0:00:02 > 0:00:05On Real Rescues, a paraglider crash-lands high in a tree canopy.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08He may be seriously injured, but finding him is a real problem.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23The emergency doctors are called to a teenager fighting for his life after being stabbed with a sword.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Zak, just relax. We'll just try and stop the bleeding, Zak.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Welcome to Real Rescues from the police headquarters in Lewes.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Today, we'll see the work of all the emergency services across the UK.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And the first rescue today involves three of those emergency services.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58A trainee paraglider loses contact with his instructor
0:00:58 > 0:01:05and crashes into a tree. This is the 999 call that launched a highly specialised rescue in West Sussex.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37After some careful map-reading, rescuers made it to the stranded paraglider
0:02:37 > 0:02:43and this is the scene that greeted them - the paraglider's canopy draped over the tree
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and a man dangling 60 feet up.
0:02:46 > 0:02:52He's only a couple of inches up now. He's here. It's Bjorn and the man who helped get him down, Neil.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57First, I've got to take you a step back. You'd been doing a bit of training to be a paraglider.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00So, sixth, seventh time you'd been up in the air?
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Yeah, about seven days, I mean, roughly seven days.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09OK, so you go off and you lose contact with the instructor.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15When did the moment strike you that you thought, "I've lost radio and I'm going in the wrong direction"?
0:03:15 > 0:03:21I was kind of making my way to the right and then seeing the trees, ultimately,
0:03:21 > 0:03:28I kind of knew I was losing speed and losing speed means that you're going to stall, ultimately.
0:03:28 > 0:03:35Seeing the trees and then obviously thinking, "OK, well, I can try and make it over the trees
0:03:35 > 0:03:39"or I can try and collapse myself into the trees and then hopefully, it snags,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43"and I'll be able to walk away from it."
0:03:43 > 0:03:48For someone who's relatively inexperienced, this is a big decision to make.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53- You either hit the floor hard or you use the tree to help you. Were you petrified?- Yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Obviously, saying that, yes, I was.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59It's a decision that you've got to make.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It's something that you take in when you start the course.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06You know that it's not the safest sport in the world.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Luckily, I was able to make that decision. I didn't freeze.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15I just didn't do anything. I made the decision to collapse myself into the trees.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19And that, ultimately, maybe saved my life.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21So you went into the tree. You're now wedged in.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25You start screaming and shouting. Did you see anybody around?
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I heard a lady. She was saying she was calling the rescue services.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35That was trying to pinpoint where I was because nobody could really see where I was at that stage.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So you're stuck in the tree, you're in a bit of pain. You turn up.
0:04:39 > 0:04:46- You're the right man for the job because before your present job, what were you?- I was a tree surgeon.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The perfect man to turn up and you see him wedged in.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I'm thinking, "Can't you just cut him out?"
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Cut all the branches down and let him drop down to the earth - was that not an option?
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Not at all. First, we have to make sure that Bjorn is uninjured
0:05:01 > 0:05:06and safe where he is. We'd never think about cutting him down from there
0:05:06 > 0:05:10because although he's got a canopy on and theoretically a reserve chute,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14we couldn't guarantee that would keep him safe on the way down,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18so we're then looking at rope-based methods of getting him down.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23A coastguard helicopter was on stand-by. They had already had a look at the situation
0:05:23 > 0:05:28and said that if we absolutely needed them to, they may be able to come in and get him,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31but there were good reasons why they'd prefer not to.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35We then have Plan A, Plan B. Always have a Plan B.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40- And Plan A was quite complicated because of the type of tree? Was it an ash tree?- It was.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46Where they're growing in the forest, they grow very quickly, very tall and very thin,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51so Bjorn had managed to pick one of the tallest, thinnest trees
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and ashwood is very snappy indeed when it's that thin,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59so we had to think through how we were going to wriggle the ropes to get him down safely.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- But you did it successfully.- Yeah.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06The big question is, Bjorn, have you been back up in the air?
0:06:06 > 0:06:10No, I have not, but I do have plans to get back into the air, yes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13OK. What does the wife think?
