0:00:02 > 0:00:04A close call. A moment of danger when life can hang in the balance...
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I could die and 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 > 0:00:18You could see it on the faces of the crew how life-threatening this was.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Why would you need to swim? Apparently they're supposed to still be on a boat.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25These are the people who have been there and lived to tell the tale.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27I thought she had died.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29It's a day they'll never forget,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31the day they had a close call.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Today on Close Calls...
0:00:49 > 0:00:53A car boarding a ferry has careered off into the harbour.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56The young male driver is attempting to climb free,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59but the vehicle is sinking fast.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02A retired police officer dives in to help.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I remember thinking, "If he goes down with his car,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07"I'm only going to get one attempt.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10"If I have to dive, it's going to have to be good."
0:01:12 > 0:01:17And a mountain rescue team battle to get an injured climber to safety
0:01:17 > 0:01:20in appalling weather conditions.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Carrying a heavy weight out across icy snowy ground with boulders is
0:01:24 > 0:01:28difficult and of course the team have to think of their own safety.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34Also today... Horror on the runway as a passenger jet engine explodes
0:01:34 > 0:01:35in flames.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52The Orkney Islands, north of the Scottish mainland.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56A car sinks beneath the icy waters in a busy harbour.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59A young man struggles to escape through an open window.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04He's trapped, his leg caught by the steering wheel.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07A retired policeman is watching the drama unfold.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09It was an easy decision.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11I decided to dive in.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Taxi dispatcher Alex lives and works in Orkney,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25part of Scotland's Northern Isles.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29His family have been there for seven years and run a local taxi company.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's a family business.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33We have three drivers and there are two cars,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36so we do quite a lot of tours and that.
0:02:38 > 0:02:4425-year-old Alex studied at the local college and enjoys life on Orkney.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Busy in the summer, quiet in the winter.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50It varies from time to time depending on what the weather's like.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54I like all the different sites you can go and visit. You can get tours
0:02:54 > 0:02:57round them, like Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar...
0:02:57 > 0:03:00As a hobby and to help supplement his income,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Alex sometimes buys and does up old cars.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08'I just like maybe driving them and putting them through MOTs and spending money'
0:03:08 > 0:03:11on them and then trying to sell them to try and get the money back.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Another resident of the Isles is retired Metropolitan Police officer
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and native Scot, Stuart, who's made his home on Shapinsay,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25a short ferry ride from Orkney's main island.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I came back to Scotland when I retired.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Partly isolation,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33partly the space.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37It's also the people. Very caring communities, I would say.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It's June. The tourist season has just got underway in Orkney and the
0:03:45 > 0:03:48ferries between the islands are getting busier.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Taking a trip to Shapinsay today to collect his latest vehicle project
0:03:53 > 0:03:58is Alex. It needs paperwork and with no garage on the three-mile long island,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00he needs to take it back home.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03The MOT had ran out.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I was bringing it over to the mainland,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10over to the island to MOT it because it needed a fresh MOT and I was
0:04:10 > 0:04:13going to road tax it.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16He has already bought a new battery and brought it with him.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Put a new battery in it, turned it
0:04:19 > 0:04:24and it started, but the battery light was coming on in it.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Alex needs the engine to keep running if he's going to get the car home.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32He has to drive it onto the ferry, which is just getting ready to load.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Also heading for the ferry that June day off on a shopping trip are
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Stuart and Catherine,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43his close friend of many years who is visiting from Edinburgh.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Stuart's a character and a half.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50Stuart is never happy unless he is getting involved in something or another.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52As they stroll down to the ferry,
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Alex is still trying to coax his newly purchased vehicle fully back to life.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59One of the ferry staff gives him some advice.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04He says take it a spin because it will maybe need a wee charge.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07I started it up, took it a run right round.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Alex does so and returns to the ferry terminal,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13but the car continues to be problematic.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17As Catherine and Stuart board the ferry for the 25-minute trip,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19their attention is caught by Alex's troubles.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25I had noticed that he had some difficulty getting the engine going.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Stuart had mentioned that... He says, "That lad's having a bit of bother with the car."
0:05:29 > 0:05:33I says, "Well, they'll just need to do what they can do, push it on or whatever,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- "you know." - With the car ticking over,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Alex prepares to board as a ferry worker directs the waiting vehicles.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45I had lined it into one of the bays and he says, "Back onto the boat."
0:05:45 > 0:05:50I says... I said to him, "Can you not back it on?"
0:05:51 > 0:05:54And he must have never heard me.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57I am nervous reversing onto that ferry sometimes,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59so I was anxious for him.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Alex lines the car up.
0:06:03 > 0:06:09I put it into reverse and the car had broken down at the top of the ramp,
0:06:09 > 0:06:10so they pushed me.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13From their vantage point on the ferry,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Stuart and Catherine watch as Alex then gets the car going again.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21It is quite a steep slope and because the tide was a bit low,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24the ferry was quite a way down the ramp.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I think that took him by surprise.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30The car gained speed, and as we know,
0:06:30 > 0:06:35your brakes are not as efficient in reverse as they are when you're going forward.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38But no-one is ready for what happens next.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42I tried to press on the foot brake and the clutch to slow the car down
0:06:42 > 0:06:43and the car wasn't slowing down.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And the next minute, the car spun...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And then all of a sudden, it twisted to the left...
0:06:47 > 0:06:49..and the car went right into the bollard...
0:06:49 > 0:06:52..and it shot to the right.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55..right into the water, with me in it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59I'm watching this car doing a swallow dive into the sea.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02What amazed me was the speed that the vehicle,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05had managed to achieve in that short distance.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10The car comes to rest in the water more than 20 yards from the ferry.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And immediately you could see the front of the car going down.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16The car was sinking bonnet-first.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Of course then we realise, "My God, bad enough about the car,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21"but the lad's in there, you know."
0:07:21 > 0:07:24My concern was that he was going to go down with the car.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Stuart's 30 years in the police force compel him to act.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29the instinct kicked in.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Preservation of life,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33that's the first thing I remember learning at training school.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Stuart said, "My God," and ran.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I said, "Stuart, don't you do anything silly."
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Stuart arrives at the end of the pier and quickly assesses the situation.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45First of all, when I got to the pier,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I couldn't see any sign of Alexander.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Locals, tourists and ferry workers are frozen with horror,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55as the car begins to slide further under the water.
0:07:55 > 0:08:02People were all standing around the dockside, but were like aghast, you know.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Shocked by the icy water, Alex knows he doesn't have much time.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10The car was filling up with water fast and I said to myself,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12"I'm going to have to try and get out of here."
0:08:12 > 0:08:15We shouted, "Can you swim?"
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- And he didn't answer.- The window on the driver's side is open.
0:08:19 > 0:08:25On the ferry, a local man photographs the scene as Alex tries to clamber through it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I got out of the window, head first and then one of my legs -
0:08:28 > 0:08:31it was trapped. And I was
0:08:31 > 0:08:35trying to kick with one leg and trying to release the other and it was just filling up
0:08:35 > 0:08:38with water and that's when I shouted for help.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The car is sinking, we don't know if he can swim, and my goodness,
0:08:42 > 0:08:43he said, "I'm trapped!"
0:08:44 > 0:08:47That was when my... It was an easy decision.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I decided to dive in.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53With no thought other than to save Alex,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Stuart swims as fast as he can towards the sinking car.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59When he saw Stuart coming, it was like, "Oh, my God,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01"thank God somebody's come."
0:09:01 > 0:09:06You could see in his face, that he thinks, "Oh, that's great, somebody's coming.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08"I am not on my own, then."
0:09:08 > 0:09:11As I swam towards the car, I remember thinking,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15"If he goes down with this car, I'm only going to get one attempt.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19"The coldness of the water and, two, my own strength will fade,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24"so if I have to dive, it's going to have to be good."
0:09:24 > 0:09:27But, just as Stuart nears the car,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Alex manages to free his leg from beneath the steering wheel and starts to
0:09:31 > 0:09:34struggle through the open driver's window.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Alexander did not panic.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40He kept his head and that was great.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44I had managed to get my leg free between Stuart jumping in and getting to me,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I managed to get my leg free.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50The photographer captures the moment Alex scrambles out of the window,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52then, seconds later,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Stuart comes into view as the car becomes almost totally engulfed.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00If I had stayed in the car and hadn't got out,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02I would have been under the water with the car,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06cos the car... The front of the car was under the water.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09By the time they'd got me out, it'd just sank right down.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Stuart's concern now is to get Alex back to the shore.
0:10:12 > 0:10:18The lifebuoy came flying over our heads, thrown by one of the ferry crew.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20My asthma... I'm struggling.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I could hardly get a breath.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26So we just really hung onto the lifebuoy whilst the crew...
0:10:26 > 0:10:28One of the crew pulled us back in, back to the pier.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33And all I could see really was Stuart's grey cardigan floating on the top as he was...
0:10:33 > 0:10:36And the lad's hanging... He's hanging onto the lad, you know,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and the two of them are coming in holding onto this thing.
0:10:40 > 0:10:46This picture shows the moment Alex and Stuart are pulled from the water onto dry land.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48They lie exhausted on the slipway.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It was a tremendous relief.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It was huge. I can't describe it, really,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58how pleased I was that everything was OK.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Catherine joins them moments later.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04He was in an awful state, the laddie, you know. He really was.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08He was shaking uncontrollably. His teeth were rattling.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09He couldn't even speak to you.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12You know, the lad was in shock.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14With no emergency services on the small island,
0:11:14 > 0:11:20Stuart and Catherine decide to drive Alex to the local surgery to get him checked out.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24We wrapped him up in one of these sort of tinfoil things and
0:11:24 > 0:11:30I took him back to my home and he got in the shower, a hot shower.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I was all right, I think I...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36As I say, my body weight protected me.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Let's put it like that.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Catherine isn't surprised by Stuart's actions that day.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's just who he is. It's just how he is.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49He's a darling when it comes to things like that, you know?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I think it was a great thing, you know, a wonderful thing to do,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54that you get to that age and you still to want to help people,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and you're still able to help people.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01And Alex will be forever grateful to the retired police officer.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02It could've been a disaster.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I could have died if I'd went under the water,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08if Stuart hadn't done what he'd done.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12I'd like to thank Stuart very much for what he did.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Stuart's just glad he was there when it happened.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I would do the same again. It was... It was... I had to.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20There was no two ways about it.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23He's a very lucky lad and I'm very glad he's still around today,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and that gives me an awful lot of pleasure.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Passengers flee an aircraft after an engine fire on take-off.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36There was some screaming, a lot of shouting.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50The Cairngorm Mountains in the eastern Highlands of Scotland.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53A climber has fallen.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56John was now not moving and was injured.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58His friend calls for help.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02A rescue team battles the elements to reach them.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05We're two, three hours from the car park if we have to carry this chap.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11The weather has closed in, meaning helicopter evacuation is impossible.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14They have no choice but to carry the injured climber back down
0:13:14 > 0:13:18the mountain through treacherous conditions and failing light.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29John Mailer is a proud family man.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I'm married to Julie.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Two children who I care for very much.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38He's a doctor at a local hospital in Northamptonshire,
0:13:38 > 0:13:43but before joining the NHS, he served 24 years in the RAF.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46John has a passion for the great outdoors.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51I've been a climber since I was 16 and I've progressed through climbing
0:13:51 > 0:13:54into what we call mountaineering, so bigger mountains.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57And the opportunities the Air Force gave me really have been fantastic.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00They've allowed me to travel around the world and climb all sorts of
0:14:00 > 0:14:01exciting places.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06He met one of his greatest pals, Mike Palmer,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08through the RAF Mountaineering Association.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14According to Mike, John is a perfect climbing partner.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18He's a very positive guy, a very fit individual,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20always looking for a new challenge,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and we get on brilliantly together.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31It's a cold, crisp but bright day in February when John and Mike arrive
0:14:31 > 0:14:35in the Cairngorms, one of the UK's most challenging mountain ranges,
0:14:35 > 0:14:36to spend a week together climbing.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Because they're quite high and they have an Arctic-type plateau,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42the weather's usually pretty good for climbing,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45so we planned to go there to see how things went,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47to explore a bit, to try out some new routes.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53John was very excited because he'd instigated it and he was keen to go,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and as we'd climbed together in the past,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59we knew it was going to be a good fun trip.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03John and Mike set off for their first adventure at eight o'clock the next morning.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06After an hour's gentle climb,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09the men decide to look for a more challenging route.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12We'd spotted this climb called Aladdin's Mirror Direct which looked
0:15:12 > 0:15:14really nice. It had a good,
0:15:14 > 0:15:19solid bit of ice in the top half and we thought it was within our capability.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24John and Mike reached the bottom of the ice climb at lunchtime.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27They rope up, ready to tackle the steep, precarious ridge.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30John is the lead climber,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34leaving a gap of about nine metres between the two men.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35Mike is the belayer.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39It's his job to keep the tension on the rope attached to John.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43If he doesn't, John could fall hundreds of metres down the icy and
0:15:43 > 0:15:45jagged face of the mountain.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I was concentrating carefully and John needed me to keep a good watch
0:15:50 > 0:15:53on the rope and give him the support that he needed.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Everything was going swimmingly, so in my mind,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00I thought, "I'll move on a bit and then make it safe,"
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and that's when disaster hit.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06John loses his footing on the ice.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10And the next thing is I'm heading back down to Earth at a rapid rate.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12He came down in a forward position.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14He didn't fall off backwards.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It happened very quickly, of course.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And I can very clearly remember thinking, "Heck, I'm falling.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23"What's going to happen? Will I be OK?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26"You know, I could die here. This is really serious."
0:16:26 > 0:16:31John plunges down the mountain but his safety rope is still attached to Mike.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33I took tension on the rope,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36knowing that John was now falling and was going to come tight onto the belay,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38which he did.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Mike uses all his strength to stop his friend's fall, but the rope
0:16:43 > 0:16:46pulls John abruptly back into the face of the mountain.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Because I was attached to the ice that I was climbing by ice screws,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56you pendulum back into the face and so whichever bit of you hits the ice
0:16:56 > 0:16:57is the bit that's going to get hurt.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04He shouted straightaway, "My ankle, I think it's broken."
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I am a doctor but you don't need to be a doctor to tell you've broken
0:17:08 > 0:17:10your ankle. You can feel it. It's immediately painful.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Your foot feels like it's no longer attached to your leg.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18It was clear that he was in some pain and shock by the fall.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I could see that on his face.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Mike needs to reach John,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27who is now eight metres below him and desperately trying to cling
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- to the slippery slope. - I was still attached to the rock.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I needed to disengage myself from that but remain safe in order to
0:17:35 > 0:17:40help John and make him warm and comfortable until rescue arrived.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46He dug me a ledge in the snow for me to sit in and I put on
0:17:46 > 0:17:49my protective and warm gear so that... Because it was pretty cold.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53The secondary effects of cold on an injury are very serious.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56You can become hypothermic very quickly.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Frostbite to an injured limb is a serious possibility, even in the UK.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05Mike knows he won't be able to get John down the mountain on his own.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Thankfully his mobile phone has a signal.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10He contacts the mountain rescue team.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15John was now not moving and was injured and so was getting cold.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18The light's fading fast.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20It's minus-five degrees and getting colder.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Finding them won't be an easy task.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25I had a low moment.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29I thought this might take hours and hours and I felt really guilty as well
0:18:29 > 0:18:30cos it's not fair on these guys.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32They've given up their time.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35For them to have to do this is above and beyond, really.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38But as luck would have it,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42also on the mountain that day, and nearby, is experienced mountain guide and
0:18:42 > 0:18:48member of Cairngorm Rescue Team, John Lyall, who receives the rescue alert.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52He's climbing with two clients, Scott and Mick, both doctors.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56What I was thinking about was, "How can I use the people I have with me
0:18:56 > 0:18:58"to best effect?" Because I had two medics,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02I thought, "While I deal with securing the scene,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04"one of them can look after the casualty."
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So Scott was landed with the job, so Mick was sent further down the hill to...
0:19:07 > 0:19:11There's a rescue box with a stretcher and some other rescue equipment.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17With worsening snowstorms and bad visibility, rescue by helicopter is out.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The only way back down the mountain for John is to be carried.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23And for that, they'll need more people.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I was fearful for the immediate future.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29"If help doesn't comes soon, this is going to get really serious."
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Two hours later, the main rescue party arrives.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35One of the group is wearing a body cam and records the scene.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Team member Eric Pirie heads straight to John.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41He had a good airway, he was conscious,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45he seemed alert but was complaining of pain in one of his legs,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47so it appeared that his ankle was broken.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Straightaway, they attend to all things that need doing,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55so they had a stretcher that they'd put together that I was going to go in.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58There was a doctor, so I was able get some pain relief.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02We used Entonox gas and air as immediate pain relief to then splint
0:20:02 > 0:20:07the leg and move him onto the stretcher without too much protest.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It takes an hour to treat John and prepare him for the journey
0:20:10 > 0:20:12down the mountain.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The team's body cam shows them struggling to control the stretcher's
0:20:15 > 0:20:16descent across the snow.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20It's something we train for. It's something we're very used to doing,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but it still involves a bit of people power and muscle power,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26lifting it and dragging it and manoeuvring it around.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32But they all know they must get him to hospital fast or his injury could
0:20:32 > 0:20:34become life-changing.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39A fractured ankle doesn't sound like a serious injury but given that
0:20:39 > 0:20:41we're two, three hours from the car park,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44depending on the damage to the tissue round about the fracture,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48depending on loss of blood or circulation to the foot beyond the injury,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51then it's potentially a very serious injury.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56It takes four long painful hours fighting against the extreme weather
0:20:56 > 0:20:59conditions for the team to reach the bottom of the mountain and the
0:20:59 > 0:21:01waiting ambulance.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03John is rushed to Inverness Hospital,
0:21:03 > 0:21:08where the extent of his injury becomes clear when his boot is removed.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12It was an open fracture, which means that bone is coming out of
0:21:12 > 0:21:14the side of your leg. If that happens,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17there's a very high risk of infection and unfortunately,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19that did subsequently happen.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23John needs five operations in total and spends nearly a month in hospital.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26I've not been able to weight-bear for a month.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Been very dependent on my family and my friends to look after me,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32but there's a glimmer of light now.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33I'm progressing, getting better.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Back to work.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39But it will be a lot longer before he can return to the mountains.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Mike, however, has continued climbing,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44but the accident is never far from his mind.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49If John had turned upside down for example and fallen backwards,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52it could have been his head or his neck that impacted the icy rocks
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and he could have been unconscious.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Things could have been very considerably worse.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01John has tried to stay positive after this traumatic experience.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07'It's made me reassess who I am, what I do, what my future holds,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09'and in some sense,'
0:22:09 > 0:22:13made me see how lucky I have been in the past to be able to do what I do.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Usually I work looking after people rather than being looked after.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21As a doctor, as a member of the NHS,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23it's very humbling to see it from the other side.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36When things go wrong, you want someone who can keep a cool head
0:22:36 > 0:22:39in a crisis. And they don't come much cooler than this.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49McCarran Airport, Las Vegas, USA.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54A fully laden passenger jet sits on the runway engulfed by flames.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56The captain puts out a Mayday.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Chris Henkey has been a pilot for more than 40 years.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's his dream job.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21It's just the sensation of it, and I've seen all of Europe,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25most of the world, and certainly, operating as a captain,
0:23:25 > 0:23:31it's the pleasure of taking a lot of people safely to their destination.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35His passion for flying began when he went on a childhood holiday.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36When I was about eight years old,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40we went to Jersey on a thing called a Dove and I just...
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I got the bug from there on, really.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47He's travelled all over the world and has enjoyed some extraordinary moments.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Flew in formation with the Red Arrows,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52flew over the Ayers Rock in Australia.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Lots of things in my career.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57When Chris isn't flying,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01he enjoys relaxing at home and spending time with Lenka,
0:24:01 > 0:24:02his partner for ten years.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Chris is a very warm-hearted man.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12'He's passionate about sports and cooking, so sometimes when I come home,
0:24:12 > 0:24:13'dinner's waiting for me.'
0:24:19 > 0:24:22It's a beautiful warm September day and Chris is about to fly
0:24:22 > 0:24:26the return leg back to the UK from Las Vegas.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30As captain, he's in charge of the British Airways Boeing 777.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34We taxied out, did the before take-off checks.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36There was nothing
0:24:36 > 0:24:38indicating anything was wrong at all.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Chris begins to take off and the plane accelerates.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46A passenger is filming inside the cabin.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Suddenly, at around 90mph, there's a loud bang...
0:24:52 > 0:24:54..and the engine noise dies.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The initial thought was that it was maybe a tyre burst.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Can be very similar to an engine failing.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- STEWARD:- Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated. Please remain seated.
0:25:05 > 0:25:11Quickly the temperature on the engine rose to above 1,000 Celsius
0:25:11 > 0:25:16and the gauge went red and then we had the fire warning come on.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19The plane has suffered a catastrophic engine failure,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and black smoke is billowing from under the wing.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25But in the cockpit, Chris and his crew can't see it.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30All we could see was, like, a grey shadow because the sun was behind us
0:25:30 > 0:25:32so it was casting a shadow over the smoke.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36There are nearly 200 passengers and crew on board.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40We heard a lot of commotion from people who were actually in that section of the plane.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41It must have been terrifying.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44There was some screaming, a lot of shouting.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I mean, people were already standing up and my co-pilot had a bit of a struggle
0:25:48 > 0:25:52to get through and come back and tell me what the situation was.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Travellers in the airport terminal film the plane as smoke and flames
0:25:57 > 0:25:59billow out of the left engine.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01If the fire spreads to the fuel tank,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05the entire plane could explode with tragic consequences.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Chris makes an immediate decision to evacuate the plane and as the crew
0:26:12 > 0:26:15begin the emergency procedure, he alerts the tower.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17This is that Mayday call.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28They saw it all happen, the emergency services.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So they were there very, very quickly, thankfully.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36Terrified passengers use emergency slides to escape from the stricken aircraft.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40The evacuation took about 90 seconds until all the passengers
0:26:40 > 0:26:42were off, so it was quite quick.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47With all his passengers and crew now off the plane, Chris leaves, too.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It's a bit like a ship, you know.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The captain should be the last to leave because, you know,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56he's happy that everything's been done and everybody's safe.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And miraculously, everybody does make it off the plane,
0:26:59 > 0:27:04with only 14 people needing hospital treatment for minor injuries.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09The passengers were happy and relieved that they got off OK and they were
0:27:09 > 0:27:12coming up and thanking us and it was a good feeling.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Chris calls Lenka to let her know he's OK.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's 1AM in the UK.
0:27:18 > 0:27:25He was far away and I was at home and, you know, you want to hug...
0:27:25 > 0:27:31hug person and I was thanking her that he was safe and nothing happened to anyone.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Chris is a hero.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37He managed to save the situation with his calm manner.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39I'm very proud of him.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Chris was due to captain one more flight before retirement but instead
0:27:45 > 0:27:51decides to call it a day immediately, knowing what a close call he'd had.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Any fire on an aircraft is going to be serious.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57If the fuel tanks had been punctured,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11What an amazing guy.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13That's it for today. See you next time on Close Calls.