0:00:02 > 0:00:04Today, the 999 call taken desperately trying to help a man
0:00:04 > 0:00:07who's cornered by fire in his flat.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15The line goes dead. He's jumped out of a fourth-floor window.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23Only brambles are holding a man onto a cliff 500 feet up.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27I'll be speaking to the crew of Coastguard Rescue 106
0:00:27 > 0:00:29about one of their most demanding rescues.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36"Can you confirm you do require them down there?"
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Hello and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06We're in South Western Ambulance control.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08The people behind me are taking 999 calls.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11They're reacting to all manner of emergencies,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13dispatching crews and saving lives.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17It's a 24-hour-a-day operation where the drama never stops.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20And it's been really busy since I've been here today.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I want to talk to Sarah about a call she took a couple of days ago.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- She's on the dispatch desk. Hi, there, Sarah.- Hi.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29A little girl was having great fun at a gymkhana on her pony
0:01:29 > 0:01:31until something bad happened. What happened?
0:01:31 > 0:01:37She was going along, and apparently she fell off the pony,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40rolled over. The pony she went into then kicked her in the stomach
0:01:40 > 0:01:45and left a nasty horseshoe print actually on her stomach.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And she was diagnosed with...
0:01:47 > 0:01:49She had liver damage,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52damage to her bowel,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- and also a query ruptured spleen. - Oh, gosh. But the last you heard,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- she was sitting up in hospital and smiling.- That's right.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Thank goodness for that! Thank you. Nick.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07Now a dramatic and dangerous rescue 500 feet up a precarious cliff face.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10This is Golden Cap near Lyme Regis in Dorset.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's a situation with risks for everybody -
0:02:13 > 0:02:15the victim and the helicopter rescue team,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and demands inch-perfect precision. Louise met the crew involved.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23This is home to Coastguard Rescue 106.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26We've got aircraft captain here, Darren Manser.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28We've also got winch-operator Tony Campbell
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and Buck Rogers, who is the winch man,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and, crucially, a paramedic as well.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35What we're about to see is a rescue on a high cliff,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37one of the highest here on the south coast.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Buck, tell us about conditions when you got there.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Yeah. We were called out late afternoon,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45in failing light conditions,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48to a chap who'd fallen approximately 100 feet
0:02:48 > 0:02:52down a cliff called Golden Cap just to the west of here.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57On arrival, it was obvious that he was only being held in place
0:02:57 > 0:03:00by the brambles that he'd fallen into,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and that he was in a pretty precarious sort of situation, really.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06On a really steep gradient, as well.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Yeah. That part of that cliff is around about sort of 60 degrees.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13OK. The reason we're able to see pictures of this rescue
0:03:13 > 0:03:15is because the helicopter has a special camera.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19It's called a FLIR, or forward-looking infrared.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21HELICOPTER ROTORS ROAR
0:03:21 > 0:03:25These dark figures on the cliff face are Buck and the casualty.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Buck's been lowered to a point 500 feet above sea level.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31He's now detached from the winch wire,
0:03:31 > 0:03:37and fighting to save a man's life in the most inhospitable conditions.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41The 600-foot Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45The man has fallen from the top straight down, almost 100 feet.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48He has terrible injuries.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52As well as training the thermal-imaging camera on Buck,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55the helicopter crew have lit the area with a spotlight
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and keep communicating with him via their radio.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Are you happy with the light that you've got?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Yeah. If you can keep that on me,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and if you can keep two strops ready to go, in case he deteriorates.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- Ready.- OK. Ready to go.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12He's in a bit of a state, this bloke.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15There's no way we can stretcher this,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- from where he is. - I'm sure Buck will let us know.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22If it hadn't been for a passing dog walker,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24the man may never have been found.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The helicopter was first on the scene.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30It's a difficult spot to reach by car,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33but, at the cliff top, the local coastguard-rescue team
0:04:33 > 0:04:38is arriving. This rescue is going to take precise choreography
0:04:38 > 0:04:41between the air crew, Buck and the cliff top.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45The volunteers radio in from the ground for their instructions.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- 106. Go ahead.- Is your winch man going to take him up
0:04:48 > 0:04:51on the helicopter, or are we going over? Over.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54106. At the moment we're just waiting for some feedback
0:04:54 > 0:04:58from the winch man. Our assessment of it from the aircraft
0:04:58 > 0:05:02would be that we would probably double-strop the casualty,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05lift him to the aircraft. However, if you could set yourselves up
0:05:05 > 0:05:08a few yards to the east of where the casualty is,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11that would be a good place to go. Bit further.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- Stop there. That's it.- Thanks.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18It's not long before Buck confirms he needs help moving the man.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Buck, 106. Go ahead.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Any word on when the cliff-rescue team are likely to get down here?
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Can you confirm you do require them down there?
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I just want a bit of a hand to make sure we've got everything sorted.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Buck, cliff team is on the top of the cliff.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36They reckon about another 15 minutes before they can get down to you.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37Copy.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Buck has a very difficult job on his hands.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The man is very seriously hurt, and is facing down the cliff.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The ground is unstable as well as steep.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50What's really clear, looking at those pictures,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52is that you're in a really tricky situation.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Tell us about his injuries. How badly had he been hurt?
0:05:55 > 0:06:00He'd fallen a long way, and certainly when I first got to him,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- he was incredibly scratched, believe it or not...- Right.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09..with a very real possibility of damage to his spine and neck.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- He'd actually broken both of his arms, as well.- Oh, gosh.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And all the time you're on this gradient, but it's not just that.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- You were beginning to slip down. - Yeah. As I'm working around him
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and with him, what's happening is, the ground was getting trodden down,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28and so we're removing the net that's holding us in place.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32And I know he had his head down, so you had to get him back up again.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Let's just have a little look how you actually managed to do that.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Bit by bit, Buck manages to pull the man upright.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Do you think you could send me down the KED board? The KED board?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Buck's asked for the KED,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51a special device that straps to the casualty's back
0:06:51 > 0:06:54to protect the spine from further injury.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56If you want to start moving forward...
0:06:56 > 0:06:58OK. Winching now.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I'm going to stay at this height.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03OK. I'm happy with you at this height.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Winch-operator Tony Campbell directs captain Darren Manser
0:07:07 > 0:07:09to manoeuvre the helicopter very precisely
0:07:09 > 0:07:11over the casualty's position.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Forward six and right. Forward six only. Forward five.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16From a height of 150 feet,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Tony winches down the KED right into Buck's arms.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21Contact.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Steady. Steady. Left one.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Empty hook. Winching in.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31While Buck starts to fit the KED, volunteers at the top of the cliff
0:07:31 > 0:07:33are finishing setting up their equipment.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37They're almost ready to send someone down to help.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Working well down there, is Buck.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Very well. Pretty difficult getting him into a KED on your own.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46The cliff man is now going over the cliff. Over.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- He's quite sprightly, isn't he?- Yep.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The cliff man makes short work of getting down to them.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Buck's been with the injured man for almost an hour on the steep slope.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59He's now ready for the airlift.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Do you want to prepare the stretcher for me and the casualty
0:08:02 > 0:08:05with the back support on?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08The intention is to use the highline to stop any spin. Over.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12So at this stage you've been working on the casualty for about an hour
0:08:12 > 0:08:14on that steep cliff. How are you doing?
0:08:14 > 0:08:18At that stage of the game, he's to all intents and purposes
0:08:18 > 0:08:22about as packaged as I can get him in that environment,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and we're sort of getting ready now to be winched up to the aircraft.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Tony, from your point of view as a winch operator,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33they're not out of danger yet.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36One of the big problems we have on cliff rescues,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39especially when you're winching somebody out on a stretcher
0:08:39 > 0:08:42or a hypothermic lift is that you get a lot of spin on it, as well.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44We actually had to put a highline down
0:08:44 > 0:08:48to the coastguard on the cliff, or to Buck and the coastguard.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The coastguard managed the end of the highline, the piece of rope,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55while we winched Buck up, which took away any chance of spin.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Let's see how it works, shall we?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They've delivered the highline successfully.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Now they stay hovering above for Tony to winch down the hook.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05OK. Winching out.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12OK, Buck. Got the hook in. You're now to clear to start using that
0:09:12 > 0:09:14once you give the slack.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17We're just descending, Buck, so it's less flight for you.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22Captain Manser steadily lowers the aircraft to 40 feet.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Once we're down at a safe height, we'll then move right three.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Tony simultaneously winches in to take up the slack on the wire.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32OK. And steady. Steady. Back and right two.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Back and right one. Winching in. We're clear.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41They're in the air, and there's no spinning. The highline is working.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47They safely get into the helicopter.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Captain Manser heads straight for Dorchester Hospital.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54The man's injuries are life-threatening.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Within minutes, Rescue 106 will get him to the doctors
0:09:58 > 0:10:00for the surgery he so vitally needs.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02So, he was on his way to hospital then,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06but as aircraft captain, it was quite a tricky rescue, wasn't it?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10It's dark. You're very close to the cliff. How do you stay safe?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12We don't have sensors on the aircraft
0:10:12 > 0:10:15to keep us clear of the cliff, so really it's a team effort
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and we're all looking out to maintain that clearance
0:10:18 > 0:10:21from the cliff side, and at times during that rescue,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24we were within three or four feet of the cliff edge.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27We have lights, and we do our best to illuminate the area.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31I'm also looking at references to hold as stable a hover as I can
0:10:31 > 0:10:35just to allow Tony to extract Buck and the casualty to safety.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37But it's the Mark 1 Eyeball, I'm afraid.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41We're just looking and maintaining our clearance visually.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- Thank you for showing me around. - Pleasure.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47A remarkable rescue - 500 feet up and slipping down inch by inch
0:10:47 > 0:10:51the whole time. Later on we'll hear from the injured man himself.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Now, a choice none of us would ever want to make.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58You're trapped by a raging fire, and your only escape
0:10:58 > 0:11:01is jumping 40 feet from a fourth-floor window.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05That's the dilemma facing Sam Smith when a fire broke out in his flat.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08He was lying in bed, and suddenly smelled smoke.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11He opened his bedroom door and was knocked back by the heat.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14This is his call to the emergency services.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33HE COUGHS
0:11:40 > 0:11:42HE GASPS AND COUGHS
0:11:52 > 0:11:56HE CHOKES AND COUGHS
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Argh!
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Hello?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44The people you could hear on the phone there were Sam and Theresa,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47who are next to me here, I'm very pleased to say.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Um, where had you gone?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I jumped out of the four-storey building
0:12:51 > 0:12:56to my next-door neighbour's garden, because I had no other choice.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59That's extraordinary. And yet you're here, looking...
0:12:59 > 0:13:04- Yeah! Still standing.- So what happened to you when you landed?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06When I landed I bent my knees and rolled.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I don't know what made me do that but I knew I had to do that,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12otherwise I could break my legs and break my back even more,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and I could be in a wheelchair or not even be here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I'm extremely lucky to be here, let alone walking.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21One minute you're chatting away to him and the next he's gone.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- What was going through your mind? - Worst-case scenario,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I was worried that he'd collapsed on the floor in the bedroom.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I didn't know whether he'd gone somewhere else in the property,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33whether he'd left his phone in the room,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37whether he was collapsed on the floor and couldn't respond to me,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40so I was panicking on his behalf, really,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- cos I didn't know where he was. - You didn't sound panicking.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46You sounded very calm. But then he spoke again.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49He did. I kept trying to rouse him. Like I said,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I didn't know where he was, so I was saying, "Hello, caller."
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- "Can you hear me? What's your name?" - Let's just have a look,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59whilst you're telling us this. This is the jump that he made.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02And it's extraordinary, when you look at it,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- that he managed it. Did you jump with the phone in your hand?- Yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08I dropped the phone halfway through the flight.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11How come you managed to get back on the phone, then?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14When I landed, I saw the glimmer of light
0:14:14 > 0:14:17in the hedges, and I thought it was my phone,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19so I went over and grabbed it, and it was.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23- You must have been glad to hear him. - Extremely pleased to hear him!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I was a bit shocked to hear that he'd jumped,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but I was extremely pleased to hear he was OK.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Well, we know Sam was safe, but the story's far from over.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40HE GASPS AND PANTS
0:15:04 > 0:15:07HE SOBS OTHER VOICES, INDISTINCT
0:15:08 > 0:15:10MAN SPEAKING
0:15:31 > 0:15:35It turns out at this point that Sam's sister Laura, who's here,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39is still inside the flat when the first firefighters arrive at the scene.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41When did you first know there was a problem?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44As soon as I woke up.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- By which stage the fire had taken hold in the whole house.- Yeah.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- Why were you so late waking up? - I had a few drinks before, so...
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- The night before?- Yes.- Right. OK.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56What sort of state was the place in when you woke up?
0:15:56 > 0:15:58The fire brigade was already there.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I'm assuming Simon had already jumped out,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and my door was on fire, so the whole place was lit apart from my room.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08So what do you do? You realise the door to your room is on fire.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- What do you do then?- I checked my window. I saw the fire brigade.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I opened the window for some air, but I got knocked back, so I...
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- By what?- The flames.- Were flames coming from below the window?
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- Underneath, yeah. - What did you do then?
0:16:22 > 0:16:27I heard the firemen, so I got back into my bed and waited there.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- Under the duvet?- Yes.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Right. Let's check with John, who was one of the firemen at the scene.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Hiding under the duvet as a way to deal with a fire?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's different, but... The fact that she closed the door -
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- That's the key thing, isn't it? - Yeah.- So the door's closed.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46She opened the window but got knocked back. Is that good or bad?
0:16:46 > 0:16:50She did the right thing. We tell people to close the door,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54open a window. Unfortunately for Laura, there was a fire below her.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- Were you in the room by then? - We'd got to the top of the stairs
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- and we could hear her. - What did you hear?
0:16:59 > 0:17:01She was calling out to us. We couldn't see her,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but we could hear her behind the door.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Did you think they were going to make it to you?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- Um, yeah.- You were convinced? - I could hear them outside, yeah.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So why is there a delay? You're outside,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15but not coming in. You know she's there.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19We knew the hot gases and flames, as soon as we opened the door,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23would enter the room she was in, so we were preparing ourselves to make a quick exit with her.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- So when you went in... - Everything goes in with us, yeah.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- So you've only got a short time to get her out.- Yeah.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32What was it like when they appeared through the door?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Everything just went dark. As soon as I heard that bang,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and the door opened, everything went pitch black.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- Because of the smoke? - Because of the fire, as well.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- Could you see... - I couldn't see a thing.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46So what happened when you grabbed hold of a fireman or vice versa?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Yeah, yeah. He just grabbed me and ran.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- Hung on for grim life, didn't you? - Yeah!
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I understand that at your stage your suits were so hot...
0:17:55 > 0:17:58She was calling out to us, "You're hot, you're hot!"
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- This is the outer suit. - They're hot, yeah.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04How bad was this fire, by comparison with others you've seen?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08It was very severe. For both of them to come out, they're extremely lucky.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- Really? Would he have made it if he hadn't jumped?- No.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- He wouldn't have? - I very much doubt he'd have made it.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- And how much longer did she have before...- One minute.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- A minute?- Yeah. The door to the room was burning through.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- Wow! Just out of interest, did you have a smoke alarm?- Yeah.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- Did it work?- No.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29There's a lesson for you, isn't it?
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I'm really amazed. Can I just point out...
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I know we're running out of time on this, but look at his belt here.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Bought by his dad. I'm not at all surprised.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41That is amazing. What a fantastic and extraordinary story!
0:18:41 > 0:18:45What an amazing job you do! Thank you for coming in and chatting.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Gosh, terrifying! Now, what sort of activities can distract a driver
0:18:49 > 0:18:52at the wheel? Changing a CD, putting on your lipstick,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56using your mobile phone - but what about eating a boiled sweet?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00It seems that could have near-fatal consequences too.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13"31 eastbound. A lorry off the road."
0:19:13 > 0:19:17- "Over."- Yeah. We're on the northbound, George.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It's the morning rush hour when the call comes through
0:19:22 > 0:19:24about an accident on a busy main road
0:19:24 > 0:19:27which cuts through the middle of the New Forest.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29SIREN WAILS
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Traffic cop Ken Venning has to fight his way through the traffic
0:19:33 > 0:19:37to get there. A lot of people are going to be late for work this morning.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Just coming up to the incident now on our left.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43You'll see fire and rescue have arrived.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Got the lorry, which is safely off the carriageway.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Try and get a closer look.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54The fully loaded lorry was en route from Cornwall to Southampton
0:19:54 > 0:19:57when it careered across two lanes of traffic,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00took out the fence and ploughed into the undergrowth.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03However, somehow the artic stayed upright.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Inside the ambulance is the driver, Lewis.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13He's had a lucky escape.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16It turns out his sweet tooth was to blame.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Choked on a sweet, to be honest.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23Once I choked, I sort of blotted out for a minute or two.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25That was all that happened. Really choked.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27With no-one at the controls,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30the tracks show how the lorry came off the road
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and just kept on going.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36By sheer chance it happened as the carriageway curved to the right,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39sending the artic off the road.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42At any other place, it could have ploughed into oncoming traffic.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I remember sliding, and then a sudden halt.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48That's probably when the sweet jumped out.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Embarrassing, isn't it, really?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53It's left Lewis with a red face and a few grazes,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55but no serious injuries.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The only thing, just a scratch on the elbow.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I think it's only a scratch. I can't see it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Probably some rough bit on the door, probably.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It was all padded out fairly well. Seat belt's on.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10You can't go wrong without that seat belt, really.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15It's little short of a miracle that no other vehicles were involved.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19PC Duncan Innes now has to organise retrieving the lorry
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and its load.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25She's going to get someone to come out and we'll recover the product
0:21:25 > 0:21:29sooner rather than later, then we'll try and get recovered
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- during the quiet hours.- Sure. yeah.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The next job is to prevent any further accidents.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The New Forest is home to wild ponies and cattle.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44The fence is down and there's a risk the animals could stray onto the road.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Over 100 metres of fence has gone.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Representatives of the Highways Agency are on the scene
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and get the repair work underway immediately.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55How you doing? You all right? What's your name?
0:21:55 > 0:21:56- Ashley.- Ken.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00He's come from lane two. Gentleman's driving along.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03He's coughed on his cough sweet. He's managed to avoid any traffic
0:22:03 > 0:22:06in lane one. Our concern is at the moment
0:22:06 > 0:22:10in relation to the wildlife in the forest and making this more secure.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Recovery's going to be this afternoon, this evening.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Most important thing is making this area safe and sterile
0:22:16 > 0:22:20to prevent anything leaving onto the carriageway, causing more problems.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24If you let us know what will be happening, that will be wonderful.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26But there's an additional problem.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30As a result of the accident, the fuel tank on the articulated lorry,
0:22:30 > 0:22:35or cab unit, has ruptured. It's got two tanks. Only one's been ruptured.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Approximately 200 litres of diesel have gone into the ground.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42That's an environmental issue we are concerned about.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's a lot of fuel, but firefighters are satisfied
0:22:45 > 0:22:48that there's no danger of it polluting the local water supply.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50There's no fuel left in the tank.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The trailer-unit tank is safe. That hasn't been punctured.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But there's nothing we can do about diesel
0:22:57 > 0:23:00that's run into the forest. That's already soaked into the ground.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04It's not near any water courses, so we're not too concerned.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The driver is going to have a thorough examination at hospital.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14On the road, the morning traffic's flowing freely again.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18It's just down to the recovery guys to work out how to move the lorry
0:23:18 > 0:23:22out of the forest. However, the disruption caused by this accident
0:23:22 > 0:23:26is not over yet. Just think what would have happened
0:23:26 > 0:23:28if the bend in the road had turned the other way.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I'll demonstrate. Imagine this car is oncoming traffic,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and I'm the lorry. So we're going round a right-hand bend,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and as we're going round the bend, I lose control,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and I run off over here out into the countryside.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43But if he'd been going the other way when he lost attention
0:23:43 > 0:23:47and he loses control... Bang! Straight into the oncoming traffic.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It was just a matter of pure luck that no-one was hurt.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Brilliant demonstration, Nick. Still to come on Real Rescues,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57we meet the man who fell 100 feet down this crumbling cliff face,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and find out why a nose with five million receptions,
0:24:01 > 0:24:02a bit like this one,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06can't match up to the 220 million on this medical-alert dog
0:24:06 > 0:24:09that can detect cancer.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I can sniff out a good story, though, can't I?
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Yes. A rescue that starts in the early morning. Here's one.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Mel is asleep in bed, unaware that she's slipping into a life-threatening coma.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24But her dog realises there's something wrong,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and manages to raise the alarm.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It's seven in the morning, and in a downstairs bedroom
0:24:30 > 0:24:34at a house in Berkshire, a woman disabled by osteoporosis
0:24:34 > 0:24:37is in danger of falling into a diabetic coma.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Two ambulance crews are desperately trying to bring her round.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Paramedic John Pocock has just arrived,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and is struggling to find a vein in Mel's hand
0:24:48 > 0:24:51to give her lifesaving glucose.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- Have you had a go in here?- Yeah. I don't think I was anywhere near.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Mel's husband John is also trying to rouse her.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Mel!
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Mel, come on!
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Her blood-sugar levels have fallen so low,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07she's very close to a coma.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It happened in the early hours. John was in another room,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and if it hadn't been for Penny the retriever,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15he would never have known.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20'Penny come up and started nudging me, quite severe.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Once I acknowledged her, she started to nudge again,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26which made me think, "Ah."
0:25:26 > 0:25:30John dialled 999. The first crew arrived at 5:00 AM.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34They've given her a drug which makes the liver release glucose,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38but if they get it into a vein, it'll be much faster-acting.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41If you hold the hand like that for me...
0:25:41 > 0:25:45John tries to find a vein by bending back Mel's wrist.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Sharp scratch.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Fasten it there. See what happens.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53John appears to be making progress, but it's not working.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Not going in, is it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:58They're going to have to try somewhere else.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Mel, another sharp scratch coming up, darling.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Before he gets the needle in, Mel starts to come to.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Hello!
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Mel!
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Thirsty? I'm not surprised, sweetheart.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Mel, we've got a drink here for you. - Mel!
0:26:17 > 0:26:20John tests her blood-sugar levels.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Sharp scratch.
0:26:22 > 0:26:273.8. We need to get her something to eat, really.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Despite the treatment, Mel's levels are still below the healthy range
0:26:31 > 0:26:33of between four and eight.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35She needs to get some food.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38You all right there, darling? Open your eyes.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43Right. Mel, can you talk to me at all?
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Can you give us a smile?
0:26:45 > 0:26:48As Mel's husband prepares the porridge,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50John tries to get her to take some glucose gel.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53OK. Open up, then. Swallow it for me.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Ugh! - I know it doesn't taste very nice.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01He's happy enough with her progress to send the night crew home.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06- If you guys are all packed up and want to go...- Thank you.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Come here. Come on, then. Come on, baby. Leave the shoe.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Penny's instincts tell her that her mistress is in good hands.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18She's not just a pet. She's trained to help disabled people like Mel
0:27:18 > 0:27:20around the house.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'If Mel drops something, Penny will come along and pick it up.'
0:27:24 > 0:27:27She's there to help her get dressed, undressed,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29put the lights on and off.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32'They're just basic push-pull tasks.'
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Almost there. Three spoonfuls, then Penny can have the rest.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It's not the first time Penny's raised the alarm.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40She's proved to have an amazing instinct
0:27:40 > 0:27:42about the state of Mel's health.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46'Penny picks up on something. I've no idea what it is.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It could be her breathing. It's just very, very strange.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Now she comes up and she just nudges me,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58nudges me. I think she probably did this the first time,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01but I wasn't responding in any way.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03So she actually jumped up onto the bed
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and started sitting on me, nudging me,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10till eventually I thought, "This is something..."
0:28:10 > 0:28:12"This isn't quite normal."
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Now Mel is a bit brighter, John tells her how Penny saved her life.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- She woke me up again!- You good girl.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25She's a very good girl. If she wasn't,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27then, you probably wouldn't be...
0:28:29 > 0:28:31..wouldn't be here.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Thankfully, the combination of food, drugs and glucose
0:28:35 > 0:28:37soon start to take effect.
0:28:37 > 0:28:396.9.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- That's a bit better, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48With that reading, John's happy that Mel doesn't need to go to hospital.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Just give the diabetic clinic a ring and just see what they say.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54If her blood sugar's all over the place,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57it's probably best that they keep an eye on her.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Right. Take care!
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Mel's been suffering more frequent attacks like this,
0:29:02 > 0:29:04so she'll need to be monitored carefully
0:29:04 > 0:29:07as her blood-sugar levels are very unstable.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11As for Penny, she may be officially retired,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14but no-one will be able to stop her keeping an eye on Mel.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18'The bad news is, they've taken her away from Mel.'
0:29:18 > 0:29:21The good news is, she's my dog.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24So they've actually signed her over to me.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27She's now a family pet,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30but I am going to be the last person in the world
0:29:30 > 0:29:32to tell her not to do it.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35She's retired. Just keep on doing it, please,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37for Mel and for myself.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Now, Penny's training as a disability dog
0:29:43 > 0:29:46didn't train her to spot a diabetic attack.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48That is something she managed to train herself to do.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52These two dogs are trained, though. They're medical-alert dogs.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54We've got Tangle and Daisy here.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Claire, you are with the charity that trains them.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59What are these dogs trained to do?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Well, when we have changes in our health,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03we have changes in odour,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07and we can train dogs to detect these changes in odour.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09When useful, the dogs can give a warning.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11So we train cancer-detection dogs.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14And this is what these two specialise in?
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Absolutely. They detect cancer volatiles in urine samples.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20These aren't given to people as assistance dogs,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23but we also train assistance dogs, and the main dogs we train
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- are blood-sugar detection dogs.- What kind of things do they help with?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29- If people have diabetes... - That's right.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32If people have brittle type-1 diabetes,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36and are unable to notice when their blood-sugar levels are dangerously low,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38the dogs can give a warning in plenty of time,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and we've got a dog placed with a seven-year-old girl
0:30:41 > 0:30:45whose parents were having terrible concerns about her because she was going into comas
0:30:45 > 0:30:50because of these massive fluctuations, and this dog now attends primary school with her.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54So before anybody knows, or she knows, the dog gives a warning.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Yes. Our dogs are trained to lick and nudge and paw
0:30:57 > 0:31:00if they don't get an answer - a bit like this, but I'm not...
0:31:00 > 0:31:03That's just affection, is it, from Daisy?
0:31:03 > 0:31:07That's just affection. But with the dogs that work with young children,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11not only do they warn the child, but they go and warn an adult,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15so during the night, Shirley goes to Rebecca's bedroom and wakes up Mum.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18And you've seen occasions when dogs like these
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- literally save people's lives? - All the time.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24The people we work with were having regular paramedic callouts,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27regular hospital admissions, and since the placement of the dogs,
0:31:27 > 0:31:32none of our clients have had hospital admissions or paramedic callouts.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- Makes a huge difference. - Absolutely amazing.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Thank you, Daisy. You're very sweet, and Tangle's quite laid-back.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Thank you, Louise. I'm just looking here at dispatch.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46This is the dispatch area, where they send out ambulances
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and fast-response vehicles and all kinds of different things.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52They had a helicopter out only yesterday
0:31:52 > 0:31:54for a woman who fell off a horse on the beach,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and it's fascinating listening to them talking to people
0:31:57 > 0:32:00and finding out who they need to get there.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03- I wanted to chat to Jackie here. Have you got a moment?- Yes.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06You're not on a call? Lovely. About ponds!
0:32:06 > 0:32:10People say ponds are dangerous. My dad would never have one,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13because he said a pond was a dangerous thing to have in a garden.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- Very dangerous, yeah. - You think so too?
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- After taking the call, yes. - Tell us about this call.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Well, I took a call from a 15 year old,
0:32:21 > 0:32:26a young lady. She was the daughter. A young lad had fallen in the pond.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Dad was bringing the boy out of the pond.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32He was not breathing, and she was the only one that wasn't panicking.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And I came through and I said to her, "Where is he?"
0:32:35 > 0:32:38She said, "Dad's carrying him out the pond now."
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- How old was the child? - He was 15 months old,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43and he'd fallen into two foot of water.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- Breathing? - No. Not breathing. No, no.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- That's got to make your blood run cold.- It did.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52It was the first call I'd ever taken like that, I must admit.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54- So what do you do next? - I said to her straight away,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57"Put him down flat on his back and tilt his head back,"
0:32:57 > 0:33:02which then opens up their airways, which is the first thing you do with anybody who's not breathing.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05And they did that. She relayed the instructions,
0:33:05 > 0:33:10and after they tilted his head back, the lad started to cough and cry
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and came round without us doing CPR on him.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17- You saved the baby's life. - I don't think of it like that.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- You did, though, didn't you? - Yeah, I suppose.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22- Do you have the shakes after a call like that?- No.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25I think I'd be shaking at the thought of what had just happened.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28We're coming up to the summer holidays now,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31a lot of children playing around the sea and swimming pools.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33If you find a child in that situation,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36that's fallen into the water and stopped breathing,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- what do you do?- Lie him on his back and tilt his head back.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Look in their mouths and make sure there's nothing
0:33:42 > 0:33:44that could be blocking. You tilt their head back.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48That opens up the airways, and hopefully that will get them breathing again
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- before you have to think about doing CPR.- OK.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54But you wouldn't have a pond in your back garden?
0:33:54 > 0:33:57In actual fact I have, but then I haven't got young children.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01That's the key. Some kind of grille over it, I suppose, is the way.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- Or fill it in.- All right. Lovely. Thank you very much.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Fascinating, don't you think? Now back to the New Forest
0:34:07 > 0:34:11and that articulated lorry. Four hours after it careered off the road
0:34:11 > 0:34:14into surrounding countryside, it's still there.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18Now there's more trouble - another accident on the same stretch of road.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23It's a case of deja vu for traffic cop Ken Venning.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27There's been another accident, and it looks like it might have been caused
0:34:27 > 0:34:30by drivers being distracted by the sight of the lorry
0:34:30 > 0:34:32being pulled out of the New Forest.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35En route to a three-vehicle RTI road-traffic incident,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39believed collision. It's an incident that happened earlier on today
0:34:39 > 0:34:42whereby a lorry's gone off the carriageway,
0:34:42 > 0:34:47so I'm not sure if someone's been looking at something else and it's happened as a result of that.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Four cars are involved. This time, however,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54the occupants are lucky. There are no injuries,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and the damage is relatively minor.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04On the opposite side of the road, a massive recovery truck has arrived
0:35:04 > 0:35:07to rescue the stranded lorry. There's a lot of activity.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Impressive it may be, but will it be strong enough
0:35:12 > 0:35:16to drag this 44-ton truck and its cargo out of the bushes?
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Well, hopefully we're going to try and pull it back
0:35:20 > 0:35:23to pull it all in line, then take it up there.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26We don't know whether that'll happen yet.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30At first I thought pull it up there, but there's too much in the way,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32so we're going to give this a go.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41As it turns out, the recovery truck is specially built
0:35:41 > 0:35:43for this kind of job, and it has no trouble
0:35:43 > 0:35:46pulling the stricken lorry back up the hill.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54PC Duncan Innes is checking out the cab's equivalent of a black box.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56It will tell him how fast the lorry was going.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59He also finds some other valuable evidence.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04Mr Pascoe tells us that he choked on a boiled sweet.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07As you can see, in the passenger-door handle,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10we've actually got an exhibit of the boiled sweet,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14so I think everything Mr Pascoe's told us is probably quite factual.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18And, unbelievably, the only victims of this crash
0:36:18 > 0:36:23are some forest vegetation and 30 tons of defrosted food.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29I have to admit that I was a little bit nervous
0:36:29 > 0:36:32when I went up in that helicopter with the coastguard rescue.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Sharon's got a story about somebody who was also a bit nervous.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39- I have.- She'd hurt herself, and what happened, this lady?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43A lady had fallen on the cliffs when she was out walking,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46and so it was really hard to access her.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49We couldn't get the ambulance down over the cliffs to get to her.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52She'd injured her ankle and was unable to walk.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Right. - We asked the helicopter to attend,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59to try and airlift her out, but once the helicopter had got there,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02she decided there was no way she was going to get onto it.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05She didn't like to fly, so she turned the helicopter away.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08You wouldn't believe that that was going to happen.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12- No.- She was adamant.- It didn't matter how much pain she was in,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16- she wasn't going on the helicopter. - So she was taken away by...
0:37:16 > 0:37:19- How did you get her off? - The coastguard actually assisted
0:37:19 > 0:37:22with a 4x4, and they got her back up the trackway
0:37:22 > 0:37:25to the car park for the ambulance crew to take her to hospital.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28But it was lucky she didn't get into the helicopter.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32It was. Shortly after she declined the helicopter,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35the helicopter had started to lift to go back to its base,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38and we received a phone call from a gentleman who was panicking.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40His son had been bitten by an adder.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44He wanted to know where the nearest hospital was to drive him there.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48So we'd asked him where he was, and figured out, "He's on that road,"
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and thought, "The helicopter's only a couple of minutes away,"
0:37:51 > 0:37:55so we spoke to the gentleman and said, "We need you to pull over."
0:37:55 > 0:37:59"There's a helicopter in the area. They can land in a field
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- and take your son to hospital." - And the key being there
0:38:02 > 0:38:05- that he was on holiday, so... - He had no idea where he was.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08So the helicopter went down and guided him?
0:38:08 > 0:38:12The helicopter flew along the road and caught up to him,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16and the gentleman saw the helicopter, helicopter landed in a field
0:38:16 > 0:38:19next to a roundabout, and they were able to get to the child
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and get the child taken to hospital.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25And this little boy had been bitten by the adder, hadn't he?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- Was he in quite a bad way? - He was really poorly.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32He had a bad reaction to the bite, and the leg had started to go black
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- around the area of the bite. - And is that normal
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- or some kind of allergic reaction? - It's an allergic reaction he had,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42but that was a severe reaction in that particular case.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44So if the lady had been on board the helicopter,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47what would have happened to that little boy?
0:38:47 > 0:38:50We would have been able to advise the father where to drive,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53and endeavour to get an ambulance to him,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56but it was just absolutely key at that point
0:38:56 > 0:38:59that we were able to get the helicopter to him
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- and his son that quickly. - An extraordinary decision by her,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- and the little boy was OK. - Yeah. It was all luck.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08What a fantastic story! What a fantastic story that is,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11don't you think? And I should say, because I'm an animal lover myself,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15that more people are hurt by wasps each year than hurt by adders,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18so don't get frightened in the countryside.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Earlier we watched Buck Rogers and the Portland Coastguard team
0:39:21 > 0:39:25attempt the dangerous rescue of a man 500 feet up a cliff face.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27OK, and steady. Once again...
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Coming clear.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Approaching the step.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37It was a success, and Rescue 106 rushed the injured man, Graham Dover
0:39:37 > 0:39:40to Dorchester Hospital for lifesaving surgery.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42He talked to us about it, and is recovering.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Graham underwent 15 hours of surgery at Dorchester Hospital.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Apart from a few hazy flashbacks,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52he doesn't remember the accident at all.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55The first thing he knew was waking up in intensive care
0:39:55 > 0:39:57a day and a half later.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00My injuries were... I had collapsed lungs,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04which they inserted some pipes and reinflated,
0:40:04 > 0:40:09and most of my injuries - I was fortunate - was to my arms.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It wasn't to the main trunk of my body.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15I had two breaks in my ulna on this side,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18and then on this side I shattered my elbow,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22and they've had to put a replacement ceramic elbow back in this side,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and also I'd broken and dislocated my wrist,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29which now has got a metal plate which has got to stay in permanently
0:40:29 > 0:40:35on that side. But everything's well on the way to recovery now.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Graham realises he owes his survival to so many people,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42from William the dog-walker, who first heard his cries,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45to the helicopter crew and the medical staff.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49A big thank-you, obviously, to the chap that went to get help for me,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53and to kick everything into life from the rest of the people
0:40:53 > 0:40:56that were all involved - not just the winch man and helicopter people
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and those people who acted so fantastically on that night,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03but also everybody that cared for me for the best part of a month
0:41:03 > 0:41:06while I was in hospital, all those people.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08If it wasn't for their professionalism
0:41:08 > 0:41:10and their dedication to it all,
0:41:10 > 0:41:15I certainly wouldn't be as happy as I am now, would I?
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Remember I was saying about the lady who'd fallen off the horse.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22It occurred to me, I wondered how often that sort of thing happened.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26- If you come over here to Sharon... She's not on a call.- I'm not.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28People falling off horses and injuring themselves
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- is quite a regular thing.- It is. Dorset's a very rural county,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34and we've got a lot of beaches as well,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37so the increase, especially in the summer,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41with people falling off of horses and general outdoor-activity accidents,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- is very high. - But horses in particular?
0:41:43 > 0:41:47This is interesting. To show you how often this happens,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- two within the last 24 hours? - That's right, two.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- Where?- We've had one in woodland and one on a beach.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Both of which... How serious?
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Both needed to go in the helicopter.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01We used the helicopter to extricate from the beach.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04It was a difficult access. And the one in woodland,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07to stabilise the patient and get them into hospital quicker.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Thank you very much. Interesting, that.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13You wouldn't assume that riding horses is so dangerous.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16I thought your dogs, by the way, were fascinating.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Weren't they lovely? There are only 20 of those medical-alert dogs
0:42:20 > 0:42:23from that charity in the country, and if you want one,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- it's a three-year waiting list. - But they'll grow that, won't they?
0:42:26 > 0:42:29I imagine they will. That little girl takes her dog to school,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33- which is incredible. - It makes sense. And by the way,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35the last thing we learn from this programme,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- please check your smoke alarm in your house.- Have you?
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Yeah. I am going to go home and do that straight away.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45That's all from us today. Join us next time for more Real Rescues.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:56 > 0:43:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk