0:00:02 > 0:00:04Today on Real Rescues, an entire terrace of houses is at risk
0:00:04 > 0:00:08as fire spreads from house to house. Is there someone still inside?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Yeah, we've got ten breathing apparatus-wearers in there at the moment
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and they're searching both sides and dealing with the fire
0:00:14 > 0:00:16both internally and also external firefighting as well.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And we've got a real heroine here. She's called Fiona
0:00:19 > 0:00:24and she saved a life on the way into work at Ambulance Control
0:00:24 > 0:00:28when a two-year-old boy's heart stopped not once, but twice.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Hello and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53They call this impressive centre at Sussex Police headquarters
0:00:53 > 0:00:58the contact room, and every day they take well over 1,000 calls.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Today, we'll be hearing about rescues carried out
0:01:00 > 0:01:04by the police here and by all the other emergency services.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Ringwood in Hampshire is a historic market town
0:01:07 > 0:01:09mentioned in the Domesday Book.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It's full of century-old buildings and narrow roads,
0:01:12 > 0:01:17incredibly picturesque and peaceful - until there's an emergency.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21It's early evening and crews from three counties
0:01:21 > 0:01:25are heading to a house fire in Ringwood that's so serious
0:01:25 > 0:01:27an entire street is under threat.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32For the Southampton crews, it means a 20-mile motorway dash.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Heard on the radio earlier that there was smoke issuing
0:01:36 > 0:01:40and Ringwood were having trouble getting access to the premises
0:01:40 > 0:01:43cos of parked vehicles on the road making it difficult for them,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and our water tender's in front as our support vehicle.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55The alarm was raised by a terrified man at home with his toddler.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59He dialled 999 after finding upstairs full of smoke.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Green Watch arrived to find clouds of smoke billowing into the sky.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The narrow streets are full of emergency vehicles.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Basically, we've got a fire in a mid-terrace property.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It's gone up through into the roof space,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37it's now threatening to spread to the two roof spaces either side.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40We don't know whether or not we've got persons unaccounted for yet,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42so we're treating it as though we have.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43We've committed crews in there -
0:02:43 > 0:02:46we've got ten breathing apparatus-wearers in there at the moment
0:02:46 > 0:02:48with firefighting media and they're searching both sides
0:02:48 > 0:02:53and obviously dealing with the fire both internally and also external firefighting as well.
0:02:53 > 0:02:5670 firefighters are involved.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Some are tasked to search for anyone trapped in the burning house
0:02:59 > 0:03:02while others cool the roof spaces of neighbouring properties
0:03:02 > 0:03:06in an attempt to stop the fire in its tracks.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27Six houses are under threat - the entire street has been evacuated.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29We're talking about very old buildings here -
0:03:29 > 0:03:31we're not talking about modern construction.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34You've potentially got a roof void that, potentially,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37can go 70m from one end of the terrace right the way to the other.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42The father who raised the alarm got out with his son,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45but the firefighters have to systematically search
0:03:45 > 0:03:48every room of the burning house and the two next door
0:03:48 > 0:03:51before they can be satisfied no-one is still inside.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Because the property's quite small, we're limited as to how many we can get in there at any one time,
0:03:55 > 0:04:00but obviously we're making sure we've got a constant flow of wearers in there
0:04:00 > 0:04:04to start dousing these flames down and actually searching for anyone that could be inside that building.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08They're working in appalling conditions.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14As we got nearer to the top floor, visibility was pretty much zero.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17The heat was quite phenomenal coming out there,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and once we turned the corner and looked up the stairs,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23the whole top floor was fully engulfed in flames.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The fire crew's safety is paramount.
0:04:28 > 0:04:3280, how are you feeling - are you all right? Well done.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35The movement of each crew is logged on the whiteboard.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The levels of air in their tanks constantly monitored.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41130. Well done, buddy. Good stuff.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44They have to search very strictly.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48They go in on what either called a left-hand search or a right-hand search,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and basically that means if you're going in and you're on
0:04:50 > 0:04:53a left-hand search then your left hand never leaves that wall.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55If you want to get out of the building, you turn around
0:04:55 > 0:04:59you put your right hand on the wall and you follow the wall back out.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02That allows us to, obviously, find our way through smoke very, very easily.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Yes, please. I'll talk to our team when they come out
0:05:05 > 0:05:07and find out what the state of play is in that building.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09They're in number 16.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Finally, the crews working inside can confirm there's no-one trapped.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17We progressed on to the first floor
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and searched what we believed to be the children's bedroom.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Luckily, we found, again, it was completely empty.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25We then proceeded upstairs
0:05:25 > 0:05:29when we started to hit some heavier smoke logging
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and by this time we knew we had a quite severe fire in there.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Now the fight is on to save the terrace.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Despite their best efforts, the worst has happened -
0:05:39 > 0:05:43the fire has spread along the roof space to the neighbouring houses.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Three are now alight.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50We'll be finding out whether that terrace of houses can be saved later in the programme.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The 999 call we're about to hear
0:05:54 > 0:05:57is from the scene of a terrifying emergency.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00A child's heart stops beating not once, but twice.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It happened when John Waldie was driving his partner, Danielle,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and the nightmare began when Danielle noticed her two-year-old son
0:06:07 > 0:06:09had turned floppy and was vomiting.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32John slammed on the brakes and got young Shay out of the car.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Luck was on their side.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Driving behind them was Fiona Thompson, a clinical supervisor
0:06:38 > 0:06:42from the North East Ambulance Service and this is what happened next.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Well, such chaos and so frightening for everybody concerned.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Well, I'm very happy to say that I've been joined by Mum and Dad,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Danielle and John, and little Shay, there - hi, Shay.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Say hello.- Well done.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17And the heroine, Fiona.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I'm going to start with Mum and Dad first.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Normal car journey, little lad in the back
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and it must have been just so frightening for you.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It was horrible. It was horrible.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Just from going to a place where we were happy to go
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and then for him to collapse in the back of the car
0:08:33 > 0:08:36was just horrible. Horrible.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41And so worrying for a mum. Your little boy - how did you feel?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Just thought he had went, I had lost him.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46He was only two - I thought he had went.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Yeah, thought he'd gone, you saw this commotion,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Fiona, in the car in front of you. What were your initial thoughts?
0:08:52 > 0:08:56I thought it was a fight. I thought they were having a domestic,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59cos this car just stops, doors fly open,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01people were running all over the place.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- I thought they were a bunch of idiots.- A bunch of idiots?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I mean, we can talk about it and laugh about it now,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08but when did you click into action
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and realise something was seriously wrong.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It was Danielle. Danielle's voice.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18I just knew there was something really wrong, and then I saw the baby.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21And then I realised there was something wrong with the baby.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- So, Danielle - she was screaming, she was shouting?- Crying and screaming.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28She was just screaming and shouting and asking somebody to help.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- So, thank goodness - I mean, you were so lucky.- Very lucky.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33You jump out of the car and you grab little Shay.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37What were your instincts? You obviously listened out for breathing,
0:09:37 > 0:09:38what was going through your mind?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42He looked very sick.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46He was blue so he obviously wasn't getting enough air in
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and I noticed he'd been sick, so I was thinking,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52"Has it gone into his lungs? Is that what the problem is?"
0:09:52 > 0:09:55So we got off the road, got him on to the side
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and I was trying to ask his dad, had he been playing with toys,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01had he choked on a toy, had he been eating, had he choked on that?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Just trying to get some information, but hadn't been eating,
0:10:05 > 0:10:10didn't have any toys in the back of the car and then, obviously,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13once I assessed him, he just wasn't breathing.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15He wasn't making any effort at all, so I had to start helping him.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18When did you realise his heart had stopped?
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I had to rip his clothes open to be able to get to his chest
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and as soon as I put my hand on to his pulse, there was nothing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Nothing? And what were you doing, Mum?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It must have been, I suppose, so chaotic for you.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34- You freeze, I suppose. - I just didn't want to look.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I didn't want to know it was...
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I knew it was true, but I didn't want to see it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I just wanted everything to be normal again and...
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Oh, it must have been horrible. I feel for you.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I mean, how did you get his hard going again?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Initially, just some compressions
0:10:54 > 0:10:57managed to get him going quite quickly the first time
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and he started to, sort of, rally a little bit,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03he started to get a better colour
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and then obviously we were busy making the 999 call
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and I was in the middle of speaking to my colleague
0:11:10 > 0:11:13trying to get some further assistance down there
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and I had kept my hand on his chest the whole time,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21having a feel, and it stopped again when I was on the phone.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22- For a second time?- Yeah.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So you obviously did exactly the same process again?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I gave him some breaths on the second time
0:11:27 > 0:11:33because obviously he had been down too long without any air
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- so I had to give him some breaths. - Was that mouth-to-mouth?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Because obviously the paramedics weren't there. - Yeah, I was reluctant to do it
0:11:39 > 0:11:42cos I knew he had a lot of vomit sitting at the back of his throat
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and it could potentially push it further into his lungs,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47but at that point I thought, really, there wasn't much to lose.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- You had no choice? - I didn't have much choice.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Well, as you see him there, he's bouncing around.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54What did the doctor say when you eventually got him to the hospital.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57What did they say he was suffering from?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Streptococcal septicaemia - toxic shock.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02He only had a 20% chance that he would survive.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04My goodness, and how long was he in hospital for?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- Two or three weeks. - Two or three weeks.
