0:00:02 > 0:00:05When you're with someone that's seriously injured,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10every minute you wait for medical aid feels like an hour,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14so a helicopter 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 > 0:00:43From the dales to the big cities of Leeds and Sheffield,
0:00:43 > 0:00:51patients in the UK's biggest county are ten minutes from a hospital, thanks to this 150mph life-saver.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56And every day brings a new life or death emergency for its 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 > 0:01:09There's a struggle for survival as a couple fall into a canal.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Patients can become hypothermic.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17A horse throws its rider and the paramedics fear she could be paralysed.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Where in your spine does it hurt?
0:01:20 > 0:01:27There's a miraculous escape for a farm worker in a dramatic road accident.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29He'd been ejected and thrown.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37And a pensioner's downhill run on her grandchildren's sledge ends in pain.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47It's amazing how a simple mistake can put you in a situation where your life is in danger.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51That's especially true when you're near deep water.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Boating enthusiasts turn out whatever the weather,
0:01:55 > 0:02:03but Gary Horton and Bronwyn Joseph have an even better reason for wanting to get back on the water.
0:02:03 > 0:02:10Bronwyn has just finished hospital treatment. It's their first chance to enjoy a trip on their cruiser.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15At Leeds-Bradford Airport, the snow blowers are clearing the runways.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21Helimed 99 is about to get a call as Gary and Bronwyn's day out ends in a life-threatening accident.
0:02:23 > 0:02:29- 'Ambulance Emergency? - I'm the lock-keeper. Two boaters have fallen in the water.
0:02:29 > 0:02:36'They've been in for 20 minutes. They're both frozen and the lady is a cancer sufferer.'
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Helimed 99 is on the way.
0:02:38 > 0:02:44We don't know exactly what's happened, but we've had a very cold night.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47We've got snow on the ground.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Patients quickly can become hypothermic.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54We need to be there as quick as possible.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Lee and the crew don't know how desperately they're needed.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Bronwyn was in hospital to have chemotherapy for cancer.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Bronwyn tried to step on to the boat.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The gap was getting wider and I asked her to step back,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15but she couldn't step back and she slipped straight in.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20I jumped in after her and went straight under, fully clothed.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Helimed 99 is also battling the elements.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26The weather is closing in.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Pilot Chris Attrill has to plan a route around the snow.
0:03:31 > 0:03:38- There's a big snow shower in front of us, so I'll go round to the left and come round behind.- Right, OK.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42In the icy canal, Gary and Bronwyn are fighting for their lives.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48I told Bronwyn to get hold of me and she got round my neck and I was trying to tread water.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Although the couple are together and both alive,
0:03:52 > 0:03:58the cold has sapped all their strength and they have no energy left to pull themselves out.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I couldn't get out. I had no chance.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06There was nothing to put your feet on to jump up. I had no strength.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And I couldn't let go of Bronwyn.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13The weather is making it hard to find Gary and Bronwyn.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Snow has reduced visibility to a few hundred metres but Chris has a plan.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24- What I'm going to do is pick up the lock and follow that down.- OK.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Right, we're just approaching the 62 overpass on the canal.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Lee?- It should be about 200 metres beyond that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:39Gary and Bronwyn have been in the water for 20 minutes and they can't get out.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Gary knows he must do something or they'll both perish.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48It was my hardest decision ever. I told Bronwyn I'd have to go.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54I left her wedged between the new piles on the canal bank.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Gary knows his only chance of getting Bronwyn out alive
0:04:58 > 0:05:03is if he can get out and haul her up the side of the bank.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08All the time I was thinking she wouldn't be able to hold on.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13But in the freezing conditions, exhaustion gets the better of him.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17It got to t'stage where I just had my head above water like that.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21So I just thought, "This is what it's like to die."
0:05:21 > 0:05:28I just lay back in the water and I was floating there for...it must have been up to maybe 15 minutes.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38Coming up on Helicopter Heroes, Helimed 99 reaches the canal,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43- but where are the missing couple? - This side or the other side?
0:05:43 > 0:05:50- There is a serious road accident and the driver of a tractor is badly injured.- Don't bend your leg.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56The team brave spring snowstorms to rescue an elderly sightseer.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01If it takes longer than two or three minutes, we'll have to leave her.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10A great part of being a flying paramedic is the scenery.
0:06:10 > 0:06:16From 1,000 feet up, you get a view of Yorkshire's stunning dales and moors,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20but accidents can and do happen in the prettiest places.
0:06:22 > 0:06:29At a stable yard high in the Pennines, the rider of this horse has been thrown to the ground.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35Local paramedics have diagnosed a potentially serious injury to her spine
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and Helimed 99 is on the way.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42She's up in the dales and the land crew would be a long time
0:06:42 > 0:06:44on windy, bumpy country roads.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49If she has a C-spine injury, she wants to be flat and smooth.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55We can give her the smoothest ride possible and not aggravate any injury.
0:06:55 > 0:07:02- That's where Crow Tree Farm is. It's the one on the nose?- The one with all the caravans?- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Helicopters terrify some horses.
0:07:04 > 0:07:11Pilot Steve Cobb is well aware they can present a serious danger to themselves and his helicopter.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Two horses in this field at the side, running away.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21The owners of the stables have had the presence of mind to put away their animals.
0:07:21 > 0:07:28Only minutes ago, horses were grazing in the paddock Steve's about to turn into a helipad.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Came off her horse.- Yeah.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Moved herself into a sitting position.
0:07:35 > 0:07:41- If you touch her arms, she says it just feels like tingling.- Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Caroline Wainwright is a very experienced horsewoman.
0:07:46 > 0:07:54She was schooling her horse when she was thrown. She landed in sand, but she seriously injured her back.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Where exactly in your spine does it hurt? The top, middle or bottom?
0:07:59 > 0:08:05- From the bottom of my head down. - All the way down?- About halfway. - About halfway down.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Caroline's symptoms may sound innocent enough,
0:08:09 > 0:08:16but to Pat Greaken, they sound close to the sensations felt by people who have damaged their spinal cords.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Spinal injuries can be made much worse by even slight movements.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Pat and Pete Vallance now immobilise Caroline.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30But they must lie her down flat. It could be a painful process.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36- My arms are sore.- Where are they hurting? All over?- Yeah. - OK, my love. Just try and relax.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Outside, Steve Cobb is still concerned about the local livestock.
0:08:42 > 0:08:48He'll have to calculate his take-off to avoid horses and a herd of cows.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53If you come anywhere near a horse, they'll run away and won't come back.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59Cows run away, then come back and start eating things, poking their head in the helicopter.
0:08:59 > 0:09:06Caroline knows she's seriously hurt, but the paramedics aren't sharing their concerns with her.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12Feels like she has an obstruction in t'throat which indicates a spine injury.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Riding is Caroline's passion and part of the family business.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19All clear as far as I can see, Steve.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26It could be a long time before she climbs in the saddle again.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31It's the sort of injury you'd expect with a horsing accident.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37Doctors and radiographers at Lancaster's Royal Infirmary A&E are on standby.
0:09:37 > 0:09:44It's the best place for Caroline's injury. She's about to find out how badly she's hurt her back.
0:09:49 > 0:09:55Coming up, Caroline arrives at hospital for X-rays on her back. What will they reveal?
0:09:55 > 0:10:02The crew were concerned cos she'd got strange sensations in her arm as well as tenderness in her neck.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07The search continues for a couple missing in an icy canal.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Can we do an orbit?- Yeah, will do.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Freak weather leads to a 999 call from Yorkshire's Daffodil Valley.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20It's more the shortness of breath that's bothering her.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Farmers are amongst the Air Ambulance's biggest supporters.
0:10:27 > 0:10:34If anything serious happens in the countryside, a helicopter will probably come to the rescue.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39On a road in the Yorkshire Dales, there's been a freak accident.
0:10:39 > 0:10:46The driver of this vintage tractor has been thrown the width of the road after collision with a lorry.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52It's a miracle James Nelson has survived, but he's sustained very serious injuries.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57At Air Ambulance HQ, the crew of Helimed 98 have reported for work.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00It's just to the west of Skipton.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04But they're already preparing to fly to James' aid.
0:11:04 > 0:11:11We're off early this morning. We're on our way to just west of Skipton. We believe it to be West Marton.
0:11:11 > 0:11:18A lorry versus a tractor, a trailer. There are reports of a lot of blood and a head injury.
0:11:18 > 0:11:25With a top speed of 150mph, Helimed 98 get Pat and Sammy to the scene in just ten minutes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Oh, my God!
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Wow, that is a destruction!
0:11:32 > 0:11:38'A tractor versus a lorry, big significant vehicles...'
0:11:38 > 0:11:43As we flew over, we could see where the tractor had rolled over.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45The patient was in the grass verge.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50He'd been ejected and thrown. That's significant for the human body.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56James has multiple injuries and is a long way from the trauma unit he desperately needs.
0:11:56 > 0:12:03He's escaped death twice. After being thrown from his seat, passing vehicles narrowly avoided him.
0:12:03 > 0:12:10- Does that cause you any pain when you took a deep breath?- Just my leg. - Just your legs, not your chest?
0:12:10 > 0:12:16James is suffering from severe pelvic injuries and is bleeding from a head wound.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22His vintage tractor had none of the safety aids of modern vehicles, but that may have saved him.
0:12:22 > 0:12:29By being thrown clear, he wasn't hit by the flying wreckage of the trailer he was towing.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- Ready, steady, roll.- Aagh!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34James, don't bend your legs, pet.
0:12:34 > 0:12:41James is in agony, but Pat and Sammy have to get him on to his back and on to a spinal board
0:12:41 > 0:12:43before they risk moving him.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Ready, steady, roll.- Aagh!
0:12:46 > 0:12:48That's it, James.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54James' leg is causing him a lot of pain.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59- What's hurting now? Is that because of moving...?- It's my legs.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- SCREAMS OF PAIN - James, try and relax.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Before he's flown to hospital, he'll need pain-killing drugs.
0:13:06 > 0:13:13- Oh, my legs!- Can we have some morphine, Sam?- Morphine... - Do something!
0:13:13 > 0:13:20James is desperate, but his size means he needs a huge dose of morphine.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24James, as far as patients go, was quite a large man.
0:13:24 > 0:13:30I gave him half of my maximum dose of morphine and it didn't really touch him.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35I gave him the full dose of morphine and he was still in a lot of pain.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41Despite James' discomfort, Pat has to strap him securely to the spinal board.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48It's the only way to make sure he isn't injured when they move him.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52We'll see if we can get a strap round his ankles.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56With a lot of effort, James is ready to fly.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02James, I'm Sammy. We're gonna take you to the helicopter now, OK?
0:14:02 > 0:14:06But the unique problems of James' accident aren't over yet.
0:14:06 > 0:14:13There's an unexpected obstacle between the paramedics and the helicopter.
0:14:13 > 0:14:20On the way to the accident scene, Sammy and Pat hardly even noticed the cattle grid.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24But with James on the stretcher, it's a major obstacle.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30Maybe if we go almost under the tree and down that way, rather than through this mud.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34James, we're gonna lift you to the aircraft.
0:14:34 > 0:14:41There's no other option and everyone chips in to carry James the last few yards to Helimed 98.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Airedale Hospital is just five minutes away by air.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53It's the start of a long road to recovery for James
0:14:53 > 0:15:00and the end of an ordeal for his parents who stumbled on the crash minutes after it happened.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04We tried James on his mobile phone - no reply.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06We tried him a second and third time,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10then who was working with him picked up the phone
0:15:10 > 0:15:12and said James had been badly hurt.
0:15:12 > 0:15:19The next thing we knew was when the Air Ambulance arrived and James was being brought here.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22We came here just when he arrived.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26James has few memories of the accident.
0:15:26 > 0:15:33No, just picking up some sirens. And my tractor. That's the last thing I can remember.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I had broken my hip.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I had done quite a lot of damage to my spine.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45I had done some damage to my bones up here. And I had virtually destroyed this thumb.
0:15:45 > 0:15:52James' tractor was more than 40 years old with no roll bars or protective cab.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56But his family feel that being thrown clear probably saved him.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02If he had been in a modern tractor, I think he would have been killed.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08He was thrown clear. The thing just concertinaed. I haven't seen it. I gather it's horrid.
0:16:08 > 0:16:15James has already endured 12 hours of surgery, but one day, he hopes to be behind the wheel again.
0:16:19 > 0:16:26Coming up, a horsewoman has been flown to hospital with a suspected broken back. Will she ride again?
0:16:26 > 0:16:32You're passionate about it, but you want to be able to walk about.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37And a young driver is caught out by unseasonal snow...in April.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50If you've never had to respond to a real life or death emergency,
0:16:50 > 0:16:56it's difficult to understand how people like paramedics stay calm and in control.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59But sometimes they're faced with situations
0:16:59 > 0:17:05that force them into taking calculated risks, especially with the weather.
0:17:05 > 0:17:12Helimed 99 is battling its way through terrible weather conditions to get to a set of locks near Selby.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17We've had a very cold night. We've got snow on the ground.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Patients can become hypothermic.
0:17:20 > 0:17:26Gary Horton and Bronwyn Joseph have been in the water for 30 minutes. They can't get out.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32Bronwyn has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. She has no strength left.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Gary secured her to a metal pile at the canal side while he tried to get to the lock.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43But the icy water and exhaustion has taken its toll and he's passed out.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I just thought I were dead.
0:17:46 > 0:17:53Helimed 99 is circling overhead. They've located the locks, but not the patients.
0:17:53 > 0:17:59- Any idea which side? This side or the other side?- Can we do an orbit?- Yeah, will do.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05In the cold water, Bronwyn's cries for help have brought Gary back to consciousness.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I could hear Bronwyn shouting, "Help!"
0:18:08 > 0:18:15If you put your head under t'water in t'bath, you can still hear noises outside and it were just like that.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21I sort of pulled myself up and I remember thinking, "I've done it!"
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Helimed 99 lands in a field next to the lock.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32Gary has pulled Bronwyn out and she's been found by the lock-keeper and his wife.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36They've taken her into the warmth of the lock control room.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41She's undergoing chemo, she's in her fourth session at the moment.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47She's got a sarcoma cancer, problems with her pelvis and her back.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50She is so cold, she is unable to speak.
0:18:50 > 0:18:57A land ambulance crew and other boaters have joined in to help try and get Bronwyn warm.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02- Just tell me how she ended up in the water.- I'm the lock-keeper here.
0:19:02 > 0:19:09I was clearing snow and I heard some screams and it was Bronwyn. She'd climbed out and she lay over there.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11I've never seen anyone as cold.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16At the beginning, it was her that shouted, she could still speak.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19She told me where her boyfriend Gary was.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26But as she started warming up, she said that... She couldn't speak any more.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Afterwards, she just became numb.
0:19:29 > 0:19:36Everyone uses their own body heat to warm her up, but now she needs to be moved to the helicopter.
0:19:36 > 0:19:43- I'm freezing.- You're gonna be flying with us.- Yeah.- I know you're cold, but you're gonna be flying with us.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Tony checks on Gary who has been taken to the land ambulance.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52We've decided we're gonna fly the lady who is the worst medically.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55The crew will take the gent.
0:19:55 > 0:20:01By the time we could get another aircraft here, they could get there by land just as quick.
0:20:01 > 0:20:08'I must have started warming up a lot quicker. I'm a lot bigger than Bronwyn.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11'She must have been frozen to t'core.'
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I just wanted her to be OK. I knew I'd come round.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20Knowing that the Air Ambulance could take her to hospital quickly,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22it were a relief, definitely.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- She's not in the clothes that she fell in with?- No.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Great. Lay towards me, sweetheart. Lay towards me.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33We'll guide you. Legs up.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39Bronwyn, already weak from chemotherapy, is struggling to stay conscious.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Phil the lock-keeper normally has a quiet job. Not today.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50I thought it were kids playing in t'field. I could hear somebody screaming.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55I saw Bronwyn. We carried her up there cos it's the warmest place.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Bronwyn is hanging on to life. She is still very cold.
0:21:00 > 0:21:07Helimed 99 has a thermal sleeping bag on board to help transfer patients with hypothermia.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13They're on their way to Pinderfields Hospital.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16It's a five-minute flight.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Lee's job is to look after Bronwyn on the last stage of her ordeal.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23He's amazed at her will to live.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29They've done the best thing in getting all the wet clothes off her.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33I wonder what her temperature actually is?
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Bronwyn is cold, frail and weak. She weighs just seven stone.
0:21:37 > 0:21:44Her body temperature is dangerously low. Her only chance of surviving is here in hospital.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Helimed 99 has given her that chance.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01Coming up, can doctors raise Bronwyn's temperature before she has serious complications?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04All right, sweetheart. OK...
0:22:06 > 0:22:13When snow falls, everyone wants to enjoy the fun, but for one pensioner it's ended in a nasty accident.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23There are no X-ray machines on the Helimed aircraft,
0:22:23 > 0:22:30so paramedics use their experience to decide what's wrong with their patients and rarely make a mistake.
0:22:30 > 0:22:37Helimed 99 has been scrambled to a remote farm tucked away in the dales, miles from the nearest town.
0:22:37 > 0:22:44Caroline Wainwright was horse-jumping when it stumbled and she fell on to her head.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50The land and air ambulance paramedics had to immobilise Caroline's spine
0:22:50 > 0:22:54to reduce the risk of further damage to her back.
0:22:54 > 0:23:00She has all the symptoms of a spinal injury that could leave her paralysed.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05She had strange sensations in her arm and tenderness in her neck.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10We're gonna transport her as though she's got a possible C-spine injury.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15When Caroline touched down at Lancaster General Hospital,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19she was the only one unaware of how serious her injuries were.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Six weeks later, back at Melling Dub Farm, Caroline isn't back at work,
0:23:24 > 0:23:30but she is able to catch up with her horses under the watchful eye of her mum.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35The paramedics were right. She did have a spinal injury.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Two vertebrae in my neck had gone together and they had smashed
0:23:40 > 0:23:44and there was one down my back that was damaged as well.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49Because they were so badly damaged, they had to operate on them.
0:23:49 > 0:23:56I was operated on within six days and they put a 19-centimetre titanium strip down my spine.
0:23:56 > 0:24:02And then they've wired my spine and the titanium strip together.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08Then obviously, I've got this brace to keep me nice and still while it gets a chance to heal.
0:24:08 > 0:24:15For Caroline, giving up her horses wasn't an option. They mean the world to her.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21It's a passion, a hobby and a job full-time, seven days a week,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25365 days a year. Yeah, we do it all the time.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It's just something you get into.
0:24:27 > 0:24:35We like the thrill of it and the competing aspect of it, bringing on the horses and seeing them improve.
0:24:35 > 0:24:42Surprisingly, despite Caroline's close call, she hasn't been deterred from getting back into the saddle.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46If I get told it's silly to ride again, then I won't do it.
0:24:46 > 0:24:54But if I can ride without making things worse and I physically feel I can do it, then I will do it.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00I'm not gonna be stupid. You're passionate about it, but you want to be able to walk about.
0:25:00 > 0:25:07For Caroline and other people who live in the Yorkshire Dales, the Air Ambulance is vital.
0:25:07 > 0:25:14They were super. They were absolutely great. How would I have got to Lancaster in a road ambulance?
0:25:14 > 0:25:20When they arrived and you thought of having to go in a road ambulance, they were a godsend.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24You never got panicking. It was over so quickly.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29It wasn't a good experience I had because I had a fall,
0:25:29 > 0:25:34but it made the experience a lot more manageable, I would say, definitely.
0:25:34 > 0:25:42Now the Air Ambulance has done its job, all that Caroline can do is wait to see if her back gets better.
0:25:46 > 0:25:54Coming up on Helicopter Heroes, a cancer patient is fighting for her life after falling in a canal.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Bank holidays mean a few days off for most of us,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07but for the flying paramedics, it can mean an increased workload.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Oh, my God, look what I found!
0:26:10 > 0:26:14It's Easter, the first bank holiday of the year,
0:26:14 > 0:26:20and the paramedics are straining the waistbands of their flying suits.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25The people of Yorkshire are jetting off to the sun by the planeload.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28But this is no ordinary Easter.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Just as everyone's expecting spring, they get another helping of winter.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42And today, Helimed 99 has been scrambled to the snowy landscape of the Pennines
0:26:42 > 0:26:47where the weather's been a factor in a serious road accident.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It's Easter Sunday. People are moving about, seeing families.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56Near the border between Yorkshire and Lancashire, a car has skidded.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01It's a remote area and three people need hospital treatment.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06All three have been immobilised with queried spinal injuries.
0:27:06 > 0:27:13Landing in snow is difficult and pilot Chris Attrill approaches the scene slowly.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17The ambulance is behind us, so it must be up this section of road.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- Let's crawl along until we find it. - Yeah, that's cool.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- Shall we put it on the track to the farm?- Yeah, OK.
0:27:29 > 0:27:36- Straight on the track, Chris. - There's a little signpost behind us.- Grand.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41It's easy to be blinded by a blizzard kicked up by the rotors,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45but luckily, it's just a thin covering of snow today.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50We've got a male who's been in the vehicle that's rolled over, rear seat passenger.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Helimed 99's patient is kept warm in a land ambulance.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59The roads are treacherous and with a suspected spinal injury,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03a road journey could be long and hazardous for the patient.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08A rigid stretcher will keep his spine straight during the flight.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12The guy boarded with neck pain, if we take him...
0:28:12 > 0:28:19With the weather as it is, a land ambulance may not even get through to the nearest emergency unit.
0:28:19 > 0:28:27Because of the quality with flying, it's not as bumpy. You can cause damage to people with neck pain.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30We'll fly him to hospital in Manchester.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35He's happy about that and we'll get him there as quick as we can.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Within minutes, he was checked out by doctors in hospital,
0:28:39 > 0:28:47but despite being thrown around in a rolling car, his injuries didn't turn out to be serious.
0:28:47 > 0:28:54In the North York Moors, there's a natural spectacle which draws thousands of trippers most Easters.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Daffodil Valley is a popular attraction,
0:28:58 > 0:29:04but looking at the flowers rarely involves braving temperatures down to freezing.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09Joyce Thomas was walking with her family when overcome by the cold.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Ground paramedics have trekked more than a mile to reach her.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Helimed 99 pilot Steve Cobb is not having much fun either.
0:29:18 > 0:29:24You usually expect bad weather at Easter, but this one is particularly bad. It's been cold, a lot of snow.
0:29:24 > 0:29:31We've just gone through a snowstorm and I can see ahead of us a large, wide-ranging storm.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33That's the problem.
0:29:33 > 0:29:40The moors are blanketed by snowstorms. They blind the crew and can choke the engines' air intakes.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45There's a load of people down here at...three o'clock.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- In a green jacket at three o'clock. - Got 'em.
0:29:48 > 0:29:56- Looks to be flat banking.- We're gonna get stuck here, aren't we? - That's if it don't clear.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02Steve's worried. Touching down in Farndale, one of the highest valleys in the North York Moors,
0:30:02 > 0:30:07means Helimed 99 could be trapped under yet another snowstorm.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10We've got three or four minutes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14I bet we haven't got that. This is a "down and away".
0:30:15 > 0:30:21- What do you think, Steve? About two minutes?- Just keep it running.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26If it's gonna take longer than three minutes, we'll have to leave her.
0:30:26 > 0:30:33The crew must race the weather. Such is the need for speed, Steve will leave the rotors running.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37- It's got to be up and in and off or we'll get stuck.- Right.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41They've walked a mile or so this morning.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46They got to about the last gate and she was short of breath, dizzy.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52- No chest pain.- Is there any reason that we can't manhandle her physically on to our stretcher?
0:30:52 > 0:30:57- Once that comes in, we ain't going anywhere.- Let's go, let's go.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02Joyce is 70. Normally, she'd take this walk in her stride.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07But this is no ordinary Easter and the cold has badly affected her.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12She's been on a day trip from Hull with her son and grandchildren.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17No-one expected the weather to turn so cold, so suddenly.
0:31:20 > 0:31:27In a usual spring, this would have been a pleasant stroll through a meadow to see the flowers.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29She's been on 100% oxygen...
0:31:29 > 0:31:34For Joyce, it's turned into an ordeal in the snow and mud.
0:31:34 > 0:31:40If Joyce is to reach hospital in Scarborough 20 miles away, they must take off within minutes.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45With seconds to spare, Helimed 99 lifts off.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49At 150mph, they quickly leave the snow showers behind.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Darren thinks about his colleagues on the ground.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I feel sorry for the ambulance crew.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01They've come a fair distance in with what equipment they could carry.
0:32:01 > 0:32:07Then they've realised they've got to extricate her from there. It's a dilemma really.
0:32:07 > 0:32:14If we'd been stuck in the air base because of the weather, they'd have had to get her out of there somehow.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19When Helimed 99 makes it to Scarborough, the sun is shining.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Is it Mrs Thomas? How do you feel now, Mrs Thomas?
0:32:23 > 0:32:29- Not too bad.- We had to get out of there as quickly as we could because of the snow.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34- We might have been stuck there. Do you know where you are?- No.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Scarborough. You've managed a trip to the seaside too!
0:32:38 > 0:32:43- I wanted to see the daffodils. - We found one for you.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47The problem there was waiting for the crew to come back.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52You're thinking, "Come on," as you watch the snow come in behind them.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56It worked out quite well. It's a glorious day in Scarborough.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02Joyce stays in hospital for three days and is released, none the worse for her ordeal,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06but with a new respect for the weather.
0:33:06 > 0:33:13- That's that road there.- She's not the only pensioner in trouble this chilly Easter.- It's there.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- Is it a fall?- Sledging accident.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Oh, is it? Nice one.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25On the hills outside Hull, snow has turned the slopes into a playground
0:33:25 > 0:33:32and one lady has found that falling off your sledge isn't quite as funny if your teens are a distant memory.
0:33:32 > 0:33:39Elaine Walker is 60. She was on a bank holiday outing with her daughter and grandchildren
0:33:39 > 0:33:42when she decided to try sledging for herself.
0:33:42 > 0:33:48But the hills on the edge of the rolling Yorkshire roads are steep and slippery.
0:33:48 > 0:33:55My mum hit a bit of a dip and flew off, jarred her hip, and then landed in the snow, and couldn't move.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00A high-speed crash has left Elaine in severe pain.
0:34:00 > 0:34:07A ground ambulance crew fear it may be serious, so called in Helimed 99 to fly Elaine to hospital.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11This could be a tricky mission.
0:34:11 > 0:34:18People get into the hilly areas where there's sledging and it can be difficult for crews to get to them.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24So with the helicopter, we can get close by and just reduce the risk for everybody
0:34:24 > 0:34:28and get the patient to where they need to be.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33- Just an update, it's a 60-year-old female.- 60? Sledging?!- Yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37We're definitely needed, but we knew that anyway.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40How heavy?
0:34:47 > 0:34:54Elaine prides herself on keeping up with her grandkids, but she probably won't be trying tobogganing again.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- Shall we sledge you across? - Oh, lovely!
0:34:59 > 0:35:04- We'll just take you straight to Hull.- That's fine.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- We need to get that checked out. - We explained all that.- Thanks, yeah.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11She's got pain in her left hip.
0:35:11 > 0:35:17If she's lucky, she's probably just knocked it, no great injuries.
0:35:17 > 0:35:24But she's come down quite a slope, so there is potential for a fracture there, which is a serious injury.
0:35:24 > 0:35:30So we'll treat it as such, get it checked out at hospital and see if she has any real damage.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33One, two, three...
0:35:33 > 0:35:39Thankfully, her injuries prove to be minor and she's soon back on her feet.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43For Helimed 99's crew, it's been a remarkable bank holiday
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and one their three patients are unlikely to forget.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51All three of our patients are back on their feet
0:35:51 > 0:35:56and hoping the next bank holiday spoilt by snow is Christmas!
0:35:56 > 0:36:03Flying through the air at three miles a minute means air ambulances can save lives with sheer speed.
0:36:03 > 0:36:10But for one patient, time is running out. Cancer patient Bronwyn had been in the canal for over 30 minutes.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15Her partner Gary dived in to save her and eventually got her out.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19She crawled to the lock control tower and raised the alarm.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Helimed 99 battled through the snow to get to their patients.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Bronwyn, already weak through her chemotherapy, now has hypothermia.
0:36:29 > 0:36:35Helimed 99 takes just four minutes to get her to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
0:36:35 > 0:36:42Her body temperature is dangerously low. Air Ambulance paramedic Lee Davison is still with her.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45All right, sweetheart. OK...
0:36:47 > 0:36:54We've flown this lady, 45-year-old female, and she was in a boat which has been involved in an accident.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57I Thermoscanned her. She was low.
0:36:57 > 0:37:03She was below 34. And she had no pulse when I tried to feel it.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Bronwyn's partner Gary is brought in to the same room.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11He is recovering quickly from his ordeal.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15When I got in, I got hold of her OK, but I couldn't get her out.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18It was about three foot above the water level.
0:37:18 > 0:37:25When we got to hospital, they took us into the Resus Room and Bronwyn was already in there.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30I'd come in the ambulance. She were really poorly and white and so cold.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35Then they drew t'curtains across. She'd been frozen to t'core.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40Bronwyn's body is in shock. Her body temperature is dangerously low.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45The hospital use a special inflatable blanket full of warm air.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Her mother and son are at her bedside.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54Bronwyn, we're gonna leave you now. These good guys'll look after you.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59- OK.- All right?- Thank you so much. - You're welcome. You've done well.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01- And you.- All right, OK.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Bronwyn spent ten days in hospital.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19She had some scans done and another tumour was discovered.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Amazingly, just three weeks later, she's back on her boat.
0:38:25 > 0:38:33She is still undergoing chemo and radiotherapy, but Bronwyn is determined to live life to the full.
0:38:34 > 0:38:41Getting back on a boat today after an accident that were the worst thing I've done.
0:38:41 > 0:38:48- I just wanted to get rid of t'boat. - You get back on after you fall off a horse. I did that when I was 7!
0:38:48 > 0:38:55Lock-keeper Phil Schofield and his wife Ulrika discovered the couple after they'd got out of the water.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00- Hello there.- Hello. Oh, it's so good to see you.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'To see her today was just absolutely fantastic.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08'She just looked so well. It was brilliant.'
0:39:08 > 0:39:14I can remember saying, "Can you please take me in your house cos I'm cold?"
0:39:14 > 0:39:21- We put both radiators on full.- Yeah. - And you were saying, "Sit me down." I said, "You are sat down."
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Then you said, "I want to stand up."
0:39:24 > 0:39:27'I knew there was something not right with her.'
0:39:27 > 0:39:31I suspected it was cancer because she had no hair.
0:39:31 > 0:39:38But I only found out after her friends arrived and told me she had cancer and how bad it was.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44I thought, "Lass, you are amazing. Absolutely amazing."
0:39:44 > 0:39:48- And I said, "God, what's happened, love?"- I can't remember.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53- I said, "You've been in."- Yeah. - You could still talk then.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'Considering what she's going through, besides what's happened,'
0:39:57 > 0:40:00she's incredible.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05She's an example to us all, I think. She's brilliant.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Not surprisingly, Gary and Bronwyn wear life jackets these days.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13We'll always wear 'em, won't we?
0:40:13 > 0:40:20I'll always remember that, the feeling I had when I had no control over myself in t'water.
0:40:20 > 0:40:26And this remarkable couple are determined to make the most of their time together.
0:40:26 > 0:40:32In the back of my mind, you think, "There's people a lot worse off than you."
0:40:32 > 0:40:36You just don't know what's round t'corner.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Another thing in life you get over.
0:40:40 > 0:40:47And now she wants to return to the same spot where she and Gary so nearly lost their lives.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51I were just frightened I were gonna fall back in.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- Are you all right?- Yeah, I'm fine.
0:40:54 > 0:41:00It's quite upsetting coming back to where I positioned myself for about 30 minutes.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04I remember being really, really cold in that water
0:41:04 > 0:41:08and thinking, "I'll never get warm, I'll never get out of here."
0:41:08 > 0:41:15Then I thought, "I've got to get out somehow. Whether somebody comes and helps us out, I will get out."
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And it were your shouting that woke me up.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It must have woken me up.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26I can remember turning round and seeing you walking towards me.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32I don't give up life quick. You know, what's going on, I won't give up.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35It'll be a good struggle.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37And I'll fight it all the way.
0:41:37 > 0:41:45I thought, "I'll get out. He'll get help. He'll be there for me," which he always is. And he did.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49Then we were taken over there, the Air Ambulance came and...
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Saved our lives. And here we are today.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Here we are today, yeah.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Sadly, Bronwyn died of cancer shortly after that was filmed,
0:42:02 > 0:42:08but Gary says their amazing escape meant they had a few more precious weeks together.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12When we come back, the crew are scrambled to one of their own.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17A local medic is fighting for his life after a car crash.
0:42:19 > 0:42:25A farmer's wife raises thousands for flying paramedics and now her son is glad she did.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28He's come through the roof.
0:42:28 > 0:42:35- A teenager is in a collision with a car.- The windscreen applied significant force to the head.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40And what happens when this goes wrong.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Straighten your leg out. Relax your thigh.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2008
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk