0:00:02 > 0:00:08When you're critically ill or seriously injured, every minute you wait for aid 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.
0:00:40 > 0:00:47From the Dales to Leeds and Sheffield, patients are never more than 10 minutes from a hospital
0:00:47 > 0:00:56thanks to this 150-mile-an-hour lifesaver and every day brings a new life and death emergency.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Two helicopters, four paramedics, five million patients.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05Today on Helicopter Heroes: the crew are called to their oldest patient,
0:01:05 > 0:01:1090 years old and stranded in her moorland home.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Our neighbours are 3 miles away.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17A man suffers 20% burns after a bizarre accident.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Freak weather brings chaos to one of Yorkshire's busiest motorways.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Everywhere else is clear blue sky.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36And the sporting injuries that keep the flying paramedics busy.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40He landed forward on his head and shoulders.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Millions of people dream of having a view like this from their home,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51but life in a national park is not as perfect as those of us in cities might think.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57The Yorkshire Dales cover 7,000 miles of national park.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03It's a landscape visitors can and do get lost in and this is home to a shrinking population
0:02:03 > 0:02:10prepared to put up with the isolation of living in one of Britain's most remote areas.
0:02:10 > 0:02:152,000 feet up on the fells, one of the Dales' oldest residents needs help.
0:02:15 > 0:02:22This 300-year-old farmhouse, three miles from the nearest road is owned by 90-year-old Joan Currington.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26'She came here about 40 years ago.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:30As a divorcee with three children.
0:02:30 > 0:02:37Two local paramedics have hitched a lift from a neighbour after their ambulance got stuck two miles away.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43We're next door neighbours - three miles away! We live at the edge of the road
0:02:43 > 0:02:50and her drive starts there, three-and-a-half miles of green lanes and rubble tracks.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56- Let's put this around you, sweetheart.- I have a son-in-law at the moment...
0:02:56 > 0:03:03flying those awful things that scream all over the place.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08Mrs Currington collapsed in her home and she has a nasty head wound.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11You're not feeling yourself, really.
0:03:11 > 0:03:18With a patient of this age, any injury is serious. The question is how to get her to hospital.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23Miles from anywhere and no road to it, no hard standing road.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's very isolated.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31And that's why Heli Med 99 is on its way to a small dot on a large map.
0:03:31 > 0:03:37We're going to a dwelling in the middle of nowhere, looking at the contour lines.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42It's paramedic Tony Wilkes' job to find Mrs Currington's home.
0:03:42 > 0:03:49As you can see from the cockpit, it's just acre after acre of open moorland.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54It sometimes makes navigating quite difficult.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57We're looking out for a reservoir.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'York Control.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Our ETA is 1746.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Do you have an update available? Over.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'I'm afraid we don't have an update from the land ambulance.
0:04:12 > 0:04:20'They've lost all mobile phone contact due to the remoteness of the location. Over.'
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Straight ahead of us now.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Yeah, that could be it.
0:04:25 > 0:04:31One o'clock. Red car in field. We're just directly on top now.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Landing on the fell is like stepping back in time.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43The people of the Dales are as rugged as the hills they live in. Mrs Currington has no mains water,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47electricity or gas, but she has had medical care.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53Dr Jones comes up on his horse once or twice a week and that's it, really.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Hello. Smells delightful in here.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- What have you been up to today? - I haven't been up to anything.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- It seems they do things to me. - Oh, dear.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- How old are you? - SHE SIGHS
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- I had my 90th birthday a week ago. - Fantastic!
0:05:15 > 0:05:20I'd hoped to forget it, and everybody reminds me!
0:05:20 > 0:05:26Mrs Currington is used to going days on end without visitors. Today she has a houseful.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32But there's a mystery. She can't remember where she collapsed and the paramedics don't know why.
0:05:32 > 0:05:39- The lady doesn't know if she's fallen or not. - I think I must have done,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41cos I'm a bit battered.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47It's information they need to know before deciding if it's safe to fly her.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Mrs Currington has had a fall and has some confusion.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57We're not sure when she fell. It could have been yesterday, just in the kitchen or downstairs.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02She's not presenting with anything sinister, but she lives by herself,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08has lived in this wonderful home for 30 years and I'd like to check that it's nothing nasty.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18Coming up: Sammy searches for the cause of Mrs Currington's illness
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- in a house where time stood still. - No evidence of falling.
0:06:23 > 0:06:30A spring snowstorm turns the motorway and paramedic Pat can't believe his eyes.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Everywhere else is clear blue sky!
0:06:34 > 0:06:39And a rugby player is airlifted from the pitch after a tackle goes wrong.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Paramedics carry some of the strongest painkillers available,
0:06:49 > 0:06:56but when a patient is badly burnt, new treatments help make life more comfortable.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Grass track racing is a popular sport in Yorkshire.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04All you need is an old banger, a few tools and plenty of spare time.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10But at a farm near Selby, one racing driver has been involved in a freak accident.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15We've got a gentleman who's been draining fuel from his racing car.
0:07:15 > 0:07:24For some reason it caught fire and he's got quite severe burns to his head and face.
0:07:24 > 0:07:31Paramedics Paul Bradbury and Simon Cavanagh know burns victims can be the hardest patients to treat.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37About 10 minutes' flight time. I think there's no ambulances nearby.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41They might respond before we get there.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Pilot Steve Cobb has other things on his mind.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54The patient's home is right under the flight path into one of the north's busiest flying clubs
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and the weekend pilots are airborne.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02- Look for students. - Well, the airfield's there.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09They finally manage to touch down safely at the family farm.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- How's he burnt himself? - Took his petrol out of the race car.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And he went to light a fire
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and had petrol on his hands.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26- Is it just his hands? - His hand, his arm and his...
0:08:26 > 0:08:33Richard Spencer's dad believes his son was trying to light a bonfire when fuel on his clothes ignited.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Just there. There you are.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Richard is desperately trying to bathe his burnt face.
0:08:43 > 0:08:49He's in agony, but with burns that's good news. The most serious cases have little or no discomfort
0:08:49 > 0:08:53because fire has damaged the nerves in the skin.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59The good news is, strangely, because it's very painful you haven't done a lot of damage.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03You'll be blistered for a bit. We'll get decent dressings on.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08They have an unconventional but effective treatment for burns.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13A wet mask cools and protects the face and helps prevent scarring.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19But when you're cutting out eye holes against the clock, it's easy to get your fingers in the way.
0:09:19 > 0:09:26Might be fingernail in this one! OK, now don't be alarmed, but it's like a mask.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31It's got cooling gel on. We'll get this on, Richard.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Better?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Is that better? Cooler?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43We'll wrap clingfilm round this.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Clingfilm is also a useful treatment for the paramedics.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52It stops air getting to the burns on his arms and reduces the pain.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58Richard's home is out of the way and the helicopter has beaten local paramedics to the scene.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04Now they're all lending a hand to ensure he gets to a burns unit as quickly as possible.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11Superficial burns caused by petrol to his face,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13both arms
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and a little bit of his neck.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18GCS 15.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Up to Control now.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27Hi, Chris. We're with him now. Five minutes there.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31He's got probably 25% burns, superficial burns.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35They're the best type to have. They'll heal.
0:10:35 > 0:10:42We're trying to numb the pain. If that doesn't work, I'll give him morphine to numb it even more,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44but he's not too bad, thankfully.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49In one way at least, Richard has been lucky.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54His home is less than 20 miles from the regional burns unit in Wakefield.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Its surgeons are experts in treating injuries like this.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04We've more or less controlled his pain.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I'm not going to muck around.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12I'm just getting an idea what his pulse is like
0:11:12 > 0:11:17and basically how he is. He's got no other injuries.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Heli Med 99.
0:11:20 > 0:11:27Richard's a motorsport nut, but he won't be driving his car for a while.
0:11:27 > 0:11:33They think his burns are minor, but it will be some time before doctors know how his skin will recover.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44Coming up: Richard's burns cover 20% of his body. Will he be able to drive again?
0:11:46 > 0:11:52Sammy tries to solve a medical mystery in the home of a 90-year-old accident victim.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55No evidence of falling in there.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00And the team face a difficult rescue after a runner falls in the woods.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03A big crack, like bone snapping.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13The weather plays a big part in the lives of the Heli Med crew.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18But sometimes the forecast doesn't tell the whole story.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Yorkshire is the UK's electricity powerhouse,
0:12:22 > 0:12:28with three huge power stations turning coal into instant energy 24 hours a day.
0:12:28 > 0:12:34On a summer's day, their huge clouds of steam are great landmarks for the Heli Med crews.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42But in winter they are associated with a weird weather phenomenon.
0:12:42 > 0:12:49And today Heli Med 99 pilot Matt Niven is about to find out all about it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- There it is now, Matt.- Visual.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Got traffic moving on that one.
0:12:55 > 0:13:02The team are on their way to a road accident in the shadow of the giant Ferrybridge power station.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Reports are coming in that there's a female trapped.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It's quite a foggy morning.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15We're having difficulty finding them through the mist.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21There's lots of things to consider with road accidents - your own safety, how many casualties,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26triaging, that sort of thing. Then you've got to get to Casualty.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30You assess the severity of their injuries and plan what to do.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Over much of Yorkshire, it's a typical early spring day,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39but down on the A1 motorway, something odd is going on -
0:13:39 > 0:13:44hail and snow are bringing chaos to one of Yorkshire's busiest roads.
0:13:44 > 0:13:50But the snowstorm appears to be only two miles across, centred on the power station's cooling towers.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54This sort of weather simply isn't in the textbooks.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00And for Matt Niven it's making planning a landing
0:14:00 > 0:14:05in an area littered with power cables an even bigger nightmare.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10We've got a large set of wires to the right and crossing the road.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I don't think anywhere's ideal.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- I'll stick it down here. Happy?- Yeah.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30A woman in a hatchback has spun and hit the crash barrier.
0:14:30 > 0:14:37It's not surprising. Dr Andy Pountney and paramedic Pat Greaken find the road like a skating rink.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Hello.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47The driver is shaken up and complaining of pains in her neck.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Take that in for me. All right. I've done the heart.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56She's been very lucky to escape so lightly from the impact.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01I think you've just got whiplash. It's really going to stiffen up, OK?
0:15:01 > 0:15:07- Give yourself some Ibuprofen. Tomorrow you'll feel stiff as a board.- Yeah.- OK.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10The key is to keep moving.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16The hailstones keep falling. Down the road it's bright sunshine as it is two minutes further north.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22It's weird. There's hailstones. Everywhere else is blue sky.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Must get moisture from the cooling towers.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Causing this freak hail storm.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36The fire service are concerned this may not be the last accident.
0:15:36 > 0:15:42Soon the casualties are piling up - a Merc spins off into the banking.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48The local emergency services are stretched to the limit
0:15:48 > 0:15:54and Dr Andy and Pat are taking their share of the workload.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58We're just going to look at these other casualties.
0:15:58 > 0:16:04The driver of a very bent Audi is recovering in the back of a fire engine.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Let's have a good look at him. ..Just turn towards me.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18That needs at least glue, maybe a couple of stitches.
0:16:18 > 0:16:24He's not badly hurt, but back in the fast lane, the chaos is continuing.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28The number of smashed-up vehicles is approaching double figures
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and many of the victims are baffled.
0:16:31 > 0:16:38It was sunny in Bradford. Get to here and it were dull, but this is like an ice rink.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44Even the medics are in trouble. This collision with a pick-up truck shook an ambulance man
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and the motorist has pains in his neck.
0:16:47 > 0:16:54- Does that hurt anywhere else? - There.- That side feel OK? Outside feel OK?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57The weather was absolutely fine.
0:16:57 > 0:17:04As soon as I've come onto the A1 northbound, it is as you see it and, unfortunately, I was hit.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08We're patrolling the M62 today. It's nothing like this.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12I started spinning round there, hit the barrier and ambulance.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15It's spring, believe it or not!
0:17:17 > 0:17:24Despite the dangerous conditions that led to the accidents, none of the victims was seriously hurt
0:17:24 > 0:17:26and they went to hospital by road.
0:17:28 > 0:17:37Heli Med 99 is free to return to base...or it will be when Matt clears the snow from its rotors.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Coming up: a racing driver's being treated for serious burns.
0:17:47 > 0:17:55- Did the medical mask make a difference?- Petrol on you takes a long while to evaporate.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00And a teenage show jumper is in agony. Has her fall aggravated an old injury?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02She's fractured her spine before?
0:18:07 > 0:18:14Giving hospital doctors the full story on a patient's accident is a vital part of a paramedic's job,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19but sometimes finding out the truth can be tricky.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25In the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, Heli Med 99's flown to the rescue of 90-year-old Joan Currington,
0:18:25 > 0:18:32who lives alone on a 2,000-foot hilltop. She's collapsed, injuring her head,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35but the paramedics need to know why.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39She doesn't know what she's done. She's in a mess.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Whereabouts did it happen?
0:18:42 > 0:18:49Sammy Wills thinks the answer is somewhere in her rambling, 300-year-old house.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51That's what you call a storeroom.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56She's got black stuff on her, but doesn't know where she's fallen.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Where's the coal? It looks like a coal fire.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06Sammy decides to search for clues. Mrs Currington's coal-stained hands could be a lead.
0:19:06 > 0:19:12No evidence of falling in there. It is quite cold in here. No evidence of falling.
0:19:12 > 0:19:19We're going with the worst case scenario, if she fell from her stairs. Quite a gentle slope,
0:19:19 > 0:19:27- but even now there's no blood. - Finally, they find traces of blood near to her coal-fired stove.
0:19:27 > 0:19:34No one's saying it, but it could be carbon monoxide poisoning. If so, she needs a hospital check-up.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Looks like she fell last night. She's got a big bump to her head.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Other than that, she's relatively well.
0:19:43 > 0:19:52It's taken ground paramedics half an hour to drive here up steep tracks from the valley below.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's no way for a lady born during WWI to travel.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59We're just making a game plan.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03These guys had to travel three miles over a dirt track.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08We don't have a carrying chair to get her to the aircraft.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12We'll bring the stretcher to here. She has been up and walking.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16She's surprised she has to go to hospital, but we explained.
0:20:16 > 0:20:23Pilot Steve Cobb is a cat lover and he also has the welfare of her pets in mind.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28- Sammy, she needs to leave food for the cat.- Right.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- We'll fly you to Harrogate... - But how will she feel about flying?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36# Here we go... #
0:20:38 > 0:20:45- Can you see it there? - Oh!- Close enough?- Almost exactly where I would have out it!
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Tell him where would have been best.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52- I've never had so much attention in all my life.- You deserve it.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56All we'll ask you to do now is sit down.
0:20:56 > 0:21:03Mrs Currington's never been afraid of technology. During the war, she was a BBC recording engineer.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Now she's looking forward to a flight in Heli Med 99.
0:21:07 > 0:21:14Oh, snug as a bug. So your cats are taken care of. Your home will be locked up.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18And they've got your daughter's phone number. Ready for a ride?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- Everything seems to be perfect. - Good. OK, then.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28At 90 years old, Mrs Currington is about to break a record for Helimed 99.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33I think that's a new record for us, if we can get her in the aircraft.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Apparently, she's quite stubborn, so we shall see.
0:21:37 > 0:21:44This is why the Air Ambulance is here because otherwise there would be no help for this lady.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It's quite out the way.
0:21:47 > 0:21:53- I have to say "Oi" to people because I don't know... - Sorry, I'm Sammy and this is Tony.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59Today's patient was in her 20s when the first successful helicopter took to the skies
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and this is her first flight.
0:22:02 > 0:22:08The crew know elderly patients can find flying a frightening experience.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Coming up, will Mrs Currington think twice about flying
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and can she cope with a high-speed flight to hospital?
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?
0:22:24 > 0:22:30And the Strictly Come Dancing star they call The Dazzler drops in to meet his namesake.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I can just see you in a tutu!
0:22:38 > 0:22:45Paramedics often leave patients at the hospital door and predicting how they will recover is difficult.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48But there can be a nice surprise.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53At a farm near Selby, there's been a freak accident with a racing car.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Grass track racer Richard Spencer has 20% burns.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Petrol has ignited on his face and arms.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08He's in great pain. Helimed 99's paramedics carry a special wet mask to treat burns,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11but Richard needs to get to hospital quickly.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Helimed 99, just about to take off.
0:23:15 > 0:23:22The farm is 20 miles from the only specialist burns unit in Yorkshire, Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Flying paramedic Paul Bradbury is a motor sport fan himself.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30He goes carting and he's seen incidents like this before.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36'They're extremely painful and we've tried to dose him up on painkillers.'
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Step down, about two foot down.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43'Once you've got petrol on it, it takes a long while to evaporate,
0:23:43 > 0:23:48'so try not to go anywhere near naked flames in the near future.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:51He's got superficial flash burns.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Had they been more intense, it would have been a different story.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00With a compromised airway, they'd have been rushing him in.
0:24:00 > 0:24:06Richard's been lucky. If he'd inhaled the flames, his injuries could have been fatal.
0:24:06 > 0:24:13Thanks to painkilling gas and his special dressings, he can tell the doctors exactly what happened
0:24:13 > 0:24:16before they plan his treatment.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20What a difference three days makes!
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Richard's about to head home, having learned a painful lesson.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29I didn't think I spilt a lot, so I put it all away.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I wiped my hands with the rag.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36I went to the muck heap with the straw, hay and that, lit it
0:24:36 > 0:24:39and it just sort of went up.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44It was just like a whooshing noise and I just went blind for a second.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49I got up from the floor, I ran to the tap and that were it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54The wet mask, which was put on to Richard's face within 15 minutes,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58means he should heal with little or no scarring.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03His treatment may look bizarre, but it certainly seems to work.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Like an A4 piece of paper, but moist.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10They just cut a couple of holes in it and stuck it on your face.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14You're coming out like that, so it's a bit strange.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19For a man who likes living on the edge, Richard is not a keen flier
0:25:19 > 0:25:26and taking off in Helimed 99 was almost as frightening as waiting for the treatment to his burns.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30It's a bit scary when you've not been in one before.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32"Your air ambulance is here."
0:25:32 > 0:25:36You can't really kick and scream and say, "No!"
0:25:36 > 0:25:41So it was like, "OK..." And then getting in and hope for the best!
0:25:41 > 0:25:44It is good. We need more of 'em.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49And within a month or so, Richard was back at the wheel.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55His burns have healed, but he's a bit more careful now at pit-stops.
0:25:59 > 0:26:07Coming up, an injured pensioner becomes Helimed 99's oldest patient when she takes to the skies at 90.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09It feels nice and slow.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Keeping fit can keep you out of hospital,
0:26:17 > 0:26:23but every weekend, some unlucky sportsmen find out their game has a downside -
0:26:23 > 0:26:30from broken limbs to something more serious, and when that happens, the Helimed team come to the rescue.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Helimed 99 are used to visitors to Air Ambulance HQ,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38but waltzing in today is a very special guest.
0:26:38 > 0:26:45Cricketer Darren Gough is a proud Yorkshireman and a passionate fund-raiser for the Air Ambulance.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48We had a casual day like at school
0:26:48 > 0:26:53and we had to put a few quid each time into the kitty. And it adds up.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Darren has come to present yet another cheque to the charity,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02but could the team's own Darren become a TV twinkle-toes?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06I don't dance unless I'm intoxicated, then I can't dance.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12I learnt to dance, so if I can, you can. I can just see you in a tutu.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17There is a special affection for the Air Ambulance among sportsmen.
0:27:17 > 0:27:24And with good reason. Sporting injuries make up a large proportion of the Air Ambulance's work.
0:27:24 > 0:27:31Today, Helimed 98 is on its way to a practice match at Thrybergh School in South Yorkshire.
0:27:31 > 0:27:39A 14-year-old has been playing rugby, sustained a head injury and is unconscious at this stage.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43He was tackled and he landed forward on his head and shoulders.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48He was quite shocked and had pains in his neck, so we left him where he is.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54He complained of pain in his back, so he was immobilised prior to us arriving.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57We'll take him down to Rotherham.
0:27:57 > 0:28:04The patient is in considerable pain and you can never be too careful with spinal injuries.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Most of the paramedics are sportsmen themselves.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11But opinions on which sport is best differ.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16I was a prop forward? No, I was a winger and then a centre.
0:28:16 > 0:28:23You've got two men's sports - motor-racing and rugby. I do motor-racing. He does football.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28Motor-racing, motor-racing? Go-karts, isn't it, Paul?
0:28:28 > 0:28:32This is the smoothest way to get to hospital.
0:28:32 > 0:28:38Five minutes later, he's arriving at the local A&E department.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Coming in to land now. OK, mate...
0:28:41 > 0:28:46And the good news - doctors found no serious injury.
0:28:46 > 0:28:52Just a few weeks later, the Helimed team were on their way back to South Yorkshire
0:28:52 > 0:28:55to the aid of another rugby player.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00He's been in a tackle and he's complaining of pain in his neck.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06And his back. The crew on scene think he may have some paralysis.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Serious rugby injuries are relatively rare,
0:29:09 > 0:29:15but scrums and bone-crunching tackles can and do lead to life-long disability.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20A potential spinal injury you must treat with the utmost care
0:29:20 > 0:29:22and be as smooth as you can.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27One benefit of the Air Ambulance is it can be just that.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30It is a very smooth method of transport.
0:29:30 > 0:29:37You might think nothing fazes flying paramedics, but even they draw the line at rugby.
0:29:37 > 0:29:44I played once. It terrified me. They passed the ball to me and everybody ran for me. I dropped it and ran off!
0:29:44 > 0:29:5016-year-old Damien Broadbent's first game has come to an abrupt end.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56Ground paramedics have carefully moved Damien on to a spinal board to protect his back,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00but they're worried he could be paralysed.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05We'll take him down to Northern General and get him sorted out there.
0:30:05 > 0:30:11It's slow and steady progress. The team don't want to cause any further damage.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15It's an anxious time for Damien and his family.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19But it's only ten minutes to hospital in Sheffield.
0:30:19 > 0:30:26I'm happy to say Damien suffered no long-term damage and he is now back playing rugby.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29From footie to surfing and even ice-climbing,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34the Air Ambulance flying medics aren't afraid to try risky sports,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38but none of them are keen on one popular pastime.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43The twisting and falling off a horse can often cause back pain
0:30:43 > 0:30:47and it's hard to tell if it's a fracture or soft tissue damage.
0:30:47 > 0:30:52The dangers of riding take their toll on the people
0:30:52 > 0:30:56who prefer to spend their spare time on four legs.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59A large, green barn-type building...
0:30:59 > 0:31:04Helimed 98 has been scrambled to an indoor riding school near Sheffield.
0:31:04 > 0:31:11The patient's hurt her back in a fall from a horse and her medical history could be important.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13So she's fractured her spine before?
0:31:13 > 0:31:18Apparently, but it was a query. I don't think it was a definite.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- This was last year?- In Australia.
0:31:21 > 0:31:2820-year-old Emma Pearce's medical history means any back injury must be treated very seriously.
0:31:28 > 0:31:35Her spine needs the protection of a special stretcher, but she mustn't bend her back.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38What we're going to do with this is, um...
0:31:38 > 0:31:45We're just gonna put folk behind her, then lower her on to the board as we lie her down.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Let me put this board behind you.
0:31:49 > 0:31:56With Emma's medical history involving a serious back injury in a speedboat accident two years ago,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Simon and Paul are taking no chances.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03- All the way down.- Yeah.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Nearly there.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09That's it. Fantastic. Well done, Emma.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14Paul is trying to confirm she still has feeling in her legs,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18which means her spine should be undamaged.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- If I rub your leg like that, do you feel that?- Yeah.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- Do you feel that?- Yeah. - Any difference?- No.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31Sport can be dangerous. Often, horse-riders do sustain quite serious injuries.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Horse-riding is the second most dangerous sport.
0:32:37 > 0:32:43She's been thrown against a wooden board and then she's collapsed to her knees.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47The paramedic on the scene got concerned
0:32:47 > 0:32:51that she had a previous back injury in Australia.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56It felt similar to what's happened now. She's in quite a lot of pain.
0:32:56 > 0:33:03After a short flight to hospital, an X-ray confirmed Emma was only suffering from severe bruising
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and she was soon back in the saddle.
0:33:06 > 0:33:12Yorkshire's hills and dales mean serious runners have more than exhaustion to deal with.
0:33:12 > 0:33:19Fell running is gruelling, but popular, and keeping fit can involve taking on some dangerous terrain.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25People can be out running. On rough ground, on even terrain, you might fall over.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30Usually, it's sprains and strains, but possibly fractures.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Today, Helimed 98 is on its way into the woods in Wharfedale
0:33:34 > 0:33:39where a runner has tumbled off a track and broken his leg.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- There are some people stood in a field there.- And there's a man.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- Looks pretty flat.- Yeah.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52A ground ambulance crew have trekked through the woods to reach him.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54It's a bad break.
0:33:54 > 0:34:00- He's down there. We haven't got a stretcher yet.- Is it a spinal injury?
0:34:00 > 0:34:02No, it's just a lower leg fracture.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08His name's Peter. He slipped on here and he heard a crack.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Hi, Peter.- Hi there.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15- Do you remember what happened? - My leg slipped down.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20I landed on top of it. There was a big crack like a branch snapping.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24We'll take this gentleman up the side of that bank.
0:34:24 > 0:34:31And probably fly him to Harrogate, or somewhere more convenient for him, but it's Harrogate at the minute.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Peter's been lying in the mud for nearly an hour.
0:34:35 > 0:34:42He's cold and in pain. The paramedics have a cure for both - morphine and a foil blanket.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47- That's really bad.- Can we get two of you down the middle?
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Ready to go?- Yeah.
0:34:50 > 0:34:57Peter may look like a giant, oven-ready turkey, but he'll soon be warm and on his way to hospital.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05Paramedics don't resent treating the victims of sport injuries.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08It's just part of their job.
0:35:09 > 0:35:14And being a couch potato is probably more dangerous.
0:35:18 > 0:35:24I'm pleased to say that all our patients are now back on their feet and enjoying sport again.
0:35:24 > 0:35:31In North Yorkshire, Sammy Wills and the team are preparing to fly a patient about to break a record.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36- I've never had so much attention in all my life.- You deserve it.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41At 90, Joan Currington is about to become Helimed 99's oldest patient
0:35:41 > 0:35:45after she collapsed in her remote moorland home.
0:35:45 > 0:35:52There's no mains water, gas or electricity and paramedics hitched a ride on a four-wheel drive car
0:35:52 > 0:35:56to reach her along three miles of rough tracks.
0:35:56 > 0:36:03Now Mrs Currington is being prepared for take-off. Sammy Wills loves elderly patients and you see why.
0:36:03 > 0:36:11- Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?- Give me a pillow.- A pillow. Right, stand by.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15- I'm gonna have to make a pillow for you.- Oh, well...
0:36:15 > 0:36:19- Mrs Currington, how does that feel? - It's very painful.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24- Let's just try you for a kick-off. - That's all right.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29You tell us if it... We'll try and keep it off your eyes.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42We are going to be flying Mrs Currington to Harrogate.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44It should take us about 13 minutes,
0:36:44 > 0:36:49as opposed to 20 minutes just by Land Rover to get to the ambulance
0:36:49 > 0:36:52and another 45 minutes by road.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57This leaves the A&E crew available to answer any other emergency calls.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02Mrs Currington hurt her head when she collapsed at home,
0:37:02 > 0:37:07but the excitement of being flown to hospital has cheered her up.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11- OK, Mrs Currington? Are you comfortable?- Yes.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14- OK... - HIGH-PITCHED RADIO FEEDBACK
0:37:14 > 0:37:19- We'll be about ten minutes. You enjoy the view.- Yes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:30- Like a nice sort of living room. I could go to sleep. - You're welcome to have a snooze.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33How fast are we going?
0:37:33 > 0:37:40- I'll ask the pilot. Hold on. Steve...- Hello.- What is the exact ground speed at the moment?
0:37:40 > 0:37:44We're doing 130 knots which is about 150 miles an hour.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47About 150 miles an hour.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- Well, it feels nice and slow. - It feels slow?
0:37:52 > 0:37:59Helimed 99's job is to fly patients suffering from serious trauma or illness to hospital quickly.
0:37:59 > 0:38:05But Mrs Currington's unique situation earned her a first-class flight to medical care.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10Sammy knows the helicopter is the only real way to return her home.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13And the NHS is unlikely to pay for that.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20HIGH-PITCHED FEEDBACK DROWNS OUT SPEECH
0:38:20 > 0:38:24We're going to land on the Stray at Harrogate.
0:38:24 > 0:38:31Helimed 99 is heading for Harrogate Stray, a public park owned by the crown next to the local hospital.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36The Air Ambulance is in exclusive company, being able to land here.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43Only the Queen and yourself are allowed to land there.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- It's true. Yeah.- That's great.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50I wonder whether she's landed there recently?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Harrogate, we're about to land.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57We're just coming over the hospital now.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59- Which one?- Harrogate.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- Oh, yes, of course.- There you go.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07- There are some lads playing football.- Isn't it beautiful?
0:39:07 > 0:39:13- It's the first time I've been in a helicopter.- Fantastic. I'm glad you had the chance to fly with us.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18- Would you do it again? - Good. Good.- Marvellous.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23< You let me come without a handbag!
0:39:23 > 0:39:29Oh, my apologies! But I have brought your mobile phone and your medication.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31- OK?- Good, good, good.
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Mrs Currington will undergo tests to determine why she collapsed,
0:39:37 > 0:39:43but there's a real chance, after 40 years, that she's seen her moorland home for the last time.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48Two weeks later, an elderly Land Rover, with an elderly passenger,
0:39:48 > 0:39:53is making the long climb up the fells to Mrs Currington's home.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57It's a journey her neighbours thought she'd never make again,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02but against medical advice and the better judgment of her family,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06the redoubtable Mrs Currington is coming home at last.
0:40:06 > 0:40:13Mrs Currington was determined to return home, despite not having any running water or normal electricity.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16She just lives with one generator.
0:40:16 > 0:40:22It's a rotten day to come home, isn't it, really? The weather's been pretty good.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27She could have gone to a retirement home with hot water and heating.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32Instead, Mrs Currington prefers her old coal-fired Aga.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36And with views like this, who can blame her?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39It's really beautiful.
0:40:40 > 0:40:46Do you think hospitals can be what they used to be? I don't know what they used to be.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Well, it was...not pleasant.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57But a week later, Mrs Currington's home is again locked up.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Once again, its owner has collapsed. And this time, it's clear why.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Her old-fashioned heating system has almost cost her life.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13I was really surprised that Mrs Currington, a week later, ended up going back into hospital,
0:41:13 > 0:41:18this time with carbon monoxide poisoning, a silent killer,
0:41:18 > 0:41:23something you can't see, smell or taste, and it made her poorly.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28'After Mrs Currington was taken to hospital the second time,
0:41:28 > 0:41:33'unfortunately, her condition did deteriorate and she passed away.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38'The family took great comfort in the fact that she was 90 years old,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42'she'd had a wonderful life, her home was beautiful
0:41:42 > 0:41:47'and had remained there up to the last few weeks of her life.'
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Mrs Currington was an outstanding character. I'm grateful to meet her.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56I wish I'd had a good chat to her. She'd got an amazing history.
0:41:56 > 0:42:04That's all from Helicopter Heroes, but when we come back, a man is crushed between two trucks.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09- And he's just stopped breathing. - Drop them hinges as fast as you can!
0:42:09 > 0:42:16A visitor to one of the UK's biggest caves is knocked out by a falling rock.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Just hit her on the head and she collapsed.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24This teenage rider has been thrown and crushed by her horse.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27It hurts. I can't really feel them.
0:42:27 > 0:42:34And the team are scrambled to a tree surgeon who has come down to earth the hard way.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37He fell from the top of that ladder.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2008
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk