0:00:02 > 0:00:05Today on Real Rescues, a daring rescue in flood waters.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10'A 999 call reports a woman has been swept away from her car and family.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18'A police helicopter finds her, but the river's too treacherous.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22What actually happened, Ben...?
0:00:22 > 0:00:27'Ben's head-on collision with a car leaves its mark on the vehicle...'
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Blimey! '..and patient.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Is that really painful, Ben? Yeah. GROANS
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'And how NOT to get lost in translation.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'A crash on the M1 leaves police
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'with not one but two drivers who don't speak English.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Where are you from? Are you Romanian? Bulgaria. Bulgarian.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49He is from... Lithuania.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Hello, and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12First, a daring and difficult rescue in raging flood waters.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16It's just before Christmas, and southwest England is experiencing
0:01:16 > 0:01:19some of the most extreme weather conditions ever.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23The floodwater has swept a woman from her family and her car.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28It's up to the combined forces of the fire and rescue, police, locals and the RNLI
0:01:28 > 0:01:30to save all three people.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33You're about to see extraordinary courage.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42'It's two days before Christmas.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46'Devon Fire and Rescue have been at full stretch for 24 hours.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53'Torrential rain and floodwaters are reeking havoc across the county.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58'It's half past midnight when a desperate 999 call comes in.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03'A family are trapped in their car as floodwaters rise around them.'
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'The River Tor has burst its banks.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34'The water has picked up the vehicle and thrown it against some trees.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39'On the line, Control can hear the mother trying to keep her young son calm.'
0:03:02 > 0:03:04SIREN WAILS
0:03:04 > 0:03:10'Fire Control diverts the closest rescuers, but the water is rising.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'Within minutes, there's a second 999 call from a local resident.'
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'Diane Murch can see a man and his young son shouting for help.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'They've managed to climb out of the windows onto the roof of the car,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'but there's no sign of the mother.'
0:03:49 > 0:03:53The water would literally have been up to about here.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58It was terrifying. You could hear the rush of the water.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00You could hardly hear them shouting
0:04:00 > 0:04:03because of the noise the water was making.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19You could hear this awful screaming. It's a noise you won't forget.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Knowing what the river's like and seeing what it was like here,
0:04:24 > 0:04:29we thought she would be swept away and...drowned, died.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'Control pass on the news to the fire crews
0:04:32 > 0:04:35'who have made it through the floods to the scene.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'A police helicopter joins the desperate search to find the woman.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'Conditions are getting worse by the minute.'
0:05:05 > 0:05:09'Thames Valley traffic cops are heading to the M1.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11'Two lanes are blocked southbound.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17'PCs Jason Brinklow and Ian Stephens have to get it sorted and cleared ASAP.'
0:05:17 > 0:05:20We're currently turning underneath the motorway.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25We've seen there's people stood by the barrier...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28..and in the motorway itself.
0:05:28 > 0:05:34The slow lane and possibly the middle lane is still running.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36'Three lanes of traffic are going nowhere.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'The overhead warning signs need updating.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:439-2, the matrix boards are showing a one and two closure.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Also, the barrier is significantly damaged, laying on the floor.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52'It's clear that a car has been thrown into it at some speed.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55'Luckily, there's no shortage of helpful witnesses.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Did you see anything? Only from about 30 cars back.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I stopped to help because I'm an off-duty paramedic.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I'm leaving cos he doesn't want to speak to me. Thank you very much.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08'As PC Brinklow gets nearer the car which has hit the barrier,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10'the witness accounts get clearer.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Started to drift a bit. Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16As it drifted, the truck was in the second lane
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and it clipped the front of the truck.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24It put him sideways and came whacking straight back out the third lane into the barrier.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29'Getting information out of this young driver is going to be much more difficult.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:33No speaking English. OK, um... Driving licence?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Driving licence?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39OK, need a licence... in which to drive.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45'The problems are really beginning.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48'It's not just the car driver who can't speak English.'
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Are you Romanian? Bulgarian. Bulgarian? Right, OK.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55'As Ian checks the lorry driver's documents,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'his colleague Jason has discovered the nationality of the other man.'
0:06:59 > 0:07:02This is the driver of the lorry. He's Bulgarian.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04This chap is the driver of the car.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And he is from...
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Lithuania.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13'It's going to take some time working out who's at fault.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Witnesses say that the lorry was in the middle lane
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and the car was in the fast lane and has moved across
0:07:19 > 0:07:21into the front of the lorry.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The car then collided with the barrier.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Although it's only a very minor touch from both vehicles,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30it caused significant barrier damage.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35'The only way the police can communicate is via the Language Line and a Lithuanian interpreter.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:42Could you ask him who owns the car and where they are at the moment?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44SPEAKING IN LITHUANIAN
0:07:47 > 0:07:53Could you ask him where he was going when he crashed?
0:07:53 > 0:07:55SPEAKING IN LITHUANIAN
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'Jason has finally got the facts he needs.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04'The young man is staying with a friend who just collected a new car.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08'This man is driving his other car home.'
0:08:08 > 0:08:10He came in on Friday.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Intends to leave on Wednesday,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17with no intention of returning to England.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22He's got no insurance for the vehicle, so we have to arrest him.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24'The bad news is relayed via the Language Line.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32'The driver of the lorry is not at fault and can continue his journey,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37'but not before the insurance issues are explained via another interpreter.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'The next stop is Milton Keynes police station.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43'It seems Lithuanians have a different approach.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:45It's certainly more complicated than usual.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Neither of the drivers spoke English. This chap's from Lithuania.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55In Lithuania, as long as a car is insured, any person can drive it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58That's simply not the case here.
0:08:58 > 0:09:05The lorry driver wanted written proof that the crash wasn't his fault from us,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08which would be supplied in his own country by the police,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and we simply don't do that here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Mind your head.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19'At the police station, the man is taken inside, where he was cautioned.'
0:09:21 > 0:09:25There was someone in the house that didn't belong in the house?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Jack was telling me a story about a lady waking up
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and finding someone sleeping in the house.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Start at the beginning. A call came in about 8am.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41This elderly lady had just woken up, came on the phone and said, "There's a strange man in my bed."
0:09:41 > 0:09:45We have the call record come up from where she'd called in the past
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and there had been calls where she's reported things stolen
0:09:48 > 0:09:51that she'd moved herself and gets a bit confused.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54But it's a rule that you can't pre-judge a call.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58You always deal with what information you're getting.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03We wanted to see if there was anyone to verify there was a strange person in her bed.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Fortunately, her carer had turned up for the morning visit.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10She's said, "Yes, there's a man in her bed. None of us know who he is."
0:10:10 > 0:10:14In her house? Asleep in her bed. He was still asleep at the time.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16We had some neighbourhood officers nearby.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19They managed to get there really quick.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Turns out it was this vagrant who'd passed by, seen an open window,
0:10:23 > 0:10:29said, "I'd like to sleep in a bed." Didn't care that anyone else was in the bed, and went to sleep.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32So, really no nasty intent from the chap concerned?
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Nonetheless, it must have been terrifying. Fortunately, no intent.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I can't imagine waking up to that sort of circumstance.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Someone who's vulnerable, it must have been horrifying.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48So, despite no nasty intent, I imagine you gave him a pretty stern talking to.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Fortunately, it wasn't myself, but I imagine the neighbourhood guys did on her behalf.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57It just goes to show, when you go to bed, make sure that you are secure
0:10:57 > 0:11:03so, intent or not, nobody can make themself an unwelcome guest when you're not expecting it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05A very frightening story. Absolutely.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14'In north Devon, the police helicopter has joined the search
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'to find a woman swept away by floodwaters.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22'Her husband and young son are still clinging to the roof of their car.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26'The helicopter crew are using their infrared night vision camera
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'to search for a heat source that might be the missing woman.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35'Suddenly, they spot something glowing white.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38'It could be her.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:43ON RADIO: We've got someone in what looks like bushes,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46second fire tender back from the front,
0:11:46 > 0:11:51immediately opposite on the other side of the bank, someone in bushes.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Not the first row of trees but the one afterwards.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00'Incident commander Neil Blackburn gets in touch with Fire HQ.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:23'The fire crews just make out a hand in the torchlight clinging to the trees.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'Over the roar of the water they try to make contact.'
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'By now, the woman, Vanessa Glover,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53'has been in the water for at least 20 minutes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'It's just four degrees above freezing.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01'The river is four and a half metres deep and flowing at 12 knots or 15 miles an hour.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'Visibility is zero.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'After being swept out of her car and down the river,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'Vanessa has managed to grab on to a branch.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I didn't aim for anything. I didn't swim for anything.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21I don't know how I clung to the tree but I found myself at a tree.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I was kind of hugging the tree like a koala bear.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29I couldn't hear anything other than the roar of the water.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Intermittently, complete shock would overcome my body
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and I'd shake involuntarily.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43The water was up to my chest and I thought, if the water rises,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47because I assumed that it would rise with the tide coming,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I was looking above me
0:13:49 > 0:13:53to see which bough of the tree I could cling hold of.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57But I realised it was covered in ivy and that it would be treacherous
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and actually, I was better off where I was.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It was utterly, utterly terrifying.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08'The fire crew move along a nearby flooded road in a flat-hulled boat.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'The RNLI are en route with their specialist boat.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'The rescuers will have to navigate
0:14:14 > 0:14:16'across a 15mph current to get to her.'
0:14:21 > 0:14:26'Options are running out. Crossing the river by boat looks impossible.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29'The police helicopter is on scene, but has no winch.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'The last hope now is the Air Sea Rescue helicopter.'
0:14:46 > 0:14:50At that point, my heart sank. I realised it would not be possible
0:14:50 > 0:14:54for Mrs Glover to hold on for that period of time in the water.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58'Further upstream, a second rescue is about to be launched
0:14:58 > 0:15:00'to reach Vanessa's husband and son,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04'still stranded on the roof of their submerged car.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'A local farmer has volunteered to help.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15'He carries two firefighters in the bucket of his tractor.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:20This here's the loader bucket. We had to raise it above the water.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24The water at that point was about this height on the tractor.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The air intake is about that level there.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It was as deep as what you'd want to go into.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'Father and son, Paul and Silas,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40'manage to get into the tractor bucket and are driven to dry land.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45'Two of the family are safe. It's a huge boost to the rescue team.'
0:15:54 > 0:16:00It was incredibly brave. It was ten knots of water, three foot deep.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02They made a very calculated decision
0:16:02 > 0:16:05that was the right one in conducting that rescue.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10It was safe. There was no way we would have done it if it wasn't.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12When people are in danger,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I think you go that little bit extra, anyhow.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'Back in the river, Vanessa's situation is more critical.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'The rescue operation has been going on for 40 minutes now
0:16:24 > 0:16:27'and the water levels are rising with the tide.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:31I was aware of the force of the water in the small of my back,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35which both held me to the tree,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but also inched me around the tree.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43If I started at 7 o'clock, I felt I was inched to 6 o'clock.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And I thought, "If I get inched to 5 o'clock,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50"there's nothing to stop me going off downstream."
0:16:52 > 0:16:55'The rescuers risk crossing the floodwaters
0:16:55 > 0:16:58'after Vanessa's cries for help suddenly stop.'
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Coming up on Real Rescues...
0:17:14 > 0:17:16'Ben takes flight downstairs...'
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Blimey! '..and heads straight into a car,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'leaving a mark on the car and his head.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26'And a motorbiker has a lucky escape
0:17:26 > 0:17:28'after being caught out in the wrong clothes.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:38SIRENS WAIL
0:17:41 > 0:17:46'The firefighters of Green Watch are on their way to an unusual call-out in Southampton.'
0:17:46 > 0:17:47HORN HONKING
0:17:47 > 0:17:51'It's a fire on a refuse lorry, and it's on the move.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'First, they have to find it.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02'The worry is they're in a built-up area and they have no idea what's inside the lorry.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06'It could contain all kinds of unknown hazards.'
0:18:06 > 0:18:08That'll be the one on fire there.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13'There's no problem spotting the lorry, parked up on the edge of a busy main road.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16'There's lots of traffic, but no properties nearby.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18'That's the only good news.'
