0:00:00 > 0:00:02Today on Real Rescues, the 11-year-old girl
0:00:02 > 0:00:05who takes control when her mum nearly loses a finger
0:00:05 > 0:00:08but once she's called 999 and help is on the way,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10the strain starts to tell.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24More than 1,000 deer are hit by cars every week in Britain.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28For one couple, it was the start of a destructive chain of events.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Stay nice and still. Is that sore?
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Hello. Welcome to Real Rescues. We're with the emergency experts.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10These people take your 999 calls and the rescue work starts here.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The calls are recorded, kept on a computer,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16and kept for ten years in case needed as evidence.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Let's find out about one call. It's ongoing at the moment. An incident started today.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25You've had a call from an elderly gentleman. It's a suspected scam.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27We had a call from an elderly gent
0:01:27 > 0:01:31who said that for a week he's been getting phone calls from a chap
0:01:31 > 0:01:36who says that he's from a company and he's been scammed himself by a builder
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and he can get back compensation.
0:01:38 > 0:01:44Today the guy's turned up at his house and come and sat down with the elderly gent.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50He said, "If you get £7,000 out of the bank now, we'll give it to a lady waiting round the corner
0:01:50 > 0:01:53"and she will give you a cheque for £10,000."
0:01:53 > 0:01:57- Rightly, he's phoned you.- Yeah. - This guy's meant to be coming back?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59He said he's coming back in half an hour.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03We've got two PCSOs there waiting with the elderly gent
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- to see if they come back.- OK.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Thanks. Interesting to hear what comes in.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12One accident often leads to another.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14When a couple's car hits a deer,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17they don't expect to end up in an ambulance themselves.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Critical care doctor Nick Maskery and paramedic Karen Skilligorn-Aston
0:02:24 > 0:02:29are responding to a report of a car crash which has left multiple casualties.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33They arrive to a scene of confusion on a pitch-black country lane.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Two cars have collided.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Nick heads to the couple in most distress
0:02:41 > 0:02:43in their badly damaged car.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The couple were heading home when they hit a deer.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Unhurt, they reported it and waited.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56When the police arrived, it had already become a far more serious accident.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08The impact of the car hitting theirs jolted Ron and Sheila forward quite significantly.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18While Karen checks over Sheila,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Nick wants to find out the extent of Ron's injuries.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I'm going to have a good look at your neck.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29You look in pain. Does it hurt a lot?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Stay nice and still for me. Is that sore?
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Is it very sore when I press?
0:03:43 > 0:03:48As the only doctor on the scene, Nick has to decide if there's a risk of spinal injury.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52And he has to take into account the age of the casualties.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55'The risk comes from the fact that their bones are weaker.'
0:03:55 > 0:03:58That means they're more liable to fractures.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The osteoarthritis, degenerative changes in their spine
0:04:02 > 0:04:07means that there's less space for the spinal cord to be in
0:04:07 > 0:04:10so it means their spinal cord is more at risk.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The tenderness and pain the couple are experiencing
0:04:14 > 0:04:16leads Nick to only one conclusion.
0:04:24 > 0:04:30The fire crew start preparations. Cutting the couple out is the only way to keep them immobile.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34The road is filled with emergency services.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Watching on is Ron and Sheila's son, Shaun.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40He was called by a passer-by soon after the accident happened.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'It was almost like a classic scene'
0:04:43 > 0:04:47of driving down a dark lane and all I could see ahead was blue flashing lights.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50To take all that in and know that your parents are in the car,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54they're the victims of that accident,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56was quite shocking.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03While the fire crew get to work, Nick gives the driver of the other car a once-over
0:05:03 > 0:05:07to check nothing is seriously wrong before he's taken to hospital.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Hello. Where does it hurt?
0:05:10 > 0:05:12In your chest there?
0:05:12 > 0:05:17The fire crew saw through the windscreen and door pillars of Ron's car.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's a noisy and scary operation
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but they're constantly reassured by the medical team.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27'Being cut out of a car is not nice.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31'It's noisy, there's lots of people around you'
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and you're obviously scared and in pain.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38So a big role, a big task of that is just to keep the patient calm.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43Keep talking to them. That also allows you as a paramedic or as a doctor
0:05:43 > 0:05:47to keep an eye on them, keep an eye on how they're doing.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49If they stop responding, you worry.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51One, two, three!
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Lift!
0:05:53 > 0:05:55As the roof comes off,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Nick and the medical team take control of the next stage of the operation.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02How to remove Ron and Sheila as delicately as possible.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05We're going to take the lady first.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09If you lie a bit flatter, it'll make it easier to get her out.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- We're going to see if we can take the seat back a bit.- Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Give us a better angle.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Then we'll just hoik her out the back.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21They lower the seat so they can lift Sheila out
0:06:21 > 0:06:23in as straight a position as possible.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25That should do it.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29'I could see that they were in a degree of pain.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:31My dad was quite calm.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33He even made a few dry jokes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34'I was more worried about Mum.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37'I saw she was having gas and air.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39'She was shaking.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:41With the spinal board in place,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44the whole team help ease Sheila out of her seat.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Yep? Ready, steady, slide.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Fantastic.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- All right?- Yep.- Nice and controlled.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56The sight of my parents being removed on the spinal boards
0:06:56 > 0:07:01was, I think, probably the most shocking sight.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Because then you know they could be quite seriously injured.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Ron, we're going to start putting the back of your seat down a bit.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Just go with the seat, right?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Nick continues to reassure Ron.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19The lowering of his seat is proving to be more difficult.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21You want an electronic seat recliner!
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Either that or I'm getting weak in my old age!
0:07:26 > 0:07:27- How's that?- Ready?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Ready, steady, slide.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Up you go.- That's it.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37Many hands make light work
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and Ron is gently placed onto a stretcher.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43My parents are a very fit, active couple.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Dad plays golf regularly, my mum still goes to work.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53So it was even more of a shock to see them in a situation like that where they were helpless.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57After hitting the deer, Ron and Sheila phoned for help.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00They had no idea just how much help they would eventually need.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06The couple would undergo further checks and tests in hospital.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13You'll be pleased to know Ron and Sheila made a full recovery
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and have bought a new car - exactly the same make and model!
0:08:16 > 0:08:21On Real Rescues, we're able to hear some of the real emergency phone calls
0:08:21 > 0:08:24handled by control centres like this up and down the country.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29They're the actual 999 calls made by people facing some of the worst moments in their lives.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Like this one from the remote Oxfordshire countryside.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37A woman has had a terrifying accident, witnessed by her young daughter
0:08:37 > 0:08:39who has to take charge and dial 999.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Bella is remarkably clear-headed for the moment.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Listen carefully. The call-taker demonstrates exactly how to keep a caller calm
0:10:38 > 0:10:42as she tries to get vital details of the remote location.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Jacqui, you were taking that call. That's the first time you've heard it?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- Yes.- What's it like hearing it back?
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- Strange.- Is it? Because you were incredibly calm.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Listening back,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31you realise it's an 11-year-old girl in a tricky situation.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- Very much so.- How well did she do? - She did brilliantly.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Absolutely brilliantly.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Better than an adult, perhaps? - Definitely.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Couldn't have wished for a better call.- Why, particularly?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44She listened, she stayed calm.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47She gave me the information I needed.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51And she did what I asked her to do, when I asked, without arguing.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- She did. Is that what adults do? They start...- No, they argue from the word go!
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- Do they?- Yes.- And not listen to you? - No.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Why not?- They think they know what we need to know.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06It's not necessarily the questions we're going to ask or the information we need just then.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10OK. They argue - "I don't want to tell you that. Where's the ambulance?"
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- What do they say?- Very much that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14They want the help there and then.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Unfortunately, although we dispatch the help straightaway,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22we need the relevant information so we can help them even more.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24What struck me is she talked about the eagles.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's not necessarily something an adult would point out. But very helpful.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Absolutely. It gives the crews something to look for.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38When you've got something that's in open spaces, you need anything you can to give you the location.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Well, an extraordinary response has been co-ordinated to help Bella and her mum.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47An ambulance, a medibike, a rapid response car and a helicopter are dispatched.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Bella's here now with her mum.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08- You did go back to school next day? - Yeah.- After all that drama.- Yep.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Tell us, from your point of view, what had been going on when this happened?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We'd been loading Bella's pony onto our trailer
0:16:15 > 0:16:18ready to go off to a show that day.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21He'd walked onto the trailer absolutely fine,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and I was just about to tie him up
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and he'd got a loop of the leading rope round his nose
0:16:27 > 0:16:29which I put my fingers through to release
0:16:29 > 0:16:34and he pulled back and trapped my finger just as I was doing that.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38He pulled away and caught my little finger in the rope.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It was fairly obvious right then that you'd really damaged it badly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Yes. Yes.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48But you didn't want Bella to see it. How did you work it out so that she made the phone call?
0:16:48 > 0:16:52She was outside the trailer at the time and I was inside.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54I kept it covered.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Bella immediately said, "Mummy, what's wrong?" I said my finger had come off
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and she said, "We'd better call an ambulance."
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I thought, "On balance, maybe we ought to!"
0:17:05 > 0:17:11So she got my phone out of my bag and she dialled 999.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13You didn't panic at all, did you?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16You were very clear. How did you not panic?
0:17:16 > 0:17:20My mum thinks it's because there was nobody else there
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and I had to take control of the situation.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- Which you did, even though you were 11.- Yeah.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- I tried to.- You did completely. You got the help there as well.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33It was interesting listening to that call because you were very calm
0:17:33 > 0:17:36until she started asking you about yourself.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- That's when you appeared to get upset.- Yeah.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43- Why was that? Was it because you realised you were on your own?- Yes.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45How is that naughty pony? Where had it gone to?
0:17:45 > 0:17:49He ran off to his field and was eating the spring grass!
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Once Mum had gone to hospital, what did you do?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54I waited with my riding teacher who'd come
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and we went to catch my pony.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01OK. How are you coping, because you did lose part of the finger.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03I did lose the end of my finger.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I'm fine. I'm getting on with things, readjusting.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10- Do you find some things really difficult?- Typing is a bit of a problem.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I can't hit the A key any more!
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And holding things, plate and things like that is a bit tricky
0:18:16 > 0:18:19because I haven't got the full range there.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Just quickly, you said you wanted her to give lessons to adults.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27This is a good example of how to stay calm in that situation.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Brilliant. Couldn't have wished for better.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- Lovely to meet you all. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36You may have heard, a medibike was sent. This is a medibike.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42Like the one that answered Bella's call. Barry Pritchard was first on the scene to that incident.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47That's the whole point about these things, you can get there quickly
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- and be first on the scene. - It's its agility and size.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54You get bike taxis around London now because you can cut through traffic.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- You can get through traffic a lot faster.- Absolutely.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03It's not necessarily the speed, it's the agility to cut through and get down footpaths and tracks.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05The ability to get places others can't.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10You were off-road. This is a road bike, but you were off-road to that accident.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Yes, you do it very carefully! - I imagine you probably do!
0:19:13 > 0:19:18A bike like this can't have the kit you have on an ambulance, can it?
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It carries everything that an ambulance carries apart from a stretcher.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Everything is miniaturised.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And popped into the two panniers we see either side.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30How much can you get in? Let's have a look.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32I'll show you one of these.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34This is the main bag.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37As you can see, everything is miniaturised.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The oxygen cylinder is a third of the size,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42diagnostic kit is a third of the size.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46On that side we have a defib which is about half the size.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50The point for you, really, is because you can get there quicker
0:19:50 > 0:19:55and you arrive on scene, you can start working while the ambulance is getting there.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59It's not about transporting the patient, it's emergency first aid
0:19:59 > 0:20:03and doing the best for the patient till the crew or helicopter arrives
0:20:03 > 0:20:05in awkward situations.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Working on your own like this, is it a different skill, do you think?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12It's something that some people don't like doing.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- Right.- But I've got used to it over the years!
0:20:15 > 0:20:21Right. And you enjoy the process of being able to get to someone and make a start early on.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Yes, if you get to a patient quickly and start the chain of survival,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29you get a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day to have done something useful.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- It gives them a much better chance. - Absolutely.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- The initial first treatment can help save lives.- Fascinating.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Thank you, Barry. Nice to meet you and the bike.
0:20:41 > 0:20:47Still to come on Real Rescues. An early-morning nightmare. Your bin is on fire, your house could be next.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- Cheesy!- Yo!
0:20:51 > 0:20:56- Possibly into the eaves of this porch.- We might have to strip some tiles back.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And three men on a boat. The problem for the lifeboat rescue team
0:21:00 > 0:21:03is how to get it right-side-up.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Matt! Can you get a GV line off the big boat?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12The ships that carry goods across the ocean
0:21:12 > 0:21:14always have first-aiders on board.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19But with a serious injury, the only way to get someone to hospital is with the help of the coastguard.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23This dramatic call from a Polish car carrier has come in to Portland.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The ship is 26 miles off Portland, on its way to Ghana.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Winchman and paramedic Dougie Ayles is lowered down to the deck.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Winchman and paramedic Dougie Ayles
0:22:36 > 0:22:41has been lowered down to deck to assess the injuries of the Russian crewman.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45The symptoms I was seeing showed signs of abnormal trauma.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48He was sweating, he was loss of colour.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51He also had bruising on his left-hand side.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54With the possibility of an internal injury,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56the man must be airlifted to hospital.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Although he's standing up and able to walk,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02winching him the usual way proves to be difficult.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07The area where the injury was, on his left-hand side, where the strops lie,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09can make the injury worse.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15So we elected to put him onto a stretcher which has got no pressure on that area at all.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Steady on the neck. Empty hook winching in.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22He needs to be in hospital as fast as possible.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25There's a real chance he could need urgent surgery.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Keith's there now, ready to go.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33But winching a stretcher has its own difficulties.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Tony Campbell is at the controls.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Quite often when we get a stretcher, you can get a spin
0:23:50 > 0:23:53and this can be quite frightening and quite dangerous.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57The less wind speed, the more chance there is of a spin.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00To alleviate this, once we're clear of the vessel,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03we start motoring forward very slowly, five or ten knots,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and that's enough to stop any spin.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08As soon as I've got him clear,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I'll winch out to a safe height
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and we'll go forwards and down and winch in.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Right. Good air speed. Winching in.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23No spin. No swing.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Now bringing stretcher and Dougie on board.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39Once on board the helicopter, the Russian crewman will be taken to a waiting road ambulance.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43In less than ten minutes, he'll be in hospital in Dorchester.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The sailor was treated in hospital for a kidney problem and has made a full recovery.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Let me tell you about one call that's come in recently.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57A golfer called saying he thought he'd been fired on by catapults.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The police went down to the golf course
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and found four youths there with BB guns, which fire pellets.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05They have seized those guns.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Tut-tut! Boys will be boys.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12But that's a bit serious. A BB gun could be quite serious.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17OK. We're going to go over and meet Mark who's taking calls.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21We were talking about the fact that calls don't always turn out to be
0:25:21 > 0:25:23what you think at first sight.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26They don't work out how you think they will.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30You had a very worrying report from a block of garages.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Yes, someone living near this block of garages
0:25:33 > 0:25:37reported that they could hear a car running inside the garage.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It seemed to have been running all night and into the next day.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- The garage door was locked, closed? - Yes, the door was locked.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Officers arrived and it was hot to the touch.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It had been running for some time.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50So you feared the worst at that stage.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Why would a car be running inside a locked garage.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56We were worried about fumes and someone trapped inside.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00So we forced entry to the door because it wasn't obvious who owned the garage.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04We got inside and there was a vehicle running in there.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05There was no-one in the vehicle.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10- Very strange! A car's running inside a locked garage with no-one in it! - Very odd.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And this block of garages is not particularly near a house.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- So how do you trace the owner?- The registration mark on the vehicle.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- We ran that through the system and found out who owned it.- And?
0:26:21 > 0:26:26We called on the address and spoke to an elderly chap that lived there.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30He'd been out to the shops the day before and he's a bit forgetful.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- He thinks he's just left the engine running from the day before!- Really?
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- Just wandered away!- Wandered away and shut the garage behind him.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41That's weird cos you tend to have all your keys on one bunch.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46He's locked the garage, opened his house, but left the keys in the engine with the car running!
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I don't know how he did it. It would have cost him in fuel!
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- A pleasant ending to what looked like a nasty... - Could have been worse.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Thanks, Mark. This shows the range of calls they get in here.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Moving on, one of the most irritating hazards for firefighters, one they curse about,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04is parked cars.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Getting to a fire as fast as possible is the aim,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09but sometimes, that's easier said than done.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20It's late on Saturday night and White Watch have been sent to reports of a fire.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I think it's a house fire.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25- Is it a house fire? - It just says "fire".
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Getting to the house will involve negotiating a maze of small residential streets.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- Right the way to the end? - All the way to the end and then just before the pub, go right.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42They've arrived at the street, but they can't get through. Their way is blocked.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Inconsiderate parking and not enough space.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52This is a crowded residential area.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56A fire here could threaten many homes.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Firefighter Andy McChane jumps out to guide the driver through.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05He's met by a local resident with vital information about the fire.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- It's in the garden. - He says it's in the garden.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The fire is outdoors but it's close to the house.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- That's it.- Yeah?- Excellent.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19They finally battle through.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20In attendance, over.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25And not a moment too soon. In the garden, there are two bins on fire
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and they're right up against the house.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- I want water!- Water!
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Andy has put out the immediate fire, but needs to check if the heat damage
0:28:41 > 0:28:43has spread into the house.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- Cheesy!- Yo!
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Possibly into the eaves of this porch.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50We might have to strip some tiles back.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53They put out the fire very quickly,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56but it had built up some considerable heat.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01We know it's been really hot because I got some water on that glass
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and the glass has shattered because of the heat.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09So if it's been that hot, there's a chance it's got up... It's melted the eaves of the porch.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14Lesley, the owner of the house, was upstairs asleep when the fire woke her.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I just woke up and heard lots of popping noises.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21It sounded really odd
0:29:21 > 0:29:24so I came downstairs and saw the flames outside the back door.
0:29:24 > 0:29:31Terrifying. Luckily, I woke up, otherwise it wouldn't bear thinking about what could have happened.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Lesley tried to put it out herself, but it was too fierce.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38She called the fire service, then her boyfriend Ben.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Yeah, I was out at the time.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47Lesley rang me up and said, "Our house is on fire! Get here as soon as you can."
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- So I ran.- I was panicking. - I ran home.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52I couldn't believe this was going on.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Andy's checking under the roof tiles for any fire damage.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59It could be smouldering away and flare up later.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03That's as far as it was going to go, Andy.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- No, that's clear.- Clear, is it?
0:30:06 > 0:30:09See what I mean? It's clear, isn't it?
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Yeah.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15The crew are satisfied it hasn't spread anywhere,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18so Shaun gets Sue Perry to put up some weatherproof sheeting
0:30:18 > 0:30:21to cover the gaps left in the roof.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Pull that tile down over the top of it.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27And the same the other side, if you can.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32Shaun is trying to work out with Lesley and Ben what might have caused the blaze.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40That's why I asked if you smoke and you discarded any smoking materials there.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Did you put anything in the bins?
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- No.- OK.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49You've got no problems with anybody yourselves?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51No? Nothing like that?
0:30:51 > 0:30:55OK. We'll investigate it a little bit more.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00It's now safe enough for Shaun to show the couple the damage to their house.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03The fire, as you see, cos it was contained in this area,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07has caused damage up there. The outer pane of the window is gone.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11That's going to need a new frame, a new window.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14All right? But the fire won't go any further now.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19My son's room is right at the top of the stairs.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22The flames were licking up the side of the wall.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26If he'd been there, and I hadn't woken up,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29it terrifies me, the thought of what could have happened.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Thankfully, the consequences are minimal.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35But they still don't know why or how it started.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37We can't determine a cause for this.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40If the bins were out the front, on the road,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42you could say someone had gone past
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and thrown a cigarette in or even set light to it maliciously.
0:31:45 > 0:31:52But they're behind a locked gate. They say they haven't put any smoking materials or candles in.
0:31:52 > 0:31:58So we've got to go with what we see and this is one we can't find a cause for.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- OK. Thank you.- Thank you so much. - No worries.- Thanks for coming so fast.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04- Cheers, then.- Bye.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06White Watch can now return to base.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09They inch their way through the tight streets again.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13At least they can take it at a more leisurely pace this time.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19White Watch wouldn't have had such a problem if they'd been in this vehicle, which is much smaller.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23- Yes.- What is it called?- This is our first response vehicle.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27It's been purchased specifically to get to those hard to get to places.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And small fires like the one we've got as a demonstration here.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Let's have a quick look at that one.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Why is this used? Is it because it's difficult to get to these fires?
0:32:38 > 0:32:42A lot of them are down footpaths, down narrow alleyways.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47So rather than turn up with a large fire engine and four personnel,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50if it's a known non-critical fire,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53the small fires unit and two personnel is more efficient.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Let's look at the kit on board.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- All this is packed in and you've got water on board.- 350 litres of water,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02in a bulkhead over the rear wheels.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- We've got breaking in equipment to gain access.- This here.
0:33:05 > 0:33:11Some environment agency equipment for fuel spillages. First aid equipment.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14A knapsack pump, a portable pump.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Jamie is assisting us today, including putting the fire out.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20This is the rucksack - I call it a rucksack.
0:33:20 > 0:33:26The knapsack pump is a reciprocating pump, which means it works on both strokes of the pump.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28It's a bicycle pump, really.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31We carry that over rough ground, through woodland,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34onto gorse fires or anywhere we can't get the appliance.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37You use that specifically for little fires.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Small fires where we can't get access.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- There's only two of you on board. - Two, yes.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47- How often are you called out? - This particular vehicle, up to six times a day
0:33:47 > 0:33:49- depending on how hot the weather is. - Really.
0:33:49 > 0:33:56People are used to seeing much larger appliances. What reaction do you get with this one?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59People are a bit surprised to see us sometimes.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Also, it hasn't got a large presence on the road
0:34:04 > 0:34:07so a lot of drivers don't see us behind them.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10You have to be aware and drive accordingly.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13For example, if you've been called to a small fire
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and it's bigger than you've got water for, you call in the others?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19We have to do a risk assessment. We have to stand back.
0:34:19 > 0:34:25There's a lot of moral pressure on us sometimes. But we have to stand back and ask for assistance.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Bet you don't like standing back! Don't stand back today.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31It's going to be really noisy. I'll get out of the way of this.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Jamie, turn on the generator, and you do the business.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- He's going to put the fire out. - On you go.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39GENERATOR WHIRRS
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Interesting, that.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10I actually had my car bonnet, outside my house,
0:35:10 > 0:35:15and they had to drag the hose over the bonnet of my car to get to a neighbour's fire.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19You can't complain when your bonnet's scraped up. It's their job.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24Moving on, we've got another one from Mark. Interesting, this. The moss thief.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29It's very strange. We had a call reporting a suspicious male
0:35:29 > 0:35:35hanging around a forest area with lots of cardboard boxes full of moss.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38So we sent a unit out to the scene.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41They stop-checked this guy, turns out to be a homeless male,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45but he's got previous for stealing moss from this forestry area
0:35:45 > 0:35:48and trying to sell it to a local garden centre.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50It appears to be what he was trying to do today.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55Thanks, Mark. I didn't even know that moss collection or stealing was a crime!
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Turns out it was.
0:35:56 > 0:36:03I'm just trying to give you a general view of the different calls they get here.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06We'll head over to the forensic department here.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10We're going to have a word with Jenna about a bomb hoax.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15But how they use forensics to try and find out who that is. Hello.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17- Hi.- Tell us about this bomb hoax.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Basically, someone's phoned in and recorded the fact
0:36:20 > 0:36:23there's a bomb at the courts.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28So CSI have been requested to attend the phone box where the call came from.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32After you get the call, you check it out, realise it's a hoax
0:36:32 > 0:36:33then send CSI out there.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39The police officers will send units to the courts and to the phone box.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It was cordoned off, ready for CSI attendance.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44OK. What can CSI do?
0:36:44 > 0:36:50How can you... What's forensics going to be able to do with an empty phone box?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52The phone box, obviously you leave traces behind.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58When you use a phone, you leave DNA on the ear-piece and the mouth-piece as well.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And you've used your hands to open the doors
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and you'll use your hand again to open the door to leave.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07You leave fingerprints.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Thing is with a phone box, hundreds of people use it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- There'll be loads of DNA and loads of fingerprints.- True.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18- We'll just take all the fingerprints that we can.- And the DNA.- Yes.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Then match it against known criminals.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26- It'll go... They'll send all the... - All the information they've got.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Yes, they'll go through the databases and see what we've got.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34See if they've got someone previous they can match up to. It's like proper CSI on TV.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39Moving on. Sea rescues don't finish when all the crew are out of the water.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Righting and recovering a yacht can be just as dangerous.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50An evening's yacht racing in Poole Harbour
0:37:50 > 0:37:54has ended up with an overturned yacht and three people rescued from the water.
0:37:55 > 0:38:01Lucky for them, the RNLI lifeboat crew were already out in the harbour on a training exercise.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Within a couple of minutes, they're within reach of the yacht.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10Her crew are safe, but this is all about saving the overturned boat.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13This stretch of water is popular with leisure craft.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Left where it is, the boat would be a hazard to other vessels.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18When we arrived on scene,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22the yacht was upside-down, so the hull was exposed.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24The kit was exposed.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26The sails were clearly up.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29The yacht was stuck in this semi-capsized position.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35The Ragamuffin's captain, Peter Chaldecott, was completely taken by surprise
0:38:35 > 0:38:38when a freak gust of wind hit the three leading yachts.
0:38:38 > 0:38:45When the gust hit us, we had two boats just to windward of us.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48We saw the gust hit the boat alongside us
0:38:48 > 0:38:51just a moment before it struck our boat.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55So we were prepared for when the gust hit us
0:38:55 > 0:38:59because we saw this boat take off in alarming fashion
0:38:59 > 0:39:01and we thought he was going to go over.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05Before we knew it, we let everything go, we were ready for the gust,
0:39:05 > 0:39:11and then it hit our boat and in an instant it rounded up through 90 degrees
0:39:11 > 0:39:13and fell over, basically.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17It was just like someone pulling the rope from under your feet.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19One minute upright, the next minute in the water.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26Matt, can you get a GV line off the big boat?
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Usually, it only needs one person to right an upturned vessel of this size.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33But in shallow water and in stormy weather like this,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Rob and his team faced a much harder challenge.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41The wind conditions were making any re-righting procedure very awkward.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42A very slippery hull.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45The water depth was only one to two metres,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47so her mass was actually stuck on the bottom.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51It made any initial re-right manoeuvre very difficult.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Any joy?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55The mast is well and truly stuck in the mud.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57And joy, JK?
0:40:02 > 0:40:06We'd got three or four crew members on top of the upturned hull,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09hanging on to each other to try and get the boat over.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12But it was stuck quite considerably.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18The safety launch has got a tow line attached to the bow of the Ragamuffin.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25If they try and move the yacht away from the current,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28it might make it easier for the crew to lift.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Quickly - we're losing grip!
0:40:30 > 0:40:32My arms are getting tired.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37She's moving gently.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Keep going, keep going!
0:40:42 > 0:40:43- OK?- Yeah, yeah.
0:40:43 > 0:40:49You need to get as much weight onto the underside of the hull as possible to tip her over.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51She's coming over now, boys.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54That'll lift the mast, hopefully.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59As soon as the mast had lifted off the seabed,
0:40:59 > 0:41:03the inshore lifeboat came, grabbed the mast as it came out of the water
0:41:03 > 0:41:05and she flicked straight over.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15It's a welcome sight for Peter, watching from the lifeboat.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18When we saw the boat coming upright,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21and it was relatively undamaged,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23it was a great relief to us all.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Though the Ragamuffin is now upright,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28she's still very low and sinking fast.
0:41:28 > 0:41:34During the tow, it became clear that the vessel was taking on a lot of water.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38So we requested the all-weather lifeboat to come alongside
0:41:38 > 0:41:41and they rigged up the salvage pump, a high volume water pump,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and we tried to pump as much water off as possible.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49Buoyant once more, she can be towed safely to shore by the lifeboat.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57The Yacht Club and the Race Fleet are looking at ways to improve crew safety.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01They're interested in making self-recovery of boats easier.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I've been speaking to somebody about the scam with the elderly man.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Somebody came to his house wanting him to give money.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11They're still waiting. They haven't turned up.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Interesting, we were talking about... Come over here for a second.
0:42:15 > 0:42:22We were talking about different things. Footprints from scenes of crime, spit - DNA, fingerprints.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25What other things can you take from scenes of crime?
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Glass samples. If somebody breaks in through a smashed window,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31and there's smashed glass there,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35we can take samples of the smashed glass and if anyone gets arrested,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39we can do hair combings and if there's any glass, we can match the two.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- Fascinating, those very fine particles.- Amazing!
0:42:42 > 0:42:44That you don't know are there.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49I have to apologise. Earlier I said, when talking about CSI, it was like real CSI on telly.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51- The stuff on the telly isn't real. - And this is.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- This is real.- This is Real Rescues. - This is Real Rescues
0:42:55 > 0:42:58with real CSI and real people doing amazing jobs.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02- More Real Rescues soon. See you then. Bye for today!- Bye!
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd