0:00:05 > 0:00:08It is one of the most beautiful but dangerous places on earth.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10My name is Helen, I am one of the doctors.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Any pain in there, any teeth loose or anything like that?
0:00:13 > 0:00:17And when Australians call out the Flying Doctor,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20they are likely to be British.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And so is the pilot, paramedic and crewmen.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27We'll see lots of sharks, 200, 300 metres out.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I think they get the idea when we go like that.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35They say they got the bends from coming up here...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37From shark attacks on surfing beaches
0:00:37 > 0:00:41to exploding barbecues in the Sydney suburbs...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45..these are the Brits who can make the difference between life
0:00:45 > 0:00:46and death down under.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13James Milligan is an NHS consultant, working at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15How is that tummy pain now?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Now, like hundreds of medics every year,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20he is swapping rainy Britain....
0:01:20 > 0:01:21- It's wet.- It is wet.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23..for a life in the sun.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We're living right by the ocean, it's a beautiful spot.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Work's nice and relaxed, the atmosphere is great,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30life probably couldn't be much better.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35But it is a place where the nearest hospital can be 200 miles away
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and the wildlife can kill you.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39You ready?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Can I listen to your heart?
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Welcome to one of the world's most extreme health services.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Today, a top rodeo rider takes a serious fall.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53It appears as though he was riding a horse that's collapsed
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and it has come down sort of onto his femur
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and he's got a midshaft femur fracture.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01There is a powerboat crash and the driver is missing.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The longer it goes on, the bleaker the outlook becomes.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07And a rescue chopper is scrambled to the local dump.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10They were searching with a beacon, I used my foot and I found it.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Australians are mad about swimming.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25There are more pools built here per person than anywhere else
0:02:25 > 0:02:26in the world.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But this love of water can have fatal consequences,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33particularly for kids.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And here, drowning is now the most common cause
0:02:36 > 0:02:39of accidental death for children under four.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44'You'll probably be close to there now.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46'You'll probably be first on the scene.'
0:02:46 > 0:02:49It's a typical hot Australian summer day
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and Dr James Milligan is heading up to the New South Wales coast.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02A call has come in that a two-year-old has been found
0:03:02 > 0:03:04floating in a garden pool.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Just a briefing on the situation.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09There is a two-year-old child that has been pulled out of the pool
0:03:09 > 0:03:12unconscious. The child is now screaming,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15so we assume it must have some degree of consciousness.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Uh... We are going to be arriving on the scene about 4 minutes
0:03:19 > 0:03:23after the first car, so we'll be there pretty early.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26The girl has been pulled out of the pool and is breathing,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29but she may still be seriously ill.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Front door's coming back, confirm left door is clear.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Patonga is known as the secret jewel of the central coast.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38It is clear to see why.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Call to Operations. Rescue 24 making an approach into Patonga.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48So, it sounds like the police will be transporting the baby.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51It's coming over the wire now.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54As their two-year-old patient is transferred to the landing site,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Dr James and paramedic Bob Lyall are already making plans.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Just have to work out which way you want to go.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03If the kiddy has had a proper drowning,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05then they probably need to go down the road.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08If they've just fallen in and been a bit quiet afterwards,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10then they can probably go to Gosford.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12She was floating face down, so he doesn't know
0:04:12 > 0:04:15whether she hit her head on the side of the concrete or whatever.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- OK.- Got her out. The police said when they arrived,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20cos they were five minutes in front of us,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22she was a little bit unresponsive.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26She's taken on some water and they've called for police
0:04:26 > 0:04:27and ambulance assistance.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It's a worrying time for the family
0:04:29 > 0:04:34when any small child falls in water like that, so, yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38So Grandad didn't have to do any mouth-to-mouth or anything?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Just pulled her out, she was breathing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- But just a bit drowsy and a bit groggy?- Yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Can I have a listen to your heart?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Can I have a listen at the back? Who is this?
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Very quiet, she's very shaken.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- That's Teddy.- Teddy.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54What do you reckon?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's obviously pretty worrying stuff going to children who
0:04:57 > 0:05:00are seriously ill, so there is some emotional stuff that is involved.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02But from a medical standpoint, children, we like to
0:05:02 > 0:05:06think of them as small adults, but they differ quite significantly
0:05:06 > 0:05:08in how their physiology and things work
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and the drugs that we give and the treatments that we offer,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so we have to start thinking on a completely different...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15in a different way than we would with an adult.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19So we'll just check her oxygen levels are right. But she looks super.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22At the end of the day, I don't think... We're not too worried.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Whatever has happened has been pretty scary for her...and for you.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- She needs to be observed overnight. - She needs to go to a hospital.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- And be observed.- Think she needs to be dragged all the way to Sydney?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- I don't... In my view, no. - They're not going to do anything.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38When kids have been in the water, we are always a little bit worried
0:05:38 > 0:05:41about what is going on, so we need to keep an eye on them
0:05:41 > 0:05:43probably for at least the next 12 hours just to check that
0:05:43 > 0:05:45everything stays OK.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47But we are not so worried that we think
0:05:47 > 0:05:49we need to take her to the kids' hospital.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- OK.- I think that Gosford would be more than happy to deal with it
0:05:52 > 0:05:53and look after her.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56And that we don't have to put her through the stress
0:05:56 > 0:05:58again in a helicopter, which sometimes can be good fun,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00but when you can't explain what's going on,
0:06:00 > 0:06:01it's terrifying as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Bella has made such an improvement that Dr James is happy
0:06:05 > 0:06:08she can go to the local hospital for treatment.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10She will be assessed there in their ED.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13There sometimes can be secondary problems with drownings,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15so generally we like to keep an eye on children
0:06:15 > 0:06:18for a few hours afterwards, probably up to 12 hours after the instance,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20so I imagine she'll be staying there tonight.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And if she is well, she will be going home in the morning.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26Unfortunately in Australia,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30because they have so many swimming pools and the weather is so nice,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33children falling into swimming pools is a fairly common problem.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And it's something that's really taught quite well
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and taught fairly early on to everyone within Australia,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42sort of safety around swimming pools and dealing with those emergencies,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44because unfortunately they are all too common.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Me! - All right, you show me how you swim.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53The hospital stay was only precautionary.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57It was an overnight stay because she had a test in the morning
0:06:57 > 0:07:00just to make sure that she didn't have any sort of
0:07:00 > 0:07:02a fit underwater.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06And all the tests have come back really positive
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and the doctors are all really happy to send her home.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Bella has always been confident around the water.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It really hasn't put her off too much.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The family is very grateful to the British doctor who
0:07:23 > 0:07:25reassured them at a very worrying time.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Aren't you good!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30He made me feel really reassured
0:07:30 > 0:07:34and calm that she was being checked over by a doctor.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39He was fantastic with her. He really considered, you know,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44whether the trip in the helicopter was worthwhile
0:07:44 > 0:07:47because it probably would have scared her, all the loud
0:07:47 > 0:07:50noise of the helicopter, more than what it needed to have been.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Hey!
0:07:52 > 0:07:56But it's Bella's grandad who's still badly shaken by what happened.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59He has definitely taken it the hardest
0:07:59 > 0:08:01because he was the one that was there.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05And he didn't actually get to see her, um, through, you know,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08with the ambulance and seeing Dr James,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10so he didn't have that relief.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And he is still blaming himself.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And, you know, we just keep saying, "Thank God you were there.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21"Cos if you weren't there, we wouldn't have her." So...
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Australia may be less than 300 years old as a nation,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but it is keen to preserve its past,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and that includes the traditional skills that opened up
0:08:37 > 0:08:39the continent to Europeans.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Getting set to go with our next competitor, this is Ashley Gibson,
0:08:44 > 0:08:45a young man from Dubbo.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48He works over there at the Dubbo Equestrian Centre.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Rodeo events in Australia can attract huge crowds.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55And for those who climb into the saddle, it's big business.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The horse is called The Gambler.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Today, one former national rodeo champion has been thrown off
0:09:02 > 0:09:05his horse and needs help from the air.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Flying the team up into the Hunter Valley, 120 miles north of Sydney,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14is British chief pilot Mike De Winton.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21This is an area famous for both its mining and its vineyards,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23but it is also a big place for horses.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- That little flat there in the middle of the racetrack.- Yep, got that.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We are at a place called Camberwell, which is
0:09:32 > 0:09:36about 50 miles down the valley from the base,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39to a gentleman who has fallen off a horse
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and the horse's actually rolled on him, breaking his leg.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44OK. Just squeeze both my hands for me?
0:09:44 > 0:09:46OK. Nice and tight. OK, that's good.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Steve Ernst has competed in the National Rodeo Championships
0:09:49 > 0:09:51ten times,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54but today it was just a gentle ride at home that has left him
0:09:54 > 0:09:55with a broken leg.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59As far as I know, Steve was just working his mare
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and she come down on him, landed on his leg and snapped it.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06And he just rang me up on the mobile phone.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08To say, "Come over and give me a hand."
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But the paramedics discovered that not only has
0:10:11 > 0:10:13he broken the biggest bone in his body,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Steve has also had a full heart transplant,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and that could cause serious complications.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21You know, he has had a heart transplant.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23He's got all these medications and all the stuff there.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25You haven't taken all of those today, have you?
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Yeah, I was late taking them.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- How's the pain, mate, like now? - It's all right.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Yeah. We're going to move you around a little bit.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37We might even just slip him a little more morphine, I think,
0:10:37 > 0:10:38just before we move.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Obviously... You've still got a bit of pain there, obviously.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Oh, yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45This certainly isn't the first time Steve has had emergency
0:10:45 > 0:10:47medical treatment.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The horses are all good, mate, they've gone up to the top pen.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53As a professional rodeo rider, he has had a string of breaks,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55strains and dislocations.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58But this is the first time he has been flown to hospital.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01He is a pretty stoic guy, so, yeah, it's going good.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03One, two, three.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04He is due to have a density scan,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07so there might be some issues there with some fragile bones,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10but it appears as though he was riding a horse that's collapsed
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and then it has come down sort of onto his femur,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and he has got a midshaft femur fracture.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16So, we're going to roll you over, mate,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and then we're going to move the spine board from underneath you.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22For former Royal Navy pilot Mike,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25this is a great chance to learn more about rodeo.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28You don't still ride bulls, do you?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- No, no.- Stopped that.- Yeah. - Too dangerous.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Take them horses instead.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36No, I rode saddle broncos for years and I fought bulls,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I was a rodeo clown.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Rodeo clown?- Yeah. - Even more dangerous.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Yeah, probably.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46We are going to head back to the John Hunter Hospital,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49about 25 minutes en route back there, and get him into the hospital
0:11:49 > 0:11:52so they can fix him up.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'52-year-old male crushed by a horse.'
0:11:57 > 0:12:00But as Steve is flown down the coast to hospital,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03it leaves a big problem back on the ranch.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10He has got 20 horses which need looking after.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15I suspect he'll be out of action for at least three months.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Um...
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Steve, he'll get through it, he'll just grin and bear it.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22His character's fairly colourful.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26But Steve is not keen on sitting around.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The next rodeo event is in less than a month
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and he is determined to be there.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The demolition derby, the fireworks,
0:12:34 > 0:12:35I cover all parts of it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I want to be there and be part of that show,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40which is in round about
0:12:40 > 0:12:41three weeks' time. That's my aim,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44to be fit enough to be back in the saddle
0:12:44 > 0:12:48and to be able to announce the itinerary from the back of a horse.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Living by the sea isn't cheap in Australia.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10A beach view in the smartest Sydney suburbs will set you back
0:13:10 > 0:13:12several million pounds.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15But Dr James Milligan and his Aussie partner Lee
0:13:15 > 0:13:18still managed to find a home enjoying the sea-front set.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Now this is their doorstep.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28But water plays a different part in James' working life.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33The weather is that little bit warmer, so people are more inclined
0:13:33 > 0:13:35to want to play and be near to the water.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It's not just kids, adults go out on the water in boats.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44We have lots of problems with fishermen on rocks
0:13:44 > 0:13:47falling into the water who can't necessarily swim,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and that also has fairly devastating consequences.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53So it is something that we see far more readily here.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It is something that would be fairly rare to see in the UK.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58We see very, very few drownings.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- Just straight ahead here, Jess? - Clear left.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03All the way along till the end of the river.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Today, Dr James is taking his turn on a ground ambulance,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09as all of Sydney's flying doctors must.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Two guys and a boat have overturned.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15They currently have found one of the occupants
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and he is being taken to hospital as we speak.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19They haven't found the second occupant,
0:14:19 > 0:14:24so we've got fairly serious concerns for his welfare.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26It has been over 12 minutes since the boat crashed.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32The accident happened on the Georges River on the outskirts of Sydney.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The powerboat driver is missing.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Not for the minute, I don't think we've got a patient yet.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44The missing man, 28-year-old Steven Antuch,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47is a local celebrity - the holder of a major speed record
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and one of Australia's fastest men on water.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- So... James. Nice to meet you. - You know the story?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- Yeah, two guys on a boat?- Yeah.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00He was coming down here at warp speed, they flip the boat,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03he has come out but hasn't seen the driver since it flipped.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06His 29-year-old mechanic was thrown clear
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Now, the missing racer's brother has jumped into the water
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and he is desperately diving for Steven.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Flying Doctor James can do little
0:15:19 > 0:15:21but wait, as searchers struggle to find him.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29They've currently got the boat out looking for the second occupant.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Hopefully, we will find him shortly, but the longer it goes on,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35the bleaker the outlook becomes.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36- RADIO:- '96.5.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'Police say they are still trying to piece together what caused
0:15:39 > 0:15:42'a crash on the Georges River.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Emergency services never give up hope in the hour after
0:15:45 > 0:15:46an accident like this.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Victims have been resuscitated after long periods underwater.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52'Detective Inspector Glenn Fitzgerald...
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'The location of the river, visibility was very difficult...'
0:15:55 > 0:15:57The boat hasn't surfaced.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00There is a chance the missing man is trapped in an air pocket.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05But as the evening wears on, the outlook becomes bleaker,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and the ambulance service team is ordered back to base.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Unfortunately, we were on the scene for nearly an hour
0:16:13 > 0:16:15and there was still no sign of him.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18At that point, there is little that we are going to be able to do
0:16:18 > 0:16:21to help him, so we have returned to base.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Steven Antuch's boat, capable of 100 miles an hour
0:16:25 > 0:16:29and a familiar sight in river races, is found the following day.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Its driver's body is recovered by divers.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36The mechanic guy who got flung out, he's a bit sore
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and sorry for himself, but he is a very fortunate boy.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Unfortunately, Steven hung onto the steering wheel
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and knocked himself out and drowned.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It was a terrible shock.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01The sheer size of New South Wales means true wilderness
0:17:01 > 0:17:02is never far away.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Whether it is bush walkers, mountain bikers or climbers, when people
0:17:08 > 0:17:12get into trouble out here, getting help can be an impossible task.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Unless you have one of these.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18PULSATING NOISE
0:17:18 > 0:17:21A lot of bush walkers, a lot of hikers
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and also canyoners go up.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24A lot of them take this.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27We've found a significant amount of people with beacons
0:17:27 > 0:17:30who have been either lost or injured.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32We can home in and then identify
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and get somebody in there to find out what's wrong.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38While they are hard to get hold of and hardly ever used in the UK,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42these personal locator beacons are increasingly common in Australia.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And for many, they have meant the difference between life and death.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Here, there's much more remote areas.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I mean, a lot of people in the company here go do
0:17:51 > 0:17:53a lot of trekking and hiking.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55And they'll always take a beacon
0:17:55 > 0:17:59because it is normally a significant time and distance from any help,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and this will actually get somebody to you pretty quickly.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Today, Mike is getting a call from the Beacon Control Centre.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11We'll see if we can find it. Yep.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14A passenger jet has detected a beacon going off
0:18:14 > 0:18:16somewhere near Newcastle.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Yeah.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20It could be a walker or sailor in trouble,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24so now it is down to Mike and his team to find the beacon.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28All right. All right. Thanks for that. Cheers.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'Departing base.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36'Overhead Newcastle for a beacon search.'
0:18:38 > 0:18:42In order to lock onto the beacon signal,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Mike has to climb to nearly 10,000 feet - that is
0:18:44 > 0:18:49around four times higher than air ambulances usually fly in the UK.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54'Passing 9,000 and still no signal at all.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Then, there is a faint wobble.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59It's the beacon.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Now it is a question of homing in on the signal.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09'8,000, still getting a strong signal.'
0:19:09 > 0:19:12But with an area of hundreds of square miles to cover,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14it's a difficult job.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18How you getting on?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21No, I'm getting nothing.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:19:24 > 0:19:28The crew has now been searching for nearly an hour.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31But Mike has noticed the signal suddenly getting stronger,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33but not from where they would expect.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Let's head down here. It's right underneath us.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Yeah, I reckon it's the dump.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Yep, it's directly under us.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The beacon signal seems to be coming from this rubbish dump
0:19:59 > 0:20:00on the outskirts of Newcastle.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05They've got no choice but to check it out.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08We're just trying to locate the beacon with the hand-held homer.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11It's obviously someone has probably thrown it out with their rubbish,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14the beacon, and it's been turned on.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18They've just got to eliminate
0:20:18 > 0:20:20the activations that are genuine.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Obviously, this is probably an inadvertent activation,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25but they still have to have it turned off.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Sort of wasted resources, really.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Someone obviously hasn't turned it off or they have turned it on
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and just thrown it out for the sake of it,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44knowing what full well will happen.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It's a bit disappointing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Like, we're doing the job to find the beacon,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53but it's a waste when it is at the dump.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The team must find the beacon because if another is activated in
0:20:57 > 0:21:02the area, it'll be very difficult to home in on the genuine emergency.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05But in an Australian summer,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08tips are even less pleasant than those Mike left at home.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14Very frustrating because we have just wasted countless hours of flying
0:21:14 > 0:21:15and people's time.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18There's another job they want us to go and do now anyway.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, a little bit of forethought from people, and dispose of these
0:21:21 > 0:21:24items correctly would save a lot of trouble.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Just pulled it out.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Yeah.- It's out, here.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Probably during the movement of the gear, this has gone off
0:21:41 > 0:21:45and that's what has caused us to be operating for the last...
0:21:45 > 0:21:47two and a bit hours.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49We just found it and turned it off.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I know, I'm a star.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56They were searching with a beacon, I used my foot and I found it.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59HE LAUGHS
0:21:59 > 0:22:03So all this technology you have,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07the left boot does it perfectly.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09No, we're going to take it back to the base
0:22:09 > 0:22:12and we'll get it disposed of properly.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22At the main ambulance service helicopter base in Sydney,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26the triple zero call centre, the Australian equivalent of 999,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28has scrambled Dr Peter Sherrin and the team.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'Helicopter Rescue 23.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'Just after a report or any further information.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Dr Peter has been working here for 12 months.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42He is about to return to the UK to complete his training.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I came out here, really... I took a year out
0:22:44 > 0:22:45after my training
0:22:45 > 0:22:49just to broaden my trauma experience
0:22:49 > 0:22:50and hospital retrieval.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I've done a fair bit of critical care and anaesthetics back home,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57but this is practising in a very different sort of arena.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Dr Peter and a team are on their way to Lithgow,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03a small town 90 miles west of Sydney.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07This is about, yeah, a 2.5, three hour drive from Sydney.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12But by helicopter, we have a flight time of about 25 minutes.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16'Rescue 23 landing at Lithgow.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We've been called to a 10-year-old that has fallen
0:23:18 > 0:23:21through a plate-glass window and has got some deep lacerations
0:23:21 > 0:23:24with possible arterial injuries to the arms.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27It is being controlled with some pressure bandaging and things,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29but needs to go... There's potentially the vascular compromise,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31he needs to go to a paediatric trauma centre.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33So we're just going to pop in, have an assessment
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and then transfer back to Sydney.
0:23:36 > 0:23:3810-year-old Tully was at his dad's house
0:23:38 > 0:23:42when he fell through the window, and he is flying with his son.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I was playing a game with my little sister
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and I smashed through the window.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Tully's mum is driving to the Children's Hospital at Westmead
0:23:51 > 0:23:54in Sydney and will meet him there.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56So, this is Tully, he's ten years old.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01At approximately 4:45 this evening, he's basically fallen through
0:24:01 > 0:24:04a plate-glass window, both hands, and has sustained three deep
0:24:04 > 0:24:06lacerations and no other obvious injuries.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08He has otherwise been stable both from a cardio
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and respiratory points of view and GCS 15 throughout.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Dr Peter is handing Tully over to another Brit.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Dr Simon Binks is an anaesthetist who emigrated to Oz
0:24:20 > 0:24:22with his young family after falling in love
0:24:22 > 0:24:24with the lifestyle.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I came out to Australia
0:24:26 > 0:24:29briefly about ten years ago for two years as a junior doctor
0:24:29 > 0:24:32with my wife. We never really got Australia out of our system.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34We went back home.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38I was last an emergency department consultant in Cheltenham and Gloucester.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I loved that, but the sea, the sand,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43the weather attracted me to come back out here.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46So, I've been on here for just under a year now.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And I have got a small family, they love it.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Spend a lot of time on the beach.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52The work is a little bit more challenging here.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55The emergency department tends to have a bit more scope of practice.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00They tend to do a little bit more with their patients
0:25:00 > 0:25:02than we used to do in the UK.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04He's got good capillary, can turn all fingers.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Can I get you to do a few things, mate?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Can you do that with your hand?
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Yeah. Can you pull this back for me like that?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14And spread your fingers.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15And which one was bleeding the most?
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Did you get a feeling which arm was worse?
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- The bottom one on this one. - The bottom one here?
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Yeah. This one was the biggest, but that was bleeding the most, I said.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24OK.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Tully's mum is suffering from delayed shock.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31The accident happened at his dad's house
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and it was a couple of hours before she got to see Tully for herself.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36I'm sorry, I'm just trying to...
0:25:36 > 0:25:38When it was bleeding, was it squirting,
0:25:38 > 0:25:39like nearly hitting the roof?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- It was squirting, but not hitting...- Not hitting the roof.
0:25:43 > 0:25:49Dr Simon and the team need to see how deep Tully's wounds are
0:25:49 > 0:25:53so they can decide if he needs an operation immediately.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55We have examined Tully's wound with some sedation here
0:25:55 > 0:25:58in the emergency department. We can't treat his wounds here.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59They are too deep.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02We were predicting that from the descriptions we'd heard.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04So he has been examined by the surgeon here
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and he needs to go to the operating theatre for general anaesthetic
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and a full exploration and closure of those wounds.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13They're actually quite deep.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Before his operation, Tully needs a series of X-rays to check
0:26:17 > 0:26:21there aren't any shards of glass left in his arms.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23That would cause further complications
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and could slow his recovery.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Now Tully is about to be taken to X-ray by yet another Brit.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Nurse Jill Gregory has lived in Oz for more than 20 years.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38So, is this the happy gas or is this just me?
0:26:38 > 0:26:39That's just oxygen.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- You've just had a lot of drugs that make you feel a bit weird.- Oh.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I wish it could stay like that for ever and ever.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The pain killer ketamine is making Tully a bit more chatty
0:26:49 > 0:26:50than before.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- How is your day going?- Very good, how is your day?- Very good.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- That's good. - So, we're going to do X-rays
0:26:56 > 0:26:58of both of his arms, just to see if we can see any
0:26:58 > 0:27:01glass in the wound and see if there is any damage to the bones.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03We're not going to take the dressings off
0:27:03 > 0:27:05because of the risk of bleeding, possible bleeding.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Tully, we're just going to do your right arm first, OK?
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Do we have to take the bandage off?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13- No, we're not going to take the bandage off.- Yay!
0:27:16 > 0:27:20The X-rays show that Tully hasn't broken any bones
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and there are no glass splinters in the wounds.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26That means surgeons can operate to close the deep gashes
0:27:26 > 0:27:28in Tully's arms.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48A week is a very long time when you're ten years old.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52And that is how long it has been
0:27:52 > 0:27:55since Tully has been able to move his arms properly.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Can't feed himself, but, yeah,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02it's kind of like permanent Gangnam Style, we've decided,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06he should be a mascot for the Gangnam dance style.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I was jumping on the bed and then I kind of fell
0:28:10 > 0:28:12and smashed through the window,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16but it didn't hurt because I was too shocked... I was in shock.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Tully did manage to keep his arms still enough for the wounds to heal.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23One month after the accident,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27both splints were taken off and he's hoping he will be fit enough
0:28:27 > 0:28:30to start playing football again at the beginning of the season.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd