Episode 13 Real Rescues


Episode 13

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Today on Real Rescues, double trouble for a traffic cop.

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He's dealing with one crash when a second happens before his very eyes.

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Just to give you an update. It's minor injuries...

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SKIDDING

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Stand by. We've got a motorcycle RTC on the other side.

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And cut off by a raging torrent,

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five schoolgirls freezing, frightened and trapped on the wrong side of a swollen mountain stream.

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Welcome to Real Rescues at the Thames Valley police control room near Oxford.

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They're moving their units around like chess pieces,

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from bobbies on the beat responding to 999 calls to specialist units like the Armed Response patrols

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and, of course, traffic police.

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First today, we see how difficult that job can be.

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On a busy main road, PC Scott Davison has his hands full

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at the site of an accident when a second one happens.

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The whole thing is caught on camera.

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It's one of the busiest times of the day, the early morning rush hour.

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It's been raining and Scott's not surprised he's been called to a crash

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on a packed dual carriageway.

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It's a bit wet, so they probably slid a little bit.

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It's quite a cold place at the moment. Let's see what we've got.

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SIREN BLARES

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The traffic's already ground to a halt.

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There's a driver on the hard shoulder by one of the two damaged cars.

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He's gone into the back of the blue car.

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He's now suffering from whiplash and has asked for an ambulance.

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If I can ask you to stay with the vehicle, OK?

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Just so I know where you are. I'll get an ambulance.

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With nobody too badly injured, it looks like this is a simple shunt.

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However, 20 years in the service

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has taught Scott that you must always expect the unexpected.

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Just to give you an update. It's minor injuries...

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SKIDDING

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Stand by. We've got a motorcycle RTC on the other side now.

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Can we have more units, please?

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In a split second, this has turned into a far more serious incident.

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The motorcyclist has been thrown from his bike,

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sliding over ten metres in the outside lane

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and is now writhing on the ground in the path of speeding traffic.

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Stay down there, fella.

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-You all right?

-Yes...

-Stay where you are. Stay calm, OK?

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-You OK?

-Yeah.

-Keep talking to me.

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The biker is conscious and talking.

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However, he could still have suffered serious injuries.

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Just relax.

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-What's your first name?

-Danny.

-OK, Danny.

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Scott knows the most important thing is to keep the motorcyclist still

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to prevent him exacerbating any injuries he may have suffered.

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You're best staying there for a bit.

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A Good Samaritan is on the scene in minutes.

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Jo was driving in front of the biker and saw it happen in her rear-view mirror.

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Luckily, she's also a trained first aider and didn't hesitate in stopping.

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The bike had obviously gone straight from underneath him

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and he did hit the road quite hard.

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He then slid for a long way.

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I was expecting to have maybe badly broken legs, arms,

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and he could have had internal injuries

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that you might not have been able to see.

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Can you get here as quick as you can? We have a motorcycle on the ground.

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Echo three zero.

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Scott has now single-handedly got to deal with two accidents on either side of the central reservation.

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Fortunately, the drivers behind the biker have managed to stop.

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And there's more help on hand.

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Sam has also stopped. He's a Royal Navy first aider.

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This extra pair of hands gives Scott the chance to concentrate on the increasing backlog of traffic.

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Just one second, OK? One second and I'll get you through.

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There's a huge tailback and an injured man is still lying on the road.

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If we get you over here...

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Scott needs to get the traffic moving,

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but without endangering the lives of the motorcyclist and the people treating him.

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At one point we were all sat still with Danny

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and there was a slip road, so the rest of the traffic was using that.

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It was quite noisy and there was a lot going on.

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So it was quite daunting, really.

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But at the time you don't really notice it

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because you're focused on making sure the casualty, Danny, was OK.

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An ambulance has been called, but Danny's in luck. A third motorist has come to help.

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This time, it's a Royal Navy medic, Dr Richard Kershaw.

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It's just as well, because Danny, the injured biker, is now getting very distressed.

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He's lucky to be in such good hands.

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But Dr Kershaw has no medicines or equipment with him

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and Daniel clearly needs to be got off the road and taken to hospital as soon as possible.

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Daniel is clearly not out of danger

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and Scott is the only policeman on the road to control four lanes of traffic.

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Scott has his work cut out managing the crashes.

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Later, he discovers exactly what caused Danny's bike to suddenly slide from underneath him.

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All the call handlers here have key information on their computers

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to help them deal with all kinds of emergencies.

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Richard has a good example of that. A lady phoned who was having a problem with a snake.

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During the initial call, which my colleague took,

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she reported she'd found a snake that had crawled into her house.

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-Alarming!

-Reasonably! She had no idea of who to call or how to deal with it.

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She called the police to ask for help.

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Originally, the job was sent across to the radios for an officer to attend to help her.

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-But they wanted more information.

-So you were handed the call because your colleague was snake phobic.

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She wasn't a huge fan of snakes so asked if I could assist.

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I called the lady back and she gave me a description. Using the pictures on the reference database,

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we were able to determine that from what she was describing,

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it sounded like a grass snake.

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During that call there was a lot of banging and crashing in the background.

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So I asked her what all the noise was.

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She replied that her boyfriend was in the kitchen trying to grab it with barbecue tongs!

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Which turned out to be the right thing to do?

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In the end, he did manage to get it and took it out the door. So the police weren't required.

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That's good. Also lots of other key information.

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For example, if there was an accident involving a lorry,

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they have information on the sides that you have here.

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If a lorry is carrying a hazardous chemical, it has one of these plates on the side of it.

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So if there's an accident on the motorway,

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the caller, or the first officer on the scene

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can describe the picture on the side.

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So any eye-witness could say it's a toxic substance or radioactive substance

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which is key for everybody to know.

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Yes, then we can pass that on to any officers attending

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and also the fire service so that they can assist us

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-in dealing with the substance.

-Excellent. Thank you.

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You might need a computer to help identify a snake,

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but if you were shown two faces, for example, this one...

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and this one...

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could you tell the difference?

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There hangs a tale that Graham Tabersham can tell us about.

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I'll just check he's not on a call.

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-Graham? All right?

-Yes, fine, yes.

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I'll interrupt you for a second.

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Talking about ID cards and people being good at recognising faces.

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Right, yes. A long time ago, when I was a probationer,

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I was dispatched with a detective constable

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to go into some woods in Bracknell.

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There'd been a robbery the night before

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and we were asking members of the public if they'd seen anything the night before.

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My colleague... What we used to do is approach people, show them our ID,

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this is my current ID, it's not a warrant card, just a police identification card.

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But basically, we show them the ID, tell them who we were

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and proceed to ask them questions.

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-Like, "Have you seen anyone dodgy near here?"

-Yes.

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"Were you here last night? Did you see anything?"

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So my colleague, the detective constable approached this man with a dog.

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A man with a little dog. And as he approached him, he said, "Hello, sir. I'm DC so-and-so."

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Whereupon the man took the warrant card from him, looked at it,

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looked back at the DC, looked back at the card and said,

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"No, mate. Haven't seen him."

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Hadn't seen him. He thinks you're looking for this man!

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-Looking face-to-face.

-That's right.

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-You can't rely on eye witnesses, can you?

-Some!

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That's fantastic. Lovely. Thank you very much.

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Now, the brains of children under six years old aren't fully developed,

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particularly in one important area called the hypothalamus.

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One of its jobs is to control temperature.

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So when a child has a fever, occasionally it can go so high it causes a fit.

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It normally happens just once, but for little Harry, it's been happening for years.

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Mum Zoe is distraught.

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The ambulance is on blue lights. Niki is quickly but carefully negotiating the traffic.

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They're on an emergency call to a five-year-old who's having convulsions.

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Hello. Who's this little one?

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The crew can see Harry is still having convulsions.

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He has a history of suffering fits every time he has a fever.

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He's been prescribed a drug, but it's the first time his parents have had to give it to him.

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Mum Zoe is finding it very upsetting.

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They gave it to him a year ago.

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He's never had this one before.

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I just gave him one millimetre about five minutes ago.

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-I spread it between his teeth.

-That's fine.

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Has he calmed down a bit since then? He's looking at us.

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Yes, but he's been sick and it's just not right.

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ZOE'S SOBBING MAKES WORDS UNCLEAR

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Sarah tries to reassure her.

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You've done everything right. Don't worry.

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It's so horrible.

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Febrile fits can happen in young children

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when they get a high temperature and overheat.

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Hello, Harry. Hello.

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The fit seems to be wearing off, but Mum's worried he looks a bit floppy.

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-Is that the medicine?

-It's doing its job.

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-It's fine.

-Why's he gone to sleep like that?

-He's fine.

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He's stopped fitting. It's just a residual twitch.

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Could you guys grab a cold flannel? We'll pop him in the ambulance.

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Harry's trying to get comfortable on the sofa. He wants to sleep.

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But Sarah needs to get him in the ambulance.

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She's very good at persuading youngsters into her arms.

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Can I have a cuddle, darling? Oh, you can't be that heavy, can you?

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Mum's going to come in the ambulance.

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Harry's still shaking. It's important they keep him as cool as possible.

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Do you want to sit there?

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So you can keep stroking him with the flannel on.

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Sarah and Niki can now start their tests.

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-We're deliberately keeping him cool, guys.

-No history of a sore throat or cough or cold?

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No. He had chicken pox a couple of weeks ago. He had a massive temperature.

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-We were so pleased that he didn't have a fit.

-Exactly.

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He's been free since not last September but the one before.

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Zoe and Andrew are all the more worried because they thought Harry had grown out of these fits.

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They hardly recognise the little lad shaking on the stretcher.

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You'd love it in here if you weren't poorly. You'd be saying, "What does that do?"

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Dad Andrew is going to meet them at A&E. Hopefully, it won't be too long a stay this time.

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-You'll see your dad at the other end, Harry.

-I'll see you later.

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Harry just wants to sleep.

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Sarah phones over the details to the hospital as Niki sets off.

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We've got a five-year-old boy. He's had a febrile convulsion

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Probably lasted about 15 minutes, I'd say.

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He's still shaking. There's no cause for this one. No current infections.

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It started out of the blue.

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In the past, these fits have always happened when Harry is ill or has an infection.

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But this time, it seems to have happened out of the blue

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although he did have an unsettled night.

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He hasn't got a rash or anything, Zoe?

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No. He did wake up last night, which I thought was unusual.

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But I did his temperature this morning and it was 36.8.

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It's not normally that high, to be honest, but I thought as it wasn't over 37...

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-That's normal.

-I thought he was all right.

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Poor Zoe is beside herself with worry.

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Stop scaring Mummy like this. I don't like it!

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In ten minutes, they're at the hospital.

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-Zoe, when we get out, do you want to get out first?

-OK.

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We'll pull you out on the bed.

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These fits are not unusual in young children if there is a physiological reason.

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But in Harry's case, Niki and Sarah don't know if that explains everything.

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In children under six, their internal thermometer,

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the hypothalamus, isn't developed properly.

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So they overheat,

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and then start convulsing.

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They haven't come up with a formal diagnosis whether it's a long-term problem.

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Harry's now in the hands of the doctors. Sarah has an encouraging update on his condition.

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He's gone to the resus department, but he looks a lot better than the boy we brought in.

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So fingers crossed for a good recovery.

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Harry didn't like being kept in overnight in hospital

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because his class was doing assembly the following day and he didn't want to miss it! Bless him!

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-You were the paramedic looking after him.

-Yes.

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I thought it was babies that couldn't control their temperature. But it's children up to six?

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Yes. The hypothalamus in the brain has many jobs. One of them is acting as a thermostat for the body.

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That doesn't get fully developed until the age of six.

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That can play a part in kiddies having more problems than adults in controlling their temperature.

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-And having the problem he was having.

-Febrile convulsions happen very commonly.

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They look very frightening, but they're not that serious, luckily.

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They happen when there's a sudden temperature rise in the child,

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usually due to infection - chest infection, urine infection.

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You get a temperature spike and the child then has a fit.

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If you're a parent and see this, what should you do?

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If they've never had a fit before, ring 999.

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Time the fit. They can last five minutes or up to 15 minutes.

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-A long time if you're watching it.

-A very long time. Very frightening, the first time.

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Get them in the recovery position.

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They shouldn't stop breathing during the fit, but make sure their airway is open.

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Time the fit. Keep them cool. Move any unnecessary clothing

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even if they feel cool to touch, it's a good idea to do that.

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-Then just call us.

-Why do you time it? Why is it important to know?

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We like to know how long the fit has been going on.

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If it's likely to be coming to an end.

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If it's a particularly long fit, there's more cause for concern.

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You say keep them cold, but I might think the child starts to shiver.

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Obviously not too cold if it's the middle of winter,

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but there's nothing wrong in removing their clothing, leave them in their nappies.

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Just down to underwear. And tepid bathing with a cool flannel on the head or neck.

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-And keep nice and calm.

-Exactly. Main thing.

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-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

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Still to come on Real Rescues. A sudden downpour and gentle streams have become white water rapids.

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Mountain rescue must find a way to bring back five teenagers.

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And a girl has broken her leg in a stable yard.

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Dr Paul Rees needs to put the bones back in place there and then

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or she could lose her foot.

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I've had a look at the injury and it's quite displaced.

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We'll need to realign the fracture.

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We're returning to the A27 crash site.

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PC Scott Davison is handling four lanes of rush-hour traffic and two separate crashes.

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Members of the public with first-aid experience have stopped to help.

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One of these Good Samaritans has a very personal reason for helping.

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After sliding over ten metres along a busy dual carriageway,

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a biker has been left lying in the middle of the A27.

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To everyone's relief, the first ambulance has now arrived.

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But it's on the opposite side of the road where the original two-car crash happened.

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This one is a minor whiplash.

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Rear-end shunts.

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This one happened in front of us.

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Doc's with him now. Probably best to go to this one first.

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'Romeo Charlie Yankee.'

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The ambulance crew get straight down to checking Danny out.

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Another police unit has now arrived to help Scott.

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You deal with that one while I sort this out.

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Scott has discovered what he thinks may have caused the accident.

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Where the bike's gone down, there's loads of oil in lane two.

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He seemed to slip before he came off.

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I'm not sure there was any contact with the vehicle.

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There's oil on the road, so be careful.

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They can divert much of the traffic along a slip road whilst the diesel is cleared.

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But those cars already close to the slippery patch will have to be moved on cautiously.

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You can go.

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The fellow motorcyclists take particular care.

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The second ambulance crew has arrived

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and is checking the drivers who were involved in the original shunt.

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Thankfully, they've both come away relatively unscathed.

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However, Danny, the motorcyclist, has been immobilised on a board

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as they can't be sure of the severity of his injuries.

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He's going into the ambulance across the road so it's a team effort

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to get him lifted over the central reservation barrier and onto the stretcher trolley.

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He'll be taken to A&E to check for head and spinal injuries.

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The crashed cars can now be removed by breakdown services.

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The Highways Agency has been called out to clear the diesel on the opposite carriageway

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before it's fully open to traffic.

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This accident shows how vulnerable motorcyclists are.

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It's also resonated strongly with Jo,

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the first member of the public to stop and help.

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Daniel's crash has brought back some painful memories.

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My dad, my brother, my brother-in-law

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a lot of our friends have bikes.

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My eldest son's father was killed in a motorbike accident a couple of years ago.

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So I know how easy it is to happen

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and I know how easy it is for motorcyclists to get hurt.

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I just wanted to make sure he was OK. I couldn't just drive off and not check.

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Danny, who was in the accident there joins us. You were listening to what Jo was saying.

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You can understand why she stopped to help and why it upset her so much at the same time.

0:20:270:20:32

Very definitely. My dad used to ride bikes and he's had several spills from bikes as well.

0:20:320:20:38

So I'm aware, unfortunately, how easy it is to come off the bike

0:20:380:20:42

and you're so vulnerable anyway

0:20:420:20:46

how much you're placing yourself at risk, unfortunately.

0:20:460:20:49

It's interesting. I'm a biker, and I've lost people that are close to me,

0:20:490:20:53

and there isn't a biker that hasn't. So a lot of people ask

0:20:530:20:56

why would you want to keep doing it if you know it's more dangerous and you're more vulnerable?

0:20:560:21:02

I just enjoy being on the bike.

0:21:020:21:05

It's also easier through the local traffic

0:21:050:21:07

but I just like being on the bike.

0:21:070:21:10

What's it like seeing yourself there? You were watching closely

0:21:100:21:14

those pictures of you laying on the ground.

0:21:140:21:16

I can't remember much of the accident, but I remember lying there thinking,

0:21:160:21:21

"This is not good. I shouldn't be here. It was the first thing I tried to do,

0:21:210:21:25

to stand up. Through previous experience I know you shouldn't,

0:21:250:21:29

-but it's what happens.

-I know. I've done that myself.

0:21:290:21:32

Let's talk through the accident. It said there was oil on the road.

0:21:320:21:37

Any accidents like that, I don't remember anything. One minute I'm driving, next I'm flat on my back.

0:21:370:21:42

Do you remember the point where you lost it? Was it because of the diesel?

0:21:420:21:46

That stretch of road is dual carriageway. There was an accident opposite and I was aware of that.

0:21:460:21:52

The cars ahead of me started slowing down to look at that

0:21:520:21:55

so I checked my mirror to make sure it was all clear, went into lane two,

0:21:550:21:58

to avoid the traffic ahead of me and just touched my front brake

0:21:580:22:02

and that was it. Next thing I remember I was rolling down the road.

0:22:020:22:06

That's the front brake. Lose traction and you're over the handlebars.

0:22:060:22:10

I'll tell you why it's important to wear safety equipment.

0:22:100:22:13

You've got good gear on at the moment.

0:22:130:22:15

-You sometimes ride in jeans?

-Unfortunately, yes.

0:22:150:22:18

Not a good idea. You should wear the equipment. This sits on the side of the engine.

0:22:180:22:24

Right.

0:22:240:22:25

This is normally a full piece of metal. The reason this has a hole in it is because?

0:22:250:22:31

That side hit the deck and it slid along for some distance

0:22:310:22:35

and the road acts like sandpaper.

0:22:350:22:37

That hole has been worn away as it slid down the road.

0:22:370:22:40

If you're not wearing protective kit,

0:22:400:22:43

that'll wear away your jeans, your skin and your bone.

0:22:430:22:46

They're called strip injuries. It's really nasty

0:22:460:22:49

-and you wouldn't be here now if you'd be in that situation.

-Definitely not.

0:22:490:22:54

-You'd only just changed?

-Yes.

0:22:540:22:56

A lesson there. The other thing I want to bring to your attention

0:22:560:23:00

was something I've not seen before on the side of a crash helmet. This is a new helmet.

0:23:000:23:04

The little green dot. What's that about?

0:23:040:23:07

That's for any first responder who attends.

0:23:070:23:09

If they see that, they know that inside the helmet is a card with details of the rider

0:23:090:23:16

including contact details and any known medical problems.

0:23:160:23:19

-So any particulars like rare blood group.

-Or allergies to any of the medicines.

0:23:190:23:27

You know, you ought to give up motorbiking cos it's dangerous and have a go on a scooter!

0:23:270:23:32

Unfortunately not. My track record on two wheels isn't exactly perfect.

0:23:320:23:37

-You've had an accident on a scooter?

-I've had several accidents.

0:23:370:23:41

That's the way it's going to be. Thanks for coming in, and carry on wearing protective clothing.

0:23:410:23:47

Will do.

0:23:470:23:48

Danny was lucky to avoid any serious injuries there.

0:23:480:23:51

But for this next young horse rider, the problems have only just started.

0:23:510:23:55

She's lying in a stable yard with a badly broken leg.

0:23:550:23:58

Critical care Doctor Paul Rees has to act fast

0:23:580:24:01

or the girl may lose her foot.

0:24:010:24:04

I've been called to an emergency close to Portsmouth

0:24:070:24:10

where an 11-year-old has been thrown from a horse at an equestrian centre.

0:24:100:24:14

Reports from the scene say she's broken her leg and has an open fracture.

0:24:140:24:18

The bone ends are protruding through the skin. It's a serious injury that will cause pain.

0:24:180:24:24

A fast-response paramedic and ambulance crew are already at the stables.

0:24:240:24:29

The girl had been riding her horse in the yard when it reared up

0:24:290:24:33

and fell over backwards, taking her with it.

0:24:330:24:36

The horse's weight landed fully on her ankle.

0:24:360:24:39

I've come to say hello. Any other injuries at all?

0:24:390:24:42

There's someone important, sweetheart. You've got a doctor here.

0:24:420:24:46

Hello, Lucinda. Very sore, is it?

0:24:460:24:48

We're going to give you some powerful painkillers.

0:24:480:24:51

It'll make it much better for you. We'll put a tiny needle in your hand, nothing to the pain you're in.

0:24:510:24:58

It's a very nasty break.

0:24:580:25:00

Lucinda has what's known as a compound open-wound fracture.

0:25:000:25:04

Lying in a stable doorway is not the best place to have one.

0:25:040:25:09

Of all the environments to have an injury like that, with dust and animal muck lying around,

0:25:090:25:15

the risk is that matter can get into the wound and cause an infection that could make her very sick.

0:25:150:25:20

With such a high risk of germs infecting the wound,

0:25:200:25:22

the team want to get it properly dressed as soon as possible.

0:25:220:25:27

Big breath in, hold it for a few seconds, then breathe out.

0:25:270:25:30

At her tender age, Lucinda is having to deal with pain that would be excruciating even for an adult.

0:25:300:25:36

She's having gas and air, but there's only a limited effect that will have.

0:25:370:25:42

If it were me, I'd rather have some decent intravenous painkillers as I'll do shortly.

0:25:420:25:47

Lucinda's parents are both at hand to offer as much comfort as they can.

0:25:470:25:54

-MUM:

-You are so brave, Lulu.

0:25:540:25:56

You really are.

0:25:560:25:59

-PARAMEDIC:

-Now, this is going to be a bit sharp, but stay as still as you can.

0:26:010:26:07

-Little scratch.

-You are doing so well. Little scratch coming now.

0:26:070:26:11

Nice and still for me. Nice and still. That's it, Lucinda. It's done.

0:26:110:26:17

With the morphine taking hold and Lucinda calmer,

0:26:170:26:19

Paul takes a closer look at her leg and realises he's going to have to resort to even stronger treatment.

0:26:190:26:27

I've had a look round the back and there's bone end exposure.

0:26:270:26:32

It's quite displaced so I'll need to realign the fracture.

0:26:320:26:37

I'm going to give her a bit of Ketamine,

0:26:370:26:39

a very powerful pain killer.

0:26:390:26:42

Without the use of a strong, fast-acting tranquilliser,

0:26:420:26:45

the pain of trying to reposition Lucinda's ankle

0:26:450:26:48

would be far too great for her to bear.

0:26:480:26:52

It'll feel cold in the back of your hand, darling.

0:26:520:26:55

It won't be an easy watch for Mum and Dad.

0:26:550:26:57

We need to gently realign it and make it more anatomical.

0:26:570:27:01

We'll give her some powerful medication to make her very sleepy indeed.

0:27:010:27:05

Don't worry. It's what we're doing.

0:27:050:27:07

Failing to correct her ankle here and now

0:27:070:27:10

would increase the chances of Lucinda sustaining permanent damage.

0:27:100:27:14

The reason for realigning the bone ends is to avoid damage to other tissues,

0:27:140:27:18

to preserve the blood supply to the foot and the skin and other tissues.

0:27:180:27:23

They've given her as much sedation as they can

0:27:230:27:27

to protect her from the pain. But even so,

0:27:270:27:29

the next moments will not be pleasant for her.

0:27:290:27:32

How are you doing there?

0:27:320:27:33

If you're squeamish, you might want to glance away.

0:27:330:27:36

LUCINDA SCREAMS

0:27:360:27:39

The ordeal is quickly over, and Lucinda's leg is in a straighter position.

0:27:390:27:43

-Well done, my darling.

-Well done, darling.

0:27:430:27:46

It doesn't look pretty, but one person holds the limb

0:27:460:27:52

upstream of the injury and the other person, me, downstream,

0:27:520:27:55

gently manipulating it into a normal alignment.

0:27:550:27:59

Without a general anaesthetic, it's always going to cause pain and distress.

0:27:590:28:02

But we're careful to put on board a load of medication before you do the procedure

0:28:020:28:07

that means that memory of the event is reduced.

0:28:070:28:10

Well done.

0:28:100:28:12

Sorry about that. Well done.

0:28:120:28:14

It's very sore while we're fiddling with it.

0:28:140:28:17

It's a bit sore?

0:28:170:28:18

-My leg really hurts!

-What does?

-My leg.

0:28:180:28:22

I know, sweetheart. That's what we're trying to sort, darling. You'll soon feel a lot better.

0:28:220:28:27

That's fine.

0:28:270:28:29

Now it's properly bandaged, they put Lucinda's leg into a vacuum splint.

0:28:290:28:33

CALLS OUT IN PAIN

0:28:330:28:35

Mould that round.

0:28:350:28:37

It's going to feel a bit tight on your leg now.

0:28:370:28:40

It both cushions and tightly holds the broken ankle in place

0:28:400:28:44

so the team can move her.

0:28:440:28:45

There may be no prizes for bravery here,

0:28:500:28:53

but Lucinda has stayed remarkably calm throughout the whole thing.

0:28:530:28:57

Lucinda coped very well with her injury. It was very painful, very distressing.

0:28:570:29:02

Thankfully we were able to give her some very powerful intravenous drugs to control her pain.

0:29:020:29:06

We're getting her on a scoop stretcher to get her off the floor

0:29:060:29:10

and then in the back of the ambulance and away to get this fixed.

0:29:100:29:13

It definitely needs an operation. It's quite serious.

0:29:130:29:16

It's been an upsetting experience for Martin and Tracey.

0:29:160:29:20

Their daughter is safe, yet they know there could be a long road to recovery ahead.

0:29:200:29:25

It appears that that's all that's wrong.

0:29:270:29:29

-We'll just check her blood pressure again.

-She's finding it hard to breathe.

0:29:290:29:33

She wants to take a breath in.

0:29:330:29:35

She's fantastic, isn't she?

0:29:350:29:38

Lucinda will now go to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth

0:29:380:29:42

where she'll receive a full set of x-rays before undergoing an emergency operation

0:29:420:29:46

to fix her ankle.

0:29:460:29:49

How are you doing? All right?

0:29:510:29:53

Lucinda's now in plaster with pins and plates in her leg

0:29:540:29:58

but she might need a bone graft. If she does, very good luck to her.

0:29:580:30:02

The operators in this control room can view the officers on the ground using mapping systems

0:30:020:30:07

on their computers. They can see their movements in real time

0:30:070:30:11

and using colour tags, they know what their current situation is.

0:30:110:30:15

Alastair Cramp is going to take us through this.

0:30:150:30:18

If we settle in here. Important for you to know where everybody is

0:30:180:30:22

so you can allocate them, or if you have an incident, send the right people.

0:30:220:30:26

-That's right. This is Reading, for example.

-Right.

0:30:260:30:30

All these tags denote officers we've got in the area.

0:30:300:30:33

So this is their call sign. They'll be in a van.

0:30:330:30:36

-Other patrol units here as well.

-So the red one,

0:30:360:30:39

if we go up to status, is immediate.

0:30:390:30:42

So that denotes the status of an incident running at the moment as immediate,

0:30:420:30:46

which is the most serious type of incident we could have.

0:30:460:30:49

Up top we've got a blue.

0:30:490:30:51

Blue is urgent. So they'll either be on their way to or at that incident.

0:30:510:30:57

-The green ones?

-The green will mean they're not attached to any incident at the moment.

0:30:570:31:02

So if you zoom out, I can't see any armed response on there.

0:31:020:31:06

-Why is that?

-We've only got a number of armed response units booked on at any one time.

0:31:060:31:13

This is just Thames Valley police area. There's one there to the north-west,

0:31:130:31:17

north-east, south-west and south-east as well.

0:31:170:31:20

This unit is the firearms commander as well.

0:31:200:31:23

There's a red there, which means it's something they're going to investigate. Thank you, Alastair.

0:31:230:31:29

The armed response officers at Thames Valley are ready for anything,

0:31:290:31:33

but recently they were sent to something unexpected.

0:31:330:31:36

Let's chat to Paul Thornton.

0:31:360:31:38

I'll squeeze in beside you.

0:31:380:31:40

-A chainsaw attack on a post box?

-Yes.

-That seems fairly lunatic!

0:31:400:31:45

Quite strange, yes. We had a report of a male attacking a post box

0:31:450:31:51

with a chainsaw.

0:31:510:31:53

We've possibly got a dangerous man at large with a chainsaw.

0:31:530:31:56

So the inspector had to assess it and put a level to it. He despatched an armed response vehicle

0:31:560:32:04

with authority to use Tasers if necessary.

0:32:040:32:08

-What was it, then?

-The armed response officers turned up

0:32:080:32:12

and there was a bee keeper there, trying to fume the bees out of the post box!

0:32:120:32:16

-I see! So the fumigator thing they thought was a chainsaw!

-Yeah.

0:32:160:32:22

Mistaken identity. Not a chainsaw at all!

0:32:220:32:25

So those are the calls you hope that the way they turn out, you can get on with a normal day's work!

0:32:250:32:30

-Very much so, yes!

-Lovely.

-It's a first-class job!

0:32:300:32:33

Absolutely! First-class job! See? All the jokes are here, too! Thanks very much!

0:32:330:32:39

Five teenagers had embarked on a three-day trip

0:32:410:32:44

but things go terribly wrong when the weather turns.

0:32:440:32:46

The mountain rescue team are called out after one small slip

0:32:460:32:50

lands the girls in big trouble.

0:32:500:32:52

It's a wet and windy summer's day in the Lake District.

0:32:520:32:57

In the remote valley of Ennerdale, five teenage girls are in difficulty.

0:32:570:33:01

The Cockermouth Mountain Rescue are answering the emergency call.

0:33:050:33:10

All this footage is recorded on the leader Mike Park's helmet camera.

0:33:120:33:16

The team load up with their specialist equipment.

0:33:180:33:21

They know the girls are trapped by a swollen and raging river.

0:33:210:33:24

Underfoot, the ground is sodden and slippery.

0:33:340:33:37

Streams that can usually be crossed with a couple of steps

0:33:370:33:41

are now almost impassable.

0:33:410:33:43

The girls, experienced walkers, got into trouble as they made their way across this raging beck.

0:33:430:33:49

One of them lost her footing in the water, spraining her ankle.

0:33:490:33:53

She was saved by her friends, but now they're all trapped on the far side.

0:33:530:33:57

Mike is secured by a line as he makes his way across the water to them.

0:33:580:34:02

Life jackets and helmets are passed across for the girls.

0:34:100:34:13

It would be far too dangerous to attempt a rescue without them.

0:34:130:34:17

Guided by the mountain rescue team,

0:34:210:34:23

the girls now have to make their way over the treacherous boulders

0:34:230:34:27

through the roaring water to safety.

0:34:270:34:29

Thanks to their own cool heads and the experience of the rescue team,

0:34:290:34:33

it all goes well.

0:34:330:34:35

Mike and Martin are here watching it. Pretty dramatic!

0:34:370:34:40

They were experienced, these walkers.

0:34:400:34:43

Yes, they set off for a three-day hike in the Lakes.

0:34:430:34:47

They had all the gear with them.

0:34:470:34:49

It was just that the weather changed so dramatically.

0:34:490:34:52

It put them in a very difficult situation, the weather.

0:34:520:34:56

Yes, they were due to cross a river

0:34:560:34:59

that normally is literally a step.

0:34:590:35:01

Due to a sudden downpour it had become a raging torrent.

0:35:010:35:04

They were trapped. They couldn't have crossed it unaided.

0:35:040:35:07

-So fantastic you were called out.

-It was like all call-outs.

0:35:070:35:10

We were called by the police and told the details.

0:35:100:35:13

Because of what we were told, we just went accordingly.

0:35:130:35:17

-They managed to drive themselves out and carry on?

-We got the girls down to a youth hostel

0:35:170:35:22

and gave them 20 minutes to sort themselves out

0:35:220:35:27

and after a little chat, they decided to go on.

0:35:270:35:30

It turns out that one had saved the other by pulling her out of the...

0:35:300:35:35

They'd attempted to cross the river and one had been washed off her feet.

0:35:350:35:39

Another girl pulled her out and rescued her.

0:35:390:35:41

So she was wet and cold, as were they all.

0:35:410:35:44

-So, yeah.

-They didn't have this crucial bit of kit you have here.

0:35:440:35:48

-This rope.

-No, we wouldn't expect anybody to have this.

-Show us.

0:35:480:35:52

So if you were crossing a river, this is how you would do it?

0:35:520:35:55

-It's a line we put over the river to ensure our safety.

-Go on, then.

0:35:550:36:01

In the middle of the control room.

0:36:010:36:03

That's incredibly effective, isn't it?

0:36:050:36:07

That helped you get across. You wouldn't expect them to have that,

0:36:070:36:11

but what key things do you expect people to take on the mountain?

0:36:110:36:16

The girls were very well prepared.

0:36:160:36:18

But anybody going out into the fells should have a minimum of a map and compass and know how to use it.

0:36:180:36:24

A torch, a whistle, and enough spare waterproof clothing to deal with any eventuality.

0:36:240:36:30

-If the weather deteriorates, to be prepared for it.

-A whistle?

-If you need to attract attention,

0:36:300:36:36

you can blow a whistle much longer than you can shout for

0:36:360:36:40

-and it can be heard over a greater distance.

-OK, I want to ask,

0:36:400:36:43

a mobile phone. We always think, "I'll call on my mobile" but that's not quite right.

0:36:430:36:48

-Mobile phones save more lives than is causing us problems.

-Good.

0:36:480:36:52

But you've got to remember they do run out of charge

0:36:520:36:56

and they don't have a signal at times.

0:36:560:36:59

But when they do work, yes, it can make our lives a bit easier.

0:36:590:37:03

The lovely thing is you're volunteers. You're a maths teacher!

0:37:030:37:07

-Yeah.

-What happens when you get a call? Do you leave the kids?

0:37:070:37:10

I do, yeah. It doesn't happen very often, fortunately.

0:37:100:37:13

The school is local, it's Cockermouth School,

0:37:130:37:17

and they're very supportive of what I do.

0:37:170:37:19

-As long as I nip over the corridor and let the office know!

-You don't leave them alone!

0:37:190:37:24

The senior team come and help out, so it's great.

0:37:240:37:28

-They're very supportive.

-Great to meet you. Thank you.

-Thanks.

0:37:280:37:31

Moving on, it's an instinct that never goes away -

0:37:310:37:34

a mum's need to protect her children.

0:37:340:37:37

Even at 85 years old, Joan loves to help her daughter.

0:37:370:37:40

But this time it hasn't quite worked out as she planned.

0:37:400:37:43

Paramedic Andy Ashford is heading out to an 85-year-old woman

0:37:430:37:49

who's got herself into trouble trying to be a good mother.

0:37:490:37:52

Joan's laid up in the conservatory with a nasty wound on her leg.

0:37:540:37:58

-I'm so, so sorry.

-What have you caught it on?

0:37:580:38:01

A Lloyd Loom chair.

0:38:010:38:02

Everything was hunky-dory until she wanted a piece of cake!

0:38:060:38:10

"Madam" is, in fact, Joan's daughter, Christine.

0:38:110:38:14

The reason Joan is waiting on her

0:38:140:38:17

is because Christine has just had an operation. Guess what - it was on her leg!

0:38:170:38:22

Ironic, isn't it,

0:38:220:38:24

that this has happened!

0:38:240:38:26

Christine's surgery on her leg was just last week.

0:38:260:38:30

Joan's popped round to help her out for the day.

0:38:300:38:33

She just went to make a cup of tea

0:38:330:38:35

and the next thing I knew she was laughing

0:38:350:38:39

and said, "You won't believe what's happened."

0:38:390:38:42

I looked everywhere for the cake tin.

0:38:420:38:45

And Alan, for some reason, put it on top of the cupboard.

0:38:450:38:48

Can I have your finger?

0:38:480:38:50

She's caught her leg on the chair trying to get a piece of cake!

0:38:500:38:54

So poor old mother has now got a worse gash than I've got!

0:38:540:38:59

The wound on Joan's let needs immediate attention.

0:38:590:39:03

The loose flap of skin will have to be held back in place with Steri-Strips

0:39:030:39:07

and then a specialist dressing applied.

0:39:070:39:10

I'm going to need back-up and she'll have to go into Bournemouth. Over.

0:39:100:39:14

So it's a trip to hospital for Joan. But she's more worried about Christine than herself.

0:39:140:39:20

I've arranged for an ambulance to come and collect her.

0:39:200:39:25

Your daughter can sit down, put her feet up and watch telly!

0:39:250:39:29

Oh, I can't leave her.

0:39:290:39:32

You're not going to be that long. They won't keep you that long down there.

0:39:320:39:36

They'll get this dressed correctly and you'll be on your way home.

0:39:360:39:40

No problem there.

0:39:400:39:43

I'm just literally going to put this over there.

0:39:430:39:46

Andy needs to put a temporary dressing on Joan's leg

0:39:460:39:49

to protect it while she travels.

0:39:490:39:51

Right. If we can just bring your leg up. That's it.

0:39:510:39:55

-Let me know if it's pressing down.

-No, that's lovely.

0:39:550:39:59

I don't want to do it too tight and give you pain.

0:39:590:40:02

-Is it stinging?

-Yes.

0:40:020:40:03

This will help once the air gets... It covers the air up.

0:40:030:40:07

That'll stop it stinging.

0:40:070:40:09

They have a lot of problems with legs in this family.

0:40:090:40:13

It's only two weeks since Joan injured her other leg

0:40:130:40:16

on the open door of her dishwasher.

0:40:160:40:18

My husband says I should wear shin guards!

0:40:180:40:21

Actually, that's not a bad idea! Go and buy a pair of shin guards.

0:40:210:40:26

"You should have shin guards on your leg."

0:40:260:40:29

-What's your first name?

-Joan.

0:40:290:40:31

Next of kin. Husband, was it?

0:40:310:40:33

-He's gone.

-Has he?

-Gone ten years.

0:40:330:40:36

The way you were talking, he told you to put shin guards on yesterday!

0:40:360:40:40

Thankfully, Joan hasn't hurt herself anywhere else and this leg should heal nicely.

0:40:400:40:45

Luckily, she hasn't ripped all the skin apart, which is good.

0:40:450:40:49

Sometimes you can tear skin off, then it makes it harder.

0:40:490:40:52

But it's all intact.

0:40:520:40:53

-So she'll have a pair?

-She'll have a matching pair!

0:40:530:40:56

So when she goes to the doctor's...

0:40:560:40:59

Let's leave that one for tomorrow!

0:40:590:41:02

She'll be able to do two in one go, then!

0:41:020:41:04

Chris is under instruction to take it easy. Joan can't stop being mum despite her own injury!

0:41:040:41:11

Is there anything you want before I go?

0:41:130:41:16

-No, Mum.

-Would you like an apple, or...

-I don't want anything.

0:41:160:41:20

A bit of cake?

0:41:200:41:21

-No, I don't want anything, thanks.

-Are you sure?

0:41:210:41:24

You just go and get on.

0:41:240:41:26

But Joan insists on fetching her a glass of water.

0:41:270:41:31

Cheers!

0:41:310:41:32

Only then is she happy to leave Chris and head off with Andy to hospital.

0:41:380:41:43

She was still thinking about her daughter. And she was not wasting anybody's time.

0:41:480:41:52

Sometimes that happens here, Dave?

0:41:520:41:54

-Yes.

-A woman had been thrown out of her car by her husband during the night.

0:41:540:41:58

She called you. You took it very seriously.

0:41:580:42:01

She was in the woods, it was a domestic.

0:42:010:42:04

We spent many hours searching for this female.

0:42:040:42:07

Then we did a subscriber's check, traced her to her home address

0:42:070:42:10

only to find she was tucked up in bed.

0:42:100:42:12

-And she hadn't called you?

-No.

-How much money had that cost?

0:42:120:42:16

We estimated about £250,000 for hours and resources employed.

0:42:160:42:20

-The helicopter was up and all that.

-Yes.

0:42:200:42:22

£250,000! She could have called. Did she say sorry?

0:42:220:42:25

Eventually!

0:42:250:42:26

£250,000! That's terrifying. Here's another sad fact for you.

0:42:260:42:30

I'm afraid the mountain rescue team don't have a calendar! The girls in the office were asking.

0:42:300:42:35

-They don't have one?

-I'm encouraging them to do one!

0:42:350:42:38

-Maybe next Christmas!

-Join us next time for more Real Rescues.

-Bye!

-Bye!

0:42:380:42:42

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