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Is it all domestic stuff? No. It's all trade waste.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26So, pallets, bits of everything. SIRENS APPROACHING
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'It's a potentially dangerous situation. Backup is on its way.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34'Getting access to the fire is going to be tricky.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:36No way of getting to that at all?
0:18:36 > 0:18:41I can tip it, lift it up. It's inside it, isn't it? Yeah.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I can make a mess and tip it out. The only way is to dump it? Yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Ah. OK.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Where are you going? Where do you dump it?
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Marchwood, I go. Marchwood. That's miles away, isn't it?
0:18:54 > 0:19:00'Firefighter AD Knight goes to brief watch commander Sean Foster, who's just arrived.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The only way to get into that is to open it
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and it means it all coming out.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11It's got to be the waste that's on fire cos there's nothing mechanical in there, is there?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'There's no immediate risk of the lorry catching fire,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16'so there could be another solution.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Get a jet in there, cool it down, give us breathing space.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22We might ask you if you'd be happy,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26if we can identify some ground to tip it, we'll follow you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Yeah. Can we have a jet out?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32'The rear can only open a small amount
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'and they have no idea how far in the fire is.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40'But as soon as it's open, flames are visible.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:47Right in there. You can just about see it as well. Just under there.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'Opening the back has exposed the flames to oxygen.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'It won't take long before it starts spreading.'
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Get the water on it sooner rather than later.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Yeah, get right through there, mate. It's just under.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11'Firefighter Alex Breadbury directs the water through the narrow opening.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'After a heavy dousing, the fire seems to have died down.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Let's have a look, mate.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23There were visible signs right through.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'They can't be certain it's out until the rubbish is removed.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29'And that's a problem.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:32It's just getting rid of the waste after.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35If we dump it, where are we going to...? Yeah.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38We don't know what's in there and the pollution...
0:20:38 > 0:20:44'The waste needs to be emptied in a safe place but the nearest site is Marchwood - a 30-minute journey.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:46I've spoken to our Control.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50As long as you're happy to take it to Marchwood, we'll come with you.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55I'd suggest a police escort, one chap in front, one behind.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57If you're happy to drive it.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59You all right with that?
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Yeah. I'll be all right. Bit of excitment, isn't it?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07'With the driver keeping a cool head, they decide to proceed.'
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The police are going to escort us through red lights.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14We're not blazing... That's probably the wrong term.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Ben will be inside the cab of the refuse lorry and we'll have communication.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I am sitting on the dustcart that's on fire.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Obviously, if the smoke starts to increase we may need to stop
0:21:27 > 0:21:29and give the contents a squirt.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34If that goes below 50 we're screwed!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'They set off in good humour.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:42This is going to be a rubbish story.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'So far, it's all going to plan.'
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I have to say firefighter Breadbury did an excellent job with the jet.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56He's knocked the fire down. I'm sure the fire's not out.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Obviously, six tonnes of waste, it's probably deep-seated and it'll carry on smouldering.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07'The convoy reaches its destination with no further mishap.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Hold fire with the jet.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We'll get him to tip his load out, bring the truck forward,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17check everything's out the truck then damp the rubbish down.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'The load is ejected - and there's a lot of it!
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'There's a huge amount of waste packed in the lorry.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32'It could easily have developed into something much more serious.'
0:22:32 > 0:22:35We're going to spread it with the machine.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39'A digger makes short work of sorting it out.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42'There's now little sign of smoke, let alone fire.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47'But they can't take any chances. All the waste needs a thorough dampening.'
0:22:47 > 0:22:50This is the best course of action. There's a lot of rubbish.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It is trade waste. There's all sorts of nasties in there.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57It would have made a huge mess and a lot of disruption in the city.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02If we'd tried to fight the fire in the city, we'd have been hours.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07The fire's out and it's taken us an hour and a half, so I'm pleased. It's a good result.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19An intruder in the house is a serious matter,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23but not all intruders are human, as Di will explain to us.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26You had a call which started as a road traffic incident? Yeah.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30We took a call from somebody driving at night along a country road.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36It was a fairly busy road and there were sheep running around, so they rang the police.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They couldn't catch them themselves. So who did you send?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43One of the local officers and the PCSO, who knew the area.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46They went looking for the sheep and did find them,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48but they kept running off.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50It was quite dark. It was late at night.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53The police officer called and said, "It's all right.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59"The ewe has got herself behind a gate. We shut the gate. The lamb will find her."
0:23:59 > 0:24:01The gate wasn't to a field? It wasn't.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03They were getting back in their car
0:24:03 > 0:24:07when a light came on in a building nearby and they heard a chap shouting.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10They got out of the car and what happened was,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13the chap had heard what's going on, opened his front door
0:24:13 > 0:24:18to have a sheep run straight past him in the house into his kitchen.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Bit of banter going backwards and forward? A lot of banter!
0:24:21 > 0:24:26Including when the officer got there about how close it was to the oven.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30He said, "It's not, but if I can't catch it it will be!" In the oven!
0:24:30 > 0:24:35How did they get the sheep out? They went for a dog lead because it wasn't coming willingly.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38They did eventually get the sheep back out
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and the chap was quite happy in the end.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46The sheep was with a lamb and they got separated. Do we have a happy ending?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Yeah, they got it into a field
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and they could hear the lamb afterwards bleating away,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53so we got a happy ending.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55It's nice to have a happy ending.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00It's made me think about mint sauce, but that's just me. Thank you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09'Vanessa Glover has been swept away from her car by raging floodwaters.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12'She's been hanging on to a tree for at least 40 minutes.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15'In these temperatures,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19'the rescue team know most people lose consciousness after an hour.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22'But Vanessa is on the other side of the swollen river.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25'The rescuers can see her, but they can't get to her.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:31'And now, her cries for help have stopped.'
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'Now the floodwater specialists from the RNLI have arrived.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49'In the pitch black, they try to find a safe way across the river.'
0:25:49 > 0:25:52You could hear Mrs Glover screaming.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54On the way up the road, she fell silent.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58The aura within the team changed, the priorities changed.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01"We need to get in there and get the job done."
0:26:15 > 0:26:19'The river is at a record height and getting higher by the minute.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'With the rescue helicopter half an hour away,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24'this is the only chance to save Vanessa.'
0:26:30 > 0:26:34It was pitch black - you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38We were in the main flow. I was stemming the flow of the water,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42gradually letting the force of the water bring the boat back.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45'Guided by a searchlight from the police helicopter,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49'the RNLI rescue boat edges towards Vanessa.'
0:26:49 > 0:26:54There were high power lines only two to three metres over our head.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We didn't realise that the far side of the river there was a scrap yard
0:26:57 > 0:27:00with untold debris field through there.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04And, of course, the debris that was flowing downstream, trees, branches.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It wasn't until we were actually parallel with Vanessa,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12who was three-quarters of the way up the tree, clinging to shrubbery,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16that we realised we needed to be really quick with this.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21'They reached the tree Vanessa had been clinging to for over an hour.'
0:27:21 > 0:27:24The boat appeared to my left
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and these two hands came out and hauled me in,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and then another two to assist.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35And there was such determination in that grasp of me
0:27:35 > 0:27:37that I will never forget it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49'Chris steers the boat back through the darkness
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'to the relative safety of a nearby meadow.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It was such a relief from everybody.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The mood completely lifted.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09I have to say, the fire crews, all the agencies, were buzzing.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14'Vanessa is safe, but she has no idea of the fate of her family.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19'It's over an hour since she was forced to tell her husband Paul to let her go,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'as she tried but failed to climb onto the roof of their car.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Paul had taken hold of my hood
0:28:25 > 0:28:28and the hood was filling up like a bucket
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and my coat was pulling across my throat.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35But I could see, too, that him holding me
0:28:35 > 0:28:38put himself at a precarious angle.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40I was worried that I might pull him in.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Silas was crying and needed reassurance.
0:28:44 > 0:28:50So I told Paul that he needed to let go of my hood and to let me go.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55And I saw his empty outstretched hand
0:28:55 > 0:28:59and I took off like a rocket and shot the rapids.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04'After her rescue, Vanessa is taken to the local hospital.'
0:29:04 > 0:29:08That was the moment that Paul and Silas and I were reunited.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11The ambulance doors opened...
0:29:11 > 0:29:14VOICE BREAKING ..and there they were
0:29:14 > 0:29:17to greet me, not knowing what they'd find.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22When I came home, I knew the joy...
0:29:25 > 0:29:27..of being alive.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Because it struck me then
0:29:31 > 0:29:35how very different Christmas might have been for Silas and Paul.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41'Vanessa and family are reunited with her rescuers.'
0:29:41 > 0:29:45They were so brave, courageous, capable.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52SIREN BLARES
0:29:54 > 0:29:59'On duty in Portsmouth, ambulance crew Jade Foley and Graham Harfield.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01'They're heading to a railway station.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05'It's sounding like a routine callout.'
0:30:05 > 0:30:08We're on our way to a 17-year-old boy
0:30:08 > 0:30:11who's fallen and hit his head on a car.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14We're not expecting it to be high speed.
0:30:14 > 0:30:20'As they head down the road by the station, a group of women wave them down.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23'Technician Graham is going to take the lead.'
0:30:23 > 0:30:26What's actually happened, Ben? I don't know how I tripped.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I tripped and hit the car right there.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Blimey!
0:30:33 > 0:30:37'It's a bizarre accident. Ben has tripped on these stairs.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41'His cousin Bob, not quite believing what's happened.'
0:30:41 > 0:30:46He's hit the top step, it must have been four or five steps, and caught the front of his foot.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51Then he's gone head first down the steps, cleared the pavement,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53missed the road
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and the first contact was with the car.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00'Which is why there's such a big dent into the vehicle.'
0:31:00 > 0:31:03You feeling a bit dizzy? I feel sleepy. Sleepy, OK.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Were you knocked out at all? No, he wasn't. He wasn't.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11'When I realised he'd started going a bit woozy,'
0:31:11 > 0:31:15and you could see all the bruising on the top and a bit of grazing,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17that was when I got concerned.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19"Right. You've really got hurt here."
0:31:19 > 0:31:23GROANS Is that very painful, Ben? Yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29'Ben has obviously suffered a substantial knock.'
0:31:29 > 0:31:31All right? I just want to go to sleep.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33You want to go to sleep?
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Cos you've hit your head and got serious bumps to your head,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41we're going to put you in a collar. OK. Put you on a board.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I just want to cry right now. Ah.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47It's a laugh, though, isn't it? OK. All right.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49'Jade gets the collar ready.'
0:31:49 > 0:31:54This might be a bit uncomfortable. Just keep everything nice and still.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58OK? That hurts where you've got your hand!
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Hurts where I've got my hand? Which one? That one. This one? Yeah.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Where does that hurt? All over that spot there.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09OK. Try and keep your head nice and still for me.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Have you seen the dent you made? No.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Can you see it? Yeah. It's quite big, isn't it? It is a bit.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20I don't know how I tripped over, that's the most curious thing. Hm.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23'Ben has clearly hit the car at some speed,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25'his head taking the full impact.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27'It's an unusual case for the crew.'
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Hello, Ben. My name's Jade...
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'The car drivers did not have a clue what had happened.'
0:32:34 > 0:32:38All they'd heard was a bang but they weren't parked on the road.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41They were parked in an off-road bay.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Thought maybe someone had hit them, possibly, from behind.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51They said the bang was quite loud and down on the left-hand side front of the car,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55somewhere where nothing should be able to hit the car.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59'They were quite surprised when they saw a boy sitting next to the car.'
0:32:59 > 0:33:01'Graham wants to keep Ben talking.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04'It's the best way to monitor his head injuries.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07'He's looking for memory loss or slurred speech.'
0:33:07 > 0:33:10You on your way home? Yeah. I'd just finished college.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Yeah. I'd just finished for the year. What are you studying?
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I'm studying engineering. Oh, all right?
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Marine engineering. Marine engineering? Yeah.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25You all right there? Yeah. Do you know what day it is?
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Today...
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Oh, God! I forgot! CHUCKLES
0:33:30 > 0:33:33'Ben may be concussed.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37'He could also have suffered more serious damage to his neck and head.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40'Paramedic Jade prepares the scoop stretcher.'
0:33:40 > 0:33:45I'm going to come behind your back. We want you to slowly lie down.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49'Two nurses who work at the nearby hospital have stopped to help.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53'All four work together to get Ben onto the stretcher.'
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Both legs together, please, Ben. One, two, three...
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Push that in for us. That's it.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Ready, steady, lift.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07'Ben's getting a lot of attention but he's not happy.'
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Why today? Oh, why any day, Ben? Why any day?
0:34:11 > 0:34:14All right. Best of luck, Ben.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18There'll be a few bumps. Make it as smooth as possible.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22'In the quiet of the ambulance, Graham can continue his observations.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Pain in your head? Yeah.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Pain in your neck? Yeah.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31And pain in your...? Leg. Which one again? This one.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Which one's that? The l-left one. Good.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36What day is it today, Ben?
0:34:39 > 0:34:43To be honest, I've forgot. You forgot? Yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46What year is it? 2013.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Who's the Prime Minister? David Cameron.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52'Ben's long-term memory seems good,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55'but there is some short-term memory loss.'
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Obviously, a trip up the hospital for you. Yeah.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03Still feeling sleepy? Yeah. OK. Try and keep awake. OK.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09'They get him to the nearby hospital for further checks.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12'His dad, Steve, has joined cousin Bob.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16'Ben's being checked over by emergency department consultant and army medic
0:35:16 > 0:35:18'Colonel Catherine Hartington.'
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Done a bit of Superman flying and landing.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26But he's hit the wing of a car right by the wheel arch.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Sizeable dent in that as well.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Just going to look all the way down your back.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36It may be a bit uncomfortable when I press, but tell me does it hurt?
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Yeah, that bit did. That bit did. OK. Down here? No.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Here? No. Here? No. No.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46All the way down here? Yeah. Lovely.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51We need to get some X-rays. We'll get those done as quickly as possible.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57All right? I'm being very cautious. OK. I don't want to miss anything.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01'Later, the results of Ben's overnight stay in hospital.'
0:36:11 > 0:36:14'Thames Valley officers Matt Waters and Dan Smith
0:36:14 > 0:36:18'are heading to a collision between two vehicles - one a motorcycle.'
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Reports are that the motorcyclist has injured one of his legs.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26He's unable to move it, so we're en route now.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33'They arrive to find motorcyclist Jovan conscious and lucid.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38'It's clear he's in pain, but he manages to describe what happened.'
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I hit the brake.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45The front wheel locked up. Skidmarks started from underneath your car...
0:36:45 > 0:36:49'Jovan avoided hitting the car but, as he braked, the bike went down,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53'leaving him sliding along the road, and he's only wearing jeans.'
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Are you the driver? Can we have a chat? What happened, then?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59JOVAN CRIES OUT
0:36:59 > 0:37:03'The bike came down hard on Jovan's ankle. It could be broken.'
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Broken leg or not? I don't think so...
0:37:07 > 0:37:12'Paramedic Tom Timmins give Jovan Entonox to ease the pain.'
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Take deep breaths on that, mate. You might go a little light-headed.
0:37:16 > 0:37:22'After getting the driver's account of the incident, Matt gathers witness statements.'
0:37:22 > 0:37:25So what did you see? I was right behind her.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30I saw him cos my husband rides a motorbike. I saw him coming down...
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Did you witness it? That car started to turn in.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36He put his brakes on, just slid off.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Where's the bus driver? See if the bus driver's seen anything.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50'Before Jovan is moved, his ankle needs to be protected.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54'The paramedics encase it in a vacuum splint.'
0:38:04 > 0:38:06'Jovan's been lucky.'
0:38:10 > 0:38:13'X-rays at hospital will reveal if his ankle is broken.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16'The grazes on his legs are relatively minor,
0:38:16 > 0:38:19'considering he wasn't wearing leathers.'
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Take a big breath for me.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Lovely. Well done.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Right, what we'll do is, we'll sit you up
0:38:35 > 0:38:39and give you a bit of a hand up onto the stretcher.
0:38:39 > 0:38:45'They need to get Jovan into the ambulance for more effective pain relief.
0:38:47 > 0:38:53'Then they can transport him to hospital to check out his shoulder and ankle injuries.'
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Good luck, darling.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57I've given your brother my number.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'He's got pain in his right ankle,'
0:39:01 > 0:39:04a few grazes up the right side, but otherwise he's OK.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09'It turns out that one of the bystanders is Jovan's brother Chris.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11'He's also a keen biker.'
0:39:11 > 0:39:15So, we'll recover it or you can sort out your own recovery.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17I'll let you think about it.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21'Dan recruits Chris to help him move the bike from the road.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24'Somehow, it has also escaped serious damage.'
0:39:26 > 0:39:29It doesn't look too bad. The foot pedal is broken off.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34A bit of damage at the back, but I think it will live to fight another day.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36It's quite a new one.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41This is obviously a quick sketch to get the vehicles where they were
0:39:41 > 0:39:44because we had to get the road reopened.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47I'm going to do a more detailed sketch.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'With the scene photographed and the street view sketched,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53'all that remains is to measure the skidmarks,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'in order to check that speed was not a factor in this accident.'
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Right, I'd say that was...
0:40:00 > 0:40:0221 foot exactly!
0:40:03 > 0:40:07'Once the bike's recovered, Matt and Dan head for the hospital
0:40:07 > 0:40:09'to get a final statement from Jovan.'
0:40:23 > 0:40:27'Ben the college student who smashed his head against the car
0:40:27 > 0:40:29'suffered no lasting injuries,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32'but spent a worrying few hours in A&E.'
0:40:32 > 0:40:35When I got to hospital they put me on a spinal board
0:40:35 > 0:40:39cos they thought my neck was broken, I hit the car that hard.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41I sort of went into a panic.
0:40:41 > 0:40:47Then when it came off, it felt like a relief I haven't done anything serious.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51'But exactly how Ben managed to headbutt a wheel arch
0:40:51 > 0:40:55'is still a bit of a mystery to his cousin, Bob.'
0:40:55 > 0:40:57He thought he was Superman for a minute!
0:40:57 > 0:41:00No other way to put it! He literally took off.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05They're taking the mick because I watched a Superman film the day before.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10They said to me, "Trying it out, are you? You're not the man of steel!"
0:41:13 > 0:41:16'The motorcyclist who came off his bike to avoid a car
0:41:16 > 0:41:18'has made a full recovery.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21'It turns out Jovan did not fracture his ankle.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24'He was not to blame for the accident.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27'The driver of the car was invited by police
0:41:27 > 0:41:30'to attend a driver improvement course.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36'A few months on from her dramatic rescue,
0:41:36 > 0:41:41'Vanessa Glover met with the RNLI floodwater rescue team,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44'who risked their own lives to pull her out of the raging waters
0:41:44 > 0:41:47'two days before Christmas.'
0:41:47 > 0:41:50To give a family Christmas
0:41:50 > 0:41:55when it could quite easily not have happened is amazing, really.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59It'll live with us as well as the Glovers for a very long time.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03'The three crews were each awarded the RNLI bronze medal for gallantry
0:42:03 > 0:42:06'for their actions on that night.'
0:42:06 > 0:42:10VANESSA: I think what distinguishes my rescue is the calibre
0:42:10 > 0:42:15of the RNLI team who came to my rescue.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19They were so brave, courageous, capable.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22'So thank you to everyone for their part in my rescue.'
0:42:31 > 0:42:36Weirdly, Vanessa's rescue reminds me of that great film It's A Wonderful Life,
0:42:36 > 0:42:42where, just before Christmas, you have everything that you care about taken away and then given back.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45How much more you must value those things.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Of course, we value our emergency services for showing their courage
0:42:49 > 0:42:53in carrying out that rescue - something they do every day.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57That's it for today's Real Rescues. See you next time.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:07 > 0:43:10E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk