0:00:01 > 0:00:03Today on Real Rescues,
0:00:03 > 0:00:05an emergency on the River Thames.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08The RNLI lifeboat is heading out to a sinking boat.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Four people are on board and in danger...
0:00:15 > 0:00:20..a young tennis talent is hurt after a head-on smash at 60mph.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23The woman's grandfather is shocked to see her crumpled car...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25..but looking at this, she's been very lucky.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Look at the state of this.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33..and firefighters battle to stop a fire which is threatening
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to move into a roof and spread next door.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Richie?
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Covering jet round the back.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Hello, and welcome to Real Rescues,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01the series which features some of the most difficult
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and dramatic rescues carried out by the emergency services.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08They all start with a 999 call picked up at a police control room
0:01:08 > 0:01:13like this one, or by ambulance, coastguard or fire and rescue.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15When there's an emergency on the River Thames,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17one of the key resources for the coastguard
0:01:17 > 0:01:20is provided by the lifeboat charity, the RNLI.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They have four stations on the Thames
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and are amongst the busiest in the UK.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29RNLI's Tower Station on the River Thames.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31It's a hot summer's day,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33the sort of day when people flock to the river...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36ALARM RINGS ..and emergencies happen.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It's mid-afternoon when a 999 call
0:01:38 > 0:01:41comes into the coastguard from a mobile.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11THEY CALL OUT INSTRUCTIONS
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's the worst possible emergency. A vessel is going down.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22One of the rescuers en route
0:02:22 > 0:02:25is full-time RNLI crewman Chris Walker.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27We knew that we had a boat that was sinking
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and the location of it was down by the Millennium Footbridge,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31outbound of the station on the Thames.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33We also knew that there were four people on board
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and that was all the information we had at that time.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The sinking boat is on the other side of Blackfriars Bridge.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43It's high tide, the river is fast-running,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47but the lifeboat is one of the quickest in the RNLI fleet.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It's on scene in just a couple of minutes.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54As we came through the arches at Blackfriars Bridge,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56we could see the boat in the distance,
0:02:56 > 0:02:57quite close to the north shore.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Still relatively deep water
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and it had been massively affected by the passing tide.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08As they approach, the lifeboat crew kill their engine to limit the wash.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10The closer we got, we noticed that the boat
0:03:10 > 0:03:11was getting lower and lower in the water.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16The small, wooden speedboat is low in the water.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Two young women are crouched on the bow,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21trying to keep the stern from going under.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22As we got alongside the boat,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25it was fairly evident that we had to get them off very, very quickly.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35The first woman is safely hauled on board.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The group aren't wearing lifejackets.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49The crew know that if anyone falls into the water now,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51it could be disastrous.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55The Thames, it's not a safe place at all.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58There are undercurrents, there's very, very fast-flowing tide.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01The water itself is not exactly the healthiest of water
0:04:01 > 0:04:03to go swimming in, and also the temperature itself.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05When you go into that water not prepared,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07then you can be affected by cold shock.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11As we got hold of the owner, he stepped onto the lifeboat
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and as his foot left his own boat, it was starting to get wet
0:04:14 > 0:04:16as his boat disappeared underneath the water.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22This sort of service is a very classic in-the-nick-of-time service.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Had we been even ten seconds later,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27we imagine that boat would have taken on enough water
0:04:27 > 0:04:30to capsize it and then all four people would have been in the water.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36With the boat quickly submerging, the lifeboat crew
0:04:36 > 0:04:40need to manoeuvre upstream of the wreckage to tie it to the riverbank.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41If the debris floats free,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44it could become a hazard to shipping in the Thames.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Now that we've got the crew of the vessel on board our lifeboat,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50our concern is, now that they are safe,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53we have to make sure that other river users are safe,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55so we grabbed hold of the painter from the front of the boat,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57that's the line that comes off the front,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00tied that onto one of the chains on the embankment wall itself
0:05:00 > 0:05:04to stop their boat actually drifting into the way of other shipping
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and becoming a hazard to that shipping.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Once we'd secured that boat, our colleagues in the police boat,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11the fire boat and also the Port of London Authority,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14they dealt with any flotsam and jetsam and the vessel itself,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17which meant that we could get lifejackets onto the casualties
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and take them back to the lifeboat station
0:05:19 > 0:05:22to make sure that they're safe and well.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25By now, the shock is beginning to hit the four friends.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27The next stop is Tower Station,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31where the group will be checked over and briefed about river safety.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33The risk that would have been presented to them,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36being in the water in such a heavily industrial area
0:05:36 > 0:05:38with so much commercial traffic, is just unthinkable.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Later, the crew are called to a party-goer in distress.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49She's trodden on some glass and it's embedded in her heel.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52You're probably going to need to go to hospital for them
0:05:52 > 0:05:54to have a look at it and maybe give it some stitches.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57She's not going anywhere on foot,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00so there's only one way to get her on her way to hospital.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18A fire engine is weaving through the busy city-centre streets.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22A house is on fire.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Green Watch don't know how serious, but in the distance, there's smoke.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Two men have made it safely out of the house.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Everyone's out! Smoke is coming from an upstairs bedroom window.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Watch manager Sean Foster has to get as much information
0:06:47 > 0:06:50as he possibly can as quickly as he can.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Do you know where all the electrics are?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Under the stairs, OK. And what's on fire?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Your cupboard? And what was in there?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00You haven't got any gas cylinders, anything like that, no?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Adie, can we have entry control?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09If you boys want to start up, electrics have not been isolated.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12They're under the stairs. Middle bedroom.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I don't know what's on fire.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17He seems to think rubbish.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Sean heads round the back.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23He finds even more smoke pouring out of the upstairs.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Right, get a jet round here.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Richie? Covering jet round the back.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31The fire is progressing fast.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38In the bedroom, Rich?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Yeah, I see it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Right, OK.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The house's occupants are called to safety.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Thick smoke is now pouring out of the front of the house as well.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Stan, it's going quite well.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The only way to knock back the flames is from inside.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Two crew go in wearing breathing apparatus.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Adie?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Feed out some more reel.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13The fight is on to stop the fire moving into the roof.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15That will put the neighbouring house in danger.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Overseeing operations is tactical advisor Mark Raven.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27While the breathing apparatus team is doing all they can on the inside,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Rich Green is tackling the flames from the outside.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33He has to stop the flames moving to the roof
0:08:33 > 0:08:35while his crewmates work below.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37There's a team in the bedroom...
0:08:38 > 0:08:40..fighting the fire,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and all the hot gasses are coming out the window,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46so I'm just cooling those hot gasses so it doesn't catch the roof alight.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Keep your BA on. Charlie, if you want to come round the front...
0:08:51 > 0:08:52It's going well out the front.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56As soon as I've got more personnel, I may put you in.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The fire chiefs have called for backup,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00in case the fire moves to the next house.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But, in the nick of time, an update comes over the radio
0:09:10 > 0:09:13to firefighter Adie Knight - inside, they're winning the battle.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Yeah, it's died out there just fine.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23The PPV is a powerful fan which firefighters can only use
0:09:23 > 0:09:25once the flames are out.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28The fan will push the thick, hot gasses out of the building.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Not at the moment. If they can just keep it under control...
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Yeah, I need to find out a bit more about the history of the fire. OK.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52They've cleared the house of smoke.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It's safe for watch manager Sean to take a look inside.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Adrian Cobb was one of the firefighters inside the house.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Small bedroom, but the fire was going well.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Nice and warm.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Smoke had spread to the other bedroom and the bathroom,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and the landing and stairs were quite heavily smoke-logged,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14but, once we worked out where the fire actually was,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16it didn't take long to knock down.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18And the fan came on, blew the smoke away,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and it's much easier from then on.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The building is owned by a housing association.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's equipped with all the correct fire safety measures,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29which have helped to limit the spread of the flames.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It has fire standards similar to a hotel,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36so it has fire doors and things and they were closed,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40so the fire was contained within the room of origin.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Early reports suggest that the fire was caused
0:10:45 > 0:10:47by a discarded burning cigarette.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Fortunately, most of the house has been saved.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The job is done, and Green Watch can pack up and head back to base.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05If you've been witness to a domestic dispute, you'll know
0:11:05 > 0:11:08that it's a very terrifying, very upsetting situation.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11If you've been involved with one, it can be very frightening
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and upsetting, and the police take it very seriously.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16But what happens when that domestic dispute
0:11:16 > 0:11:17starts to impinge on the safety of others?
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Brigitte, here, can tell us about a call, if...
0:11:20 > 0:11:21Are you on a call, or are you all right?
0:11:23 > 0:11:25No, I'm fine. Just clear, OK.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So, yeah, tell us about this domestic
0:11:27 > 0:11:29that wasn't in a house, was it?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32No, it was in the middle of a motorway.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Partner and his girlfriend were having an argument,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and she decided to ring 999 because he was driving so dangerously
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and erratically that she was worried about her safety
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and the safety of her two children that were in the back seat.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46OK, so they're still at speed... Yep. ..and getting worse.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48And getting worse. He was driving erratically,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51undertaking other people,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53other vehicles, on the motorway,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56so it's just an absolute nightmare for herself,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59because, again, she's a moving target, a moving location,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and she's highly distressed. Highly distressed.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04OK, presumably, the first thing you've got to do
0:12:04 > 0:12:05is find out where she is.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Find out where she is - hard on a motorway as it is,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10but at the same time she was saying whereabouts she was going to
0:12:10 > 0:12:14and going from, so we got a good location and, obviously,
0:12:14 > 0:12:15whilst I'm on the phone to her
0:12:15 > 0:12:17she wanted to pull over on the hard shoulder,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but what I was doing was actually looking at the road policing units,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23making them all aware of where she was going to be heading up towards,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25so that we could look at maybe putting them over
0:12:25 > 0:12:28to a safer location. She wanted to stop on the hard shoulder,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30just wanted to get out of the car.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's not a safe location to do that, so, without actually giving him
0:12:33 > 0:12:37too much information that we were going to be making our way there...
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Why don't you say, "We've got cars coming toward you"?
0:12:39 > 0:12:43It might escalate. It might prompt him to have a panic reaction.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Take evasive action or something?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Take evasive action. So whilst you're on the phone to them,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51we're trying to get the units to come up behind them
0:12:51 > 0:12:54so that they can pull them over in a safer environment.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So, the first thing he knows, there's cars around him. Yep.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And we're just pulling him over to a safer location,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04so off of a slip road, so that it's off of the motorway,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06off of the hard shoulder, cos it's a dangerous location.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10But, again, she wasn't told that over the telephone, because, again,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13not to prompt the reaction, just in case other road users...
0:13:13 > 0:13:15At which point it just becomes a standard domestic,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17where you've just got to separate the parties.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Yes, and then work out who's at fault,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22what are the offences that have been committed. Yeah.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23That's what we have to do.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I never thought about that, but, of course, people do have rows in cars,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28but it's not a safe place to do it, that's for sure.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Thank you very much. That's OK.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38SIRENS WAIL
0:13:38 > 0:13:42It's 7pm, and Thames Valley traffic cops Garry Fortnum
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and Ray McNaught are responding to an emergency call.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50Just had a report of a two-vehicle injury collision
0:13:50 > 0:13:53on the road from Wing to Aylesbury.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01When they reach the scene, there are actually four cars involved.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Two have left the road.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04One is a total wreck...
0:14:05 > 0:14:08..and the other is completely unscathed.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Broken-down vehicle here.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15This car swerves out to come round it, hits oncoming car.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19The last car in the hedge sees all this happening in front of it
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and just exits stage left, not colliding with anything,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24but puts the car in the hedge to escape being involved.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30This is a single-carriageway road with a 60mph limit.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32It's been a high-impact collision,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37and the black car has taken the full force of the smash.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The driver, Claudia Marsala, was on her way out to dinner with friends,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45but she's ended up in the back of an ambulance on a spinal board.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Her granddad Vic has arrived and can't believe the damage to the car.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Looking at this, she's been lucky.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Very lucky. Look at the state of this.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58She's just got herself a four-year tennis scholarship in Alabama
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and we're flying out Friday morning.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Great timing. At least she's not too badly injured, by the look of it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Not sure about the left leg, but, looking at this,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12God knows how she got out of it.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13I really don't.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Surname, please. Surname? Marsala.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The main concern is young tennis player Claudia,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21who's still in shock.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25There's a worry her injuries may affect her burgeoning career.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Ray is determined to keep her spirits up.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30You wanted a new car, Claudia, didn't you?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Oh, yeah, you're supposed to be the next...
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Who's the... Who's a famous tennis player? British tennis player?
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Robson, isn't it?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Laura Robson. Do you know her?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Oh, wow, there you go! You just name-dropped!
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Can we just have a couple of autographs while we're here?
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Yeah, I'm going to get your autograph in a minute. Maybe not today, but...
0:15:52 > 0:15:54You're ahead of the game! Yeah.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Somehow, Claudia's escaped any serious injuries,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but her leg and head will need checking in hospital.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It's just three days before she's due to fly out to the US.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08I think she's just worried that... She's a young girl,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11she's been involved in an accident. She's just a bit worried.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16But she's going to the hospital now,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Stoke Mandeville. I'll arrange to go and see her in a few days' time.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Ray isn't sure why Claudia didn't react in time
0:16:28 > 0:16:30when coming around the bend.
0:16:30 > 0:16:36Unfortunately, this lady here has broken down on the side of the road.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40It's on a slight bend, but she's nearly all off the road.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42She's only got one set of wheels on the road.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Lots of vehicles have managed to pass her, even large lorries.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50She was sat in her car, heard some screeching from behind,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52some brakes being locked up.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Unfortunately, the black car behind us
0:16:55 > 0:16:58we believe has tried to come past her
0:16:58 > 0:17:01when another vehicle was coming the other way,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and there's been a collision.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Lots of other cars have managed to get by,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07so why didn't that one get by?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10We'll be looking into that.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11It's a massive clear-up job,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and, as night falls, they finally pull the BMW from the bushes.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Ray can't believe how anyone survived this smash.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22It was lucky there weren't any big oak trees in there and stuff.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Good God.
0:17:24 > 0:17:30I think the smaller trees have just cushioned him as he's just went off.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Especially if he's been coming through at 60, or 55-60.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40I think because the car's obviously so well built, it's a new car,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42it's got lots of safety features on it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Most of the impact has been taken by the engine compartment,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and that's saved the driver from having any sort of serious injuries.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51If it had been a smaller car,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54there would have been less protection.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I mean, there would have been a lot more damage.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58With the black one...
0:17:58 > 0:18:02in a way, it's very fortunate the young lady has swerved
0:18:02 > 0:18:05to her right a little bit
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and the BMW has hit the side of her,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and that's lessened the impact into her car.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14If it had been a head-on collision between both cars,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I suspect we'd be looking at quite serious injuries.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19There's just a few loose ends to tie up
0:18:19 > 0:18:22before they can head back to base.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26That's us done now. We're getting the recovery vehicles out.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29They're going back to Milton Keynes, a recovery depot there,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and we'll get both ends of the road open to the traffic,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36which probably won't be that much at this time of night.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40We can get going and I think it's our tea time now.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Still to come on Real Rescues...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54..the insect that caused this road accident.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The driver tells police how he lost control at the wheel.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00The van driver, who's sitting on the floor, came straight up to me
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and he said, "It was my fault.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06"A bee came in my window and I flinched, and I swerved,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08"and I've hit the car coming the other way."
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And Burton the kitten proves he's not such a cool cat
0:19:11 > 0:19:14when he gets himself trapped behind a freezer.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16CAT MEOWS
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Emergency care practitioner Julian Wensley-Smith is heading up the M3.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31We're just going off to Chandler's Ford,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33just on the outskirts of Southampton.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38A 999 call's come in for a man, apparently in his 70s,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42with diabetic-related issues, so we're just sort of fighting our way
0:19:42 > 0:19:44through the traffic at the moment down the motorway.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47SIREN WAILS Should be there in a few minutes.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Doesn't take too long to get there.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Hello? Julian arrives to find Harry, a diabetic of 25 years,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55who is breathing but unresponsive.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57His wife Rosemary dialled 999.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00What's his health been like over the past week? Any coughs, cold, or..?
0:20:00 > 0:20:04No. And he's been up to speed on all his medications as prescribed? Yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07So all the normal routine? Yeah.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Nothing unusual? No.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Harry, that's just a bit of oxygen.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Can you talk to me, Harry? Hello?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19You're not feeling 100%, are you?
0:20:19 > 0:20:20No, OK.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Just testing Harry's blood sugars at the moment. We know he's a diabetic.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27He's got all sorts of other things going on as well.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30He is responding to me when I'm speaking to him,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33but he's not responding as well as I'd like him to.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Just a matter of doing all his clinical -
0:20:35 > 0:20:37little scratch coming, Harry -
0:20:37 > 0:20:39doing all his clinical observations first,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41to get an idea of what's going on.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46And although it's likely his sugar levels are low, we've got
0:20:46 > 0:20:49to make sure there's nothing else going on that we're missing.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It's important not to be blinkered and just assume it's diabetes.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54So we'll just give him a thorough check through
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and see if we can find out what it is.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Julian's initial suspicions are correct.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03His sugar levels are low,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and ordinarily we'd try to get somebody to eat something
0:21:05 > 0:21:07in the first instance,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10because it's the easiest way of getting the sugar levels back up.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So what I'm going to do is just pop up a drip with some glucose in it,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and hopefully we'll just bring him round
0:21:15 > 0:21:17in a slow and controlled fashion.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Glucose is a natural energy source
0:21:19 > 0:21:22which should raise Harry's sugar levels and consciousness.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Harry, you're just going to feel a scratch in your arm.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Julian needs to administer the glucose via a drip.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It should have an immediate effect.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Well done, you. Look at that - you didn't even flinch. Good man.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Once Harry's a bit more alert and a bit more with us,
0:21:37 > 0:21:38we can get him to take on some food
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and some carbohydrates that are going to help sustain his sugar levels.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44It's still a bit of a mystery, really.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Harry's not one of these people
0:21:45 > 0:21:49that ordinarily has problems with his diabetes so, at the moment,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52it's a bit of a mystery as to why this has happened.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01It only takes a couple of minutes for the glucose to work its magic
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and soon Harry is much more alert.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06How are we doing, Harry?
0:22:06 > 0:22:07How are you feeling?
0:22:09 > 0:22:10You able to speak to me?
0:22:12 > 0:22:14MUFFLED: Not too bad. Not too bad.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Had better days, haven't you, I guess?
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Yeah. Yeah. That's it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Your job at the moment is just to sit there and look good, all right?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24You feeling better? A bit better?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27How you feeling? I think so. Yeah, I think so.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Were you aware of my presence when I arrived? Were you aware of me?
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I saw you come in. Yep.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39And that was all.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41That was all, OK.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I don't know what you've been doing. You don't know what I've been up to?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Fine, OK. Do you remember me popping a needle in your arm?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Yeah, you said there'll be like...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Yeah.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55..a slight scratch. Yeah, I know.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It's such a lie, isn't it? It's more than just a slight scratch.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00I didn't even feel it.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02OK.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Your sugar levels were a bit low today...
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Most diabetics' blood sugar levels are between five and seven.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Harry's are dangerously below that.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Harry, why do you think that your sugars may have dropped down to two?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I don't know. No.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21You haven't done anything, have you? It happens.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Harry seems to have made a really good recovery,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27so we've got his sugars up.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29His wife is now just making him a cheese sandwich,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31so everything's looking good.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Harry tells me that his sugars yo-yo anyway.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Probably refer him back to the GP just so they're aware
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and then they can decide where we need to go from there.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Harry seems to be usually in pretty good control of things,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44so it's a bit unusual, really.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46But we'll refer him on.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Julian waits a few minutes, then tests Harry
0:23:49 > 0:23:51to see if his levels have improved.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Here we go, scratch.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59It's still low, Harry. It's 3.9.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Oh, it's gone back up.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's coming up, so we'll give it another few minutes
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and we'll test it again.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08But I'd certainly like to see it going above five before I leave.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09So is that all right?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12That's all right. We'll aim for that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15But Harry's not out of danger.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Just moments after eating a sandwich,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20his blood sugar levels suddenly drop again.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Nope. Nope? Going down.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24Eh?! It's going down.
0:24:24 > 0:24:263.4.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30I've got to be honest - your sugar levels were two. Yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I've given you a fair whack of glucose. Yeah.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38You've had a good-sized cheese sandwich, a glass of milk. Yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Your sugar levels should be continuing to be going up.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44They've gone up a bit,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46but not an awful lot considering everything you've had.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Now they're coming back down again.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52That's not right. That's not what we're used to seeing.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54That's not normal. No, it's not.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Pretty abnormal. No.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Which would suggest to me that maybe there's something going on
0:25:00 > 0:25:03that needs further investigation.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It's not what Harry wants to hear.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I'd like just to pop you up to hospital and let them have a look
0:25:08 > 0:25:12at you, actually. If I'm honest with you. I'd prefer not to go. Hmm.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16It's a big inconvenience, I understand,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20but the Ambulance Service pay me to keep patients out of hospital,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23so when I'm saying I think you need to go in,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25I'm saying it for good reason.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27We'll pop you in the front up here, if that's all right.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30So, reluctantly, Harry is off to hospital,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33but Julian knows that there's no point in taking any risks
0:25:33 > 0:25:35with his fluctuating blood sugar levels.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The danger was, if we walked out the house and left Harry there,
0:25:40 > 0:25:41if they'd continued to decrease again,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44we'd probably end up in exactly the same position
0:25:44 > 0:25:48we found ourselves in earlier when Mrs Cowan made the 999 call, so...
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Whether there's an underlying issue going on, not too sure,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54so we've brought him up to the hospital.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57They're going to run some blood tests on him, see what's going on,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01and then hopefully they can get him back home ASAP.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04We'll have more news later.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Traffic cops Mike Sapwell
0:26:15 > 0:26:19and Ian Stevens are racing through the streets of Milton Keynes.
0:26:19 > 0:26:25What we're going to is a report of a car-versus-van injury accident.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I don't know any more details than that, actually.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We'll see what we've got when we get there.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Ian has been to the site of this accident many times before.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35He knows it could be a bad one.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The road we're going to, it's a national speed limit,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40single-carriageway road.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Because people are used to driving on dual carriageways
0:26:42 > 0:26:44in Milton Keynes, sometimes people get confused
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and think they're still on a dual carriageway
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and go to the wrong side of the road.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51As a result, we get quite serious collisions on this section.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Oh, Christ.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57A van has clipped the side of an oncoming car.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59According to the driver,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02he lost control after a freak event in the car.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05The van driver, who's sitting on the floor, came straight up to me
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and he said, "It was my fault.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11"A bee came in my window and I flinched and I swerved
0:27:11 > 0:27:13"and I've hit the car coming the other way."
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The witnesses say that the van was on the wrong side of the road.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19What happened, then?
0:27:19 > 0:27:24So, pretty much, the car's clipped the kerb. It's just... The van?
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Yeah, that's it.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29It's just gone, lifted in the air, taken out the sign and...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31The sign went flying.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I was looking at the road
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and I just saw the van unnaturally swerve straight into it,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41like it hit something and then it hit the kerb and bits went flying.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It was pretty much, we had the best view of it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48We were just looking over here as well.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52We clocked the kids' seats in the back and we just panicked.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55It was heart-stopping. It was unbelievable.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The driver of the other car is in the back of the ambulance.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01She's badly shaken, but has escaped injury.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Luckily, her children weren't in the car with her.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08He came straight at you, yeah.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15No, it's all right. It must have been horrendously shocking for you.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20You didn't probably have a lot of time to do that.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29She's got bruising
0:28:29 > 0:28:31caused by deceleration,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35I suppose, caused by the seatbelt going from right to left.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37In shock, really.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40She wasn't expecting a big white van to come to her side of the road.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Could be worse.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44With no serious injuries to either party,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Mike can concentrate on gathering evidence and witness statements,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50but before he can interview the van driver,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52there's an interesting development.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58You're joking me.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00Was there really?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06I'll give you one for that.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08The driver is claiming that he's lost control of the vehicle
0:29:08 > 0:29:10because there was a bee flying around in his cab.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13It's the first I've ever heard it in all the years I've done the job
0:29:13 > 0:29:15and I was a little bit sceptical.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18However, as I approached the van, the driver was pointing out
0:29:18 > 0:29:22that there is in fact a dead bumblebee in front of the van, so...
0:29:22 > 0:29:26A moment's distraction has resulted in a serious crash.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31Somehow, both drivers have escaped injury, protected by their cars.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35In interview, he said that bees freak him out.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Spiders freak a lot of people out,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40bees freak a lot of people out, as do wasps.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42We are fight-or-flight animals.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44We will either run away from an incident
0:29:44 > 0:29:46or we will fight our way out of it.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49In this case,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52without thinking, he's reacted to the bee's presence...
0:29:54 > 0:29:56..and it's caused him to swerve.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Unfortunately, there was a car in front of him
0:29:58 > 0:29:59coming the opposite way.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Here's the bee. The culprit of all evil.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I think we can call that "case closed."
0:30:10 > 0:30:12We're going to have a chat with Jack
0:30:12 > 0:30:14about probably my favourite story ever.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17It's about the attack of the killer washing machine.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19So this was a 999 call that started with a woman crying
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and screaming down the phone, so I switched on straight away,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24thinking, "This is going to be really serious."
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Managed to calm her down a bit and find out what was going on
0:30:27 > 0:30:29and she said, "It's my washing machine, my washing machine."
0:30:29 > 0:30:31"OK. What's wrong with your washing machine?"
0:30:31 > 0:30:34It turned out that the weights at the top of the washing machine
0:30:34 > 0:30:36that stop it moving around had gone,
0:30:36 > 0:30:37so she put a load of washing in, turned it on
0:30:37 > 0:30:39and it bounced around the kitchen,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41so she's run out of the kitchen, actually gone upstairs
0:30:41 > 0:30:43and got her kids out of bed,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45run out the front door and called the police.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Because she genuinely thinks this washing machine is chasing her?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Scared out of her life. I've never had anyone that scared,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52people in real situations, as it were.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54What was she thinking? It was a possessed washing machine?
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I have no idea, but I had to spend
0:30:56 > 0:30:59probably a good 15-20 minutes trying to calm her down. She was outside.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01I was talking her through, "We're going to go upstairs,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03"put the kids back to bed, walk downstairs."
0:31:03 > 0:31:05"I don't want to walk downstairs."
0:31:05 > 0:31:07"We'll walk downstairs, go into the kitchen,
0:31:07 > 0:31:08"turn the washing machine off by the wall."
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Just switch it off by the wall, that'll stop it.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13In theory it's a really good idea, but getting her to do that
0:31:13 > 0:31:15in that sort of panic was quite a state.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17I have to say, I did actually once have a washing machine break
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and when the weights go off and they start banging around,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22they actually make a terrifying racket.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24In the end, you managed to resolve it? Just about, yeah.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27We talked her through it, and of course, she was asking me
0:31:27 > 0:31:30for plumbers' numbers as well, but obviously, we can't give that out.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32So there you go, attack of the killer washing machine. Nice, eh?
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Southampton firefighter and animal rescue expert
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Anton Phillips has just received a call.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47He's on the way to the home of a woman
0:31:47 > 0:31:49whose six-week-old pet kitten, Burton,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53has just started an impromptu game of hide-and-seek.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57He's upside down.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03I was upstairs.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Chelsea shouted me, said that the kitten's got caught
0:32:06 > 0:32:10down the side of the freezer, so I've come down, and...
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Well, all I could hear was him crying
0:32:14 > 0:32:16and at that point we couldn't see anything.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18We could just hear that he was down the side of the freezer.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25'So I was trying to pull the freezer as far over to the side as I could'
0:32:25 > 0:32:28to see if I could just, you know, give him enough space
0:32:28 > 0:32:31that he could get out, but, obviously, he couldn't
0:32:31 > 0:32:34and as I moved it slightly, he yelped a bit.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38so I thought, "God, no, that's not the way."
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Then we just phoned the fire brigade.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46The gap between the wall and the fridge freezer was about an inch.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50So really tiny gap, really tiny kitten
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and the kitten had gone down and had turned on its back, initially.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56So, when I shone the torch down to it, I could see its eyes.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59I could see the underside of its paws.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I stood there thinking, "How are we going to get this out
0:33:01 > 0:33:03"without doing significant damage to the kitchen
0:33:03 > 0:33:06"and, more to the point, without actually damaging the kitten?"
0:33:08 > 0:33:11It's not just Anton who's worried about Burton.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15The mother is also responding to the anguished cries of her offspring.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18CAT MEOWS
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I removed most of the stuff off the worktop
0:33:21 > 0:33:25and then started to ease the fridge forward from the top
0:33:25 > 0:33:28and the kitten then fell into the back of the fridge,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30around the compressor.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31CAT MEOWS
0:33:31 > 0:33:35I then slid the fridge freezer forward and away from the kitten.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Kerrie's daughter Chelsea makes a grab for Burton
0:33:40 > 0:33:42and finally the curious cat is free.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Obviously, it was covered in a bit of fluff.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Ordinary fluff that you find behind furniture,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53but apart from that, it was in really quite good nick.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55And it was then returned to the mother
0:33:55 > 0:33:59because it was a very young kitten, only just had its eyes open.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05Yeah, he's all good, I think. A bit shaky, but otherwise good, yeah.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Burton may have won his game of hide-and-seek,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10but Kerrie's not going to risk losing him again.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I was thinking about leaving the freezer in the middle of the room.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Might be a safer option!
0:34:26 > 0:34:29A sweltering July night in London, and the river is packed
0:34:29 > 0:34:33with party boats full of people enjoying the long summer's evening.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39THEY CHEER
0:34:39 > 0:34:42The crew of the Tower lifeboat are on patrol when they get a call
0:34:42 > 0:34:44to help a young woman who's been injured
0:34:44 > 0:34:46on board one of the pleasure cruises.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50The RIB travels along the Thames at full speed,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54so radar is vital to show up any hazards in the dark water.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04When they arrive, the party is still in full swing.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Volunteer crewmen Colin McCarthy
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and Luke Dillon head off in search of the injured woman,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12while helmsman Kevin Maynard mans the lifeboat.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Having changed out of her high heels,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18the partygoer has cut her foot on broken glass.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19There's a lot of blood
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and a small piece has become embedded in her heel.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24It's clear she's going to need an X-ray.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28RNLI crew carry a fully-equipped first aid bag
0:35:28 > 0:35:32and with fresh supplies, an off-duty doctor is able to sterilise the cut
0:35:32 > 0:35:36before applying a trauma dressing for the trip to A&E.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37SHE YELPS IN PAIN
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Yeah, it's going to sting, it's going to sting.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42You're probably going to need to go to hospital for them
0:35:42 > 0:35:44to have a look at it and maybe give it some stitches.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47But the question is how to get her to St Thomas' Hospital,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51which is a good 45 minutes' walk on two good feet.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54The coastguard, along with helmsman Kevin Maynard,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56have told the crew not to call
0:35:56 > 0:35:59the already overstretched ambulance service.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I'll be totally honest with you, there's no way
0:36:01 > 0:36:04you're going to get an ambulance tonight, because they are so busy.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06So the best thing for you to do is
0:36:06 > 0:36:08we'll give you a hand up onto the pier
0:36:08 > 0:36:10and then we'll find a cab
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and you can get a cab to St Thomas',
0:36:12 > 0:36:16so it's way better to jump into a cab.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Thank you. Thank you. Right, shoes.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Now the woman's foot is dressed and bandaged,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24the crewmen get ready to help her to the taxi rank.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Right, are we ready to rock?
0:36:27 > 0:36:29We'll just give you a help up to the top, yeah?
0:36:29 > 0:36:33If you just sort of hang off the side of us and hobble your way up.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34There we go.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39OK, are you going to be all right?
0:36:39 > 0:36:41You're going to have to do some hopping.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45But it soon becomes clear that progress is going to be very slow.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47The strong arms of crewmen are needed.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53First to step up is Colin.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59The Tower station's remit covers emergencies on the river
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and the riverbank.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04This is proving one of the most demanding for Colin,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08in full kit and temperatures reaching 30 degrees.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12After a short breather,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15it's off again in search of a taxi to hospital.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Finally, they reach the end of the pier.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27If you phone for a cab, get them to come down and pick you up here.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Tower of London. Tower of London. Petty Wales.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36But there's still a problem.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37It's a busy Saturday night
0:37:37 > 0:37:41and it seems taxis are almost as busy as ambulances tonight.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53However, persistence pays off.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56The lengths we go to!
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Thank you so much. Here we go.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Thank you. You're really, really kind.
0:38:05 > 0:38:06St Thomas', please.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Take it easy. Mind that glass. Well done, girls.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Argue with people to get a cab.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20So the young woman bids farewell to her rescuers
0:38:20 > 0:38:24and is finally off to hospital for an X-ray on her heel.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29It's been a tiring job for the lifeboat crew, but they're soon
0:38:29 > 0:38:34back out on the water and heading towards HQ for a well-deserved rest.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Earlier in the programme we saw the RNLI rescuing
0:38:44 > 0:38:46the crew of a stricken boat on the Thames.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51They arrived just in time to save Imogen, Bee, Tim and Will
0:38:51 > 0:38:54seconds before their vintage speedboat sunk.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58The group of friends had been on a trip from their barge in Battersea
0:38:58 > 0:39:01to Tower Bridge when they hit a wave and the engine broke off.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Looking back, they're just relieved they're still here to tell the tale.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I don't think we had an idea of the danger we really were in.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Yeah, I think that was just ignorance.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14I think it was just a bit solemn, really.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17It sort of sunk in that we lost our possession, nearly lost our lives.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19I'm not surprised. You were so calm.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Being responsible for people almost losing their lives as well.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26I think, as a boat owner, it seems fun when you're on it,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29but also, you are holding the responsibility
0:39:29 > 0:39:31of friends, family, loved ones.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Anything that could happen could have a knock-on effect.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I was elated at first that we'd been rescued,
0:39:37 > 0:39:43but afterwards, once it had hit home, I was kind of in shock,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46cos I could have lost my friends, lost my girlfriend.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50It doesn't bear thinking about, really.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Bee recalls considering swimming back to the bank,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58not realising the strength of the currents that could drag her
0:39:58 > 0:40:00into the path of the shipping lanes.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03My instinct, which was a terrible instinct,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07was the thought that I could jump off the boat and swim to the side
0:40:07 > 0:40:09and I remember telling Imogen that, you know,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11"Why don't I jump off and I take the rope
0:40:11 > 0:40:13"and at least I can nudge us in quicker."
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And, thank God, she said, "Don't."
0:40:16 > 0:40:18I was like, "Just don't risk it.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21"It's not worth it cos we just don't know how strong the current is."
0:40:21 > 0:40:23So we just stayed on the boat
0:40:23 > 0:40:25and just tried to keep it balanced, basically,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and just paddled with our arms
0:40:27 > 0:40:30to get to the side.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34The four are experienced sailors, but they made a rookie error.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36The reason we didn't have lifejackets on
0:40:36 > 0:40:38was because it was a bit of a foolish mistake
0:40:38 > 0:40:40and we were in a rush.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42We didn't get them out the engine room on the barge.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45A bit eager to go. Jumped down on the boat and left, really.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The young British tennis player whose car was involved
0:40:50 > 0:40:53in a three-car collision on an A road in Buckinghamshire
0:40:53 > 0:40:56was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58She was complaining of leg pain
0:40:58 > 0:41:02and cuts to her head after being removed from her smashed-up car.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05The first family member to arrive at the scene was her grandfather, Vic.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10It couldn't have happened at a worse time.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11Claudia was just days away
0:41:11 > 0:41:15from starting a prestigious tennis scholarship in the USA.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20At hospital, Claudia had X-rays to her chest, head, back and legs,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22but her worst injury was to an ear.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27A shard of glass from the windscreen had left a very deep cut.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30They said there's no broken bones, no serious damage or anything like that.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32She had got a cut to her ear
0:41:32 > 0:41:34and they were waiting for the plastic surgeon
0:41:34 > 0:41:35to come and have a look at that.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Well, the relief from everybody, and just couldn't believe it.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Very thankful, obviously.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44The plastic surgeon came up and said, "Yes, it does want doing,"
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and they put her in on the Thursday afternoon to do it
0:41:48 > 0:41:51and we flew out on the Friday morning to Alabama.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55So everything was a bit of a chase that last three days.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57There were no charges brought
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and Claudia is now in Alabama, starting her training.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03The bruises made her limp for a week
0:42:03 > 0:42:05but by the time we got to America
0:42:05 > 0:42:09and settled in and saw the tennis coach out there
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and she'd e-mailed him to put him in the picture,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14they checked her out and were going to give her loads of physio
0:42:14 > 0:42:17and he was going to look after her for the first week
0:42:17 > 0:42:19before they really started training.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22They couldn't have been more helpful. Brilliant.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Lucky enough, at the end of the day nobody was seriously injured,
0:42:25 > 0:42:26including the other drivers.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30You can't ask for no more than that.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37And diabetic patient Harry Cowan spent several hours in A&E.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40If his blood sugar levels had dropped any further,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44he was told he could have been in serious danger.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46His blood sugar levels were soon stabilised
0:42:46 > 0:42:48and Harry is back home now,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52where he and his wife are monitoring his diabetes very closely.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Well, that's just about all we have time for.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Once again, we've seen how our emergency services
0:43:01 > 0:43:03are looking after us at every turn
0:43:03 > 0:43:07and chivalry is alive and well, as we saw earlier with the RNLI.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09That's it. We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd