0:00:02 > 0:00:06Today, one of our most extraordinary real rescues, and all the drama is recorded.
0:00:06 > 0:00:12'A trawler is on fire in a force-nine gale and snowstorm in the North Atlantic.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:24'A ship-to-ship rescue in the most dangerous conditions is the one and only chance for the crew.'
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Those are some of the most remarkable pictures you'll ever see.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34Also, the baby that waits for no-one, born on a landing and delivered by dad after he dials 999.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35WOMAN SCREAMS
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Hello and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13This is the control room of the South Central Ambulance Service.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Call handlers here look after a population of four million people
0:01:16 > 0:01:18across four counties.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22At busy time, the staff here respond to one emergency call a minute
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and it's actually particularly busy at the moment.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27There are busier times and there are gentler times.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32But they're not always responding to accidents that have just happened. It could be 24 hours ago.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- Kelly, are you all right to talk? - I am.- Jolly good.
0:01:35 > 0:01:41- You've had an emergency this morning but from an accident that happened yesterday.- That's right.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43A female's fallen off a horse yesterday.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46She's gone home, a bit achy and painy,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48gone to her GP this morning,
0:01:48 > 0:01:53her GP's assessed her and feels she needs an ambulance.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55What sort of injury are we talking about?
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Possible neck or back injury. High back.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03But the decision here is not to send an ambulance, right?
0:02:03 > 0:02:06No, I rang CSD desk who'd spoken with the doctor.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Between them, they've agreed that the Helimed would be a better approach.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15To get a smoother ride because they're worried about the possible fracture. So even 24 hours later,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18the person's managed to get themselves to the GP,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22but not safe enough for them to go by ambulance to hospital, they're sending a Helimed.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25We'll find out more throughout the programme.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28That's fascinating. Now, it is the most dangerous job in Britain
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and people who do it have a one in 20 chance of being killed at work.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36We're talking about the treacherous world of deep-sea fishing.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39We're about to see the coastguard respond to a mayday
0:02:39 > 0:02:42in what must be absolutely the worst conditions for a rescue.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It's snowing, a force-nine gale is raging
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and a trawler is on fire, its five crew trapped on board.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54The coastguard have released this dramatic film of events as they unfold.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58'The North Atlantic Ocean.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01'The freezing cold night.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06'Force-nine winds whip the sea into a frenzy.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'And in the middle of all this, the fishing boat Be Ready is ablaze.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19'These incredible pictures were captured by a rescue helicopter's camera.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26'The flames and hot gases have forced the five fishermen to the front of the boat.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30'Clinging on, their lives hang in the balance.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'This fire started over an hour ago.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'Skipper Ellis Fullerton had been asleep in his bunk.'
0:03:39 > 0:03:44The first I remember is waking up and somebody shouting, "Fire, fire!"
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I went up the hatch just in my underwear, basically,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and as I got to the top of the ladder, I could see the fire.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58I never actually tried to extinguish it, it was impossible.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I just went straight up to the bridge and I started to put the mayday out.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06'Ellis immediately sent a satellite distress signal to alert the coastguard.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'The fire had started in the galley due to an electrical fault.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15'Fanned by strong winds, it was ripping through the trawler at frightening speed.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It was just basically like a blowtorch.
0:04:17 > 0:04:24It was moving and going through the ship faster than you ever could imagine a fire could ever move.
0:04:25 > 0:04:31'45 miles away, Pentland Coastguard in Orkney received Ellis's distress call.'
0:04:39 > 0:04:41'Pinpointing the Be Ready's position,
0:04:41 > 0:04:47'they alerted all nearby shipping and scrambled rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie from its Shetland base.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50'Winch man Kieran Murray was onboard.'
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Personally, my greatest fear is anything to do with fire.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55So when you hear that it's a small fishing vessel
0:04:55 > 0:05:00with five POB, on fire, winter's night, in snow, heavy seas,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03to me, that's a nightmare. There's nothing worse.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'Back on the fishing boat, things were getting worse.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'Ellis discovered that he had lost control of the engines.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:13All the emergency stops wouldn't work.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16We couldn't get the speed off the boat. It was carrying on moving ahead.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'Not knowing that Ellis couldn't stop the boat,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'his crew had started to launch the life rafts.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27'They thought they were doing the right thing, but disaster was about to strike.'
0:05:27 > 0:05:30With the pandemonium, everything happening,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35me trying to speak to the coastguard, trying to get a signal back, trying another channel,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37the life raft got torn away.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41'The combined forces of the boat moving forward and the strong winds
0:05:41 > 0:05:44'had snapped the lines tying the rafts.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'Their chances of survival were now looking bleak.'
0:05:47 > 0:05:49At that point, we had nothing left.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55'In the meantime, another fishing vessel, the Mispar, had answered the coastguard's call for help.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59'And, as fate would have it, the boat was skippered by David Robertson,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'Ellis's friend and neighbour.'
0:06:14 > 0:06:18'The Mispar has its trawling nets out, worth thousands of pounds.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21'But after hearing Ellis on the radio,
0:06:21 > 0:06:26'David instantly decided to cut them away so that he could rush to his friend's aid.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:29For David to have to cut away his gear, it's a big thing.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Anybody in this job knows it's worth a lot of money,
0:06:33 > 0:06:40but David told me, he said he knew from my voice, when I was saying we were on fire,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42that something very, very serious was wrong.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44'Unfortunately for Ellis and the crew,
0:06:44 > 0:06:50'both the Mispar and the rescue helicopter were over an hour away from the burning boat.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:01We want the aircraft to get there as quickly as possible
0:07:01 > 0:07:06so we can rescue the five crew. You can't go any faster, but you wish you could.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'Onboard the Be Ready, the fire was intensifying.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13'Ellis and his men were running out of time and space.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:17I went to go and get the lifejackets, cos we decided at this point
0:07:17 > 0:07:22we had to be on the bow. There was nowhere else we could go. It was the furthest away from the fire.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27I remember the heat from the fire was so much that my socks were sticking to the deck.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30'Now huddled at the front of the boat,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34'Ellis and his men haven't had the chance to grab proper clothing.
0:07:34 > 0:07:40'With the flames at their backs, they're caught between the devil and the freezing deep blue sea.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Having no life rafts, if this boat was to sink
0:07:44 > 0:07:46or we have to go in the water, we're dead.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Absolutely extraordinary pictures.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Ellis and his crew are in an impossible situation.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Their boat is in danger of being totally engulfed by fire.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Even if the coastguard get to them in time, winching them to safety is going to be incredibly difficult
0:08:02 > 0:08:05if not impossible, as we'll see shortly.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Now, whiplash happens in over 50 percent of car collisions.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13It affects over 400,000 people and the resulting neck pain can be permanent.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Belinda knows all about it. She ended up being cut from the wreckage of her car
0:08:17 > 0:08:20just minutes after arranging to trade it in to a dealer.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23We'll be telling you how to avoid whiplash later,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26but first, Belinda is going to talk us through her accident.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I'd been with a friend that day and we'd gone to look at a new car
0:08:30 > 0:08:33for myself, dropped her home,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35driving back to my mum and dad's house.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Traffic was quite steady. It wasn't rush hour.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41But it was just flowing quite naturally.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'The traffic came to a halt, Belinda stopped, as well,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47but the car behind didn't.'
0:08:47 > 0:08:51It's an automatic thing for me just to look up in my rear-view mirror,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and as I did, I just saw the red car driving
0:08:55 > 0:09:00and what probably was seconds felt like minutes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I'm thinking, "She's not stopping. She's not stopping.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07"Please stop, please stop." And then, suddenly, the impact.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10SIREN WAILS
0:09:10 > 0:09:15'Critical care doctor Louisa Chan is on duty in a rapid response car.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:20So we're going to a four-vehicle road traffic collision in Hythe.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24We know that there's one person with neck pain and back pain,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27but we don't know how many other casualties are involved.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Let's see what's gone on.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37'Louisa arrives to find a red car has smashed into the back of Belinda's Renault Clio,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'sending her into the van in front.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44'Of the drivers involved, only Belinda needs serious medical attention.'
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- This is Belinda.- Hello, Belinda.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51She's a 25-year-old lady who was driving this car.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55The car was hit from behind, which shunted her into the one in front
0:09:55 > 0:10:00- and she did a bit of that. - Oh, dear.- She's complaining of typical sternum seatbelt pain.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03She's also complaining of C7 upwards,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- so all of it, all tenderness.- OK.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- And how fast is this road? - 60 miles an hour.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14- OK.- She reckons they were down to about 30. - Cos they were slowing down. OK.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17'After being violently shaken, Belinda has been left with
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'a great deal of pain in her neck and lower back.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Right, I'm going to have a quick feel of your chest
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and feel your tummy and everything, all right?
0:10:25 > 0:10:32I felt instant pain and just generally feeling quite scared, cos I felt like I couldn't move.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36The first thing that went through my head was, "Oh, my God, have I got spinal injuries
0:10:36 > 0:10:41"where I won't be able to move my legs again?" So I was feeling slightly hysterical.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Still a bit stressed.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- I've calmed down a hell of a lot. - Yeah. Good.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- So is it that side?- It's all of it, it just feels...- Sore?- Yeah.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Really sore. That hurts. - Sorry, sweetheart.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00'Despite her pain, Belinda is more scared by the thought of needing an injection for it.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- She's got a phobia of needles. - Has she?
0:11:03 > 0:11:08The thought of needles just sends my heart racing and pounding even more.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Do you want to take some tablets painkiller-wise?
0:11:11 > 0:11:16- That would avoid the whole needle thing.- Yeah, if possible. - OK, that's fine.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I've had one filling my whole life and I refused an injection,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22so I'd rather go through the pain of having a filling
0:11:22 > 0:11:25than actually have the injection to stop the pain.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Unfortunately, we need to take the roof off your car to get you out
0:11:29 > 0:11:34because we need to protect your neck, OK? We're not taking any chances.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38'Satisfied that Belinda doesn't have any other serious internal injuries,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42'Louisa doesn't want to rush her removal and risk further harm.'
0:11:42 > 0:11:49We've got to be very careful. She hasn't got any tingling, she can move her arms and legs and is fine,
0:11:49 > 0:11:55but we can't clear her C-spine until we've had X-rays to make sure there isn't any bone injury.
0:11:55 > 0:12:01'Louisa is keen that Belinda does receive some kind of pain relief before they start to move her.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- I've got chewing gum.- That's all right. Do you want to spit it out?
0:12:04 > 0:12:09I've got three tablets. Do you want me to give them one after the other? Do you want water now?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13We're going to save that water for you just in case we need more tablets, OK?
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'Paramedic Claire Gedge continues to hold Belinda's head steady
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'while fire crews cut the roof off around them.'
0:12:21 > 0:12:25The lady that was sat behind me holding my head,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28she was brilliant, she was talking me through everything.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33The vibrations, I think, were the worst bit, and just hearing the final cracks and crunches
0:12:33 > 0:12:36as everything got taken apart.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'With the roof removed, the team used many hands to support Belinda
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'and gently ease her onto the spinal board.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:48It was almost like holding me up in awe or something.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51You automatically do feel a bit wobbly,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56like you're about to fall off and back into the car, but I knew I was in safe hands.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- You all right?- Mm-hm. - That's as bad as it gets now.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'Once Belinda's in the ambulance, Louisa can give her a more thorough check over.'
0:13:04 > 0:13:08All sorts of aches and pains are now emerging because she's been in this impact,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12but other than that, her blood pressure is stable,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16her heart rate's stable. She needs transporting to Southampton General
0:13:16 > 0:13:22to have X-rays of her cervical spine to make sure there's no damage done
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and hopefully, all being well, they'll be able to clear her and give her painkillers
0:13:27 > 0:13:30to sort out all the other injuries.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- Belinda's here. I'm delighted to see that you're OK. You had quite a bash.- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41- Tell me about your injuries. What was the main problem?- Mainly my neck and my lower back felt very tender.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46My legs were quite badly bruised, as well. So just generally felt awful.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And I know you had whiplash. How did that affect you?
0:13:49 > 0:13:54At that point, I felt like I couldn't move, somebody was pushing me back to the chair.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I couldn't move my neck, and they advised me not to move much, either.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04And afterwards, when I got home, generally just feeling awful and not being able to move much at all.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Danny, you're a paramedic. You see people with whiplash quite a lot.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12- What is whiplash? - We call it whiplash because the neck has gone through the activity
0:14:12 > 0:14:16that a hand would go through to create a whip lashing noise.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The actual injury is a muscle strain in the neck,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23but the industry has chosen to call it whiplash
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and everybody knows it as whiplash, so to save complicating anything,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- it's just called whiplash. - You say a muscle strain.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34- What is that muscle doing and why does it feel so painful?- It's going from the reaching back extremity
0:14:34 > 0:14:40to the forwards extremity in such a short space of time without the muscle being warmed up.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- It just pulls and strains the muscle.- And goes into spasm? - It does go into spasm, yeah.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49- It's not just from car accidents. - No. Absolutely anything.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Other common ones would be a particularly bad tackle in a rugby match
0:14:53 > 0:14:58or kids at school, if one of them was stood up and got shoved from behind,
0:14:58 > 0:15:03the activity of the head going backwards and then coming forwards again would be enough to cause it.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- And how long does it last?- Again, it depends on the severity of it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12If it was a low impact, then it might just be a stiff neck for a few days,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16take some pain relief and it would correct itself.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20In a more severe case, a higher impact, like Belinda's accident,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23or in some cases worse, the injury can last for years.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Gosh. Belinda, this was four or five months ago. How are you feeling now and how does it affect you?
0:15:28 > 0:15:31At the moment, I'm fine sat here, no problem at all.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Cold mornings, I start to feel a bit stiff, if I've been laid in bed funny,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I wake up a little bit sore. But at the moment, I'm OK.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45Good, I'm glad to hear it. There is actually something we can do to try and help prevent it in our cars.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50Yes, there is. I'm outside with a wreck of a car that's had a front-end shunt, the opposite,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53but there's a reason for that. We'll come to that later.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I'm here to meet Matthew and his colleague. Would you like to introduce us?
0:15:57 > 0:16:01This is a special whiplash crash dummy called a Biorid,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and he's used to measure the risk of having a typical injury in a rear-end crash
0:16:05 > 0:16:08where whiplash is the most common injury.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Matthew's from the Thatcham Vehicle Research Centre.
0:16:11 > 0:16:18How should you set your head rest to make sure that you protect yourself from whiplash injury?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22The first thing is, it's not a head rest, it's a head restraint.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24It's an important safety device.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- It's as important as the seatbelt or the airbag.- Is it?- It's a restraint.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32It's to stop you getting an injury. You should adjust your head restraint by raising it up
0:16:32 > 0:16:34so it's as high at least as the top of the head.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Many head restraints have got moveable pads here, so you can move it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:46You want to be, if necessary, with the head in contact with the full front face of the head restraint.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52- That will give you protection. - I know you're thinking, "How important can a head restraint be?"
0:16:52 > 0:16:54We've got some footage. Here we go.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58If you look at the top there, there's a head restraint that's correct,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02the one at the bottom isn't. On first viewing, there doesn't seem to be a big difference.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06But as it runs through again, look at the bottom one and the flex.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The important thing there is the head restraint at the top
0:17:10 > 0:17:14gets in contact with the head very quickly and moves forward to meet the back of the head,
0:17:14 > 0:17:19so you get no differential movement between the head and the thorax.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Whereas the head restraint at the bottom was so far away
0:17:22 > 0:17:27that the head bent right back and there was a huge distortion in the neck, which creates the injury.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32To be honest, in all my time of owning cars, I've never seen a head rest that opens like that,
0:17:32 > 0:17:37so if your head rest doesn't open, how do you put the back of your head in connection with the seat?
0:17:37 > 0:17:44If you can't get it closer than that, you can always normally move the seat back so it's further up,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48so you can get the seat more upright and get your head closer to the head restraint.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52If you can feel the head restraint behind your head when you're driving,
0:17:52 > 0:17:57- you're protected from whiplash. - What percentage of cars have their head restraint correct?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Only about 25 percent of people adjust their head restraint correctly.
0:18:00 > 0:18:0675 percent of cars out there have their head restraints in a position
0:18:06 > 0:18:09where you will receive major neck injury if you are rear-ended.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So go out and check.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Thank you very much, Matthew.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19Take a look at this car again. A bent steering wheel, mark on the windscreen here,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24bent in front, door panel bent. What does that say to you? It says accident.
0:18:24 > 0:18:31But to a paramedic, it tells a whole story. They can start treating just by looking at the vehicle.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Thanks, Nick. I promise I will adjust my head rest.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Dad Richard's having a well-earned lie-in after a busy night shift
0:18:37 > 0:18:41when he gets a wake-up call from his unborn child.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45With no time to head to hospital, Richard is going to need some help.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Here's the 999 call that he made.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42WOMAN MOANS
0:20:38 > 0:20:40WOMAN SCREAMS
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Well, something wonderful was happening there for Richard
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and it's about to be the first birth for the call-handler. More later.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Still to come on Real Rescues, to anyone else, it's a rusty old banger,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05but to Michael, it's his much-cherished Betsy.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09And he doesn't want to give up on her, even when she's on fire.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Get out the way!- Get out the way!
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Back to the burning trawler in the middle of the Atlantic.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21The five trapped fishermen are hanging on for their lives.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24A coastguard helicopter and a second trawler are on their way
0:21:24 > 0:21:27but even if they do arrive before the burning ship goes down,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29they have a force-nine gale to contend with.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35Winching the fishermen to safety will be very difficult and very dangerous.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'The helicopter gets the first sighting.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45'These are the actual pictures from the infra-red camera as it approaches the burning boat.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50'The heat it's generating makes it stand out like a beacon against the icy cold waters.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:54You know this is an intense fire when you can pick it up from that distance.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And as you're gradually getting closer, all you see is a white mass.
0:22:00 > 0:22:06And then very fine detail of the crew standing on the bow of the vessel.
0:22:06 > 0:22:12All the heat coming from the flames is wrapping itself round the bows of the vessel
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and you think, "God, the flames are licking around them."
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'For the fishermen, the arrival of the helicopter has come not a moment too soon.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'The past hour has been torturous.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:26We'd been sort of lying there on the deck trying to breathe, not being able to breathe,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and gasping for a breath of air
0:22:29 > 0:22:37and then suddenly the fire would be sort of doused by a lump of water with the boat rolling
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and then you'd get to breathe and there'd be steam.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And then suddenly the whole lot would just go up again
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and you'd hear like a "woof!" and the flames would be over the top of your head again.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53Never even went through my head surviving at that point. I thought it was probably all over.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58'With time of the essence, winch man Kieran Murray wants to get down onto the deck
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'to winch the men up as quickly as possible.'
0:23:01 > 0:23:05We would put a high line, which is a method of getting the winch man onto the deck of the vessel,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09so a line would be lowered to the vessel and the crew would pull it in
0:23:09 > 0:23:14and attached to the line will be the winch man on the winch hook.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18'Pilot Paul Bentley flies the helicopter right over the trawler.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20'Winch operator Gary Williams lowers the line.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:23We had a hold of the rope from the helicopter.
0:23:23 > 0:23:29When you've got five guys on a boat which is on fire and they're fighting for their lives,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33they're going to take a hold of that line to try and pull the guy down.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35'Kieran starts to get winched down.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'His life is in the hands of his colleagues, Paul and Gary,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43'as they manoeuvre him with the helicopter to avoid the many hazards.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:46There was the rigging, the mast,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50all the masts, and the boat was moving so much
0:23:50 > 0:23:56that he was going up about three or four metres and then he was moving down three or four metres.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'Kieran gets to within 20 feet of the deck when the blaze intensifies.'
0:24:00 > 0:24:05All of a sudden, the fire was fed by a burst pipe or something
0:24:05 > 0:24:11and just became bright, bright red followed by very dark, thick acrid smoke.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I couldn't see the crew only 20 feet away.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17When I looked up, I couldn't see the aircraft.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So you're in this limbo of not knowing where you are.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25'From the helicopter, winch operator Gary has also lost sight of Kieran.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30'He could be dashed against the mast. It's too risky to continue.'
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The winch man must be brought back to the helicopter.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39All hopes of rescue now lie with the other trawler,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43but how on earth will they move the crew from one boat to another?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46We'll be back with that rescue in just a few minutes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I've come back outside because I want to talk you through this vehicle.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Damage to the front end of the vehicle. What does that tell you?
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Damage to the windscreen. What does that tell you? Damage to the side. Get any clues yet?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Well, for someone like Danny here, who's stayed with us to have a chat,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05this tells an enormous story from the moment they arrive on the scene.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Cos you'll look at a vehicle as you pull up, won't you?
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Yeah. We're still in the ambulance and as we're approaching the scene,
0:25:11 > 0:25:16we've got a good vantage point cos we're quite high up, so we can assess the vehicle for any damage
0:25:16 > 0:25:22- before we even get out. - Imagine you've arrived on scene now. You usually park in front.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- What are you seeing? - Look at the back. There's no impact, no damage at the back,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29so we would assume that it's not had any rear impact,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33so the injuries you might expect to see from a rear impact are unlikely to be there.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37As we move forward, you can see that the top of the car is undamaged.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39There's no sign that the vehicle's rolled over,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43so until we hear from witnesses or the driver, we assume it's not rolled over.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47As we come up here, the driver's door's got some impact on the side,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- so we might look for injuries that could be caused there.- Like what?
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Generally you're looking at the right side of the body, so a broken leg,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58the lower and upper part of the leg, ribs, shoulder, arm.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02- And a hip is particularly dangerous here.- Yeah, if it was a pelvis,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07you can lose half of your circulatory blood volume into a fractured pelvis,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- so that's quite a significant injury.- What about this impact?
0:26:10 > 0:26:14This one has been done from the inside, cos it's slightly dented outside,
0:26:14 > 0:26:20so that would suggest that the driver's not been wearing a seatbelt and they've been thrown forward.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22A seatbelt would stop you short of that.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- Interestingly, when you come to a vehicle like this, the occupants might already be out.- Yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- So will this give you a clue what you ought to be looking for?- Definitely.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34If we saw this car, we'd want to know where the driver was
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and we would go over and treat the driver
0:26:37 > 0:26:40for the injuries that we would expect to see from in there.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45We always treat for the worst and hope for the best, so until we know otherwise, we'd treat a neck injury
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and, if the side impact was more severe,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50we'd treat it as a possible fractured pelvis.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Which is extraordinarily dangerous for potential blood loss,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- which can't necessarily be seen on the outside.- No.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- You call this mechanism of... - Mechanism of injury.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- And it's almost like a detective thing that you can do.- Yes, it is.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07History makes up a massive part of our assessment of any patient.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- Not least because the patient could be unconscious.- Absolutely.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The treatment and assessment of the patient is the biggest thing,
0:27:15 > 0:27:20but the history, before you've even stopped the ambulance, tells us a big part of the story
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- as to what we need to look for. - Lovely. Thank you. Fascinating stuff.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Let's go back to those terrifying scenes in the North Atlantic.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32A fishing boat is on fire. The crew are stranded onboard
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and the coastguard helicopter can't winch them to safety.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Another trawler is heading their way, but how are they going to be able to help?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44'Trapped at the front by the flames and choking smoke,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48'Skipper Ellis and his crew wait for the arrival of fishing vessel the Mispar.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53'Then they hear the ominous sound of their boat's engines shutting down.'
0:27:53 > 0:27:56That's when I started wondering if the fire was in the engine room.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01If the engine room flooded, that would be it, the boat would be going down for definite.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03So we had to prepare for the worst.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09So we had ourselves tied together to basically help us to be seen
0:28:09 > 0:28:12or to float us up to the surface a bit better.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17'Up above in the helicopter, winch man Kieran hopes the men don't end up in the water.'
0:28:17 > 0:28:20We're talking about the Atlantic on a dark January night.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Not a place you want to be without a survival suit.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27'Just when it looks like they've run out of options, the Mispar arrives.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31'Its Skipper, David Robertson, has got here as fast as he could
0:28:31 > 0:28:34'after hearing that his friend, Ellis, was in danger.'
0:28:34 > 0:28:37When we saw the lights of David coming,
0:28:37 > 0:28:42it was just, erm, it was a sigh of relief to see that.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47The Mispar could get a life raft and pass it to the Be Ready
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and that way, at least the crew from the Be Ready would get into a life raft,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55we would then continue with the rescue from the life raft.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59'A rope needs to be thrown from the Mispar to Ellis and his crew.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'To get close enough in these turbulent conditions,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'David will have to pull off a dangerous manoeuvre.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:11He had to put the bow of his ship right up into the wind to try and come up alongside us.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15If he caught the wind the wrong way,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17the wind could start pushing him onto us.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23One of the dangers for the Mispar was that she would literally crash into the Be Ready.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26If that happens, you've got one sinking vessel and one burning vessel.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30You try throwing a rope into a force-nine gale.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33It's only going to go a few feet and then it's going to go with the wind,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38so they had to get so close to basically pass it to us.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41A superb piece of seamanship from David.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Risking not just his own vessel but his own crew
0:29:44 > 0:29:48just to get this line to the other crew.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51'They've done it. Ellis has got the rope.'
0:29:51 > 0:29:55It takes a lot of skill and a lot of experience over the years
0:29:55 > 0:30:01- to get as close as what they did. - Four of us in the helicopter crew were all cheering.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04'With remarkable accuracy,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08'David has brought these two large boats within inches of each other
0:30:08 > 0:30:11'on a rough, rolling sea.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'The Be Ready's crew have their lifeline.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18'David can now move the Mispar away,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21'allowing the life raft to be reeled in.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:25You're now wishing the crew to get into this life raft as quickly as possible
0:30:25 > 0:30:28because you're thinking that this vessel is going to blow up.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32I think that was all of our fears, that this is going to go in a big bang.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36'Ellis and his men finally have the chance to get off this burning boat.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39'They waste no time jumping for the life raft.'
0:30:39 > 0:30:44After everything that had happened, coming down the ladder was a walk in the park
0:30:44 > 0:30:47compared to what had happened before.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53They got down this rope ladder and into the life raft, all five of them,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57and then they cut themselves free and, again, that was great to see,
0:30:57 > 0:31:02because now you know you've got them in a life raft, clearing away from the vessel,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05and it meant that our rescue now would be much easier.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10'After only being able to watch on, the helicopter team can now directly help the men.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:14I'm now winched out of the aircraft into the water
0:31:14 > 0:31:19and then trawled, so my feet are in the water,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22to try and keep me in the right direction towards the life raft.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Not an easy job in sea conditions and wind conditions like that.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30But Captain Paul Bentley and Gary Williams, the winch operator, did a tremendous job
0:31:30 > 0:31:32to winch me into the life raft.
0:31:32 > 0:31:38'In the driving sleet and snow, Kieran stays in the life raft as he sends the men up two at a time.'
0:31:38 > 0:31:42As quickly as we could, they were winched from the life raft, with myself remaining till last.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50'Ellis comes up with Kieran. The ordeal is over.'
0:31:54 > 0:31:58I remember looking and seeing the boat still burning and going away from it and then thinking,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02"What has happened here? Is this a dream?"
0:32:02 > 0:32:04I was thinking it must be a dream or something.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09'That this nightmare scenario ended without loss of life
0:32:09 > 0:32:12'is down to the combined heroism and skill of a helicopter crew
0:32:12 > 0:32:16'and in particular the Mispar's skipper, David Robertson,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19'who cut away his valuable fishing nets to get there faster
0:32:19 > 0:32:24'before risking his own boat to pass the lifesaving rope.'
0:32:24 > 0:32:29If he hadn't done that, we might not have been here today.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32'Helicopter Oscar Charlie returns to Shetland,
0:32:32 > 0:32:37'taking all five fishermen back to their homes and families.'
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Once we were back in the aircraft, we did have a little laugh,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44because we were all streaked in blackness and the smell of burning
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and this is the end of January and in two days' time,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49there was going to be a local festival called Up Helly Aa
0:32:49 > 0:32:53where they burn flaming torches and the impression was they were laughing
0:32:53 > 0:32:58because they've had their early Up Helly Aa with the burning vessel and they've survived it.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Once the fire eventually burnt itself out,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06the Be Ready was towed back to shore by the coastguard,
0:33:06 > 0:33:11and you can see in these pictures the devastating damage caused by that huge fire.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Amazingly, the fish onboard could still be sold.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17It was protected by its ice packing.
0:33:17 > 0:33:23The captain of the Mispar was commended in the investigation that followed. Here's what was said.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28"The Mispar's skipper acted in the highest traditions of the sea.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33"To approach another vessel in those conditions requires not only the highest level of skill
0:33:33 > 0:33:38"but also courage and determination and confidence.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42"The captain and his crew all accepted the risk to their lives
0:33:42 > 0:33:47"and it's through their efforts that the crew of the Be Ready were rescued."
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Absolutely extraordinary pictures, I think you'll agree.
0:33:50 > 0:33:56An extraordinary effort by those seamen and what a life they live.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00Now, from saving lives to bringing a new one into the world.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Earlier we heard Richard call 999.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05His wife has gone into labour on the landing at home.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Call handler Sarah Bamber is talking him through it.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11The baby's well on its way so Richard needs both hands free.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17Luckily, mother-in-law Jackie is there to relay Sarah's instructions.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52I am pushing.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09MUFFLED PANTING
0:36:37 > 0:36:42And here she is, lovely little Maisy with a lovely smile for us. Thank you very much.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- Congratulations to both of you two. - Thank you.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Who did the most hard work, you Richard or Emma?
0:36:47 > 0:36:52- Well, I have to say Emma. - But you felt like a bit of a hero, I bet, that day.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Man of the moment, I've been called. - Really?- Yes.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Were you a bit alarmed? Were you scared? How was it?
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I was scared when I was told I'd have to deliver the baby
0:37:01 > 0:37:05but then everything just takes over and you follow the instructions.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- You said you felt like you were watching yourself on telly. - Like I was watching somebody else.
0:37:09 > 0:37:16- A bit different for you. You weren't expecting to have the baby on the landing.- No, definitely not.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18I was definitely hoping to get to hospital.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- And you put your makeup on beforehand.- I did, just in case.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26You never know who's going to turn up.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29You wanted to go to the hospital because there's a new ward.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32A new maternity unit at the North Staffs Hospital, yeah,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36so I was a bit gutted afterwards when they said, "No, you don't need to go to hospital."
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Were you frightened at all or not, when you knew she was going to be delivered there?
0:37:40 > 0:37:44It honestly never dawned on me that we weren't going to get to hospital
0:37:44 > 0:37:47until Richard laid me on the bathroom floor.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51- And by then...- You were more apologetic than anything else.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Yeah, I was really sorry. - She was saying sorry all the time.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58- What were you thinking, Richard? - I was just telling her not to apologise and push.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Well, the person on the other end of the phone, Sarah, is here.
0:38:02 > 0:38:07- You were pretty relieved when you heard that cry.- Definitely. It was nice to hear her crying.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11It was your first call like this, wasn't it?
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Yeah, it's the first baby I've delivered.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Take us through it. What were you feeling?
0:38:16 > 0:38:19When I was told that they could see the head,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23my stomach was sort of flipping and I was quite nervous
0:38:23 > 0:38:26but I was excited, as well, cos I wanted to go through it all with them.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Normally they get there before we have time to deliver it,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34so it was nice when I did go through it, but the nerves were definitely going.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37And they gave you a round of applause here, I understand?
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Yeah, when I came off the phone, everyone was cheering
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- and I got a nice round of applause. - I want to show you something.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47In the Scottish Ambulance Service, they have a tradition. When somebody delivers a baby,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- they give them one of these.- Oh, OK. - And they've sent it for you.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55- Aww, thank you! - So there's a little stork delivering the baby and that's for you.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- Aww, thank you very much! - Will you wear it?- Yeah.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Richard, any plans for a new career?
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- Freelance midwife. - THEY LAUGH
0:39:03 > 0:39:05It's not something you'd consider, is it?
0:39:05 > 0:39:11No. Although the feeling's brilliant delivering my child, I don't think I could do it for anybody else.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- She's a bit of a daddy's girl, isn't she?- She is, yes.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- She comes to me quite easily. - Will you tell her in the future what happened?
0:39:17 > 0:39:22- Yes, there'll be a big smile on her face. - Thanks very much. Thanks, Maisy.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Very cute, but I'm pleased I didn't have to deliver any of my three.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30Now, Michael's pride and joy isn't exactly a classic car from the golden era of motoring.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33You'd be hard pushed to give it away. But he loves it.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37So much so, he can't bear to be parted from it, even when it catches fire.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'Green watch are heading out to a fire in a city street.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48'They've received more than one call, so the crew manager is already preparing for a serious fire
0:39:48 > 0:39:50'in a potentially tricky place to work.'
0:39:50 > 0:39:56We're off to a car fire outside a public house in Bedford Place.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00It's a narrow street. We've had numerous calls,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04so normally that's confirmation that it's a growing incident.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08'It's not difficult to find. They follow the smoke.'
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Next on the right.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14Looks well alight. Plenty of smoke in the area.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18'They turn the corner to see thick smoke pouring from the bonnet of a small car.'
0:40:18 > 0:40:21- Looks like the yellow one. - 'The owner is looking on, stunned,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24'and needs persuading to move away from his burning vehicle.'
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- Get out of the way. - Get out of the way.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Get out of the way!
0:40:30 > 0:40:33'As the crew prepare to start dousing the car with water,
0:40:33 > 0:40:38'AJ's first thought is getting the man away from the fumes.'
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Come out of the way, sir. Come out of the way.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Don't breathe that smoke in.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46'The fire crew will soon put this fire out.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49'They just need to get access underneath the bonnet.'
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- Is the car unlocked?- Yeah.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54OK. Where's the bonnet pull?
0:40:55 > 0:41:00'They blasted the fire with water and it's doing the job.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03'The car's not looking too good, though.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07'And owner Michael's looking pretty upset.'
0:41:08 > 0:41:12It was smoking quite a lot so I just thought, "Get out of the way."
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Yeah, a bit gutted, really. It's been with me a long time, Betsy.
0:41:16 > 0:41:22'Michael had just parked up to meet a friend for lunch after a game of golf when he noticed the smoke.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25'This car might not be the newest or most stylish,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29'but to Michael, she's Betsy, and has a place close to his heart.'
0:41:29 > 0:41:32It's obviously the owner's pride and joy and he's quite anxious
0:41:32 > 0:41:36about his car. But when it's your only form of transport,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I guess it's quite concerning.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43'At last, they can get the bonnet open.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48'The fire's almost out, but it seems Betsy will never be quite the same again.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54'Betsy the Peugeot has been ferrying him back and forth to Reading and Basingstoke for many years.
0:41:54 > 0:42:01'The damage is extensive and Michael's trying to come to terms with Betsy's demise.'
0:42:01 > 0:42:03That's a good old vehicle there.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Diesel, nice economical...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09That's the end of that, isn't it?
0:42:09 > 0:42:14- It does look like it. - Yeah, I'd say so.- Unless you know any miracle workers.- No.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16If I had a magic wand...
0:42:19 > 0:42:22'All Michael can do is organise recovery,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26'unload his golf clubs and start to mourn his reliable Betsy.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Four years!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Four years! I am gutted, mate! It's been a good car!
0:42:32 > 0:42:35What can I say?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39'The fire-fighters have done their job
0:42:39 > 0:42:41'but the cause will remain a mystery.'
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Could be electrical. Very strange.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Who knows? Who knows?
0:42:47 > 0:42:49I'm no expert.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51We put them out.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Just an update. The lady who fell of a horse yesterday, Helimed's arrived
0:42:57 > 0:43:00so she'll be in hospital very soon. They've been very busy today
0:43:00 > 0:43:06- so we haven't bothered them too much, cos we're the least important thing here.- We are. More Real Rescues soon.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:13 > 0:43:17E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:17 > 0:43:17.