0:00:02 > 0:00:06When you're with someone that's critically ill or seriously injured,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08every minute can feel like an hour,
0:00:08 > 0:00:14which is why a helicopter like this can be one of the most beautiful sights in the world.
0:00:14 > 0:00:20This is the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and their business is saving lives.
0:00:39 > 0:00:46From the Dales to the big cities of Leeds and Sheffield, patients in the UK's biggest county
0:00:46 > 0:00:52are never more than 10 minutes from a hospital thanks to this 150mph lifesaver.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Every day brings a new life or death emergency for the flying paramedics.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Two helicopters, four paramedics, five million patients.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:01:03 > 0:01:10There's a major crash and the flying doctor is forced to perform surgery at the roadside.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16An injured pensioner has lain all night in the open air,
0:01:16 > 0:01:21but can she survive severe hypothermia?
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The 12-year-old boy whose dad owes him his life.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Toby organised everything.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34And smiling through the pain - a Pennine rambler decides laughter is the best medicine.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36OK, I'm relaxing.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46Yorkshire's flying paramedics deal with some of the worst injuries a medical team can come across.
0:01:46 > 0:01:53They often tackle in the open air cases that would challenge the staff of a fully-equipped casualty unit.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59The trouble is they rarely know what they'll have to deal with before they get there.
0:02:00 > 0:02:07- Road traffic accident? - Yeah, road traffic. Someone's trapped.
0:02:07 > 0:02:15Even when they take off, they have little more than a map reference and a few details from a witness.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19But some locations always mean a serious injury.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24They're heading to a notorious junction on the main road from York to Hull.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Paramedic Lee Davison has been there before.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35Many years ago, there was a massive bus crash on this junction. A kids' school bus. Major incident.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Quite a few seriously injured.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Then they get an update on the satellite phone.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48There are three casualties confirmed
0:02:48 > 0:02:54- with serious injuries. We know now what we're going to. - It's yet another serious accident.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Two cars, head on, with three people injured.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05We're told they've got serious injuries. You think, "Will we need to anaesthetise the patient?
0:03:05 > 0:03:09"Have we got strong painkillers? Morphine?"
0:03:09 > 0:03:15Heavy rain has brought flooding to the Vale of York. Bad news for Heli Med 99.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21The helicopter weighs three tons and can get stuck on wet ground.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26OK, looks like it's underneath now from what we can see.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31There's a nice field there with a gate open.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- Like a paddy field, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:03:39 > 0:03:46A land ambulance crew are treating the driver of this Ford Focus. He's a tourist from Ireland.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52He's conscious and talking. His side of the car has taken all the impact.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56A team of firemen are trying to get him out.
0:03:56 > 0:04:03In the other car, an elderly couple are also trapped. The 70-year-old driver is in a critical condition.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Got a left humeral fracture. The humerus.
0:04:07 > 0:04:13We're just going to extricate this gentleman. The doctor is looking after him at the moment.
0:04:13 > 0:04:20- We'll extricate him as quick as we can.- There are three patients, but only one can go in Heli Med 99.
0:04:20 > 0:04:27- Lee has the answer. - The RAF will back us up with a Sea King helicopter for the next patient.
0:04:27 > 0:04:35The team are working flat out. Dr Andy has an update on their patient - more broken bones.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40Femur's gone. And his pelvis. So we need some fracture splints.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46Former soldier Charles Smith and his wife Eleanor were returning home from a shopping trip
0:04:46 > 0:04:49when he suffered a sudden seizure.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Now they're both trapped in their wrecked Nissan. Charles is seriously hurt,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59with multiple injuries, but Eleanor urgently needs treatment, too.
0:04:59 > 0:05:06- Got any morphine in there, Lee? - It's in my pocket here. Do you want it?- OK, mate, you're doing fine.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11While Lee and Dr Andy get pain relief into their patient,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16paramedic Tony and pilot Steve have another problem to sort out.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- Where can we go? - I'll just go to that bit there.
0:05:21 > 0:05:28Heli Med 99 is sinking in the boggy field and it needs to be moved before it gets stuck.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35It's a short hop over the hedge, but with lorries and buses parked next to your landing pad,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38it's going to be a tight squeeze.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Tony has to marshal Steve in.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And he's down on more solid ground.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51We've relocated our aircraft here. It was too boggy where we was.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55There's an RAF Sea King on its way. That'll take 10-15 minutes.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00I'll take him into that field and then we have two helicopters.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Amazingly, the driver's wife has escaped serious injury.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08She will be going in the Sea King.
0:06:08 > 0:06:15- Have we got a line in? - But their 65-year-old patient is in a critical condition.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20This chap's got serious injuries. His thigh bone is definitely broken.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26Maybe his pelvis, his chest is caved in on the right. He's probably losing blood pressure.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30We don't want to manhandle him.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Pass us that seatbelt...
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Got it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44The problem is to get him out. It's mangled around him. We're struggling with that at the moment.
0:06:44 > 0:06:52- We need him out quickly. - The driver's age is against him. His life is in real danger,
0:06:52 > 0:06:58but removing him too quickly could be just as dangerous as delaying his release.
0:07:02 > 0:07:09Coming up: the medics are overwhelmed with casualties and Charles is worsening.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- OK, OK!- Is it your chest hurting?
0:07:13 > 0:07:18A tree surgeon's fallen 20 feet and his spine could be shattered.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21What's this pain now?
0:07:21 > 0:07:28And I'll be meeting the ramblers whose stroll ended in a rescue operation 1,000 feet up.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I don't want an injection, no.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43The air ambulance covers nearly three miles a minute and speed saves lives,
0:07:43 > 0:07:51but you can't hurry safety and the crew know that lives depend on knowing their jobs inside out.
0:07:52 > 0:08:00You can't get much further away from it all than the Derbyshire Peak District. Hills are rocky and steep,
0:08:00 > 0:08:07the valleys deep and dark. It's beautiful, but the narrow winding roads can be dangerous.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13Heli Med 99 is responding to reports of an accident near the village of Hathersage.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19Details are sketchy, but paramedics Darren and Tony know it's serious.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23We're heading for a location just southwest of Sheffield.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29We've got limited information. There's been a road traffic collision
0:08:29 > 0:08:33where a person has been ejected from the vehicle.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Potential for serious trauma from that scant information.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Setting off from Leeds Bradford Airport, they're 18 minutes away.
0:08:43 > 0:08:50Every minute has to count because this job is about to become far more serious.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It's here. Hathersage railway station.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03- Yeah, got that. - He has been ejected from the car, but they think it was last night.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08He's just been found?
0:09:08 > 0:09:17This job is suddenly more urgent. 66-year-old Margaret Rotherham has been lying in the cold all night
0:09:17 > 0:09:24after jumping out of her car as it crashed off the road. She has severe hypothermia,
0:09:24 > 0:09:30- and needs hospital care fast, but first the crew have to find her. - You just can't see anything.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33There's quite good vision, really.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Ahh, there's a police car on the road down there.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41There's an ambulance there.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45They've got her, but there's a problem.
0:09:45 > 0:09:53The ground is sloping. It's going to be incredibly difficult for pilot Steve to land.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59There wasn't any flat ground anywhere. Everything had a slope.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05Lots and lots of trees, lots of outbuildings. An inordinate amount of wires.
0:10:05 > 0:10:12You can't actually see the gradient of what you're approaching, the severity of it,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16until you're 20 feet from the ground.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Look how sloping it is down there. No chance there.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25- Coming up the hill there's a pumping house.- Yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:32- What about the field with the sheep? - Just below now, where that tree is? Is that the pumping house?
0:10:32 > 0:10:38- Yeah, coming towards us.- The wind is gusting and changing direction.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Steve doesn't know where it's going to come from next.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46There's nowt on my side, mate. Just an iron gate.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52Flying an air ambulance is all about assessing the risks. Steve has to land, but has to be cautious.
0:10:52 > 0:11:00- They're no use to Margaret if they crash.- You're two foot off the ground.- Let's not do that.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06The slope is so steep, Steve can only get one helicopter skid down on the ground.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Tony has no choice. He has to lean outside for a closer look.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13No, Steve...
0:11:13 > 0:11:18We're knackered there, aren't we? Let's have another look up there.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24This landing site is too risky. The team have to find somewhere else.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Does that look flat down there?
0:11:27 > 0:11:30we've scared the sheep again.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36The air ambulance pilots always try to avoid scaring animals, but today Steve has no option.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Tony's spotted a flatter patch of grass and he has to go for it.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44That's it.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We're clear of the dyke. Down left.
0:11:47 > 0:11:53'Our chief pilot, Steve, has got over 4,000 hours'
0:11:53 > 0:11:58of stick time in helicopters. That is a massive amount of experience.
0:11:58 > 0:12:05Any private pilot looking to get a helicopter licence will know how long it takes
0:12:05 > 0:12:09'to accrue that flying experience.
0:12:09 > 0:12:18'I'm confident in the pilots we have, and I'm sure any other air ambulance in the UK is the same.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:24- Hiya, lads. - Tony has finally reached Margaret and she's in a bad way.
0:12:24 > 0:12:31Last night she came over this cliff in her car, ejected herself out of the driver's seat
0:12:31 > 0:12:34landing just up there, face down.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40It's incredible that Margaret has survived, but the delay in landing has already cost valuable time.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Now getting her to hospital is even more urgent.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53Coming up: Margaret's survived 12 hours in the open air, but is a long way from hospital.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Will she make it?
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The RAF are called in to help out at the scene of a major road smash.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03We've got two helicopters now.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11And Mountain Rescue lose their grip as the team come to the aid of an injured walker.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I only had to move to there.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25Not many people ever expect to ride in an ambulance, especially one that flies,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29until an accident or sudden illness makes you the subject of a 999 call.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Today that day came for one unlucky patient.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Yorkshire is one of the UK's greenest counties.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Woodland covers more than 10,000 acres of its countryside,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46which is a great thing unless you're trying to land an air ambulance.
0:13:46 > 0:13:53Forestry is a major industry here and accidents are inevitable with heavy machinery and heavier trees.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Today the crew of Heli Med 99 are scrambling to York
0:13:58 > 0:14:05where tree surgeon Stephen Hartwell has slipped and fallen 20 feet while trimming branches.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12The caller seemed quite distressed and it seems quite serious.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18We've got a doctor on today, so if the patient's got some injuries requiring interventions
0:14:18 > 0:14:22we've got a doctor on and we can do them.
0:14:22 > 0:14:29As Heli Med 99 approaches the farm, Lee finds himself in a friendly race with the ground ambulance
0:14:29 > 0:14:32from his own station in Harrogate.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Ambulance is just coming across the road.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The helicopter is rarely sent to emergencies on its own.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Vehicles often arrive first to start treatment on patients
0:14:44 > 0:14:48who then journey to hospital by air.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54Stephen's in a bad way. He's in pain from a back injury sustained when he hit the ground.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59He was trimming the tree when the accident happened.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Luckily, his son Toby saw his fall and called for help.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07- 1 to 10, what's this pain now? - 10.- It's 10, is it?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Stephen was fortunate. He usually works alone.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15If Toby hadn't called for help, he could still be lying here waiting.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I'll just give you something for pain. You might feel a bit funny.
0:15:20 > 0:15:26Killing pain is one thing, but Stephen could have serious internal injuries
0:15:26 > 0:15:31that are difficult to diagnose before he reaches hospital.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- The doctor is optimistic. - We're quite a way from hospital.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39We've elected to fly him in. It should be a nice journey for him.
0:15:39 > 0:15:46- He seems fairly stable. - If Stephen's spine is damaged, it could be made worse by bumpy roads.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Instead, they'll fly him directly to hospital in nearby Harrogate.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Steve, your t-shirt is history.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59It takes just five minutes from accident scene to hospital.
0:15:59 > 0:16:07Only a full examination will tell if he's escaped serious injury or if his days as a tree surgeon are over.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Four weeks later, Stephen knows what the future holds
0:16:13 > 0:16:18and it involves three months off work while his spine heals.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23The doctors told me I'll be an inch smaller. I'm only 5'8" to start!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I'll finish up being 5'7".
0:16:25 > 0:16:30I broke and fractured the spine halfway down.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35And at the base of the spine it's all crushed downwards.
0:16:35 > 0:16:42I've never felt pain like it. I'm just glad my little boy was there to phone...
0:16:42 > 0:16:45..the ambulance and my wife to come.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Toby organised everything. I was writhing about in agony.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Not only does Stephen's son know what to do in a crisis,
0:16:54 > 0:17:01he's helping out with the cooking while Dad's laid up and only able to walk in a full body brace.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06I was thinking he might have broken his back. I know that is serious.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And I knew the tree was quite high.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15So I knew he might have done some damage to his back.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17That smells nice.
0:17:17 > 0:17:23I didn't expect a helicopter to come. I just thought an ambulance would come.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Then a helicopter started circling the house.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Yeah, really proud of him. That's my boy.
0:17:37 > 0:17:45Coming up: the motorist who survived a night in the open air, but a hospital bed is what she needs.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Exposure puts them in real jeopardy.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52And the rambler whose cheerfulness astonished her rescuers.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56If I go to Lancaster, push my phone down my front!
0:18:03 > 0:18:09Rain, hail or high winds, the air ambulance crew will deal with all if they can get off the ground,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12but sometimes saving lives means overcoming more than weather.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18Two cars have had a head-on smash on the busy road between York and Hull.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25There are three casualties, but only room for one in Heli Med 99.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31The RAF will back us up with a Sea King helicopter for the next patient.
0:18:31 > 0:18:38- Just relax. - With the RAF on the way, paramedic Lee and Dr Andy begin work
0:18:38 > 0:18:40on the most critically injured.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Slide this down in back of you.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Is that pain really bad? Andy, I want rid of this coat.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Is he tangled in it?
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Just watch this arm. It's completely broken, smashed.
0:18:57 > 0:19:0470-year-old Charles Smith has a broken shoulder, hip and pelvis and serious chest injuries,
0:19:04 > 0:19:10but before they treat him they need to get him out of his car, but he is stuck.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13He won't come out like that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19As well as all his other broken bones, Charles could have a serious back injury.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24They need a rigid spinal board behind him before they move him,
0:19:24 > 0:19:30but the impact of the crash has compacted the car and they're struggling.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36Despite having been given morphine, Lee's elderly patient is in great pain.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40OK, all right. OK.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45Lee's found out that his patient has osteoporosis - brittle bones.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49They must take extra care in moving him.
0:19:49 > 0:19:55'He had multiple fractures - chest and pelvis, one of the major bones in his right leg, his arm,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59'so it was very difficult for us to extricate him.'
0:19:59 > 0:20:04What you don't want to do is make an injury worse than it already is.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Fractures sometimes are closed and haven't come through the skin,
0:20:09 > 0:20:15but moving a patient incorrectly can bring that fracture and the bone through the skin,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18with further risk of infection, which we don't want.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Can you take his head?
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Whilst Lee and Dr Andy treat their patient,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31paramedic Tony Wilkes has a different job to do.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36The RAF Sea King helicopter is overhead and Tony must guide it in.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40That's an add-on you wouldn't normally be expected to do.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45We're trained in marshalling aircraft, choosing landing sites,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48to be aware of potential hazards.
0:20:48 > 0:20:55'We can reccy a potential landing site. We can often contact the pilot as he is inbound
0:20:55 > 0:21:02'and explain any possible hazards that we can see, point out the wind direction to him
0:21:02 > 0:21:06'and make sure he has as safe a landing as possible.'
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Oh!
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Finally, the firemen manage to prise the car apart,
0:21:12 > 0:21:19to free up the driver's seat and very carefully they can get their patient out.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25And down. Your wife's in the ambulance now. She's fine.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The helicopter will be a minute.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It's the first time the paramedics can fully assess his injuries.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37- And there's a problem. - All right, OK, OK!
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Is it your chest that's hurting?
0:21:41 > 0:21:46His lung has collapsed and he can't breathe properly.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51Dr Andy Pountney will have to operate on him straight away.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04Coming up: they've been together for a lifetime, but paramedics must split up an elderly couple
0:22:04 > 0:22:06to save the husband's life.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Definitely a fractured femur.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16Up in the Dales, there's a major rescue operation for a walker with a broken ankle.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18No, I don't want an injection.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Let's catch up with the team up in the hills.
0:22:28 > 0:22:34In the Peak District, 66-year-old Margaret Rotherham has severe hypothermia.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38She's been out in the elements all night after crashing her car.
0:22:38 > 0:22:47Heli Med 99 pilot Steve has battled wind and difficult terrain to land and get paramedics to the scene.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53But the delayed landing means it's even more crucial to get Margaret warm fast.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59It's not exactly clear what's happened, but it looks like she threw herself from the car
0:22:59 > 0:23:06after careering off her own drive. On a night of freezing temperatures, she's lucky to be alive.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10OK, we've got an elderly female.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16She's cold. No other injuries apart from pain to her left wrist and right upper leg.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22There's no time to waste. Margaret has to be moved immediately.
0:23:22 > 0:23:29'Patients that have been suffering from exposure, at any age, are in real jeopardy.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:34Any kind of drugs that you give them don't move round the body as well
0:23:34 > 0:23:38because the peripheries shut down. If you warm them too quickly,
0:23:38 > 0:23:44and have given them large amounts of drugs, the drugs rush through and cause all sorts of anomalies
0:23:44 > 0:23:47which could possibly kill them.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Back at base, dispatcher Dave scrambles a land ambulance to meet the chopper when it lands
0:23:53 > 0:23:56at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00We'll be flying a patient in to you in 10 minutes.
0:24:00 > 0:24:06It's only a 300-yard drive from pad to Casualty, but today seconds count.
0:24:06 > 0:24:13She's been involved in an RTA last night, apparently down an embankment where she crashed into a wall.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Someone's just found her this morning.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21She's got a wrist and leg injury, not sure if they're fractured.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But she is severely hypothermic.
0:24:25 > 0:24:32- Margaret, we'll get you wrapped up. - The team put her into a special insulated sleeping bag.
0:24:32 > 0:24:39Not only will it start warming her up, but the carry handles help on the steep walk to the helicopter.
0:24:39 > 0:24:46- Watch your feet here. - Margaret's condition is serious, but this is dangerous terrain
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and the team can't risk rushing.
0:24:48 > 0:24:55If we just start wheeling her feet down, then we'll put her down in line with our stretcher.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Once they're airborne, they'll be in Sheffield in just four minutes.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- Got any pain anywhere?- No...
0:25:04 > 0:25:08We'll get you up to our monitors and stuff.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Can I just have your sleeve? Good job you had this jacket on!
0:25:13 > 0:25:19Even though she's freezing, Darren has to cut through the coat that kept Margaret alive.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25- Pop this on your finger, Margaret. - It's vital he gets monitoring equipment on to her
0:25:25 > 0:25:28in case her condition gets worse,
0:25:28 > 0:25:34especially since it's now clear that she's also broken one or both of her wrists.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38'She'd sustained minor injuries, if you call fractured wrists minor,'
0:25:38 > 0:25:45but the most important aspect of the patient's condition to us was the hypothermia.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51'Hypothermia's always more of a problem for elderly people who are more infirm
0:25:51 > 0:25:56'and not quite as active and don't always dress for the situation.'
0:25:56 > 0:26:03Margaret has Parkinson's disease. She'd been dressed for a local dance when the crash happened,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07making her survival in thin trousers and coat all the more remarkable.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12The air ambulance crew have done all they can,
0:26:12 > 0:26:19but with her injuries and severe hypothermic state, her survival is still uncertain.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26For three nights, doctors at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital treated Margaret.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Her temperature was slowly raised, her broken bones set,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and after just a week she's sitting up in bed.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42Nurses don't often talk about miracles, but Margaret's survival is about as close as you can get.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49I was trying to do a three-point turn
0:26:49 > 0:26:55and the drive seemed to be sliding away from me, getting out of control.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00And I just opened the door and got out as fast as I could.
0:27:00 > 0:27:07I thought, "I've got to really pull myself up," but I couldn't find anything to hold on to.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12I could see the stars coming out and I know I called out
0:27:12 > 0:27:17if there was anybody there to come and help me.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Nothing happened and nobody came.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24I didn't know whether I would survive the night or not.
0:27:24 > 0:27:30And then I heard these voices saying...calling my name
0:27:30 > 0:27:36and saying they'd got help and the air ambulance was coming.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I think I must have passed out again.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I went in and out of consciousness.
0:27:43 > 0:27:50Doctors believe the constant tremors caused by Margaret's Parkinson's disease may have helped her survive,
0:27:50 > 0:27:55maintaining the circulation in her limbs as the temperatures plunged.
0:27:55 > 0:28:02The good news is she's now back at home in the Peak District and recovering well from her ordeal.
0:28:06 > 0:28:13There's no traffic congestion in the sky, but teaching a patient still has its problems.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18For a start, they've got to find them and that's not simple.
0:28:18 > 0:28:25It's an idyllic Dales day and from Heli Med 98 you get a good view of what's going on.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31It's a very popular spot, especially in glorious weather like this.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33The walkers are out in force.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37It attracts a lot of people. Beautiful country.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40What could possibly go wrong?
0:28:41 > 0:28:45- Oh!- Margaret Hodgson has fallen badly on the fells above her home.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Heli Med 98 is on the way.
0:28:48 > 0:28:54It has some of the most sophisticated sat nav gear that you can get,
0:28:54 > 0:29:00but what you need to spot a patient on a fellside from 500 feet up is more basic.
0:29:00 > 0:29:07- Look at your two o'clock. - You need an experienced flight crew with good eyesight.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Ohh!
0:29:08 > 0:29:14There's 200 square miles of this in the Dales, mostly home to sheep,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17but they have spotted Margaret.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Now they've got to land, but this isn't a flat heli pad.
0:29:21 > 0:29:28Margaret has fallen on a steep slope and pilot Tim's job is to land £1.5m-worth of chopper next to her.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31This is the flattest bit here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:39- Are we putting down here? - It's got to be safe and it's not going to be easy.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44But this bit is too steep and the helicopter could topple over.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50- Pilot Tim Taylor needs help from the back seat. - OK, you're fine this side.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Paul guides Tim in the last crucial couple of feet and they're down.
0:29:54 > 0:30:00They can shut the engines down and get on with treating the patient.
0:30:00 > 0:30:07Today's landing pad is Constitution Hill, above the North Yorkshire market town of Settle.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Picked a nice day for it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15Margaret was out for a walk with her friend Yvonne when she slipped and fell.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20- I'm Paul.- Hiya, Paul. I think I broke my ankle.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25The first thing Paul needs to do is get her shoe off to see the damage,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28but the ankle is really sore.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- Aaah!- Paul tries to keep Margaret talking to take her mind off it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36She doesn't need much encouragement.
0:30:36 > 0:30:44We've had this most beautiful walk. We went down the lane and right round. It's been gorgeous.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- I only had to make it to that gate. - Paul's plan is working.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53Whilst Margaret does the talking, he's got her shoe off.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58- Have you been to the pub yet? - No!- We haven't been yet!
0:30:58 > 0:31:04Without the anaesthetic of a pub lunch, it's clear that even Paul's conversation
0:31:04 > 0:31:11won't entirely take Margaret's mind off the pain she's in. She's going to need extra pain relief.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16It's the same stuff that's used in childbirth.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19It's a long time since she had that!
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Ohhh! OHH!
0:31:22 > 0:31:28The crew have now realised that Margaret has her own unique way to deal with the agony she's in.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34Paul knows that even the most good-humoured patient will struggle with the next bit
0:31:34 > 0:31:41- and Margaret is understandably tense.- Try not to tense up. It's contracting your muscles.- OK.
0:31:41 > 0:31:47- I'm relaxing.- I'm not sure if that was really convincing.
0:31:48 > 0:31:55It may be beautiful, but it's remote. They'll need help carrying Margaret to the helicopter.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00Mountain Rescue have come along to lend a hand.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05But even they struggle with the slope.
0:32:07 > 0:32:13- All right, you're going back. Relax. - Take some deep breaths, Margaret. Deep breaths, Margaret.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17Meanwhile, there's more drama at the top of the hill.
0:32:17 > 0:32:24Margaret has nearly exhausted all the gas and air and she's still very audibly in considerable pain.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Ohhh! That hurts!
0:32:27 > 0:32:31If the pain gets too much for you, we'll give you an injection.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34No, I don't want an injection.
0:32:34 > 0:32:42- Ohhh! No, that's six! Going rapidly - seven, eight, nine! - Take some of this gas and air.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47Margaret, you're missing your mouth. That was in your ear!
0:32:47 > 0:32:52The news of Margaret's predicament is spreading far and wide.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Your mother's broke her ankle. We've got an air ambulance.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01It turns out Margaret and the Fell Rescue Team are old friends.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Ah, Margaret!
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Has she been fantasising again?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- Have you got hold of my son?- Yes!
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Margaret has made this one of their more memorable fellside rescues.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19- Are you normally this jolly, Margaret?- Yeah!
0:33:19 > 0:33:22She's the highlight of parties!
0:33:22 > 0:33:27- Here you come, Margaret. - Are you local, Margaret?- Very.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31We'll not take off without telling you where we're going.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36If I go to Lancaster, push my phone down my front!
0:33:36 > 0:33:42With Margaret and Yvonne still discussing where to put her phone, the crew get on the road.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47We'll fly her to Airedale. She's in pain, but quite stable.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52Quite jolly, really. We'll get her leg sorted there.
0:33:52 > 0:33:58The slope is causing a problem for Tim who has turned himself into a human counterweight
0:33:58 > 0:34:04- by standing on the chopper's skid. - I'm in shock, Yvonne!- Of course!
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I'm putting weight on the front end.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13If people start rocking the end, it might turn into a bit of a seesaw.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18- Yvonne! Yvonne!- Meanwhile, back at the patient loading bay,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22whilst the paramedics carry on their work, drama continues around them.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Take my engagement ring off! Take my engagement ring off.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Right. One...two.
0:34:34 > 0:34:41Margaret's afternoon stroll is ending with a short ride to hospital 20 miles away.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44- OK, Margaret?- Yeah.- Good.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50Like most people living in the Dales, she's a big fan of her rescuers.
0:34:52 > 0:34:59Ramblers aren't good at putting their feet up and despite not being able to stand on that leg,
0:34:59 > 0:35:05- she and Yvonne have come to thank the rescuers.- Eight minutes to hospital...- From where you were.
0:35:05 > 0:35:11It's about an hour's drive. It could have been longer by road.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16- So these guys got you there in eight minutes instead of an hour?- Yes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20- Over an hour.- Wonderful. - Has it put you off hillwalking?
0:35:20 > 0:35:27Definitely not! Frustrated me...! I'm a dreadful patient. I'm staying with my sister
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and I'm making her life hell!
0:35:30 > 0:35:36- You don't want to know. - No, you don't, but we've promised not to fall out.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- It really is frustrating.- What about the recovery now? How long?
0:35:40 > 0:35:46- Six weeks before I can put my foot to the floor. Then I don't know.- A bit of rehab.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51- Then back out.- Hopefully! - With your rescue buddies!- Yes!
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I'm taking them out for a meal! Or a pint.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01- You kept your spirits up when this happened. Still keeping a positive, brave face?- Definitely.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06- When they were treating you... It was a broken leg!- I know!
0:36:06 > 0:36:13- Her language was a bit ripe! - People who I knew really well were walking past me and said,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17"Oh, Margaret, are you having a rest?"
0:36:17 > 0:36:24In fact, I've got some wonderful photos. One of my friends was snapping away with his camera!
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Oh, yes.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31- It was funny.- It was all round Settle. Everybody knew about it.
0:36:31 > 0:36:37- So you thought you'd keep your spirits up...- Yes. There was nothing I could do about it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42It had happened, you know. Frustratingly, but it had happened.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Good for you. I hope you make a full recovery.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Thank you so much. I'm sure I will.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Now let's catch up on that story we brought you earlier.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06On a main road near York, a major rescue operation involving emergency services and the RAF
0:37:06 > 0:37:13is underway. Three people are badly injured after an elderly driver suffered a seizure at the wheel.
0:37:13 > 0:37:21His car swerved across the road and hit a hatchback driven by an Irish tourist, head-on.
0:37:21 > 0:37:28You don't get road traffic collisions any worse than this, really. Head-on collision at speed.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Both cars devastated, occupants with severe injuries.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'It was a serious accident.'
0:37:34 > 0:37:40Charles and Eleanor have been together for 40 years,
0:37:40 > 0:37:46but now the medical team must make a difficult decision if he's to survive his multiple injuries.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52We had to think quickly about how to transport both patients.
0:37:52 > 0:37:59And we obviously sought back up and that came from the military with a search and rescue team.
0:37:59 > 0:38:05But there's a problem. As they're married, ideally you take them both to the same hospital,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08but that's not possible.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12The problem is LGI has only one at a time on the heli pad.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17we're going to a different place from them because of space.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Just be careful with that finger fracture.
0:38:25 > 0:38:31With Charles out of the car, the medical team can thoroughly examine their patient.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36He's got very low blood pressure, maybe a fractured pelvis, definitely femur.
0:38:36 > 0:38:43- As well as the many broken bones, they notice a life-threatening injury.- Is your chest hurting?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46All right.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Charlie can't breathe properly.
0:38:49 > 0:38:55- His lung has collapsed. - He had some serious chest and lower limb injuries.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58He had difficulty breathing, was very pale,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01'needed critical interventions.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:04We're going to help your breathing.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07I'm putting a chest drain in.
0:39:07 > 0:39:13Dr Andy Pountney has to perform emergency surgery at the roadside.
0:39:13 > 0:39:19Making an incision in somebody's chest wall and putting a tube in to inflate somebody's lungs,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23it's a lifesaving procedure, which this patient did need.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27'It was a quite successful procedure and probably saved his life.'
0:39:27 > 0:39:33You're doing very well, Charlie. You must have been a soldier. Haven't heard you scream yet.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38He needs to get a tube into his chest, called a chest drain.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44If he's successful, the lung will start to work again.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51But doing an operation like this at an accident scene is risky.
0:39:51 > 0:39:57Eleanor is already on her way to hospital by RAF helicopter.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05OK, Sarah, does that hurt? It'll help with your breathing.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09You're doing really well.
0:40:09 > 0:40:16Dr Andy is the only person who can give Charlie a realistic chance of seeing his wife again.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24Apart from infection, there can be other serious complications.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29OK, that's all right.
0:40:31 > 0:40:38These injuries would be serious for a man half his age. 30 miles away, a trauma team is waiting
0:40:38 > 0:40:41for Heli Med 99's arrival.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Steve, is he confirmed for LGI?
0:40:46 > 0:40:49LGI's confirmed, all right.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54- Breathing still feeling OK, Charlie? - Yeah.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59- Good lad.- Charlie must be carefully monitored for the 15-minute flight.
0:41:02 > 0:41:08Whilst Steve the pilot negotiates the traffic and the wires to take off safely,
0:41:08 > 0:41:16in the back of the helicopter Lee and Andy are concerned that Charlie could get worse.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20I don't know. Looks like his chest is tightening.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Charlie, keep your arms straight.
0:41:26 > 0:41:34- He had chest pains when he lost control of the car. - Did he?- Yeah, apparently.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38They're worried that he may have had some form of seizure.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43Did chest pain cause him to lose control of the vehicle?
0:41:43 > 0:41:49He's sustained serious injuries, but at the moment his blood pressure is low, but stable.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55We're being cautious with fluids. He's had a nerve block in his leg which makes the leg go numb
0:41:55 > 0:42:02to help the pain from the broken bone, which seems to have worked for the moment.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09He's struggling, to be honest.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Down onto the pad.
0:42:16 > 0:42:23Heli Med 99 gave Charlie the only chance he had of survival, but not all cases have happy outcomes.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Charlie's now home, but his injuries were very serious
0:42:27 > 0:42:33and he's likely to live with the medical consequences for the rest of his life.
0:42:33 > 0:42:40That's all from Helicopter Heroes. But when we come back...the crew are called to their oldest ever patient.
0:42:40 > 0:42:4490 years old and stranded in her moorland home.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Our neighbour's three miles away.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52A man suffers 20% burns after a bizarre accident.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Freak weather brings chaos to one of the busiest motorways.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03It's hailstones, then blue sky!
0:43:05 > 0:43:11And the sporting injuries that keep the flying paramedics busy.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14He landed on his head and shoulders.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2008
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk