was shaking.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40If you can get the husband just to even just hold their hand,
0:21:40 > 0:21:45it occupies his mind. If he talks to his wife, they can...
0:21:45 > 0:21:48they can hear it and it obviously gives the casualty
0:21:48 > 0:21:49a bit of comfort as well.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Working as quickly as they can,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Dave and the team secure Linda on the stretcher.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58But soon they need to climb up the fort's steep metal ladders
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and slippery stone stairways to reach the upper deck
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and call the helicopter back in.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Those are the stairs we're going up.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09The top stairs, they slope, the metal ones.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Sorry, the concrete ones, they're a little bit smoother
0:22:11 > 0:22:14cos they've worn away. OK, watch your footing.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15All right, darling?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18We are just going to wrap you up nice and warm, OK?
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Once we'd packaged Linda up into the rescue stretcher for the helicopter,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25my job was then to coordinate our team,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27how we were going to get her safely up,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30coordinate with them to...safety lines.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33And you're just going to go up ahead of us, so if something goes
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- wrong, you can just sit down and just hold until we readjust.- Yes.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38But even if they make it up the steps,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40they face another challenge at the top.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45We needed to use a high line for this extrication, because it's very
0:22:45 > 0:22:48dangerous to have the helicopter close to the Victorian fort.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51So what we do is we winch them off and then guide the winchman
0:22:51 > 0:22:54so he doesn't go into a spin because of the downdraught
0:22:54 > 0:22:56hitting the water at the side of the fort.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07The team's experience shows, as they carefully carry Linda up the steps
0:23:07 > 0:23:10with the deafening noise of the helicopter overhead.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Once we got there, we had to ensure a clear, safe area,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15make sure the rope wasn't going to get tangled.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Everyone's aware time is running short.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22They must get Linda on board the helicopter and to a hospital
0:23:22 > 0:23:23or she won't survive.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26She had deteriorated quite a bit. She'd gone very quiet.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30She had a very vice-like grip on her hand.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We knew that she was getting worse at that point.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35She started getting a lot of bruising around her eyes.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Again, that's a sign that she has got a fractured skull
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and there's some bleeding going on there.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So I was concerned for her. Very, very concerned.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48If I was to be truthful and a betting man,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52I wasn't 100% that she was going to survive.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Dave clips on and within seconds, he and Linda are airborne,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01dangling over the waters of the Solent,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03as the heli crew haul them in.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05It was a matter of seconds really.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Once Dave had clipped on, away they went.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I felt sad that I was now no longer by her side.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19It was then a case of just
0:24:19 > 0:24:22hoping and praying that everything would be all right.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The helicopter rushes Linda to a waiting trauma team
0:24:27 > 0:24:31in nearby Portsmouth, leaving Julian feeling bereft.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Everything was quiet.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Clearly, the...
0:24:37 > 0:24:39noise of the helicopter was quite deafening.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42An eerie silence came.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Lifeboat medic Chris takes charge.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50You want to kind of keep your spirits up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52We all hope for the best, but we do know obviously the outcome
0:24:52 > 0:24:54sometimes can be quite bad and tragic.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Julian collects their things and the lifeboat crew take him ashore
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and on to Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Within an hour, he's back at Linda's side.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Chris volunteers to stay with him.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I explained to the doctors obviously who I was,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12so obviously family members need to be with Julian at the time,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15but I was waiting there till someone could come and relieve me from his family.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I stayed with him for about an hour and just provided reassurance
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and someone to chat to through this difficult time.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Because of the seriousness of her injuries,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Linda is moved to Southampton Hospital, a major trauma centre,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33where doctors tell Julian they need to operate straightaway
0:25:33 > 0:25:35to remove blood clots.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39The operation goes well and four hours later,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Julian is able to be at his wife's side again.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47After awhile, I was allowed to go and see Linda and she was able
0:25:47 > 0:25:51to squeeze my hand when I called her name,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and that was brilliant.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I felt... I felt a lot better.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01But it's three days before Linda fully regains consciousness,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05although she has little memory of what's happened.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Julian and their daughters are at her bedside.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I was so pleased.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14I was pleased to see everybody and I don't really think at that time
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I understood how serious the injury was.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22In one of my follow-up appointments,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26the head injury specialist nurse spoke to us for quite a while
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and I did say to her, "So in the scale of seriousness of injuries,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34"this was quite a minor injury, was it?" And she said, "Absolutely not.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36"This was a spectacularly bad injury."
0:26:36 > 0:26:40We were told that people that get that sort of injury can die
0:26:40 > 0:26:43if not seen really quickly.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47The speed of recovery, I'm convinced, is associated
0:26:47 > 0:26:51with the speed at which she was seen by the hospital staff.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Linda makes a remarkable recovery,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58leaving hospital after just ten days.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00But she's been left with some problems,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04including hearing difficulties and the loss of smell and taste.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I can still hear,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09out of my left ear,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but that might deteriorate as I get older.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17My sense of smell and taste may or may not come back.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Those are a small price to pay for...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23..the fact that I'm still alive.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I think Linda was incredibly lucky on that day.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31She had some fantastic support from an independent lifeboat station like ourselves.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34The fact that the helicopter was flying up and ready
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and could get there as quickly as possible,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and that she had some brilliant people on the crew here
0:27:38 > 0:27:41who had the life-saving training that she needed.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Seconds really did count that day.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53That's where it happened.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Right there and thank goodness there was a happy ending.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59See you next time on Close Calls.