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Not really happy. She wasn't happy on the day and I'm not sure she's not happy still.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21It's a tough situation, but we'll get through it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26- Neil, thank you very much for coming in.- A pleasure. - And Bjorn, stay safe.- Thank you.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32The emergency services have to deal with all sorts of incidents.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37Unfortunately, some of them can be violent and life-threatening and not just for the victims.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Emergency volunteer doctors Rob Dawes and Phil Hyde are heading
0:06:44 > 0:06:47into one of Portsmouth's more deprived areas.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Well, we're off to an address in Portsmouth
0:06:50 > 0:06:55where somebody has allegedly been stabbed in the neck.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59There's a guy still at scene wielding a sword,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04so we'll make sure that the police are well in attendance before we get there.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08If someone's been hit in the neck with a sword,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13then they can bleed and, in addition, it can hurt their windpipe.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18So those are the two first things we'll be interested in.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22They find the wounded 18-year-old man Zak lying in a driveway.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Ambulance medics are frantically working on him and update Rob.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Where's the knife? - Over there, mate, by the police.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42There's been a fight. Zak's attacker has fled the scene.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48In the background, police have moved to one side a throng of residents, friends and family.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Shall we just have a look at it? - Yeah.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- If we hold his neck... - If I hold his neck, can you just undo that?
0:07:56 > 0:07:59The blade used on Zak is lying in the street.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05The force of the blow into his neck caused it to break away from the handle. He pulled the knife out
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and then realised he was in serious trouble.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10He's got quite a high heart rate.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- Nice and still.- Well done.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18The wound is deep and continues to bleed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24I'm sorry. It's because it's bleeding. I'm just pushing on it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36The effect of the alcohol combined with pain, shock and adrenaline is making Zak extremely agitated.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41I think it's still leaking out the side. I don't think you can see down there.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- Bottom left corner. - I'll just get a bit of gauze.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50To stem the bleeding, Rob grabs from his bag a special gauze dressing used by the military
0:08:50 > 0:08:52in battlefield medicine.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58Coated with special granules that speed up the blood-clotting process, he hopes it will plug the wound.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02You've got two doctors here and half the ambulance service.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- All right?- That's good.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09They pack the dressing several centimetres deep into the cut.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11All right, Zak, just relax, all right?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13SCREAMS
0:09:13 > 0:09:18Though the wound has been bleeding a lot, Zak is lucky the blade has gone through veins,
0:09:18 > 0:09:25rather than a major artery, otherwise his blood loss could have been catastrophic.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27But there's another worry.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- He's got a deficit here.- Has he?
0:09:29 > 0:09:33He's got reduced grip, left hand, weird sensations in his fingers.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Can you move that arm for me, mate? - He is struggling.
0:09:36 > 0:09:42- Can you move your right arm? - Left leg is fine.- Squeeze my fingers for me, Zak. There you go.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Squeeze me. Try and hurt me. Do that for me. Go on. Try and hurt...
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- Squeeze as hard as you can. Definite reduction.- Fair enough.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51ZAK SCREAMS
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Rob and Phil fear the knife has pierced Zak's brachial plexus,
0:09:55 > 0:10:00a cluster of nerves that control movement of the arm and hand.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05So he's got quite a nasty stab wound to zone one of his neck.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And what we need to do is, um...
0:10:07 > 0:10:12He's got a neurological deficit on the left. Probably hit his brachial plexus.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16He's bleeding a lot, so we had to pack that with that haemostatic dressing.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Even though there's a major hospital in Portsmouth,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Phil and Rob know there's a specialist cardiothoracic unit in neighbouring Southampton.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30Ambulance crew member Keith explains to Zak's anxious mum Carol.
0:10:38 > 0:10:44A 30-minute journey later, they're at Southampton General Hospital's emergency department.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49Zak is taken straight into the resus department where a team of doctors await him.
0:10:49 > 0:10:55He's been stabbed on the left-hand side of his neck with about a six-inch blade.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Rob's got a picture on his phone.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- He pulled it out.- He did?- Yeah.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Phil carefully runs through every aspect of Zak's condition,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- so the hospital doctors can treat him efficiently.- Brilliant.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- It's gone about four inches. - Of penetration.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- Four inches of penetration?- Yeah.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16OK, stay with us.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Loads of people all looking after you. Is that OK?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22They're just going to do a chest X-ray now
0:11:22 > 0:11:29and he'll be taken up to Theatre for an exploratory operation just to see where the tract is.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32In Theatre, surgeons will clean out Zak's wound
0:11:32 > 0:11:37and assess the full extent of any nerve damage he may have suffered.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Zak's wound had to be packed and he was treated as an out-patient for several weeks.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Four men were arrested after the attack, but were later released.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50I want to talk about that type of incident to Deirdre Dunbar, a BASICS doctor.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56You've been involved in those type of incidents. How important in that extremely volatile situation
0:11:56 > 0:11:58is how the patient is and how calm they are?
0:11:58 > 0:12:02As you can see from the footage, there are a lot of the residents,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04it's out in the open
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and Zak himself is quite agitated.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10He's angry, he's already pulled the blade out.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14It's important that he's kept calm and he's kept relatively pain-free
0:12:14 > 0:12:20because his symptoms will impact upon those round about him -
0:12:20 > 0:12:23his friends, his family, if they're still present.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And what you would hope to do as a doctor
0:12:26 > 0:12:32is to ensure that the patient was kept reassured, calm and his pain relieved.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- And that really can have an impact on the whole crowd?- Exactly, yes.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39If he's very agitated, he's angry, if he's screaming in pain,
0:12:39 > 0:12:44you can imagine what effect that's going to have on perhaps friends, his relatives
0:12:44 > 0:12:47who are witnessing his suffering.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- And more pressure on you because they'll say, "Can you do something?"- That's right.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57Talk about the fact that he pulled the blade out. That's not the best thing to do at all, is it?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's not, but understandable if you've got a knife in your neck.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05This was a six-inch blade. Ideally, Zak should have left it in place,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10so that it can then be removed in a very controlled environment in the hospital.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14The potential for damage from that blade in the neck is enormous.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18There's very critical structures, arteries, veins, nerves,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20not to mention the lungs,
0:13:20 > 0:13:26so it was difficult for Phil and Rob to be able to assess at what angle the blade had gone in,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30so the take-home message is if you do get a penetrating wound, leave it...
0:13:30 > 0:13:34If you're impaled, a knife or whatever it is, leave it in place,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37because they can X-ray it and see where it is.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41They can identify the tract and it can be removed with...control.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Very good advice. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Still to come on Real Rescues, the terrifying ordeal of 12-year-old Kye.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02And I'm going to be thrown into the deep end
0:14:02 > 0:14:07as I take part in a search and rescue exercise on the Solent.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15It's a sunny day. You're having a great time with your mates and you try a little rock-climbing.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19It's all fine until you get stuck and the tide is coming in.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25That happened to 12-year-old Kye. Luckily, his friend Lewis knew what to do. He called the coastguard.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20I'm delighted to say that we have everybody involved in that here.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24We've got Kye, Lewis, Justin as well who was on the end of the phone.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Lewis, you did a fabulous job. Well done. Describe what you could see
0:16:28 > 0:16:31from the top of the cliff, the position that Kye was in.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35He was stuck in some rocks and he needed help.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Kye, what was it like for you? Was the sea coming up?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It was coming up a bit and the current was kind of strong.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- You couldn't go up or down?- No.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- I couldn't go up or down because my foot was stuck as well.- OK.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Lewis, how did you know to call the coastguard?
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Because we were on the coast of Devon,
0:16:56 > 0:17:02so it was pretty hard to get a fire engine out to you, so the coastguard was the easiest option.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Absolutely brilliant, you are. Also, you were really clever.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Were you tempted to try and rescue him yourself? What did you think?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13No, it's better one person gets stuck than putting someone else in danger.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18I wish everybody knew this! Wouldn't you? He was fantastic, wasn't he?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It would make our job a lot easier if everybody kept as calm
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and cool-thinking as Lewis was.
0:17:23 > 0:17:29But potentially a really dangerous situation. They followed procedure and did everything right?
0:17:29 > 0:17:35It was fantastic. It was textbook. He kept calm, he communicated very well.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40He relayed the information and the instructions that we gave very succinctly
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and as the tape showed, it was good thinking and good control.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48In that phone call, you were repeating everything. Why do you do that?
0:17:48 > 0:17:53To confirm that the information is correct with the person on the end of the phone,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57so my colleagues in the operations room can also get the information.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01- They are sending out resources while the phone call is going on?- Yeah.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07While the casualty is on the phone, my colleagues task helicopters, lifeboats and the coastguard teams.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12The helicopter came in and rescued you. How did the helicopter find where you were, Lewis?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14How did you manage to do that?
0:18:14 > 0:18:18I got another person that was on the cliff to wave my jacket that I had.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22He actually tried putting it on, but I told him to wave it instead.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27- So I got him to wave it, then I pointed to Kye who was stuck down in the...- OK.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Kye, were you scared when you were on the cliff or when the helicopter came?
0:18:32 > 0:18:37The most scary part was when the helicopter came because it was getting more and more windy.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39And I lost my grip.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Did you? For one of your hands?- Yeah.
0:18:42 > 0:18:48- You nearly slipped then?- Yeah. - What about you when the helicopter came? There's a big down-draught.
0:18:48 > 0:18:55Yeah, I started slipping, but I managed to get to the top, so when he was winched, I could meet him there.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- What was that like? Quite glad to be back on the ground?- Yeah.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Your legs felt like jelly. - Yeah, kind of.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Did they? What did you do? Did you have to sit down?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08As soon as I got home, I sat down, yeah.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15There were the coastguard's people there taking our name and information and stuff like that.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Were you a bit shaky? It must have been frightening for you.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23Yeah, it was a bit scary. I've never done anything like that before.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26You did the most fantastic job. You've returned the favour, Kye.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- You've helped Lewis as well since then, have you?- Yeah. - What did you do?
0:19:31 > 0:19:37We were playing around. Usually, on the path, the water, when the tide is in a little, it splashes up.
0:19:37 > 0:19:45We were playing around and the tide was in quite a bit and Lewis was playing around in this boat bit
0:19:45 > 0:19:51where the boats come up, and he slipped and he said, "Kye, grab my hand," so I got his hand.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- So is it all equal now?- Yeah. - Fantastic. Well done. Thank you.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And a good job done by all, really. Lewis, fantastic. Well done.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- Thanks for coming to see us. - Thank you.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08Kye's ordeal ended in a winch and a chopper ride. It's all high octane stuff as Chris has been finding out.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14'It's a chilly day in the Solent and I'm acting as guinea pig in a coastguard exercise.
0:20:16 > 0:20:22'Last year, coastguard helicopters responded to just short of 700 calls for help,
0:20:22 > 0:20:28'often in the most severe weather, so it's vital they carry out exercises like this
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'to keep their considerable skills sharp.'
0:20:31 > 0:20:37If I was in ordinary clothes and I'd just fallen off the side of a boat and I'd been left there on my own,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39how long would I survive?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Hypothermia kicks in after about 20 or 30 minutes.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46The core temperature has to drop quite substantially
0:20:46 > 0:20:48for you to get hypothermia,
0:20:48 > 0:20:54but if you fall into cold water, there's a natural gasp reaction when you go in and you swallow water
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and that can set panic in and you can last minutes.
0:20:57 > 0:21:03So the thing is, if you do get yourself in that situation, just calm down, relax
0:21:03 > 0:21:07and get yourself into a nice, tight ball to conserve all your body heat.
0:21:07 > 0:21:13- Today, you've got a helmet on where you lose a lot of heat, especially in windy, wet conditions.- Yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I'll be all right.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- The helicopter will be on its way soon, won't it?- No problems.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22It's freezing.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24'Your position is good.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29- 'You can put Chris in the water when you're ready. Over.'- Roger.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34- Do you want to go over the stern, Chris? - Yeah, I'll go in the water then.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- It's been nice knowing you(!)- Yeah!
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Here we go. I'm just about to get into the Solent.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42I've got my flare.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44See you later.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Yeah.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Right, OK.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So I'm now going to...
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Right.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And hopefully, they'll be able to see me.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I have to say...
0:22:07 > 0:22:12I'm pretty relieved to be seeing this right now because I am freezing.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Wow, look at that!
0:22:19 > 0:22:23I can't believe I'm going in there. Whoo!
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Get hold of me here.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Hand on my hat. Stand by my side.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46OK, here we go.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Oh, my goodness!
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Aaagh!
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Wow!
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Out of the water. Thank goodness for that!
0:22:57 > 0:23:01I'm being pulled into the helicopter now.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05The wind is so strong!
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I'm in.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21I didn't sound very brave, did I?
0:23:21 > 0:23:27The crew checked me out once I was on board and took me back to their helicopter base on the south coast.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32I am down on terra firma, so I'm very, very pleased.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35How was that for a rescue? Pretty straightforward?
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Yeah, about as straightforward as it could be. You climbed in the strop.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- That was good news for me. - Let's go through it again.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48The first thing that struck me, I felt very lonely in the water, and you seemed for ever to get to me.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54I saw you and thought, "I'm going to be out of the water in a minute," then you stopped and hovered.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58- What was going on?- Well, there's a few things for us to organise.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02We've got to hover and make sure that everything is right in the aircraft.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07We can't rush in and winch you out. You would be in the downwash. It would be awful.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11And the other feeling which I got, which you'll probably understand,
0:24:11 > 0:24:16is he turned from being a really friendly person into this scary face as soon as he arrived.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22- There was no messing. You just grabbed hold of me. People must panic when you finally arrive.- Yes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27You have to just take charge. They don't know what's expected of them.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31They don't know I'm going to throw a strop over their shoulders.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I can't explain it because of the noise and the rotors,
0:24:34 > 0:24:40so it's just a case of grabbing hold of them, get them out of the water and get them into safety.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Oh, my goodness! Aaagh!
0:24:42 > 0:24:48You've got to make sure they don't pull you under with them, so a firm grip of them, get them stropped
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and get up to the aircraft.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Come over here, Don. This is the man who was in charge of the cable.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00There must be a very trusting relationship between you two, right?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- I think so. We need that, don't we? - Yeah, it's got to be there.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06My life's in Don's hands when I'm down there,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10so I'm trusting Don to get it right, with the crew at the front as well.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13But yeah, Don's got the difficult job.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Then as soon as the man or the woman is thrown in here, made safe,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20then you're a paramedic, you kick into action?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- Simon's a paramedic.- Right. - I have medical skills.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Together we can work on a casualty
0:25:26 > 0:25:29if any medical intervention is required.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33On today's exercise, my job is to guide the aircraft over the top
0:25:33 > 0:25:39and get Simon or the winchman safely to the person in the water or on a boat or on a cliff or anywhere.
0:25:39 > 0:25:45What are the worst conditions for your role? Is it windy conditions, choppy conditions?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47What makes your job so difficult?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Picking people out of the water like today, today's a good day.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Wind is OK because the downwash that Simon mentioned earlier on
0:25:54 > 0:26:00is blown behind where you're being winched from, so you're not getting blasted by the water.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05- So, wind is good.- But if you're out in the middle of the sea and it's very choppy and windy,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10it can be very difficult because he'll go 50 feet under, then 50 feet up in the air?
0:26:10 > 0:26:16If you've got big waves, one minute he's up in the air, the next minute, he's in the waves,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20so there is the optimum amount of wind where it becomes more difficult.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26It was lovely to see you in the chopper and I did want to give you both a cuddle when I got up here,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31but you thrust me in that chair and belted me in as professionally as you normally do.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- Thank you for rescuing me. - No problem. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42We saw earlier how a paraglider crashed into trees at a remote location.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48A helpful family tried to guide the call handler to the exact place where the casualty was stuck,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51but pinpointing the spot proved harder than expected.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07If you're trying to find a casualty, mobile phones can be extremely useful.
0:27:07 > 0:27:13James can tell me all about that. This is an example you've got from today. Somebody called on a mobile.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17- You can tell where she is?- We use the mobile phone they call in from
0:27:17 > 0:27:19and using the system we have available to us,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23we click on their mobile number which is linked in.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It gives us a rough location of where their mobile is.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29It gives us a circle and in the centre of that is a mast
0:27:29 > 0:27:33and somewhere within that circle, their mobile phone is located.
0:27:33 > 0:27:39That's pretty useful and you can find out if there are any police officers in the vicinity, can you?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Yeah, we also have built into the mapping system our resources.
0:27:43 > 0:27:49- All the cars have GPS in them and that shows...- There is one there. - ..within the circle at the moment.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55That's quite a wide area. If it's a high-scale emergency, you can do something else using three mobiles?
0:27:55 > 0:27:59We can use triangulation. Our force command unit would do that.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01- They isolate three phone masts... - Yes.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04And using the mobile phone signal,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08they can bring the area that the mobile phone's within very close
0:28:08 > 0:28:13and we used that, for example, when we traced a wanted man. We used his mobile phone signal.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18So his actual, own mobile phone and you were able to catch him because of that?
0:28:18 > 0:28:24We brought the area he could have been in right down, made it very small to a couple of streets
0:28:24 > 0:28:26and we found him in the location.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- That's very clever.- Yeah.- Thank you.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37In a farmer's field in the grounds of a country house,
0:28:37 > 0:28:43a very elderly Welsh cob has collapsed on top of the fallen branch of a tree.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47With Maya is her anxious owner, Jane Price.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Well, Maya is 31
0:28:50 > 0:28:52and in human terms,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56that's probably about 90 years old, so she's a very, very old lady.
0:28:56 > 0:29:02We've had her for a long time, nearly 25 years. We go back a long way.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07We've had a lot of fun with her over the years, so you've got to remember those moments
0:29:07 > 0:29:12when you see them like that and you think that that's the end for your horse,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14so you hold on to those memories.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Vet Lucy Stamp's first job is to give Maya a pain-killing injection.
0:29:18 > 0:29:25She and animal rescue specialist Buster Brown are confident the horse will survive a rescue attempt.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Buster's helmet camera is filming their work.
0:29:28 > 0:29:35My concern was the horse was laying on wood that was sticking into it, so we weren't able
0:29:35 > 0:29:38to move the horse straight away. We had to clear the debris
0:29:38 > 0:29:43and ascertain that the animal wasn't injured before starting to move her.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48Using a saw, Buster cuts away the other branches, so they can pull Maya clear.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Extra muscle has arrived in the shape of Eastleigh fire crew.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Good timing, fellas.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02I just want to pull this horse off this stump if we can. Ready, one, two, three...
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- That's it.- That's fine.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13The only way to see if Maya has suffered serious injuries is to turn her over on to her other side.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16One, two, three, go.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Keep going, keep going.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Just keep going.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Let go. OK.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25When we first turned her over,
0:30:25 > 0:30:30we were worried that she'd been impaled on the branch that she was lying across
0:30:30 > 0:30:35and the first thing we saw was the skin hadn't broken.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38They're taking it very slowly.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42A horse of this age has to be allowed to rest between each stage of the rescue.
0:30:42 > 0:30:48I stroked her a lot because I thought that this was my last time that I was going to be with her.
0:30:48 > 0:30:55And she was responding very well to me being around which was comforting for both of us at that time.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00- Do you want to pull her forward or just roll her as she is? - Yeah. They get very tired.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06Now the painkillers have kicked in, the hope is Maya will power herself up
0:31:06 > 0:31:09if the fire crews can get her on to her stomach.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16It was very upsetting to see because she soon crashed back down again.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20And at that moment, I was beginning to think...
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Well, I was thinking again that she wasn't going to make it.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29We allowed it to rest and hoped that it would power up on its own.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Unfortunately, it was too exhausted and with the sedation, it wasn't able to do so.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36But they're not giving up on Maya.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41Buster has called in the animal rescue team from Lyndhurst with their specialist sling.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46Local farmer Joe Phillips is going to use his tractor as a crane.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Go on, let's pull. Two of you on that strop there.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59- Using a brace, the sling is pulled under the stricken horse... - A little bit more. That'll do you.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03And the tractor is brought into position.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Up you go.
0:32:05 > 0:32:11With the sling in place, gradually, they lift Maya and she's responding.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17If she couldn't stand up following that, then she would have been put down,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20so that was her chance to carry on.
0:32:20 > 0:32:26They lower the horse. The test now is whether this ageing cob can take her own weight.
0:32:26 > 0:32:31With her legs straightened and hooves touching the ground, all the signs are good.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Once we got it on its feet, it perked up, its head came up, its ears got more alert.
0:32:36 > 0:32:42It started looking about itself which is a good sign that it's coming into recovery.
0:32:42 > 0:32:48It's standing up, which is what it's normally able to do and we knew it would make it.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Eventually, she managed to take her weight,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54so she just stood there for a while
0:32:54 > 0:33:00while all her circulation got back to normal again and she felt more confident that she could stand.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04After 15 minutes of standing, Maya does start to move,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08but Jane knows there's a long recovery ahead for her beloved horse.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13It becomes a case of animal welfare
0:33:13 > 0:33:15and what's best for her.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21She's a large animal and if she's in extreme amounts of pain, then it would be cruel to keep her going,
0:33:21 > 0:33:27but at the moment, she's OK and I'm very carefully monitoring it with the vet,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31so fingers crossed, she'll make it now.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39I want to talk to Elizabeth about a call that she took from a distressed old lady.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- You didn't quite understand what was going on at first.- That's right.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Essentially, I got a call from the operator with a "no request".
0:33:47 > 0:33:50That means they haven't requested a particular service.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- You didn't know what it was about? - No. She sounded quite distressed.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I could hear an alarm going off in the background.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02I was trying to establish why she was ringing, about the alarm, what the alarm was,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05whether it was a burglar alarm or a smoke alarm.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11It turned out that she was calling because the alarm was going off and she couldn't get out of her door.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- The smoke alarm?- Yeah.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18I was trying to establish whether the smoke was coming from within her room,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21whether there was a fire within her house or the flat,
0:34:21 > 0:34:25and she was just not being able to give me very much information.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- She said she was close to collapsing?- She was, yeah.- Aw!
0:34:29 > 0:34:32So it turned out that there was a smoke alarm going off,
0:34:32 > 0:34:38so I managed to understand what was going on and just reassure her that we could get her some help.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43- You could tell her because you could see on CCTV where the fire brigade were?- Yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48With my system, I could tell her when the police were en route and where they were
0:34:48 > 0:34:54and then managed to let her know that the fire brigade were literally en route to her to help her
0:34:54 > 0:34:58and I was just reassuring her and trying to keep her calm.
0:34:58 > 0:35:04- You could see on CCTV the fire engines?- I could see all the lights and hear the sirens during the call.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- Then they managed to get her out? They had to get her out of the window?- That's right.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Because her door wouldn't open, purely because of the smoke,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16they managed to extract her through the window.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20You've been given this departmental congratulations. "There's no doubt
0:35:20 > 0:35:25"that Elizabeth's actions assisted in the successful rescue of this elderly lady." Lovely.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Yes, a nice end to the story, really,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31and I was glad that she was able to get out the...
0:35:31 > 0:35:34- Absolutely. Thanks to you.- Yeah. - Thanks, Elizabeth.- That's OK.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37And we'd give her a Real Rescues badge, if we had one.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42When Bunty made her usual call to her brother Eddie, she realised something was wrong.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47His speech was slurred and he was difficult to understand. She then called 999.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50SIREN WAILS
0:35:50 > 0:35:55We're going to a 69-year-old. They're querying a stroke.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Paramedic Annaliese Beard knows this could be a time-critical call-out.
0:36:00 > 0:36:07- The quicker stroke victims are treated, the better their chances of a good recovery.- Hello.
0:36:07 > 0:36:13- We'll check you over and see what's going on, shall we? What's your name?- Eddie.- Eddie. I'm Annaliese.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15What's been going on then?
0:36:15 > 0:36:20I don't know. I was all right yesterday. I went shopping in the morning.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24- Hello.- Hello.- Do you notice anything different about Eddie?
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- Well, his mouth seems to have gone up on the side.- OK.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30And he isn't him.
0:36:30 > 0:36:37- OK. What's his speech like?- Very bad.- It's not normal?- I had a job to understand him on the phone.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Eddie's sister Bunty raised the alarm after becoming concerned
0:36:41 > 0:36:45about her brother's slurred speech and lopsided features.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Let's just do a couple of tests on you.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53- Can you feel me touching you here? You can't feel that?- Yeah.- You can.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58Eddie is checking positive for all the main categories of the FAST Test for strokes -
0:36:58 > 0:37:00F for facial changes...
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Hold my hands. Can you squeeze them?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- A for arm and leg weakness... - Pull me towards you.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10And S for slurred or unusual speech.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14T stands for time. Prompt attention is vital.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Bunty's emergency call has ensured that her brother is quickly in the best hands.
0:37:18 > 0:37:25Eddie suffers from high blood pressure, a significant trigger for strokes, as is smoking.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27- You've stopped smoking?- Yeah...
0:37:27 > 0:37:31- How long has that been?- I haven't stopped.- Oh, you haven't stopped?
0:37:31 > 0:37:35No. They told me it would help if I stopped smoking.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40Yes. Everything gets better if you stop smoking, so they say.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Right, let's take your blood pressure.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49Strokes are caused when the blood supply to the brain is cut off either by a clot or haemorrhage.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53I rang my girl this morning.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58Eddie's blood pressure is worryingly high - 200 over 100.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02A healthy reading is below 140 over 80.
0:38:02 > 0:38:08I think it's going to be a little trip to the hospital because you've still got these symptoms going on.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13All right? It's possible that you're having a little TIA - a mini stroke.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17A TIA, or transient ischaemic attack,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21is caused by a temporary cut in the blood circulation to the brain.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Patients usually recover within 24 hours,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28but it can be a warning sign that a major stroke is on its way.
0:38:28 > 0:38:34- I'm just wondering if you've got any back-up for me. Over.- 'It's on its way, about five or six minutes.'
0:38:34 > 0:38:37That's very good news. Thank you very much.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42Have you got a dressing gown we can just pop over you?
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- The ambulance has arrived. - Eddie is 69 years of age.
0:38:45 > 0:38:52He's phoned his sister up this morning, feeling a bit funny. She noticed his speech was not normal.
0:38:52 > 0:38:58He's actually saying that three days ago, he had a tingling sensation down his left-hand side.
0:38:58 > 0:39:05He does have a right-sided facial palsy with slurred speech and he's drooling a bit, aren't we?
0:39:05 > 0:39:09A slight weakness on the right-hand side as well, but nothing too major.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13It's slight, so it's FAST positive, really.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17- So you've won yourself a first prize into the hospital then?- Yes.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- You're quite safe.- Cheerio!
0:39:21 > 0:39:23See you later.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Eddie will need a scan and a blood test
0:39:27 > 0:39:31to identify what kind of stroke he's had and how best to treat it.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35Whatever the result, his sister Bunty's prompt action
0:39:35 > 0:39:39has certainly ensured his best chance of a good recovery.
0:39:42 > 0:39:48Our cameras have been out and about with the police here in Sussex where there are notoriously tricky roads.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50One of the worst is the A27.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It's belting down. After weeks of dry weather,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57the heavens have finally opened and there's torrential rain.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Visibility is poor and driving conditions extremely difficult.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07Traffic cop Phil Edwards has been called to an accident on the busy Eastbourne to London road.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11A member of the public's called it in, a passer-by.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15The full details not exactly known. We're just coming on scene now.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18It seems that two cars are involved.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21One is off the road and facing on-coming traffic.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Both drivers are out of their cars and appear uninjured.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- You're going through it, yeah? - There's no injuries at all.- No?
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Local police are already taking details from everyone involved,
0:40:36 > 0:40:41so Phil gets straight down to rescuing the car which is buried in the bushes.
0:40:41 > 0:40:47Do you want me to drive it out? It might be a little bit stuck in there, but we'll give it a go.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Phil braves the spiky gorse to get into the car.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03To everyone's relief, he drives the car out.
0:41:05 > 0:41:11What it appears has happened is the lady driving this has overtaken coming towards us
0:41:11 > 0:41:15and the car coming in the opposite direction has done exactly the same.
0:41:15 > 0:41:21She swerved in to avoid a near head-on collision which has made her spin and go backwards into a hedge.
0:41:21 > 0:41:27After a dry spell followed by rain, road surfaces become dangerously greasy.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32Both the cars and the drivers have had a lucky escape on this wet road,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36but Phil hasn't escaped unscathed from the gorse bushes.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I climbed in the car and got thorns down my back.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41At least he's still got his sense of humour.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46The driver of the other car, John Hickman, is also unhurt.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50I expected to see a lot more damage, but fortunately, not.
0:41:50 > 0:41:56- Did she connect with your car? - Yeah, very slightly. There's just a slight scuff on there.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01There's no real damage at all. But everyone's fine. That's the main thing.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05The car that was overtaking in the other direction is long gone.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Thankfully, no serious damage has been done.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Both drivers are able to exchange details and get on their way.
0:42:15 > 0:42:21But it's a lesson for everyone to always drive according to the state of the weather and the road.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Poor Phil! He's the copper and the only one injured and by gorse, of all things.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34- A policeman's lot is not always a happy one.- That's it for Real Rescues. See you next time.- Bye-bye.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd