0:00:03 > 0:00:06If you're critically ill or seriously injured,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09seconds count. And in Britain's biggest county,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11you can be a long way from help.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13- 'Where's the patient?' - 'She's stuck under the car!'
0:00:13 > 0:00:17The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies at 150mph
0:00:17 > 0:00:21and thanks to its speed, hundreds of patients are alive today,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25saved by a highly-skilled team of doctors and paramedics.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Stand clear, everybody! Keep going, mate.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It covers some of the UK's most rugged landscapes,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34turning roadsides into operating theatres.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'm giving an emergency anaesthetic.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39And town centres into heli-pads.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- Still good on the left?- Just behind you, Tim.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47And every day, the Heli-Med teams' skill, speed and courage is saving lives.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today on Helicopter Heroes:
0:00:58 > 0:01:04a runner is fighting for his life after a night stranded on the freezing fells.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07He's spent all night on the moors with a broken leg.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11A bizarre crash leaves a biker badly injured.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Once I got off the floor, I saw him under the car.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18A golfer is feeling below par after a painful slip on the green.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Walked out of the bunker. Next thing, right leg disappeared underneath.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33It's easy to forget that some of Britain's most beautiful places
0:01:33 > 0:01:36are also some of its most dangerous,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39especially if you're caught out by the weather.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Here in the hills, the temperature drops by one degree
0:01:42 > 0:01:44for every 300 feet you climb,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47making even a spring evening lethally chilly.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52RADIO PIPS
0:01:52 > 0:01:57'It's seven o'clock. Police are appealing for help after a man went missing from his home
0:01:57 > 0:02:02'near Ramsbottom. 65-year-old Steven Iggulden was last seen yesterday afternoon.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'Police and mountain rescuers have been involved in the search.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'His family say they're extremely worried.'
0:02:07 > 0:02:131,500 feet up in the Pennines, the temperature plunged to minus two last night.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16But the Rossendale and Pendle mountain rescue team
0:02:16 > 0:02:20is about to make an extraordinary discovery.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24We're going to a patient who's fallen quite a long way.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26We think he's got a broken leg.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29We don't think there's a crew at the moment on scene,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32so we may well be first there.
0:02:32 > 0:02:38Pilot Steve Cobb must find a landing site on the hills above the remote Naden reservoir.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40It's not going to be easy.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- Which way's the wind blowing? - It's behind us.- Right.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48What about on top of the... See where there's people in the red?
0:02:48 > 0:02:54There is a path on the far side that goes down. It's a bit of a trek but we can get down.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I'll get round the back of these windmills.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Mountain rescue have been searching for the missing fell runner.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's a familiar accident.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07But paramedic Graham Pemberton is about to find out that this is no ordinary case.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Hello, mate. How you doing?
0:03:09 > 0:03:13This is Anthony. I'll give you the details.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- Anthony's been here overnight. - I just heard.- 65-year-old.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20He's conscious and breathing. He's quite confused.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Right.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Dressed in only a vest and shorts,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28their patient has survived 23 hours in sub-zero temperatures
0:03:28 > 0:03:31with a broken leg and a serious head wound.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34We were searching from nine last night till two this morning.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37We came back at first light this morning.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42A couple of bikers helped us in the search and one of them found him.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The paramedics are down with him at the moment.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48They're assessing how he is.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Anthony?- Yes?- How are you doing down there, mate?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54ANTHONY'S REPLIES INDISTINCT
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Yeah? I don't know. How have you ended up down here?
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Anthony Iggulden, Steve to his friends, is a keen fell runner,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04competing in mountain marathons over rough terrain.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08His Alzheimer's has done little to reduce his stamina
0:04:08 > 0:04:11or his enthusiasm. But last night he failed to come home.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Keep your arms down by your side, Anthony.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Not much longer and we'll get you wrapped up nice and warm, mate.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21I've done motorbike events over these moors. I know it quite well.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I looked in the bits the helicopter might not be able to spot.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Little overhangs, some of the valleys that are tucked away.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31To be honest, it was touch and go whether I bothered coming this far out.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36We were just doing a final check on this side of the valley
0:04:36 > 0:04:40with their being some crags up there. Looked through the overhang
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and thought I'd go and have a check. As I came over the crest,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45although you don't expect to find anything,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50I had one of those moments where I thought, "That's the man."
0:04:50 > 0:04:53On move again. Ready, steady, move.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57We've had a lot of witnesses come forward, people in one area,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and we concentrated our efforts on that area.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04From what I understand, the gentleman who located him, where he was last seen,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09his local knowledge is better than what we know about the area up here.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Thankfully, he's gone and found him.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Ready, steady, move.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16His rescuers now know why.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20But their patient's survival is in real doubt.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23He may need an RAF helicopter to winch him out.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27He's spent all night out on the moors
0:05:27 > 0:05:29with a broken leg, scalp injury.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35And I think he might have damaged his other leg as well.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37He's obviously suffering quite a lot of exposure.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43The RAF are being...a bit non-committal
0:05:43 > 0:05:45about whether they can get in to us.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So we'll have to use mountain rescue to get him up the hill to our helicopter.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52It's feared he's fallen up to 50ft down the cliff face.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56He's confused, and that could be a symptom of a serious head injury.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But hypothermia is the most imminent threat to his life.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Anthony, is it hurting at all anywhere now,
0:06:02 > 0:06:03now we've dragged you round?
0:06:03 > 0:06:08He has been well wrapped up, but desperately needs hospital treatment.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12But first his rescuers need to work out how to carry him up the sheer cliff face.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15It may take time that he cannot afford.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27If you ride a bike, all you have to protect you in an accident
0:06:27 > 0:06:30is your helmet, your boots and your leathers.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And what you hit is entirely down to chance.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39The hill above the Yorkshire market town of Otley
0:06:39 > 0:06:40is called The Chevin.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44And its 1,000-foot summit, overlooking Wharfedale,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46is aptly named Surprise View.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49On a clear day, it's a popular destination,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53attracting hundreds of bikers and day-trippers.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56We can land this side. He can get through that gate.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'5-8 over. Seeing the final approach. Over.'
0:06:59 > 0:07:03The rider of this bike came out to enjoy the sights of Wharfedale.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08But the only view in front of him is the underside of a Ford Fiesta.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- Hello, Stuart.- He has lost consciousness.- OK.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- He's fully with us.- Lovely. - His shoulder is his priority.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18OK.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Two bikes were involved in the crash.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24But the other rider was luckier than Stuart.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28The car pulled across the road to turn into this car park.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34The first rider bumped into him. Then obviously I did as well.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Once I got off the floor, I saw him under the car.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42You keep still for us. You're just going to feel the helmet ease over your ears.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Try and keep your head still for me.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Just tilt it over his nose.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Oh!- Sorry, boss. Just pull it from the bottom.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52That's it. There you go.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57As well as some broken bones, Stuart has crush injuries.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01What I'd like to do now, boss, is stick a little needle in your arm.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Can you talk to me when you're raising, so I'm ready? Let me know.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10- We're ready to raise more if you want.- Not yet. I need to listen to his chest before we go.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Sammy is worried her patient's condition could deteriorate
0:08:14 > 0:08:16if the car is suddenly lifted.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21I'd like to have a needle in, in case he drops his blood pressure, when we do that.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It could lead to uncontrolled internal bleeding.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28His injuries are pretty serious.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Crush injuries are always a worry,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35so we want to get him to hospital as quickly as possible.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39He is able to breathe. It's just when you release him, with his blood pressure,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I need to make sure I've got an option to give him something.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44All right? Two seconds.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49We've got these airbags that we put air into
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and it slowly pushes the car up.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53But it makes the car a bit unstable when we do that.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58so we'll have to chock it. We're on the call of the paramedics as well
0:08:58 > 0:09:00because he's been trapped for a bit of time
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and that causes crush injuries which causes more complications.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Sammy makes sure everything is in place before they move him.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Sammy knows releasing the weight of the car could harm her patient.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17She also knows it's something that has to be done - now.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29When it comes to dangerous sports, I wouldn't put golf near the top of the list!
0:09:29 > 0:09:34But you'd be surprised how often the Heli-Med team has to touch down on the fairway.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40They say golf is one of those games that's deceptively simple
0:09:40 > 0:09:42yet endlessly complicated.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47But today, a bit of overenthusiastic celebrating of a great shot
0:09:47 > 0:09:50has left one golfer with a painful injury.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53He played out the bunker. His ball's on the green.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56He just walked onto the bank, literally walked a yard,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and his legs went from under him.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04There's a golf cart there. There is a crew on scene.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05Is it slightly to the right?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08There's three in the same vicinity.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I'm not 100% sure if that grid's 100% accurate.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14This part of Yorkshire is a bit of a golfing hot-spot.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Finding the right hole on the right course is going to be tricky.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- There's quite a few close together. - There's three.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I think that's it. I've played that.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Paramedic James Vine is a golfer himself,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31clearly wishing he was playing a round today.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34..Finish that putt off for him, Chris?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36It looks like it breaks left to right.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38It'd probably go a good foot...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Why don't we just go over and move the balls a bit?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42He's slipped and it's gone underneath him.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- He's getting a bit numb, but he thinks it's from the position he's in.- Right.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Rather than anything else.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Keep going on that, mate.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55He's golfing and he's slipped on the bank. His leg's gone underneath him.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It looks like he's dislocated his ankle.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Golf's a game that's built around team work and camaraderie.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Simon Darby's team-mate, Steve, is clearly concerned.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09But not necessarily about Simon's injured leg.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12He's conceded my putt before he slipped
0:11:12 > 0:11:14so that's not bad going, is it?
0:11:14 > 0:11:15I got a result out of it.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Trouble is, he was carrying me round the golf course!
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I don't know what I'm going to do for the next 12 holes!
0:11:23 > 0:11:27After what Simon has described as one of his best-ever bunker shots,
0:11:27 > 0:11:32he lost concentration, fell over and has a serious leg injury.
0:11:32 > 0:11:38With a deformity like this, it's crucial blood can still flow to the foot.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42The best way to sort that is also the most painful way.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Keep going. Big deep breaths!
0:11:48 > 0:11:51They need to straighten and splint his leg.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Keep going! Keep going!
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Has it gone back in?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That looks better than it did.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Golf courses can clearly be dangerous places.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And even when the paramedics are with you,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07there are still hazards to watch out for.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Watch this golf bag here!
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Just keep going. Watch it!
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- I've got spikes on! - I think you have.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Haven't you?
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Looks like he's got a potential fracture dislocation of his ankle.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24The ankle's certainly dislocated.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27He's got a good pulse at the moment,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29so now we've aligned the fracture site,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32we'll get him down to LGI
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and let the orthopaedic surgeons have a look.
0:12:35 > 0:12:41Yes. 52 years. Isolated right ankle. It looks like it's dislocated.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I've had a few jobs on golf courses. All of them have been a pain.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46This one's very good cos they don't mind you driving
0:12:46 > 0:12:50but a lot of them don't want you driving near the greens cos it's such an expensive thing.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55But people get ill on the golf courses. They have heart attacks or falls in the bunkers,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- as this gentleman's done.- Just played a really good bunker shot,
0:12:59 > 0:13:00and just as I was feeling happy,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I walked out the bunker and next thing
0:13:03 > 0:13:06the right leg disappeared underneath.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Two cracks as I went down.
0:13:09 > 0:13:16As I was lying on my back, I realised my foot was at 90 degrees to my knee!
0:13:16 > 0:13:21- Get that score card marked up. I'll give you that.- I was holding the match together, as well!
0:13:21 > 0:13:23They won't win now without me!
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Simon's flight to hospital lasts just four minutes.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35No golfer wants their round to end like this.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38All this for a bunker shot!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40But it's clear Simon still has the game on his mind.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43You've got to see how close to the flag it finished!
0:13:44 > 0:13:48But it'll be a while before he's tee-ing off again!
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Now let's return to the windswept hills above Rochdale,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07where the team is fighting to rescue a fell runner
0:14:07 > 0:14:11who's lucky to be alive after a night in sub-zero temperatures.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Fell running is a sport only for the fittest.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21Runners who take on gruelling marathons in treacherous terrain.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Man against mountain. Injuries are common.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27But this runner is lucky to be alive.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Anthony, can you open your eyes for me?- Yes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Well done that man.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38Anthony Iggulden, Steve to his mates, has survived a night in sub-zero temperatures,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40dressed in shorts and a running vest.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Unfortunately, this male's come up on his own with no means of communication,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47no mobile phone or telephone.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Obviously when he's not returned, there's no means to contact him.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54So they've contacted us about a missing person.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58When they came up last night, they contacted mountain rescue.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01The fact he's still alive is a little short of a miracle.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I saw the chap laid against the fence there.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07We knew straightaway this is obviously the person we'd all been looking for.
0:15:07 > 0:15:14With him not moving, there was a time where I thought it might be the worst outcome.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17But as I got closer, I could see he was shivering
0:15:17 > 0:15:23so I dumped the bike, took off my fleece, covered him up as best I could.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I think we're ready, lads.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29But paramedic Graham Pemberton is concerned about his patient's condition.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34As well as the cold, he's suffering from a deep head wound and a badly broken leg.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36How are you doing, Anthony? Open your eyes.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Steve has Alzheimer's and his confusion is making the team's job harder.
0:15:41 > 0:15:48Graham has tried to call in an RAF helicopter to winch his patient from the hillside where he's lying.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51But it appears the terrain is too difficult, even for the military.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55I got the message that the RAF are not attending. Is that right? Over.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57'Confirmed.'
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Mountain rescue volunteers carry their patient up the treacherous hillside.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04But without an RAF Sea King to assist,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08the only option left is manpower and determination.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10It's quite a windy day and we're close to the wind farm.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15They were worried about where they were in proximity to these massive wind farms.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It was a no-go for them, unfortunately.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21This is a lonely place.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25The route to safety takes them past abandoned miners' cottages,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28along a path trodden out by moorland sheep.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- 'Do you have any spare climbers?' - How many do you want, Ted?
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'As many as we can, just to get through this section. Over.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:39The rescuers are taking no chances.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45The safety rope will prevent their patient plunging down the hillside for a second time.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Can we get two of you down there?
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Steve's survival has amazed the emergency services.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54But not those who know the toughness of the average fell runner.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00He's a fit bloke, really. He's obviously a good fell runner.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03He was sheltered in the valley there, fortunately,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07and I think it was just below zero last night. Minus one, minus two.
0:17:07 > 0:17:13In cases like this, there's a temptation to raise the patient's body temperature quickly.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But Graham won't be cranking up the heater on this flight.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21The normal procedure with hypothermic patients is you can warm them too quickly
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and send them into shock and cardiac arrest.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27So in hospital, they will warm them at one degree per hour.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So if they're stable now, we don't do anything.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33We just keep them stable and take them to hospital
0:17:33 > 0:17:34and let the hospital deal with it.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38If we put the heaters on in the helicopter and warm him too quickly,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40we could make him a lot worse than he is already.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But their patient's not out of the woods yet.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Hypothermia and his head injury are a dangerous combination.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Remember the biker trapped under a car after a freak accident in West Yorkshire?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Let's find out how the operation to free him is going.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Put this back here. Behind these two.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Stuart Thornton's rescuers could be about to endanger his life.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19He had been pinned under this car for half an hour.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The sudden release of its weight could lead to a cardiac arrest.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25We're going to get you safe first, sir.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- Will it release me?- Yes, it will.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Ready, steady, move.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's the back protector, that's what it is.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38At last he's out, and he has survived his release.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41But it's now clear he's very badly injured.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Mind the leg. It's quite displaced off to one side.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48This is the impact his head made on the first car that hit him.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52And only now can Sammy examine him for broken bones.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I'm just going to cut your shirt, OK?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58PATIENT CRIES OUT IN PAIN
0:18:58 > 0:19:01She suspects there are many.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04My mate's got your left leg, mate.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07He has some serious limb injuries.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11INDISTINCT
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Your pain. If ten is the worst pain imaginable,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and zero is none, what number are you at?
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Eleven.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Which bit hurts the most?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Left shoulder.- Your left shoulder.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28A pain score of 11 out of 10 isn't unusual.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Morphine usually provides a temporary cure.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35You're just going to feel... It might feel a little cold going in.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37We're giving you morphine now.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Then we can get you more comfy on the board.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41PATIENT GROANS
0:19:41 > 0:19:45All right, Stu. Right at the side. We'll come this way.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Several emergency service teams have been helping Stuart.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52They are focusing on one thing.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Getting him to hospital as quickly and as safely as possible.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00He was breathing OK, although the weight of the car was resting on his chest.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06Thankfully, the fire brigade weren't too long, so they managed to elevate the car,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08get him out, then we could do a full assessment.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Under the circumstances, he should be, fingers crossed, OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15He was obviously wearing the right protective gear.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16So that's obviously helped him.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21A&E staff partly measure the severity of cases
0:20:21 > 0:20:23by what's known as "the mechanism of injury".
0:20:23 > 0:20:27It doesn't come much worse than the accident Stuart has survived.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29First, the impact with the car.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Then the road, and finally being crushed by the Fiesta.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40It's not surprising that the LGI's trauma team sent him straight to surgery.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45He undergoes a long and complex operation to save his leg.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49His knee has to be rebuilt and several weeks later,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54he is still in hospital with metalwork and pins holding his broken bones together.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59The bottom half of my leg is separated from the top half
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and being held together with the framework.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05When the swelling goes down, we hope to rebuild the kneecap
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and then we'll take it from there.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14Stuart's bones are mending - and he has the itching to prove it!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16But he can't remember a thing about the accident.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I've no idea. It's just...
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Three months later, and Stuart has made a special request.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Hello! Pleased... Oh, come on.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35He has asked if he can come and meet the paramedic team who helped him,
0:21:35 > 0:21:41to say thank you and to piece together exactly what he's been through.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- Doing well. A couple more operations to go.- Have you?
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Then it could be another 12-month healing process, but we'll get there.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The last time paramedics Sammy Wills and Al Day saw Stuart,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58they were dealing with his physical injuries.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Today is about dealing with some of the emotional ones that came afterwards.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Oh, look at that.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08That's the helmet. I remember when I looked back,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10that's the helmet I saw.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13See, I'm awake. I can't remember any of this.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- 'What I'd like to do now, boss...' - A £700 helmet, ruined!
0:22:17 > 0:22:19They're so cool about it!
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's their day-to-day job.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27For me, if I were to attend a scene such as mine,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I'd just flip out. "Where do we start from here?"
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But they're professionals. They know what they're doing
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and you've got to let them do it.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- That's what I hit with my head. - That's why you hit that thing there.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I cut my leg.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46VIDEO CONTINUES
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Are you all right?
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I feel so grateful, having seen the video,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58of how many people attended.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01The emergency services that attended.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04The effort that went in to rescue me...
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I just owe them so much.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15I'm really grateful.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26Now, what about the fell runner who spent a bitterly cold night out on the Peaks?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Let's catch up on his case.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Heli-Med 99 has just taken off from a hilltop above Rochdale,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37carrying a man who should not be alive.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43Steve Iggulden fell down a rock face and broke his leg 24 hours ago.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47He is so difficult to find. They were out all night looking for him.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- It'll be a marvel if we find him today.- I know.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Now, after a night in temperatures of minus two,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57the team have started the long process of heating him up in mid-air.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Manchester's Wythenshawe Hospital is just ten minutes' flying time.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Specialists are waiting to examine him.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The fact that he runs every day across the moors has kept him alive.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Cos he's so fit, it's kept him alive through the night.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16If it had been a more frail person of his age,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I don't think it would be the same outcome.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Their patient's family feared he was lying dead out on the moors.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Now his relieved wife and daughter are on the way to the hospital by road.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And his survival is already making headlines.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34NEWS: 'A man who went missing from his home near Ramsbottom on Sunday
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'has been found by Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue team.
0:24:37 > 0:24:43'He'd fallen down a 70-feet drop and suffered a fractured skull and punctured lung.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Slowly, doctors raise Steve's body temperature to normal levels
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and he responds well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52A month later and he's been moved to North Manchester General Hospital.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57His leg was badly broken in the fall and he's still in a wheelchair.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59But otherwise, he's making a good recovery.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- I brought us some tea.- Oh, good.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Steve has cheated death by the narrowest of margins.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But while his body is super-fit,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12as an Alzheimer's sufferer, mentally he is still confused.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- That's nice.- Is that nice? - It's good.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17His onset of Alzheimer's has been very, very gradual.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And he's remained very fit,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22physically fit and well throughout.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24He does have disabilities from it,
0:25:24 > 0:25:29but one of his main joys has been to run, swim, go to the gym.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31He really loves the outdoors.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35It's always been, for the last two or three years,
0:25:35 > 0:25:36um...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40..a difficult risk to take.
0:25:40 > 0:25:46Because he's not frail. He's very active, very energetic.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50So I've tried to always keep an eye on him in strange places,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52when we're away.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55But he has, up till now, been safe.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59For Helen, the 23 hours she spent waiting for news of her husband
0:25:59 > 0:26:02as mountain rescue teams combed the moors,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05will not be easily forgotten.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09But as the evening drew in, she became increasingly concerned.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13A very good friend of mine came and sat with me.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16We must have had about 20 cups of tea.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21I kept thinking, "God, this is a horrible nightmare. I wish I'd wake up."
0:26:21 > 0:26:26It really, I thought, "This is so awful, it just can't possibly be true.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29"I must be having a really bad dream."
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Steve and his legendary fitness are well known to many of his rescuers.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37While the odds were against him surviving that night,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40some of the searchers were optimistic he'd be found alive.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43The first thing he said to me was, "I'm sorry."
0:26:46 > 0:26:52So he was aware the whole time, even though he had a head injury,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54he'd been aware through the night.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58He said to me later, he'd thought he was a gonner.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02And there was no point in shouting because there was nobody around and it was pitch-black.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06He does remember the fall,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08but I haven't probed him about it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13Cos probably it's better that we just sort of think,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17"That was a horrible experience. We don't want to go on and on re-experiencing it."
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Steve's injuries from the fall will heal.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24For his family, there are still tough times ahead,
0:27:24 > 0:27:30but they can take comfort in the fact that he is a survivor. He will not give up without a fight.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35You won't be surprised to hear that Anthony isn't planning on hanging up his running shoes just yet.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39He intends to get back out on the fells as soon as his leg is healed.