0:00:02 > 0:00:04Today, the house that's had a car accident.
0:00:04 > 0:00:10I've got some bad news. Your house has been hit as the result of an RTR.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15'The emergency teams have to find a way to extract it without bringing more house down.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:21The structural engineers are going to put rams in to make it safe to remove the car.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Julie's lost, frightened and drenched from falling in the river,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28there's thunder and lightning and it's about to get worse.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Hello and welcome to Real Rescues and an inside look at the vital work
0:01:01 > 0:01:06- carried out by Britain's emergency services.- This is South Central Ambulance Control near Winchester.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11The team here are getting help to people who've dialled 999.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16No matter what the emergency, the people here are trained to respond appropriately.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21If Kelly's not on a call, and she's not, we can come over and have a word
0:01:21 > 0:01:26and see what's going on and happening in the region at the moment. You've got a couple.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28- Yeah. - Somebody who's been hurt on a ramp.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33- Yep.- What's that about? - Local tyre garage
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and they've driven a vehicle up the ramp
0:01:35 > 0:01:40and one of their members of staff have got in the way somehow
0:01:40 > 0:01:43- and he's been hit by the car going up the ramp.- What sort of injuries?
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Torso-ish. They've not confirmed exactly where at the moment.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51We'll find out more later. Also a teenager that's fallen from a rope swing?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Yeah, rope swing, he's fallen into the local river.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- OK. Recovered from the river, we should say.- Recovered from the river.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03- But not sure what the cause of that accident was at the moment.- No. All we know is he's got a hand injury.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07We'll come back to that a little bit later and keep you updated. Louise.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Now, the house which has had a car accident.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13There's nothing unusual about a car careering off the road after a crash,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16but this time it ended up in someone's front room.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's a miracle no-one was killed. Here's what the rescue team were up against.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28'An emergency call has come in to traffic cop Mark Fruin.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:32All I know is that it's a collision with a car into a house.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35There's no injuries
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and no update on road blockages or anything like that.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46'He wastes no time heading to the scene and arrives to find the road already closed.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52'On closer inspection, it's an extraordinary sight.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'A car is completely embedded in the front room of a house
0:02:55 > 0:02:58'and it's taken most of the wall out.'
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I was just shocked to see the position of the vehicle.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04There was a silver BMW
0:03:04 > 0:03:08that was hidden behind the bushes of a garden and, on closer inspection,
0:03:08 > 0:03:14you could see that it had actually left the ground, several feet in the air, and was embedded in the address
0:03:14 > 0:03:17sitting in the lounge of the house.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26'The driver of the silver car had been on her way to make a house call in the village, but not like this.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32'She's now being checked over by the ambulance crew.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36'She was helped out of the wreckage by Julie, who lives next door.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40'She was in her kitchen when she heard an almighty bang.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:43We just came out and saw the car in the house
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and just went alongside the lady. I moved her away from the house,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50cos we were worried that the house was going to come down.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56'Simon, the driver of the car still on the road, has suffered quite an impact.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58'His neck is giving him a lot of pain.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05'The ambulance crew have to put him on a board in preparation for his journey to hospital.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08'It's a precaution in case he's suffered serious spinal injury.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'Mark and his colleagues have now spoken to both drivers
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'and witnesses.'
0:04:16 > 0:04:21We believe the female driver has failed to see the give way junction at the end of the road.
0:04:21 > 0:04:27The black Renault Laguna's been coming along the main road. The BMW's pulled out in front of the Renault
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and straight into its path. The Renault's been unable to do anything
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and gone into the BMW, pushing it where you can see it now.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39'The accident is attracting a lot of attention.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43'The only people who are blissfully unaware of what's happened are the owners of the house.
0:04:43 > 0:04:49'PC David Blake has the unenviable job of tracking them down and breaking the news.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I've made a number of phone calls to try and find the owners
0:04:52 > 0:04:55to say, "You've got a bigger front door than you left with."
0:04:58 > 0:05:03'The damage to the house is extensive. The corner is at risk of collapsing altogether.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10'The firefighters have cordoned off the entire area to keep everyone safe.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15'Any disturbance to the wedged car could bring down more masonry.'
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And we'll be seeing how they remove the car without more of the house collapsing later.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27Extraordinary. OK, when Julie Adams set out for a walk one evening with her partner and their two dogs,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30there was nothing to suggest it wouldn't be like any other stroll.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35But one wrong turn in the Sussex woodland changed all that. Here's her call for help.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37PHONE RINGS
0:07:27 > 0:07:32So, police control have established where Julie is and which direction she needs to take.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Trouble is, in the countryside, you never know what's around the corner.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And here is Julie. Julie, as bad days go, that was a bad day.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11It was quite a bad day. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16You started off quite jolly, despite the fact you were soaking wet and lost and not very happy,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20you were still quite jolly, but we can hear there, you're starting to get frightened.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Yeah. I think, originally, we were just lost and we could see the amusing side,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30but once we got the lightning and the cows and everything, we realised we were in trouble.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34You're also a bit of a townie, aren't you? Struggling to know what's a cow and a bull.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38It was quite dark but, yes, my preference is certainly for the city. Certainly now.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43I'm not at all surprised. OK, so, there they are, soaking wet, it's raining, windy and there's lightning,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48and they're cornered by curious cows, possibly bulls. Let's hear what happened next.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- You made it back to civilisation. - Eventually.- How did they find you?
0:10:33 > 0:10:40They put the sirens on the car and asked us to tell them the direction we could hear them coming from.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Then when they got closer, they put the lights on and did the same thing
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- and eventually guided us in by lights and sirens. - Were you pleased to see them?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52We had a chat with the policeman who rescued you and he said you were very pleased.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57- I was. I gave him a very big hug when we came out of the woods. - That's nice. How did he take that?
0:10:57 > 0:11:03Well, he was quite shocked, so he stepped backwards and managed to step on my dog.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07HE LAUGHS Just one disaster after another.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- Are you a bit disaster-prone? - Not normally.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- It just all happened on one day? - It all happened on one day.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- You said you were very frightened of the lightning.- Yep. - And knowing what to do.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22In those situations, you think, "Was it under a tree or not under a tree that you were supposed to do?"
0:11:22 > 0:11:27It's a good point. We'll tell you a bit more about that a little bit later on.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Did you know that you were near a very famous and very dangerous bog?
0:11:31 > 0:11:36We didn't at the time, but the farmer who took us for a cup of coffee afterwards,
0:11:36 > 0:11:42he said he'd lost a Land Rover in that field. He's parked it and it'd sunk into the bog and disappeared.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- Totally disappeared? - And never been recovered.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49- So you were in quite a lot of danger. - Literally, everything was against us.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52And now do you go walking in the woods very much?
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Not very much, no, and I now carry a torch and stick to the paths.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00The old bit of help - stick to the paths!
0:12:00 > 0:12:06Absolutely, quite right. I'm sorry you had such a terrible day, but pleased you came out the other side.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- They sounded great on the phone. - They were absolutely fabulous
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- and, without them, it could've ended very differently. - Thank you very much.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I want to talk to James about a call he took here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21You had a call from a man who'd had a fall in his bedroom, which doesn't sound terribly serious at first,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23but it was serious. What was going on?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I took a call from a man who'd fallen in his bedroom.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28It turns out, he couldn't feel his legs.
0:12:28 > 0:12:35Once the crew arrived, we couldn't actually get him downstairs on a stretcher,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38so we had to call the fire brigade to take the window out.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Because of the layout of the house?
0:12:41 > 0:12:46Yeah, the stairs were too narrow to get him downstairs,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50so we had to take the window out, with the assistance of the fire service.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54What had happened? He'd had a fall in his bedroom but he'd really hurt himself.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59- There was a history to it, wasn't there?- Yeah, he had a pre-existing problem with his spine
0:12:59 > 0:13:04which aggravated it, causing the loss of feeling in his legs.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09And he was eventually flown straight to a specialist unit at Southampton Hospital.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- And given treatment for it. - Yes.- OK, James, thank you.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19A young boy has been out with his friends and fallen off his bike not once but twice.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22He's feeling dizzy and he's been sick. His mum is really worried
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and when ambulance crew arrive, he's showing all the signs of concussion.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30SIREN WAILS
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'Paramedic Stuart Verity and technician Stacey Smith
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'and on their way to a nine-year-old boy who's fallen off his bike.'
0:13:40 > 0:13:46He's apparently hit his head. The limited information we've been given is that he's not cut his head
0:13:46 > 0:13:48but we don't know whether he was wearing a helmet,
0:13:48 > 0:13:54we don't know how hard he's hit his head, what he's hit it on, whether he was unconscious,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59so we need to go and see how alert he is now and we'll take it from there.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05'At the house, they find an unhappy George.'
0:14:05 > 0:14:12- What's happened?- Well, I fell off my bike, I went over the handlebars
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and I wasn't really happy about it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20- When I got up, I was really dizzy. - Do you feel dizzy now?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- Only when I stand up. - Are you hurting anywhere?
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Well, a bit... I've had...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Well, my head's still hurting a little bit.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- Where abouts does your head hurt? - There.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Did you bang that on the floor or did you bang it on your bike?
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Banged it on the concrete.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Did you have a helmet on?- No.- OK.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49'Undeterred by his nasty fall, George got straight back in the saddle.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I wanted to play with my friends again.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- Then when I went round the block again, I fell off again.- Oh, no.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Can I have a feel of your head?
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Tell me if I hurt you.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- Yeah, it hurts there. - Round this side?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- No, that side.- That side?
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- And there. - OK. Where does it hurt here?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16There.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- How's this side?- That side's fine. It's just that side.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'As the day has gone on, George has started to feel poorly.'
0:15:24 > 0:15:26What about your tummy?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Well, I've got really bad stomach cramps.
0:15:29 > 0:15:36- Did you have that before? - No, that happened, like, half an hour afterwards.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- Has he been sick?- Yeah. - How many times?- Twice.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44- Is it just fluid? - Yeah, it's phlegm. Phlegm and fluid.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- How's that? Is he normally fit and well?- Yeah.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'Stuart gives George a full check over.'
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Straighten them out. Wiggle your toes.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59What about your fingers and your hands?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02On this one, I can wiggle it fine,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06but I can only wiggly this one slightly, it's weak.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'By testing his reflexes and responses,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14'he can gauge whether George has any signs of a head injury.'
0:16:15 > 0:16:18That's good. I think, cos he's banged his head,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and he didn't have a helmet on and he's been sick a couple of times,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- we'll go and get you checked out. - OK.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Just to make sure everything's all right.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Let the doctor have a look at you. You think?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35You might need some shoes and socks on.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40- Mum, do you want to go and get some socks?- I'll get your socks.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43'George appears lucid, but Stuart's concerned by the dizziness
0:16:43 > 0:16:46'and other symptoms he's suffered since the accident.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51'A child's condition can deteriorate rapidly if something goes undetected.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Ready? One, two, three.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01'He may be about to go to hospital, but George is already thinking about his future safety.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:06- There you go. - On Saturday, I'm buying a new helmet for what's just happened now.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08That's a good idea.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11That's nice and warm.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'Although he's dressing like a little superhero,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18'George is still feeling a little less than super.'
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Are you ready?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Come round this side.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- How do you feel?- I'm feeling OK.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30- You don't feel sick anymore? - I'm feeling kind of all right.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You tell me if you're feeling sick, won't you?
0:17:36 > 0:17:42'On the journey to hospital, George's answers are getting more confused and his memory clouded.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45'And he appears more sluggish.'
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Did you go over the handlebars both times?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- No, only once. The second time. - The second time?
0:17:52 > 0:17:58Er... After the second time, I banged my head. I went over the handlebars the second time.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05'Arriving at Southampton General, George does his best to reassure Mum.'
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I'll probably be fine tomorrow, Mum.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'He may have given himself a clean bill of health,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'but Stuart wants to find out from Mum if George is acting normally.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Sit yourself on here.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34'George is wheeled straight through to the paediatric A&E department.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Ambulance sticker!
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- There you go!- Thank you.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45'He's now in the best place to find out the extent of any possible head injury.'
0:18:47 > 0:18:49George's conditions deteriorated in hospital.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53He had scans and tests and it turned out to be serious concussion.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Thankfully, he has made a fully recovery
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and is back out on his bike with his new helmet.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Still to come on Real Rescues, there's smoke but no flames.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10Firefighters struggle to find a fire which started in, of all places, a bathroom.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Right, listen up, you two.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Smoke issuing out the back, OK? Remember your door procedures.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19You've got breaking in equipment. Let's get going.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24And the moment a stunt to raise money for charity went disastrously wrong.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Holly's broken her arm and dislocated her shoulder and elbow,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38so how will rescuers get her safely into the lifeboat?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Let's take you back to that car which has crashed into the side of a house.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51No-one has been seriously hurt, but the house is in need of emergency treatment.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'Council surveyor Jerry Pride has arrived
0:19:55 > 0:19:58'to start emergency work on propping up the corner of the house.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:04'The fire service has already checked for gas leaks and given the all-clear for work to start.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10'But it's going to be a very difficult task removing the car without causing further disruption.'
0:20:10 > 0:20:13All that's holding up the flag wall is the first floor joists,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and they're unsupported.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19If we remove the vehicle at this stage, it's likely to disturb more masonry,
0:20:19 > 0:20:25which could weaken the structure further and cause considerable problems, so we'll arrange to get
0:20:25 > 0:20:30the section of masonry that's been removed replaced by props before the vehicle is removed
0:20:30 > 0:20:35and that will stabilise that side of the house and make sure it's kept safe and no further damage is done.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40'The owners are away and it's up to PC David Blake to break the news over the telephone.'
0:20:40 > 0:20:45I've got some bad news. Your house has been hit as a result of an RTR.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49It's basically to see whether you'd be able to come home.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55'PC David Blake explains who's on the scene and the extent of the repair work being carried out.'
0:20:55 > 0:21:00It's the emergency structural engineers.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05They're going to put supporting joists and rams in
0:21:05 > 0:21:08to make it safe to remove the car.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13No-one will be able to go back into the property, cos it is substantially damaged.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19'The car has now taken the place of the masonry and is effectively supporting the first floor.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:26We've stabilised the corner of the building, cos the impact had removed quite a lot of supporting masonry,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and now we're just waiting to remove the vehicle. When it's removed,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33we'll assess whether any additional damage is caused by that removal.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38'The recovery truck has arrived, but it's going to be a tricky job.'
0:21:38 > 0:21:42My concern is, if we drag it, it's going to drag more of this masonry.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44We've got this big panel that's loose.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- So if we take some weight of it and then just lift it out? - That'd be much better.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53'Before they can lift the car out, they'll have to shift the remains of the house still on top of it.
0:21:59 > 0:22:06- 'With the rubble cleared, it's a delicate operation to ease out the vehicle.'- That'll do!
0:22:06 > 0:22:10'The only way out for this unwanted guest is over the top of the garden hedge.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'The props are in place and will provide a temporary support.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18'The owners are still unaware of the damage,
0:22:18 > 0:22:24'but it looks likely that one entire corner of the house will have to be rebuilt.'
0:22:25 > 0:22:29The driver of the car that ended up in the house was convicted and fined.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32That's the second time that house has been hit by a vehicle.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37In fact, vehicles in buildings have been a regular call-out for Hampshire Fire and Rescue.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Yes, it was a double blow for the driver of this car
0:22:39 > 0:22:42when he smashed into his own property.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Then the driver who ended up with a prison sentence and a driving ban after this.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53He drove his Rolls Royce into a shop window, all because he'd been refused alcohol in a supermarket.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58- Six people were injured. - Extraordinary. And the Moscow State Circus left town in style
0:22:58 > 0:23:04after a bank holiday extravaganza when its ticket office trailer ended up in a block of flats.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Taking door-to-door selling a little bit far, isn't it?
0:23:07 > 0:23:12- You'd think you'd give it to them for free, wouldn't you?- Yeah. Shall we move on?- Yes, let's.
0:23:12 > 0:23:1720-year-old student Michael has been learning to live with epilepsy for the last three years.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Fits can come out of the blue, as we're about to see.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28'Ambulance crew Paul and Caroline are on an emergency call to a young man
0:23:28 > 0:23:31'who's been found collapsed on the street.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:34We've just been told a male fitted on the side of the road
0:23:35 > 0:23:42'They arrive to find some passers-by, as well as a local community responder, already giving first aid.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I was just driving by. These chaps had stopped.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Apparently, he just passed out.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59He's breathing and he is responsive. If you shout at him, he opens his eyes, but he's not with it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Right, I think we just get him on a...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06These gentlemen... You witnessed him just go rigid
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and then just fall to the floor and shake, full tonic-clonic seizure.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14'A tonic-clonic seizure is the medical term for a type of epileptic fit
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'where the sufferer has violent body convulsions.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Hello, fella. Hello, mate. It's Paul from the ambulance service.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Hello there. What's your name, chap?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Michael? Hello, Michael.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I think you've had a little bit of a fit, my friend.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36OK? Are you epileptic? Yeah? All right.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40'Michael is responding to Paul when he talks loudly. It's a good sign.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'He could be through the worst of it and starting to come round.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:49There's just some marks on his chin. Looks like possible facial.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52'Michael was walking to college.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57'It's possible he fell and hit the pavement hard when the seizure gripped him.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01'Paul checks for any injuries before he can be moved.'
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Have you got any pains in your head at all?
0:25:03 > 0:25:07No? Any pains down in your neck? No?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Can you move your legs for me?
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Good man, well done. That's it. Shall we get you up off this floor?
0:25:14 > 0:25:19'Michael is still a bit confused and looks exhausted from the convulsions.'
0:25:22 > 0:25:26So you know where you are, my friend? Sorry?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31You think you collapsed? Well done.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'Michael fights hard to stay awake long enough
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'to answer Caroline and Paul's questions.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'It takes a huge effort.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Other than your chin and where you're grazed on your hands,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45does anything else hurt? No.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48How often do you fit? Do you know?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Is it a regular thing or is it once in a blue moon?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00'The team have put sensors on Michael to get a heart trace.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'If he's recovered enough, then he may be able to avoid a trip to hospital.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:09He's doing some twitching.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11This arm's been twitching.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Michael? Hello. You all right?
0:26:17 > 0:26:19How are you feeling?
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- Let's give your face a bit of a... - Are you on any medication at all?
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Do you know what that is?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35When you've had a fit in the past, have you ever had a second fit?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Or do you tend just to have one?
0:26:39 > 0:26:43He's done it again. This arm went this time.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Yeah. And his heart rate, as well.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'But there are signs it's not over yet.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58'His body is still twitching slightly and his heart racing.'
0:26:58 > 0:27:03How about we pop you down to the hospital, just get you an MOT?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Cos your heart rate's going ten to the dozen.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And you're still doing the odd twitching now and then.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15So I think just to be safe, yeah?
0:27:16 > 0:27:17OK.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23'Caroline has told Michael's mum, who'll meet them at the hospital.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Shall I put that back down now?
0:27:27 > 0:27:31'Michael will remain in hospital until his seizure has completely subsided.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34'His other injuries will also be thoroughly checked over.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Michael, you're here with me today. How are you feeling? You all right?
0:27:39 > 0:27:44- I'm feeling much better than I was then.- Do you remember any of that?
0:27:44 > 0:27:49I remember vague snippets of it, but most of it, no.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52And when you've had a fit like that, how do you feel afterwards?
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Usually it's confusion. Normally I can only remember fragments of it
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and I just feel ridiculously drained and tired.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Really? Julian, you're a paramedic, you deal with people who've had fits.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Is that a common feeling afterwards? Cos he was clearly exhausted.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Yeah, his muscles are all contracting
0:28:12 > 0:28:16and really it's like running a marathon.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19So by the time he's finished fitting, absolutely exhausted.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Most people, all they want to do is go to sleep.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And that's because of what's been going on in their bodies.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29That's right. The electrical activity in the brain has been going crazy,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33it's causing a lot of the muscles to contract, it's making him absolutely exhausted,
0:28:33 > 0:28:38and also there's a lack of oxygen sometimes to the brain during a fit,
0:28:38 > 0:28:44so coming round and not really having much recollection of it is quite normal after a seizure.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46I know you were on your way to college that day.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51- Did you get any warning signs that that was going to happen? - Yeah, I did feel it coming on.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55I did try and slow down and focus on breathing slowly a few times
0:28:55 > 0:28:59to see if I could snap out if it, but obviously it didn't work.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04- You've made it stop before, have you?- A couple of times it's worked.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09- How?- I've just managed to kind of slow down, really focus on breathing slowly,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12playing slow-tempo music helps,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and just really relaxing, and I've managed to come round.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21Have you met people who know when they're going to have a fit, they get warning signs?
0:29:21 > 0:29:25I have. Some people will say they feel a bit light-headed, a bit dizzy,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28some people will complain of a tight chest or a strange taste.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32I even met one lady once who had a dog that was trained
0:29:32 > 0:29:36and it was able to know when she was going to have a fit
0:29:36 > 0:29:41- and it would give her a ten-second warning so she could put herself on the ground and be safe.- Amazing.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46- You're feeling OK today and you're on your way to university, so good luck.- Thank you.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Remember we were chatting earlier to Julie? She got lost in the forest
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and suddenly there was a lightning storm and she was frightened.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00A lot of people are frightened of lightning. I like it. It's impressive.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03But a lot of people get very frightened of it. How dangerous is it?
0:30:03 > 0:30:09We're here in the ambulance room, let's talk to Claire about lightning.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Do you get a lot of calls for people being struck by lightning?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15It's a really rare thing, actually.
0:30:15 > 0:30:21I've been here for two years and I haven't had one lightning call and I don't know of anyone that has.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- So it's really rare.- It's a fairly rare thing.- It is, yeah.
0:30:24 > 0:30:30Do you have set rules about how you tell people to deal with lightning strikes?
0:30:30 > 0:30:34If someone had phoned up saying that they'd witnessed it,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37basically, we have to go for worst case scenario
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- and always think that they are in cardiac arrest.- Is that right?
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Yeah, until somebody comes along that can verify they're breathing or conscious.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51- So you almost treat it like a normal electric shock.- Yeah, that's right.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- You assume that it's stopped the heart.- Exactly, yeah.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56It's very similar, really.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Also, she was saying earlier that she didn't know whether she should be standing under a tree or not.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Injuries for lightning strikes are more likely under a tree, is that right?
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Yeah, under a tree is not safe at all.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12A really safe place to be in a storm is to be in a car,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15because the tyres are made of rubber, so it protects you.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20Being under a tree is not a good idea at all.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Thank you. And the reason that being under a tree is not a good idea
0:31:24 > 0:31:28is because, if the tree gets struck, a bit of the tree comes off and you're underneath.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31And it will attract the lightning because of the height.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34ROSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38have some advice for you on what it's best to do. Seek shelter if you can.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42If you can get inside a building, that's safe, or in a car.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47Make yourself small. If you are caught in the open, don't stand upright, get into a small ball.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50If you can make cover, that'd be a much better idea.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56Avoid trees, because they attract lightning and also you'll get hit if a piece breaks off.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00And finally, get away from water or anything metal, because those are both conductors.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04The last time they had someone struck by lightning here was four years ago
0:32:04 > 0:32:08where two people, separately, were struck by lightning on the same day
0:32:08 > 0:32:12- and Charlie here remembers that day only too well, don't you?- Yes.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17- Because?- Because my prom venue got struck by lightning and burnt down.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Aww! So she never had her prom because her prom venue was burnt down.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26- So you never had the prom? - No, we went to a different one, but it wasn't as good.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- We lost all our decorations.- Aww! Still not over it, as you can see.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Anyway, don't be frightened of lightning, it's very rare that anyone gets struck.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Follow those important little tips. Louise.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41What a shame for her. When fire crews arrive at the next emergency,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46they could be forgiven for thinking it's a false alarm. There's no sign of flames from the front,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49but the building's on fire. So first, they have to find it.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52SIREN WAILS
0:32:53 > 0:32:59'The firefighters of white watch are on a call to a fire in Southampton city centre.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08'The fire has set off the alarm in one of the flats in this converted house.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12'The first task is to get all the residents out of the building.'
0:33:13 > 0:33:18If you could come out, sir. Yeah, check round the back. All right?
0:33:18 > 0:33:21There's nobody in there, is there?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24You don't think so. OK.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28'There's not much sign of fire or smoke out the front,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31'but inside, the hallway is quickly filling up with fumes.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35'Shaun has to find the seat of the fire as quickly as possible.'
0:33:35 > 0:33:40Get an informative back, smoke issuing. Right, get started up!
0:33:40 > 0:33:45- 'One of the crew is round the back and has spotted where the smoke is coming from.'- Got anything?
0:33:45 > 0:33:50"Yeah, there's smoke coming out of the back, there's a small vent in the wall
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- "and there's smoke coming out of it."- Received.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Listen up.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59The door at the top of the stairs right in front of you, smoke issuing out the back, OK?
0:33:59 > 0:34:05Remember your door procedures, all right? You've got breaking in equipment. Let's get going.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'The crew need to break into a locked flat on the first floor.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11'No-one knows what they will find inside.'
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Check for persons!
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Check for persons!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18We're not sure if there's anyone in there yet.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23'Shaun tries to get more information from the ground-floor residents.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Who lives there, do you know?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- We all live there. - No, who lives in that room?
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- Er, they call him Mike.- Mike?- Yeah.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33You don't know if he's in or not?
0:34:33 > 0:34:36'An update comes through from the crew who've gone inside.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39'Luckily, it seems that no-one was in the room.'
0:34:39 > 0:34:44"It looks like it was in the shower. It looks like it's gone round the back of the wall
0:34:44 > 0:34:50"and maybe into the roof space, so suggest maybe a crew to the loft space, over."
0:34:50 > 0:34:56'The fire crew's work is not over. There's a chance that the fire may have already spread into the roof.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00'More firefighters need to go in to investigate.'
0:35:00 > 0:35:02It looks like the fire's out. It may be in the shower unit.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I want you to check the loft space.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09There's a short extension in there and there's a hose reel in there you can use.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12So just get your head up in there and have a look.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18'Sue Perry and Matt Broomby put on their breathing apparatus. They will be heading into the loft space.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21'If the fire has spread there, the entire building could be at risk.'
0:35:21 > 0:35:25We've got smoke travel so we're investigating the roof space.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28I'm sending two more breathing apparatus into the roof space
0:35:28 > 0:35:32to check for fire travel. Because we don't want fire travel catching the roof alight.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38'The fire in the shower has been put out. The next job is clearing all the smoke.'
0:35:38 > 0:35:41All right, we're just putting the fan on now.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44We're using the positive pressure fan
0:35:44 > 0:35:47to get rid of the smoke in there so we can go and have a look.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51'The smoke isn't the only problem.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'A pipe has melted and water is leaking all over the flat.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57'It's threatening to flood the ones below.'
0:35:59 > 0:36:03We need the stopcock. I don't know where the stop valve is inside,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- so we need to turn it off. - All right, grab that key, then.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'Colin finds the outside mains. He needs to shut off the water supply.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15'But there's a lot of mud and it's proving difficult to get to the stopcock.'
0:36:15 > 0:36:19We've tried turning the water off from outside, but it's not working.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21So we're doing a salvage operation at the moment.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25They're using salvage equipment to try and divert the water.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29'Sue and Matt emerge with some good news.'
0:36:30 > 0:36:34It's quite smoky but it doesn't seem to have affected the roof space.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37We went into the attic area. I think the only smoke that got up there
0:36:37 > 0:36:41was there because I've been in the attic space. So no problems.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47'It's safe now for Shaun to venture inside the house without breathing gear.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51'The smoke and fire damage is quite extensive.'
0:36:52 > 0:36:58If you look at the walls, you can see where the smoke level was coming down to.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02'Anyone trapped in here would've been lucky to survive.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07'There is a fire alarm system which did work, but against all the odds.'
0:37:07 > 0:37:09To me, that's been sealed up.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Someone's put a plastic bag over that so they can have a smoke.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20'Thankfully, the plastic bag that had been intended to disable the fire alarm didn't work.'
0:37:20 > 0:37:23If a fire situation doesn't set the alarm off, you get a much bigger fire.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27We'd have lost at least the back of the building with that,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30because it was developing quite readily.
0:37:30 > 0:37:36'The landlord, Arshak, has arrived to find his property full of fire crews, smoke and water.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40'But at least it's still standing and nobody has been hurt.'
0:37:41 > 0:37:45The shower unit's completely burnt out. And that's where the fire was.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47I'd say it's a fault with the shower.
0:37:47 > 0:37:53'There's a lot of damage that will have to be put right before the tenant can move back into his flat.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56'Shaun explains the situation to the other residents.'
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Quite a substantial fire in there.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01And it started in the shower unit.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Yeah, he's got an electric shower in there, and that caught fire.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10So it's caused quite a bit of damage and a bit of water damage. Do you know who's in the flat underneath?
0:38:10 > 0:38:15- Me.- That's you?- Yeah.- We'll need to look and make sure there's not too much water coming through.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19'Arshak has a lot of work to do to make the house habitable,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21'but he knows things could've been far worse
0:38:21 > 0:38:24'and he's taking it all in his stride.'
0:38:24 > 0:38:26A fire is always dangerous, yeah.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29That's life. Things happen, you know?
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Extraordinary, all that damage from a shower fire.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44OK, now, some people will do all kinds of bizarre and dangerous stunts for charity.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49I've been known to do a few daft things myself. You presume you're going to be safe.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Emergency services are on hand to pick up the pieces when there's a mishap.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Thankfully, this was the case at the International Worthing Birdman Contest.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05to Worthing International Birdman!
0:39:08 > 0:39:14'Bizarre as it seems, this is a contest of style and bravery.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18'Entrants dress in elaborate costumes, put their trust into wacky flying machines
0:39:18 > 0:39:23'and then throw themselves from a height of 50 feet off Worthing Pier.'
0:39:27 > 0:39:30'Comedienne Holly Walsh is a first-timer.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33'Her flying partner, playing the part of Rambo,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36'is a world gravy wrestling champion.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38'Yes, you did hear that right.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41'Their mock green helicopter launches...
0:39:42 > 0:39:45'..and then crash-lands.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49'But Holly and Mr Gravy don't come up laughing.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53'In fact, it's clear to emergency services almost immediately
0:39:53 > 0:39:55'that something is seriously wrong.'
0:39:57 > 0:40:01And here are Nick and Karl, who actually attended Holly in that incident.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06Now, let's start with Nick, cos you were first to get to her.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- Yeah.- What sort of state was she in?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Well, initially, when she jumped,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14we saw that she hadn't come up as quick as we expected.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20And then we gave her about five or six seconds before we intervened.
0:40:20 > 0:40:26We saw that she hadn't come up and then the rescue craft came in,
0:40:26 > 0:40:31- as you see there, and... - Plainly in a lot of discomfort.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Was it obvious to you that she had a serious injury?
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Very quickly, it was obvious that she'd done something to her elbow.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- And then you turned up with the lifeboat.- Yep.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44And it's a matter now of retrieving. We've seen people rescued from cars and buildings.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47What are the differences with rescuing someone from water?
0:40:47 > 0:40:50It depends on the situation. Life over limb, really.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53If they're in the water, if you don't get them out of the water,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56the end result can be a lot worse, drownings, et cetera.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01So the idea is, really, get them out comfortably and safely as quickly as you can.
0:41:01 > 0:41:07OK, Nick, how did you get her out of the water? Here she's out of the water in a basket stretcher.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12- But how did you get her out? - The divers had brought her to the surface
0:41:12 > 0:41:14and laid her flat onto the top of the water
0:41:14 > 0:41:19and then we manoeuvred the boat in and we just picked her up
0:41:19 > 0:41:24very much underneath her in a flat line
0:41:24 > 0:41:29with the divers underneath pushing up and we put her onto the side to do treatment.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33And you can give her some painkillers, which is the thing at that stage,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36cos she had damage to her elbow, dislocated her shoulder,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38several fractures. I mean, that's painful.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44Initially, she wasn't in a lot of pain, but I think that was the adrenaline that was kicking in.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46But certainly, as time went on,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50we took a bit of time to get her out of the water and onto the side of the boat.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54It's important that you use a soft-bottomed rib here
0:41:54 > 0:41:57and we can see why as it comes up onto the beach.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03Yeah. The ribs that are already out there are rigid inflatables, they have a hard bottom.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07If they hit the beach, they're just not designed to be driven up the beach.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10The inshore boats that we have within the RNLI
0:42:10 > 0:42:15are specifically designed to provide a sturdy platform and to be driven up the beach
0:42:15 > 0:42:17so we can get the casualty up safely and quickly.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20You've done an amazing job and Holly sends her thanks.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23She's recovering a lot better now thanks to you guys.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- Nice to meet you guys. Thank you very much.- Cheers.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Just a couple of updates before we go today.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Remember that man who was injured while working on a car?
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Two crews had to look after him. He's on his way to hospital with them.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39And a teenager fallen off a rope swing into water has hurt her hand.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44- She's on her way, too. - Happy endings for them. We'll see you for more real rescues soon.- Bye-bye.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:54 > 0:42:58E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:42:58 > 0:42:58.