0:12:08 > 0:12:1070% of his bloodstream was taken over by the bacteria.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Mm.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- So he's a little fighter, like. - He looks a little fighter.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Are you playing football now, Shay? Are you back to full fitness? Yeah?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Are you playing for Newcastle yet? Yeah?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Is he a good footballer, Dad? - Oh, he loves it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27He runs all out with his ball in the garden.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30He's looking at me thinking, "He's a bit mad," that boy.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Is this the first time you've met up since?- No.- Second time, isn't it?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Just before Christmas. The week before Christmas.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- You met up with him?- Mm-hmm.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42I bet as Mum and Dad, you're sitting here thinking
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- you cannot believe your luck, can you?- I can't.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50No. It's just like a second chance for him, but...
0:12:51 > 0:12:54It was the worst part of my life I've ever, ever had to put up with.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Oh, well, we are so happy all three of you are together
0:12:56 > 0:13:00and do you know what you do, Shay, when somebody does something good for you -
0:13:00 > 0:13:03you give them a big kiss. Are you going to give Fiona a big kiss?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- Are you going to give her a cuddle and a kiss? Go on.- Oh, there we are.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- What a legend.- Good lad.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- Oh, that never happens to me. - Wow. That was a good 'un.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Oh, isn't that lovely and thank goodness for people like Fiona.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Now, we are in Lewes so it's a pretty rural location here
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and they are really used to having calls about animals,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29but this was an odd one that Esther can tell us all about.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33A man called you up and he said that he'd seen an animal on the road. What was it?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36He described it as a large creature coming from the side of the road
0:13:36 > 0:13:39across in front of him when he was driving, and he described it as a bear.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- A bear?- Yes.- At that point did you think there can't be that many bears, can there?
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Yeah, we did ask him some further questions, but he was panicking
0:13:45 > 0:13:48quite a lot and wasn't really able to give much more information.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50So what did you ask him? "Is it a polar bear?"
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Yeah, we referred to it as a polar bear to make sure that we could
0:13:53 > 0:13:56hear him properly because obviously he was calling on a mobile
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and just kept referring to it as a bear and making sure he actually meant that.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03What do you do? Do you then start calling zoos and saying, "Have you lost a bear?"
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Yeah, I mean, initially we would want to, obviously, get some more information,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08so we made sure the local officers were aware
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and sent them out to see if they could make any sightings as well
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and, sort of, further information, and also then we would contact any local zoos
0:14:15 > 0:14:18to see if there have been any escaped bears or anything like that.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- OK. Were there any bears escaped? - No. We did find him...
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Actually phoned him back and asked him, obviously,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26for some further details and he was able to calm down
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- and give us some further information.- Which was?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31That it had a very large pair of antlers.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34At that point, even I know it's not a bear.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Yeah, we were able to assure him that it sounded like a stag
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and he was able to then describe further and calm down.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43OK. And, presumably, you do get lots of calls with people
0:14:43 > 0:14:45concerned about animals around here as well?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Yeah, definitely, and it's really worth people phoning up,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49even if they are mistaken at the time - you know,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52we weren't sure at the time, so we had to make further enquiries,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54so it's really worth people making the time to phone up
0:14:54 > 0:14:57if they're concerned for any animals at all.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Do you think he was probably a bit embarrassing later when he realised?
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- Possibly.- I think you would be, wouldn't you? Esther, thank you.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- A great story.- Thank you very much.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08So it was a stag. Oh, deer. Oh, come on.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Now, Lillian had spent a quiet afternoon in the company of friends
0:15:12 > 0:15:16when her usually uneventful drive home was rudely interrupted.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20She didn't make it home - instead, she ended up at the centre
0:15:20 > 0:15:25of a major rescue operation involving all of the emergency services.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Dusk, and two engines from Saint Mary's station
0:15:29 > 0:15:33have been sent to an emergency that's off their patch.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37A crew from their neighbour station, Eastleigh,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41need the help of the Saint Mary's SEU vehicle,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45which carries special equipment, to deal with the aftermath of a serious road accident.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49We are accompanying the Special Equipment Unit.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It's off our area, but they need some more heavy cutting and lifting gear,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56so we don't quite know what we've got yet,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59but it's going to be a working job.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And what they've got is a crash at a crossroads.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10A transit van and a car have collided with enough force
0:16:10 > 0:16:12to send both vehicles off the road.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Firefighter Adie was with the first Eastleigh crew to get to the scene.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Usually never a good recipe - something quite big, like a van,
0:16:21 > 0:16:27taking on a car, so we turned up, we saw the paramedics were on scene.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31The boss told us an elderly lady was trapped within the car.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33The van driver was able to get out
0:16:33 > 0:16:37and is being treated at the roadside, so the medical team's main concern
0:16:37 > 0:16:40is the condition of the trapped Astra driver -
0:16:40 > 0:16:4483-year-old Lillian - who has pain in her chest and her back.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48They examine her carefully.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Frailer bones mean a greater chance fractures and drivers over 80
0:16:52 > 0:16:55are far more likely to be killed in an accident
0:16:55 > 0:16:58than drivers in their 40s.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04To get Lillian to hospital, they'll need to cut her out of the car.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The casualty in the car we would, obviously,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10be removing the roof or folding the roof over to get them out
0:17:10 > 0:17:12because of suspected spinal injuries.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16I'm not sure how she is at the moment, but I'm sure we'll find out fairly soon.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It's not just the effects of Lillian's potential injuries
0:17:19 > 0:17:22that the team are worried about - it's a winter's night.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24They want to get her out of the bitter cold
0:17:24 > 0:17:28into the warmth of the ambulance as soon as possible.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29We're going to do a roof fold.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Can you just get Ray on the roof and give him the old tap and lift.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- On this? - They're going to fold it that way.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42With this in mind, the fire crews have decided on their plan to extricate Lillian.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Using an electric saw, they'll cut the roof
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and then peel it away like the lid of a can.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53In this situation, a roof flap would be a lot quicker and a lot easier.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56We only have to cut the posts.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We don't have to cut the main windscreen,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02which prevents a lot of glass dust.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Can you see if they've got a chord? A zip-lock chord,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07once they've pulled it over, to tie the roof down?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10We just cut the back half of the car
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and then fold it just in front of the windscreen
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and it flaps over the front of the windscreen as well,
0:18:16 > 0:18:22so it keeps it right out the way and we're able to get the casualty out the back without a problem.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Before they risk moving her,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28the medics are fitting Lillian with a semi-rigid body brace.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Along with a collar, it'll keep her head, neck and back
0:18:31 > 0:18:34in a fixed position, reducing the chances
0:18:34 > 0:18:36of her sustaining other injuries
0:18:36 > 0:18:38when they attempt to lift her out of the car.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45In the meantime, the fire crews make sure the car is made completely safe.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The very devices that can protect victims of a car crash
0:18:49 > 0:18:52can seriously threaten their saviours.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The new safety systems on cars are getting better
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and the amounts of them are increasing -
0:18:59 > 0:19:02curtain airbags, passenger airbags, driver airbags -
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and they can cause serious injuries to firefighters
0:19:06 > 0:19:08if they go off unintentionally.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11If an airbag went off and the firefighter's head was too close
0:19:11 > 0:19:13it can kill or seriously injure.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18The fire crews have disabled any airbags that have not gone off.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Now the team begin the delicate process of removing Lillian.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28They slide in a board behind her.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31She is gently eased back on to it as they lower the car seat.
0:19:31 > 0:19:37Painstaking care is taken to ensure Lillian's spine is kept straight at all times.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44She was a bit worried about her legs. She felt a bit cold
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and it's obviously important to keep them quite warm.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50You know, shock - the onset of shock - the first thing they feel,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53they start feeling cold, but she was, sort of,
0:19:53 > 0:19:58responsive and conscious, so I think she's going to be all right.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Both Lillian and the driver of the van will be taken to the emergency department
0:20:02 > 0:20:04at the Southampton general hospital,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08where they'll undergo x-rays to check for any injuries.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14On incidents like this, all the emergency services work in unison.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17With their job now done, the fire crews and the medics
0:20:17 > 0:20:21can soon depart, leaving police officer Ian and his colleagues
0:20:21 > 0:20:25to set about the task of reopening the road as soon as possible.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27We're here now to just obtain some evidence,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29take some photographs, make sure the scene's safer.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There's a lamppost knocked down with some exposed wires,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35so we've got to wait for Southern Electric and the council to come and make the lamppost safe.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It'll be cleared up and then we'll all be resuming.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44At the hospital, the driver of the van was given the all-clear,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46but Lillian didn't escape so lightly.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49She had broken ribs and was bruised and battered.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53She was in hospital for ten days and still has vivid memories of the accident.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01It, sort of, got dark - it was dusk - and all of a sudden it got dark
0:21:01 > 0:21:04quite quickly and I thought, "Oh - there's the sign.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07"I missed it." Then I saw this white car and I thought,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09"Mm. That's it. I can't do anything about that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13"It's too late to do anything." And I just waited for the crunch,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and I can still hear that crunch now.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20And I actually said out loud, "This is it,"
0:21:20 > 0:21:24and I really thought, you know, this was going to be the end.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Thankfully, for her sake, Lillian was wrong.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31And then they put this stretcher on and then they, you know,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34worked around and took the roof off and I just slid off
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and I was very thankful to be out of the car.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Now, Lillian's not facing charges
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but has been invited to a driver's awareness course.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Now, I've been joined by Margaret
0:21:47 > 0:21:49who's a tutor on these awareness courses.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Now, I have to say, a lot of people come up to me and say,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54"80-year-olds - they shouldn't be on the road."
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Would you agree?- No. I don't think age comes into it.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I'd like to see people be able to drive
0:21:59 > 0:22:03as long as they're fit and capable of driving safely.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Yeah, fit and capable and safely.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09We all want that, whatever age, but if you're approaching your,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13I suppose, mid-70s and 80s, what should you be looking out for?
0:22:13 > 0:22:17What should you be doing to make sure that you are safe to drive?
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Well, you need to keep fit, obviously,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and also recognise if things are going wrong in your body.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25You need to maybe seek advice from your doctor,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28maybe get an individual assessment of your own abilities,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33someone who doesn't know you who's going to be honest and truthful with you,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37but if that happens, you've got to believe in what they say.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Yeah, got to be honest with yourself. - Absolutely be honest.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43It must be so difficult - I'm not looking forward to when that time is going to come.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47It's going to come for me before you, Chris, and I don't know what I would do.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50OK, Margaret, so, obviously, it's a big decision.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51When should you give up driving?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53When you're no longer safe,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and you have to be extremely honest with yourself.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- Margaret, thank you.- Thank you.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Still to come on Real Rescues,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07When exercise ISN'T what the doctor ordered...
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Paul, can I just get you to squeeze both my hands as hard as you can.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And the firefighters battle to save a terrace of houses -
0:23:14 > 0:23:17flames are leaping from roof to roof.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21You've basically got a roof void that potentially can go 70m
0:23:21 > 0:23:23from one end of the terrace right the way to the other.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28It's the phone call that every parent dreads.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30It normally begins along the lines of,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33"We don't think he's seriously hurt, but..."
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And that's exactly what happened to one mum from Christchurch
0:23:36 > 0:23:41when her teenage son got a scooter manoeuvre disastrously wrong.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Rapid Response Paramedic Hannah Hunter
0:23:45 > 0:23:48has been called out to a local leisure Park.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51A 15-year-old lad has fallen off a scooter in a skate park
0:23:51 > 0:23:53with a head injury apparently.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Hannah's met by one of the injured boy's friends who made the 999 call.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02His worried mum is also on her way.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- What's he done - come off his scooter?- Yeah.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07He went to do a backflip and landed on his face.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12He dropped in down there and instead of actually going on to the ramp he went...on to the concrete.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Chris lost control of his scooter on a steep ramp
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and landed face-first on the concrete.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23First of all, have you any pain in your neck?
0:24:23 > 0:24:26No? Just say yes or no - don't shake your head.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- What about down your back here? - No.- No pain?- No.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Amazingly, his neck and back seem to be OK,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34but he's broken his fall with his right hand.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- Have you any pain anywhere? - Yeah. My finger.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- Yeah?- And my face.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- OK. Do you live local?- Salford.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- Anyone called Mum or Dad? Mum's on the way, is she?- Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- What about your chest? Any pain there are?- No.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56You've got a nice egg on your forehead.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Any pain around here? No?
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- What about your cheeks? - Yeah, there, cos of my teeth.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He's managed to notch up quite an impressive array of injuries.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Apart from his bleeding hand, he's collected
0:25:12 > 0:25:17an egg-sized bump on his forehead, a bloody nose and a badly cut lip.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19RADIO CRACKLES INDISTINCTLY
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Yeah, 6521. This lad's going to need to go in and get looked at.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Could I have some backup, please? Normal road speed's OK for the time being, over.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But Chris is handling it all well.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33This is just, like, salty water type stuff.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38I just want to try and clean up what's coming out of where and what's...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- Will it sting?- I'm going to try and not actually let it touch you.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I'm just trying to grab all this gunk that's coming out of you, OK?
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Brace yourself just in case I accidentally do catch you.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Hannah's going to clean him up with saline solution to try to assess the damage.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- What's that hurting?- I'm just cold. - You're cold?- It's the shock.- Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- Have you got a jumper or anything anywhere?- Yeah.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Right, whatever nosebleed was happening I think has stopped,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10which is good.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Is your lip sore?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15You've taken a bit of a smash right on your face, haven't you?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- What about down here on your nose? - Ah.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The chances are that Chris has broken his nose.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26Are you able to sit up for me? Just so I can get in to you a bit easier.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31I'm going to need to have a little, sort of, poke about,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33if that's all right.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- Is that sore?- Yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- What about your bottom ones? They're sturdy, aren't they?- Yeah.- OK.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46To make matters even worse,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49a front tooth is dangling from his new set of braces.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Naught to ten, how bad is the pain in your hand?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Eight.- It's an eight, OK.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I'm going to give you some morphine that you can drink.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- How old are you?- 15.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Hannah can't give Chris gas and air to kill the pain
0:27:07 > 0:27:11because of his facial injuries, so liquid morphine may be the best bet.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I'm just checking what is considered an adult
0:27:15 > 0:27:18when it comes to morphine administration.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Cos he's 15. Some drugs it's 12, some drugs it's 16,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26so rather than just give him a hefty dose and hope for the best,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I thought I'd check, but it's fine. You're counted as an adult
0:27:29 > 0:27:32so we'll give you the... Well, because it counts as an adult,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36but you're only 15, I'm going to give you half the dose
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and see how that helps and then we can always
0:27:38 > 0:27:40give you a bit more if necessary.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- So you're just going to drink this out of here, OK?- OK.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- The ambulance crew has arrived. - Swallow that down.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Hello. He's gone down on his face.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Not KO'd, no neck or back pain.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57He's got a nice swelling on his head there, pain on the bridge of his nose.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00He's a bitten his lip - his top lip looks like
0:28:00 > 0:28:03it might need some stitches - and he's got a brace on apparently,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06but his tooth is wobbling but still attached to the brace.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Also complaining of severe 8/10 pain here with some swelling.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13His mates called his mum. So I'm hoping she's going to be here soon.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Two, three, up. There we go.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Are you OK? Shaken not stirred.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26We're going to go that way.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Chris's mum Tanya arrives just in time.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34It turns out she didn't have a car
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and had to run all the way from home to be with her son.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It looks like a tooth's become wobbly. Is it attached to a brace?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43He's just had braces done, yeah.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49And he might have broken his finger so we're popping him down the hospital to get him looked at.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53He's had some morphine to try and knock a bit of the pain off. Right?
0:28:53 > 0:28:58Don't worry - he's all right. All right? Yeah.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Please tell me you're not taking him to Poole are you?- No.- Oh, thank God.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Technically we probably should,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07but we'll see if Bournemouth will accept him.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Chris's mum is worried about getting her son home
0:29:09 > 0:29:12if he's taken to Poole Hospital to be examined.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Despite the morphine, Chris is clearly in a lot of pain.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20He has only had the five of that, so if we check his blood pressure again
0:29:20 > 0:29:23we can always give him a little bit... Yeah, it's his right hand.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Are you OK?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Cool. See you later, guys. - Hannah's job is over,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35but Chris is heading straight for a session in the x-ray department.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Ouch. Now, the good news is that Chris isn't scarred for life
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and has made a complete recovery.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I don't know if it's put him off scooter gymnastics though.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52What's really interesting about being here
0:29:52 > 0:29:56is the variety of calls that come in, and some of them are really intriguing
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and Catherine's got an example of one of those, haven't you?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I have. We've received a call from a jeweller who reported that
0:30:02 > 0:30:05a reverend had come into his shop, ordered an item of jewellery
0:30:05 > 0:30:08with a value of £4,000 allegedly for his daughter.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Which is a large amount of money for starters.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13A very large amount of money, which caused him concern anyway,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16but the gentleman kept very traditional records
0:30:16 > 0:30:18so he wrote everything down in a ledger.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Consequently, it meant that he then recognised that credit card number
0:30:21 > 0:30:23from a fraudulent purchase made the week before.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25So somebody had bought something from him
0:30:25 > 0:30:28and not paid for it, essentially, the week before, and this was the same credit card?
0:30:28 > 0:30:30That's right, and because he wrote it by hand
0:30:30 > 0:30:33he was then able to recognise that, so he called us with that report.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37We were obviously fascinated by that and thought that there must be more into this,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40particularly as it's a large measure of money, so we looked into it and found that the police,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44on the address that was attached to the credit card and delivery address,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46already were looking at that address for fraudulent activities.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50So what we did was let them know when the delivery was going to be made
0:30:50 > 0:30:53and the police intercepted that delivery, stopped them,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55got the £4,000 piece of jewellery back,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57but of course now had enough evidence to be able to get
0:30:57 > 0:30:59a search warrant to search the property.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01And what is absolutely brilliant about that -
0:31:01 > 0:31:04it was all because somebody used old-fashioned methods
0:31:04 > 0:31:06of writing things down, so it triggered his memory.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Yes, absolutely, and a fantastic result because the police officers
0:31:09 > 0:31:14then carried out that search warrant, they found a large, substantial amount of cash,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17fraudulent cheques, but also what was quite amusing
0:31:17 > 0:31:21was they also found the papers where he'd been practising forging his signature.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- Great work. Thank you, Catherine. - No problem.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Now, we saw earlier how fire is raging through a terrace of houses
0:31:30 > 0:31:33in the New Forest market town of Ringwood.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Fire crews including Southampton's Green Watch are battling the flames
0:31:37 > 0:31:39which are spreading through the roof space
0:31:39 > 0:31:42and threatening to engulf the entire row.
0:31:42 > 0:31:4670 firefighters from three counties are working flat out
0:31:46 > 0:31:49to stop a fire engulfing an entire terrace.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54It's already spread from the roof of one house to the two next door.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Working in relays, they're going inside three houses
0:32:01 > 0:32:04to tackle the flames. It's a highly unpredictable situation.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09Each firefighter updates the next crew about the dangers inside.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24The crews are still fighting to stop the fire
0:32:24 > 0:32:27spreading downstairs in the two neighbouring houses,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31but they can't get enough water inside - conditions are too cramped.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34It was very restricted up on the roof space
0:32:34 > 0:32:37trying to get in there with any more than one or two firefighters
0:32:37 > 0:32:40and, of course, we had the risk that it was going to spread through the roof
0:32:40 > 0:32:43if we didn't start putting a good amount of water on to this fire.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48For that reason, we made a decision to start to remove some of the roof tiles
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and actually then it allowed us to fight the fire externally as well as internally.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58The tiles are scorching hot, but the tactic is working.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02The water's being directed straight on to the dangerous gases.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04The open roof is also allowing the heat to escape.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10Three hours after the fire started, finally it's under control.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12So we've actually got the fire surrounded,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15so, obviously, what will happen now is we'll continue to commit crews
0:33:15 > 0:33:18just to actually push that fire back into the room of origin
0:33:18 > 0:33:20and obviously extinguish it as quickly as we can.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23One home is completely destroyed.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Laura's trying to come to terms with what's happened while she was at work.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32My husband said that he smelt smoke and he went upstairs
0:33:32 > 0:33:36and there was smoke billowing out of the loft hatch in our bedroom,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38so he just evacuated and rang the Fire Brigade
0:33:38 > 0:33:40because there was all flames coming out.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44No-one on the terrace will be returning to their homes tonight.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48As you would expect, a certain amount of panic from concerned residents,
0:33:48 > 0:33:50so part of our role is to get them out safely.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Because the police station's so close and that was a safe place to take them,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56we took the residents in there to keep them warm
0:33:56 > 0:33:58and provide them with tea and coffee and reassurance.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00The fire is now completely out,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04but three of the houses are in a terrible state.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Laura and her family have lost almost all their belongings.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Tomorrow we've got to go and have a look at the damage,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13but they think everything's wrecked pretty much.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17You know, especially our bedrooms.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Just everything caught alight and it's all gone.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Thankfully, no-one has been killed or seriously injured.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I've noticed there's smoke detectors fitted in the buildings,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34which is really good news, cos obviously, as we know, they're absolute lifesavers.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37So that's good to see, especially as there's young families here.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40If you get a fire in the middle of the night, everything changes.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Panic can do horrible things to people when they're woken up
0:34:43 > 0:34:45by a smoke detector in the middle of the night,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49which is why they always say make sure you know exactly what to do if smoke detector DOES go off.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56It seems however good somebody's intentions are
0:34:56 > 0:35:01to get fit and stay fit, sometimes life can throw a spanner in the works.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Paramedics Danny Milham and Ollie Hunt are heading across town to a gym in Poole.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12They're answering an emergency call - a man in his 60s has collapsed.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18They are shown to the changing room, where their patient, Paul, is flat-out.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21With him is Patrick, his personal trainer.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24What were you... What was the exercise you were doing?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34How do you feel? Have you got any pain anywhere? No?
0:35:34 > 0:35:37For a routine work-out, his symptoms are very worrying,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41but it turns out today's work-out is not Paul's first this week.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46I just found out he did a two-hour session on his own yesterday,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- followed by a weight class. - All right, OK.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52Before his collapse, the retired company director
0:35:52 > 0:35:55admitted he'd gone on a marathon gym session the previous day
0:35:55 > 0:35:58as part of a new weight-loss regime.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Paul, can I just get you to squeeze both my hands as hard as you can.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Squeeze my hands, Paul.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Danny's so concerned he's checking Paul for symptoms
0:36:08 > 0:36:10that he may have had a stroke.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15According to gym records, Paul is diabetic,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18which may be a factor in his collapse.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Are you all right, Paul?
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Right, Paul. We're just going to stick some stickies all over you, OK?
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We're going to take a drop of blood off your finger.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Diabetes affects the body's capacity to regulate blood-sugar levels.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44A normal blood-sugar level is five - Paul's has plummeted to 1.8,
0:36:44 > 0:36:50a level so low that he's at a high risk of going into a diabetic coma.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53The crew need to boost his glucose levels fast.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Paul, I'm going to have to pop a needle in your arm, OK,
0:36:56 > 0:37:01to give you some glucose. A sharp scratch in your arm, Paul.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The attack almost certainly happened because he hardly had any breakfast.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09In diabetics, this can have very serious consequences.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Paul, I'm just going to put a mask on you, mate, with O2.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Sharp scratch, Paul.
0:37:24 > 0:37:298.6. Excellent. Do you know where you are?
0:37:29 > 0:37:33You're in the back of an ambulance at the moment. You had a hypo.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Your sugars have gone a bit low.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Luckily, the problem has been spotted in time.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Within minutes, he starts to come round.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43The gym have been on the phone to your wife,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46or your wife's been on the phone.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48So we've found her. You're going to be in trouble.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- Where are we? Still at the club? - We're outside the club, yeah.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56- I think you've scared them all half to death.- Oh, God.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- You know the benches in the middle of the changing room?- Yeah.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01- You were out flat on one of those. - Was I?- Mm.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Paul's in trouble with his personal trainer as well.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09I think you might have overdid it a bit yesterday, as well.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10I think I did.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14So, what - you had a two-hour session and then you did a weights class.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- Yeah.- I didn't know about the weights class.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Just to let you know, your wife's on the way.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I gave her a call, she says she's going to get a taxi
0:38:21 > 0:38:25- and then pick up the car.- BLEEP.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29His wife's just arrived.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- You've put the fear of...- Good.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36We've given him some glucose, but he needs to have something to eat.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40He needs to have something fairly quickly.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43- What is your sugar level at the minute?- Eight point something.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- It's fine.- But he does need some sort of proper food.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49He will have food. And he will sit.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53- Proper carbohydrates. Sit down, relax, cup of tea.- Correct.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56We're going to write down that he doesn't have to do the washing up today.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59- Really? - He's stood down on washing up.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01That'd be a first.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Thank you very much.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07All right. There you go.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Paul's relieved he's feeling more himself
0:39:09 > 0:39:13- and is well enough to go home. - Go home, eat something and rest.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21We caught up with Paul at home last week.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32I've been a dependent diabetic on insulin for 36 years
0:39:32 > 0:39:37and I manage it by injecting myself four times a day.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39With his diabetes, there's always a risk
0:39:39 > 0:39:42of Paul's blood-sugar levels dropping to a dangerous level.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46He has to be careful not to overdo things.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49His recent scare at the gym was the second major one he's had.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53The first time he had an attack was on a street in Boscombe.
0:39:53 > 0:39:59I was walking on my own and I had a severe hypo,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01which forced me to sit down
0:40:01 > 0:40:04because I'd become very unsteady and unbalanced.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10It deteriorated and, unfortunately,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13for some time I was left sitting there
0:40:13 > 0:40:16because people weren't aware I was a diabetic
0:40:16 > 0:40:21and thought that maybe I was a drug addict or alcoholic or something,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26until a young lady, apparently, asked me was I OK
0:40:26 > 0:40:29and when I muttered something about diabetes,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32she immediately calls the paramedics
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and they took me to Bournemouth Hospital and brought me round.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40That was about the only other time I've had a severe hypo.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Fiona, I wanted to talk to you a little bit
0:40:45 > 0:40:48about what happened to Paul there because is it quite common
0:40:48 > 0:40:51when somebody has a problem with diabetes they can appear drunk?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Yeah, a lot of them.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57They can become very confused and to all intents and purposes
0:40:57 > 0:41:00to any passers-by they can look as though they're intoxicated.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And have you got examples of people, sort of, ignoring them?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Oh, yeah - people will regularly walk by,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07think that they've just been out on the drink
0:41:07 > 0:41:10and just keep walking and don't render assistance.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13And it's potentially a very dangerous situation, isn't it?
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Very dangerous, yeah. The quicker we can get to a diabetic,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19the better the outcome for them.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22OK, so if you see somebody who's behaving in an odd manner
0:41:22 > 0:41:26a bit like that, how do you know, then, that they are diabetic and what should you be doing?
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Obviously, try and find anybody who knows the person,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33speak to them, ask them if they know of any conditions they may have.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36They may have a Medicalert necklace or bracelet on
0:41:36 > 0:41:38and that'll alert passers-by
0:41:38 > 0:41:44and medical personnel that the patient has a recognised condition.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48So those are obvious signs, and they're quite obvious those bracelets or necklaces, aren't they?
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Yeah, they're silver and they say Medicalert on them
0:41:50 > 0:41:54and they contain information about the individual and the condition they have.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57And I understand as well that their breath smells quite different
0:41:57 > 0:42:00to somebody who had been drinking too much, is that right?
0:42:00 > 0:42:03It'd be very sweet. Very, very sweet smell.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06That's usually when they are in a lot of trouble,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10- when you would smell that.- So if in doubt, we call somebody like you.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Always. Always. Anybody that's down on the ground,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17whether you think they're intoxicated or not, you dial 999.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20I will do that. Well, thank you, Fiona.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25Hello. I tell you what - I'm coming in for a cuddle because I couldn't get Shay off you earlier on.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28That little lad whose life you saved. We'll probably end the programme
0:42:28 > 0:42:31with those pictures a bit later on. It was such a wonderful story.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35- I shall very privileged to have met you today.- Do you know what?
0:42:35 > 0:42:37They said that the only other person he hugs like that is his grandad.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41- Aw, bless.- You've made a friend for life.- A friend for life.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45- That's it from Real Rescues. See you next time.- Bye-bye.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd