0:00:02 > 0:00:05On Real Rescues, a man is buried alive after a sand dune collapses.
0:00:05 > 0:00:11It's up to his brother and best friend to hold back the sand until the emergency services arrive.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14He looked at us and said, "Reg, please don't leave me."
0:00:14 > 0:00:17That's honestly something I will never forget
0:00:17 > 0:00:20for as long as I live.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26And a desperate call for help. A family of nine are trapped by a fire in an upstairs room.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The cause is something that's pretty common in most of our homes.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Hello and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01This is one of the South Western Ambulance control rooms.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Around the UK, an emergency call comes into a centre like this every two seconds.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Weather permitting, there's nothing like a bit of fun by the seaside,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12but as this extraordinary footage shows,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15things can get out of hand, really out of hand.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23Druridge Bay, Northumberland, a known beauty spot, but an ugly situation has developed.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Present - the fire brigade with crews from its Special Rescue Unit,
0:01:27 > 0:01:33along with the coastguard and helicopter crews from the police and Great North Air Ambulance.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38For over an hour, nearly 50 emergency workers have been battling the forces of nature
0:01:38 > 0:01:43to keep alive and try to free a man trapped by several tonnes of sand.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51Out of sight of the camera, that man is 32-year-old Ronnie Martin.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Earlier, he had been on an outing with friends and family
0:01:54 > 0:02:00when, for a laugh, he started to dig a hole near a sand dune with his brother William.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04My arms were sore with digging, so my brother jumped in.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09We were about to pack it in. He was getting the last bit of sand out.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The hole was by now shoulder depth.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16As William walked away, his younger brother Ronnie got into it.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21Watching on, the pair's friend Reg was the only one to see what happened next.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25He went down, took his last scoop, and as he was coming up...
0:02:25 > 0:02:27the hole,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29this hole just closed.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33It's the quickest thing I've ever seen happen.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I remember where his head was,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and where I was sat, I just dived straight in.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I thought, "It's just going to be a little bit of sand."
0:02:41 > 0:02:46That's when I started digging. I realised I still hadn't found his head.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And I carried on digging and I couldn't find his head.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And I shouted on his brother, "I need your help!"
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Instantly, I thought they were just messing around,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00then I realised when I saw the expression on Reg's face.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05That's when I lay down and William started digging with me.
0:03:05 > 0:03:11That's when we realised we're in trouble here and we carried on digging and digging.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17By the time I touched my hand on top of his head, I realised how deep he actually was.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21I'd say about two and a half, three minutes to find the top of his head.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24The sand just kept coming. Sand just kept coming.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I thought he was dead to be quite honest with you.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Devastated. Completely devastated.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I thought my brother was dead.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40That's when I put my hand down to find his mouth and I tried to pull the sand away from his mouth.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43As I was pulling it, his brother was helping me move the sand,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48then I finally got to his mouth and tried to clean his mouth out and his nose, airways.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53He gave this big gulp of air. He opened his eyes because he was covered in sand.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57He looked at us and just said, "Reg, please don't leave me."
0:04:00 > 0:04:03That's honestly something I will never forget...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06for as long as I live.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's the most horrible thing ever
0:04:09 > 0:04:11to see somebody in trouble
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and they are asking you for help,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16but you feel helpless.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21His eyes were like puppy eyes, basically wanting out of there.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24He just said, "Don't let us die."
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Reg tried to keep Ronnie's mouth clear by cupping his hands over it
0:04:29 > 0:04:34while older brother William frantically dug away the sand that kept falling in,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but they were tiring.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Two police officers arrived on the scene first.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Initially, one of them sat on my legs while I kept digging.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47They passed me an oxygen mask and I put it round my brother's head.
0:04:47 > 0:04:54I was really grateful when I saw these people because I knew for a fact this was our lifeline.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Police, fire, coastguard and ambulance services have by now all arrived at the scene,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03but fire station manager Andy Railton immediately realises
0:05:03 > 0:05:07they have a real task on their hands to get Ronnie out safely.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The sand dune had collapsed on top of him
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and forced him down into a squat position.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18We placed a line under his arms and tried to pull him out initially.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22However, that didn't work, so we had to look at other options.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Obviously, we were concerned with the state of the dune.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31It was on an angle and it had been loose sand, so we were concerned that the sand would come down again.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37To make things as safe as possible, the team improvised with equipment normally used for road accidents.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42To keep the sand at bay, spinal boards are placed around the edges of the hole
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and propped up by devices designed to stabilise damaged vehicles.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51The priority was to make sure that the sand was away from Ronnie's chest,
0:05:51 > 0:05:57as that was causing him some breathing difficulties, and create a path to his right-hand side.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03It was roughly about a metre wide and about three or four metres again, so we could get in on the path.
0:06:03 > 0:06:09There were a number of people working - one moving the sand from A to B,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11then from B to C and away.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16The sand that we moved at the incident, I would say round about two cubic metres,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20which is round about two or three tonnes' worth of sand, loose sand.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Finally, after spending two hours encased in sand,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30a bruised, battered and exhausted Ronnie is pulled free.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35I think Ronnie was very fortunate that his friend and his brother were there so quickly
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and they managed to get the sand away from his face.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44Obviously, then we turned up a little while later and with the resources we had,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47we could move a lot more sand than they could.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53Tremendous. I take my hat off to these people because we would never have got him out there.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Not by ourselves.
0:06:56 > 0:07:02I'm entirely grateful to have my brother and I've got a lot of people to thank for it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:08I'm very glad to say that Ronnie, who we saw at the end of that film crawling out of the hole, is here.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Gosh, what an experience that was for you!
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Reg talked very clearly about the moment the hole caved in.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17You were crouched down. What was that like?
0:07:17 > 0:07:22It was like pressure, but I could still hear voices, like muffled.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28- It was like..."boof"!- Really quick, was it?- Quicker than... I didn't even see it happen.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- Right.- My eyes were open, my mouth was open.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Everything had just come in. It was like a..."boof"!
0:07:34 > 0:07:40- You heard the sand move and you heard the air...- The air go?- Yeah, it was two very different noises.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46- And you didn't even have time to close your eyes?- No, they were wide open. My mouth was open.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51What about the pressure of the sand? How did that feel? Was it really squashing you?
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Yeah, initially, it was, but then there was another collapse which crushed us even more.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59It was silent after that. I couldn't hear any voices.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05You couldn't hear any voices at that point. Reg described how he managed to reach down to you.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Was that chance that he found your head?- Yeah, it was a miracle.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13But he was sitting talking to us when it happened, he said.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Then he managed very cleverly to put his hands in front of your mouth.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21How long was it before you were able to take that first breath?
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- I don't know.- Too long. - Maybe three, four minutes?- Gosh!
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Then he basically kept you alive, didn't he,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33by realising that you just needed air until they could get you out?
0:08:33 > 0:08:39You needed to get air and every time he moved the sand, another side of it would come in and I'd be gone again,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42so he eventually kept his hand cupped in front of my mouth.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Every time the sand came in, it was up to his arms,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48then he had time to get the sand away while I had a bit of air.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51So you took another breath at that point?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I had that, then he cleared my face and I took another breath,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57then it would just collapse on top of us again.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- Did you think you were going to get out?- No, I thought I was dead.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I thought I was dead when it first happened.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Then when they got to you, you thought there was hope when you were able to breathe?
0:09:09 > 0:09:14As soon as they touched the top of my head. Beforehand, it was nothing, it was still.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- My head didn't even scream, if you know what I mean.- Yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23It wasn't until I felt something touch us. It was then I realised there was a chance.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27So your brother and Reg said a big thank you to the emergency services.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- Without them, it would have been a different story.- I'd be dead now.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36Just tell me briefly, you're OK. You were coughing up sand, I understand, for a while.
0:09:36 > 0:09:42Not out, but it was in my eye. It was coming through my tear ducts in my left eyeball.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44And you have dreams about it?
0:09:44 > 0:09:50- Dreams about other stuff, but bad ones every night.- I really hope they go away.- They will eventually.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55- You've been back to the beach?- Yeah, we went back on the Sunday afterwards and had a bit of a party.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Thank you very much for coming to see us. Good luck.- Thank you.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05Later, we'll talk to a coastguard team and see their equipment which helps deal with seaside emergencies.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10An incredible story. Great to see Ronnie up there looking so fit and well.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16It's the early hours of the morning and a family of nine are sleeping soundly in their home.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20The peace, though, is broken by the piercing screech of a smoke alarm,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23then dad David makes this 999 call.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Smoke is seeping under the door.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58David and his wife Samantha are in a room with their six children all under the age of seven
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and Samantha's sister Kimberley.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Samantha takes the phone.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Well, here's Mum and Dad now.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Oh, Sam, are you all right? - Yeah, I'm fine.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33David, you're holding her there for dear life, just as you were on that night.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37It's just every parent's nightmare, that situation, isn't it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39It is, yeah.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Obviously, with six kids in the house.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45The most frightening thing in your life,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49knowing that you don't know what to do to get your children out, ain't it?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It was just pure panic, pure panic.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Yeah, I mean, is that the first time you've heard it?
0:12:56 > 0:13:01The first time, yeah. I didn't think I'd react that way.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07I think when I heard that, all the exact same emotions I was feeling that night all came back.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- Let's hear what you did next because you did everything right, basically.- Yeah.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16You got your babies into a little room and this is what happened next.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- Oh! It's terrible reliving that moment.- Yeah.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10So what happened next? You were told to put the blanket against the door?
0:14:10 > 0:14:16Barricade ourselves in the room and block, try and get the... so the smoke couldn't come in.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20We were told to all get on the floor and lie down,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24because then the smoke rises, so we were under the smoke.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I had the girls in my arms and I was lying on the floor.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33Kimberley had the boys, trying to get them all down, and you were sitting at the window.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- Trying to clear the... - Waiting for the firemen. - So we could all get out clear.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43That wait must have been for ever, but finally, the fire engines turned up. What happened next?
0:14:43 > 0:14:48I'm sat at the window looking out and the police have turned up before the firemen.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51They asked us to start dropping the kids out the window.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57You panicked more, thinking of dropping the kids. Luckily, within seconds, the firemen showed up.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02My goodness! Could you imagine having to drop your babies out of there?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05So then they put the ladders up against the window.
0:15:05 > 0:15:11- They got Ethan out first. - They started with the eldest child because he was really frightened.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15He was crying and kept saying, "I don't want to die."
0:15:15 > 0:15:19He went down first, then we just went down in age.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- They got you and Kim out.- Me and Kim, then you were the last one out.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27You're all safe and sound now. What was the cause of the fire?
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- It was the tumble dryer.- The thermostat on the tumble dryer broke,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35so it just kept going round and round and eventually, it caught fire.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Instead of staying at a nice temperature, it just kept getting hotter and hotter
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- until there was no moisture left in the clothes and they just burnt. - Everything caught fire.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51- It destroyed your house, I'm assuming, completely?- Yeah, a lot of smoke damage.- Lost everything.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55- You didn't lose your little babies. - That was all we cared about.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58We did not care about possessions at all.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Not at all.- We were just so relieved that we were all fine and OK.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04That was all we cared about, wasn't it?
0:16:04 > 0:16:09I'm so pleased you're all here and it's great to see you all fit and well,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11but I want to see the rest of them.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16We've been talking about nine lives and trying to put in our minds what nine lives looks like.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Lou, we might need your help!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22We're going to see the family together. Here they are.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26You can list them off, Mum, name by name as they come up.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28So we've got Ethan, Joseph, Joshua,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Tristan, Lily-May and Casey-May.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- And that's...?- Auntie Kimberley.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- Auntie Lou, you've been adopted.- Do you mind if I borrow her for a bit?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- She's gorgeous. - You're more than welcome.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Well done for being so brave and so well behaved with the fire brigade and the ambulance.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- But safe journey home.- Thank you.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Still to come on Real Rescues, a calf stranded on a cliff.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57MOOING
0:16:57 > 0:17:01The RNLI resort to cowboy tactics to reunite it with its mother.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05And the happiest casualty in Bournemouth.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10She's badly injured her arm, but 96-year-old Grace is looking on the bright side.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14To get to this age and be like I am, I'm very, very fortunate.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19- Good.- Take care.- Do you want to take my arm?- Oh, yeah, this is nice.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27A fire has broken out in woodland above the historic old town of Hastings.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Some buildings there date back to Shakespearean times.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The emergency services must stop the fire spreading now
0:17:33 > 0:17:37to protect the Tudor buildings which are dangerously close.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42209, have you got the incident number, please?
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Early evening and there's animated chatter on the emergency airwaves.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Reports have come in of a blaze in Hastings.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Hotel Tango 209, we're at Little Common.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Is there anything that we can assist with with this fire?
0:17:56 > 0:18:00On patrol nearby, traffic officers Greg Alcorn and Mark Fowler.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04'Yes, the smoke is heading down towards Hastings sea front.
0:18:04 > 0:18:10'It's fairly obvious for the rest of the town and it might cause some traffic congestion. Over.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:15We've been assigned to reports of a large fire
0:18:15 > 0:18:19that's causing quite a lot of disruption in the Hastings area.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Unsure at this minute as to what premises is alight,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26but there's reports of 50-foot flames
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and a large amount of smoke,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32so we're making over to the Hastings area
0:18:32 > 0:18:37to see how we can assist with either traffic or any uncovered incidents.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Drawing closer, the Hastings horizon is hazy with the smoke.
0:18:44 > 0:18:51It looks like there's...just looking up at the cliff area, that a large amount of shrubbery is on fire.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It's probably an area of about 30 metres square of flames.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The good news is that the flames are 50 foot up a hill,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02rather than being, as originally reported, 50 foot high.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07But the bad news is that they're near Hastings Old Town with its many listed buildings
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and are literally spreading like wildfire.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15It's going to be making sure that if the fire brigade need any more units,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20it's keeping the road open and making sure that they've got clear access to the scene,
0:19:20 > 0:19:26and if there's any injuries, just managing the access for the ambulance up to the area.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28There is a lot of traffic around.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33If we have to shut any roads, it's going to cause major disruptions to the A259.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I'd imagine that the immediate area is closed off
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and, of course, you've got commuters and people returning from work
0:19:40 > 0:19:44that aren't allowed back into their properties at this point.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50Fire crews were quick to the scene and have, thankfully, managed to bring the flames under control.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Though to stop the fire spreading over the road,
0:19:55 > 0:20:01the large amount of foam they've had to use has made this warm day look like winter, rather than spring.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05What we've been called out to is a gorse alight
0:20:05 > 0:20:07on the East Hills.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10We've made pumps four, which is four fire engines
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and two Land Rovers to assist in dealing with it.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Our top priority is to protect any surrounding properties.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Some of the properties down the road from here we did evacuate
0:20:21 > 0:20:24because the fire was spreading towards those.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29But we've managed to push the fire back and these properties are OK.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35Nobody has been hurt and the cause of the fire is unknown, but the emergency services are suspicious.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40It is a problem area for us. We do get quite a few deliberate fires.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Us and the police are trying to tackle this issue.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49This type of blaze uses up a lot of the fire and rescue service's time
0:20:49 > 0:20:54as little pockets of fire keep reappearing and have to be doused down.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57They'll stay on the scene well into the evening
0:20:57 > 0:21:01until they are certain that it has been completely extinguished.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Everybody in this room is incredibly calm, but not all the people who call up are calm
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and that's understandably so on lots of occasions.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Jess, who has just come off a long phone call, can talk to me
0:21:14 > 0:21:18about an example of somebody who was having a problem on a Sunday.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21The wife phoned up. What state was she in?
0:21:21 > 0:21:25The wife was hysterical. They'd been sat down having a roast dinner
0:21:25 > 0:21:30- and the husband started choking on a piece of roast beef. - Very seriously choking.- Yes.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36- And she could hardly string a word together?- No, she was screaming, they had children also screaming.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41- They were all hysterical. - How do you get a message through?
0:21:41 > 0:21:47I managed to calm her down a bit. I asked if she'd carried out back slaps on him. She said she had,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51but they'd been ineffective. So I went through the instructions again
0:21:51 > 0:21:59and she went through them and on the fifth back slap she managed to get the roast beef out.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04- How do you know that? Could you hear?- I heard him go, "Oh, it's come out now."
0:22:04 > 0:22:10- Could you hear the relief?- Yes. She calmed down and was very apologetic for how she was.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15She said, "I feel a bit silly now," but she did do the right thing by calling us.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21So what is your advice for people in that state? You are giving life-saving information, aren't you?
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- They've got to try to take it in. - They need to try to remain calm.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Being hysterical doesn't help at all, so if they can stay calm,
0:22:30 > 0:22:36I know it's difficult, especially in those kind of situations, but obviously it is best to be calm.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- Glad it all worked out in the end! Thank you, Jess.- You're welcome.
0:22:40 > 0:22:47A true example of Blitz spirit now. 96-year-old Grace has been knocked for six while on a shopping trip,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52but she's keeping calm and carrying on with a little help from paramedic Simon Trenchard.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Senior Paramedic Simon Trenchard and student Lee Stratton are hurrying to the high street.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05We've just taken a call to a shop. An elderly female has fallen and has some injuries.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11They're unknown at this moment and we're not quite sure if she's collapsed or had a genuine fall.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15There's a lady sat in a chair just there.
0:23:15 > 0:23:22- Fortunately, when they arrive they find that although Grace has hurt her arm...- What's your name?
0:23:22 > 0:23:27- Grace.- ..her condition can be best described as the talking wounded.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- I am 96 years old.- Fantastic. And you're out shopping today?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I'm doing my last-minute bits, getting some money.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41- Do you remember everything that happened today?- Yes, I jolly well do!- What did happen?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I was very happy and I was walking along
0:23:44 > 0:23:49- and this young man came along with a big box on his shoulder.- OK.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- And he caught my shoulder and knocked me over.- OK.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58- Isn't that right?- And you didn't bang your head at all?- Oh, no, no.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04- Just my arm.- Yeah, I've seen that. Can I just take your pulse? You're not feeling dizzy or unwell?
0:24:04 > 0:24:09Shall we go somewhere quiet? Let's go to the ambulance.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- Geoff, my bag!- The man who bumped into Grace is apologetic.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I'm ever so sorry, all right?
0:24:16 > 0:24:21It's an accident, darling. You can't help these things.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It's nice you've all shook hands and made up. Let's get you sorted.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- To get to this age and be like I am, I'm very, very fortunate.- Good.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- Do you want to take my arm? - Oh, yes. This is nice.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Oh, gosh!
0:24:35 > 0:24:41Simon knows that before Grace can go anywhere, he needs to patch up the wound on her arm.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- What you've actually done is you've got quite frail skin. - Oh, yes.- Quite papery skin.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52- Well, it's been around a long time. - Yeah, I can see. You've actually torn the skin up quite a lot.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58- We need to unravel all of that skin and stick it all back together. - You do what you have to.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04With the end of a needle and a steady hand, Simon delicately unravels the skin flap
0:25:04 > 0:25:07that has come away from Grace's arm.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Right, now don't move. We've got a good edge there.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16We've been able to close and unfold both these sides quite neatly.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22- We'll close it with some steristrips.- Steristrips, also known as butterfly stiches,
0:25:22 > 0:25:29are narrow adhesive strips that help to close the edges of a small wound and encourage the skin to heal.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35Where the skin had rolled back to here, we've now closed it in a fan shape and got the edges up.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41Simon then applies a sterile dressing and bandages to Grace's arm.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I'll put a dressing around here to keep all that in place.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51He then repeats the whole process with a smaller cut on her wrist.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Pop some gauze over that just to protect it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Try not to move it too much. If you move, you stretch that wound again.
0:26:01 > 0:26:09Grace is sent on her way with instructions to visit a nurse in a few days' time to check it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- OK?- Thank you.- All the best. There's your letter.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Thank you.- We'll help you down the steps. They're quite steep.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21- Be good boys and have fun. - We will try, yeah.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Yeah, I know what it's all about, lads. Don't you worry.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31- You've been wonderful.- Take care. - What would I do without you? - Let's not get this last bit wrong.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I'd hate for you to fall out now.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37That's it. Bye.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43So after a brief interlude, 96-year-old Grace, probably Bournemouth's oldest shopper,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46can get back to her bargain hunt.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51What a lovely lady. And she didn't have to go to hospital because of you, Simon.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56Tell us about that technique. What were you doing exactly?
0:26:56 > 0:27:02Essentially, what we tried to do was unravel the skin where it had rolled over on itself.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06It looked quite nasty, but it was just the top layer of skin.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11Although it looked nasty, the plan was to cleanly unravel it,
0:27:11 > 0:27:16stick it back over the red, sore area and then stick it down in a nice, neat line
0:27:16 > 0:27:20for cosmetic reasons and to keep it sterile and clean as well.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25- Does the skin re-attach or grow underneath?- It doesn't re-attach,
0:27:25 > 0:27:30but the healing process can happen in a natural, protected environment,
0:27:30 > 0:27:37so things like infection and bugs and nasties getting in are much less likely to occur.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- But don't do it yourself! We need you.- That's the best advice.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47And if you hadn't been able to do that, she'd have had to go to hospital, a long wait, not great.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53Yeah, essentially, when we first looked at the wound, on face value it looked quite nasty and wide.
0:27:53 > 0:28:00And it presented quite a challenge because of the size, but when it was determined it was a clean wound,
0:28:00 > 0:28:07it was a matter of time, just taking the time to stick it back in its natural alignment.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12She may have sat in hospital for several hours waiting for that, depending on how busy they were.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16We were able to treat her at scene and within half an hour release her
0:28:16 > 0:28:20- with the same advice she'd get in hospital.- She loved seeing you.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25She was a lovely lady. She was, I think, 96 and a very fun lady.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- I was pleased to help her out that day.- Simon, lovely to meet you.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Green Watch are called to a blazing car fire in a residential street.
0:28:36 > 0:28:42The owner of the car is a taxi driver and this is the second time his vehicle has been destroyed
0:28:42 > 0:28:46in a fire and emergency services suspect foul play.
0:28:47 > 0:28:493.15am.
0:28:49 > 0:28:56Most of the city of Southampton is sleeping, but not the firefighters of St Mary's Green Watch.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00It might be worth going up to the next junction, mate.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03There are reports of a car fire in a residential area.
0:29:03 > 0:29:09Scouring a street map, Adam Bundle directs the driver on the quickest way through densely-populated roads.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11There we go.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Arriving, they're confronted with an angry blaze.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25While the firefighters in the back put on breathing apparatus,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29Adam dampens down the flames from a safe distance.
0:29:32 > 0:29:38Watch Manager Sean Foster quickly checks with the owner that no one's hurt.
0:29:38 > 0:29:45Adam hands over to Tim O'Donnell. Wearing the breathing apparatus, he can really attack this fire.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Tim's quickly brought the fire under control.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01The vehicle turns out to be a taxi.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03Guys?
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Are the doors open?
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Just the boot?
0:30:10 > 0:30:15Sean is fairly certain the fire was started deliberately.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I think this fire is definitely suspicious. The boot's been opened.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23It was open when we arrived, so someone had rummaged through it.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28It's not the first time. Two nights earlier, his second car was completely burnt out.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Obviously, I've informed the police and they have arrived.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37They're carrying out investigations as to how the car caught light.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41It's a sinister situation.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Sean is keen to protect the scene in case the police want to gather evidence.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Liam, try not to touch... You're all right with gloves.
0:30:49 > 0:30:56Whether they want to do something with that, bearing in mind it's the second vehicle.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Sean briefs the police.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03When we arrived, we popped the bonnet, but the boot was open.
0:31:03 > 0:31:09We'll have to get in there in case it's gone through the bulkhead. But the boot was open.
0:31:09 > 0:31:16Tim and Liam have cooled the engine bay down, but the fire has made its way into the dashboard inside.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23No, that's fine. I have explained to the police that we're going to have to get in.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29All right, Tim. In with the hose. That's it.
0:31:29 > 0:31:35The fire got so hot under the bonnet that the interior glove compartment melted away,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38allowing the flames through.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44The police have asked Sean to contact a specialist fire investigator
0:31:44 > 0:31:48to see if the same person could be responsible for the two fires.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51They want to know if both cars were set alight in the same way.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Both started in the engine compartment area.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00There's not a lot to see. There's possible forced entry in the boot.
0:32:00 > 0:32:06We got here and the boot compartment's open, but the fire is in the engine compartment.
0:32:06 > 0:32:13I've been liaising with the police officer because we're treating this as a potential crime scene.
0:32:13 > 0:32:19And the plan is to have both vehicles removed to a secure compound
0:32:19 > 0:32:25and during daylight hours our specialist fire investigation team will work with the police
0:32:25 > 0:32:27to try to establish how the fire started.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32It's been a second shocking night for the owner.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36The gentleman's fairly upset and he's helping the police,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39trying to work out who would do this.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44Having done what they can, Sean's team will pack up and return to base.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48The rest will be now up to the investigation unit.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Investigators are convinced that the two car fires were deliberate,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56but have been so far unable to find the person responsible.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02Earlier we heard a terrifying 999 call. Three adults and six children all under the age of seven
0:33:02 > 0:33:06were rescued after a tumble dryer caught fire in their kitchen.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26We've seen how much damage household appliances can do when they go wrong.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31A computer which short-circuited melted into the carpet.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37When pub staff awoke to the smell of burning, they found a washing machine on fire.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39It caused extensive smoke damage.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43A TV which exploded, blew out the windows of a house
0:33:43 > 0:33:49and destroyed the front room. The heat took the plaster off the walls, while smoke engulfed the house.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55Only the sound of the smoke alarm woke the young boy sleeping upstairs.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58It was just scary. I could not see a thing.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02We were lucky we got out quick because of the fire alarms going.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08That makes a lot of difference, otherwise we wouldn't even have known.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Scary stuff, but the most important thing to say is that these are unusual events
0:34:14 > 0:34:18and there are basic precautions to keep your appliances safe.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Mark has joined us today. - Hello, Chris.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Is it common to have electrical appliances causing fires?
0:34:24 > 0:34:29The latest figures show 50% of accidental fires in houses
0:34:29 > 0:34:34- are caused by electricity. - OK, some old wives' tales now, things my mum told me.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38First, if you stack the toaster full of bread, can that cause a fire?
0:34:38 > 0:34:42It can, if the toast gets stuck in the toaster and overheats,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46especially if it sets fire to the plastic body or cupboards above.
0:34:46 > 0:34:52- OK. Another one is empty the fluff out of the dryer. That can't cause a fire, can it?- It can do
0:34:52 > 0:34:56if it overheats the tumble dryer and it affects the cooling fans.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Anything else to bear in mind? I've heard about overloading things.
0:35:00 > 0:35:06Extension leads is a good one. If you're using an appliance that takes a lot of power,
0:35:06 > 0:35:11you are supposed to unreel the extension lead fully as it will create heat
0:35:11 > 0:35:16- and that can cause fires.- Wow. So what precautions can we take?
0:35:16 > 0:35:22- The Fire Service can look round your house?- Yes, they will do home safety checks for free.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26And part of those checks look at how you are using electricity.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Recently, we're doing some specific checks on electrical intakes.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34They can be under stairs where people store household contents.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Don't store them on top of the electrical equipment.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43- And when a fire does happen, should you prepare exit routes? - Absolutely.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Not just in an office, but your home is as important.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Have a working smoke alarm and know what to do if it goes off.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56We had a fire in East Sussex recently where people were security conscious and put their keys
0:35:56 > 0:36:02in a drawer in the kitchen. There was a fire there and they couldn't get out the house.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Their daughter and son-in-law turned up and couldn't get in, either.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10- So plan an exit route.- Absolutely. - Mark, thank you.
0:36:10 > 0:36:16Now the tiny Orkney island of Swona said goodbye to its last human inhabitant in 1974.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19All that was left behind was a small herd of cattle.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Over six generations later, without human contact, the herd is feral.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30The RNLI use the area for training. During one session they heard the anguished cries of a calf.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33They rushed to help and filmed the rescue.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35CALF MOOS
0:36:36 > 0:36:42This tiny calf has somehow become stranded on a narrow strip of beach.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46The rocks behind are too steep for it to climb up.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55With the tide rapidly coming in, it has no hope of survival.
0:36:57 > 0:37:03The crew of the Long Hope lifeboat spotted the calf during a training exercise.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08They've launched their small inflatable dinghy and are attempting a rescue.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14The calf's natural instincts to fight or flee kick in,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18but the lifeboat is its only chance of escape.
0:37:27 > 0:37:33With the calf on board, the lifeboat volunteers head for a small natural harbour close by.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39On you go.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Up! Yep! Yep! Go on!
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Go on! Go on!
0:37:48 > 0:37:52It needs a bit of persuasion to head off inland, but finally...
0:37:55 > 0:38:01And, with any luck, the animal will be reunited with its mother and the rest of the herd very soon.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Now all these callers around here are trained for all types of cases,
0:38:09 > 0:38:15but sometimes a particular type of case keeps coming back to a particular caller.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Confused? Well, here's Gemma. I'm going to say cardiac arrest.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23- How many have you had to deal with? - I've had about 14 now in a month.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- Is that a record?!- It must be!
0:38:26 > 0:38:30So they keep coming to you for some strange reason,
0:38:30 > 0:38:36but I hear you had a particular case where she didn't think she was having a cardiac arrest.
0:38:36 > 0:38:42No, she didn't think she was having a heart attack. She just said she'd fainted earlier.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46She had no pain whatsoever. We asked all the relevant questions.
0:38:46 > 0:38:53She was adamant she had no pain. We asked about the last 24 hours and she said she'd had indigestion.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58- Right.- So we then went down chest pains to see if it was anything to do with her heart.
0:38:58 > 0:39:05She said, "No pain, just indigestion." I asked if it felt like her previous heart attack.
0:39:05 > 0:39:11- She'd had...?- She'd had one in the past, but hadn't put 2 and 2 together. It was only the question
0:39:11 > 0:39:15that made her realise that it did feel quite similar.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Right, OK. So there was a problem and you sent the people round.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Yeah, sent an ambulance round on lights and sirens.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27So if you do feel any type of pain in your chest, what should you do?
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Any chest pain whatsoever, give us a call straight away.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- Brilliant. Thanks.- You're welcome.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41Earlier we saw the remarkable rescue of Ronnie Martin. He was buried alive in the sand
0:39:41 > 0:39:47after a hole he was digging collapsed in on him. His friends cleared enough sand to breathe,
0:39:47 > 0:39:52but it was the skill of Fire and Coast Guard teams which got him out.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57It's not the first time we've seen how the beach can be dangerous.
0:39:57 > 0:40:04Fire and Coast Guard teams had to hold back the incoming tide to save a teenage boy in a hole.
0:40:04 > 0:40:12The sand created a vacuum around his body and the only way to release him was pumping high pressure water.
0:40:12 > 0:40:18This is the type of vehicle that is involved in those rescues and Richard can tell me about it.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24This one is brand new. You're dressed for the part! Tell me about all this kit.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29OK, so what we have here is the standard water rescue equipment on one of our vehicles.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34The Coast Guard are responsible for rescuing people from close inshore,
0:40:34 > 0:40:39where lifeboats can't reach, or marinas and docksides where you can't normally get in.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- And that's the equipment you use? - Yeah. Water rescue life jacket.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48Rescue torpedo buoy and floating lines for use in the water.
0:40:48 > 0:40:54- And this is for a mud rescue, this. - That's right. This is some of the mud rescue equipment we use.
0:40:54 > 0:41:00Large areas of the coastline are open areas of mud in estuaries or large open sand areas.
0:41:00 > 0:41:06- What are these?- These are mudders. These are mud shoes.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10These are specially designed to let you walk on mud.
0:41:10 > 0:41:16It opens up and supports you and, as you lift your foot up, it allows you to move forward.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20These have revolutionised mud rescue. We've had them for 5 years.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24- They look a bit like a wading bird. - That's right.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29- They are based on a blue-green heron, I understand.- To be precise!
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Brilliant piece of kit. And this is for somebody who is down a hole?
0:41:33 > 0:41:37Yeah, the equipment Tom's using is primarily for cliff rescue.
0:41:37 > 0:41:43Those who are trapped - climbers, paragliders - people trapped over a cliff edge,
0:41:43 > 0:41:50it's actually rigged up to be used for vertical where we might rescue somebody out of a ship's hold.
0:41:50 > 0:41:56The quad pod you can see there. It gives us a much better angle over the cliff, like a crane jib,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59to enable us to go over the cliff edge and rescue somebody.
0:41:59 > 0:42:05- I'm sure you're much better at packing than I am. All of this fits in that car?!- Yeah.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09It takes a bit of going, but we can fit the majority of equipment in,
0:42:09 > 0:42:14plus carry a crew of four to get as near to the scene as possible.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And your job is not to do first aid. You get them out of the situation.
0:42:18 > 0:42:23All of our rescue teams are trained in first aid, but it's our job to get them out of a danger zone
0:42:23 > 0:42:30- to hand them over to ambulance colleagues.- If there was a fire in the vehicle, what would you save?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33- The mudders!- The mudders! - Clever piece of kit.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36I'll take them, then. Thank you.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41I've always wanted a car like that. That's it. See you next time. Bye-bye.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd