0:00:03 > 0:00:08When you're critically ill or seriously injured, every minute you wait for aid feels like an hour.
0:00:08 > 0:00:14This 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 > 0:00:43From the Dales to the big cities,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47patients in the UK's biggest county are only 10 minutes from hospital
0:00:47 > 0:00:51thanks to this 150-mile-an-hour lifesaver.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Every day brings a new emergency for its team of flying paramedics.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Two helicopters, four paramedics, five million patients.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Today the crew are scrambled to one of their own.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10A local medic is fighting for his life.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Get him out of the car.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17A farmer's wife raises thousands for flying paramedics.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Now her son's glad she did.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22He's come through the roof.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25A teenager fights for her life after a collision.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29She's had significant force to the head.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37- And what happens when this goes wrong. - Straighten your leg out for me.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Like all of that have worked in the emergency services,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48paramedics often have to put their feelings to one side to do the job.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Sometimes they can't help but get emotionally involved with a patient.
0:01:53 > 0:02:00Heli Med 99 is on its way to North Yorkshire where there's a major emergency.
0:02:00 > 0:02:07In a quiet village outside Pickering a small car has been involved in a serious accident.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Two passengers had a lucky escape and squeezed out of the car,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17but the driver's still inside and fighting for his life.
0:02:22 > 0:02:30We are en route to this detail. We've got a running time of about one-three minutes, over.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Back at the scene, the emergency services are arriving in force
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and will soon be joined by not one helicopter,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41but two.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48They've dispatched us and the nearest air ambulance.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So there will be two air ambulances.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57Speed is of the essence, to get there as quickly as possible.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00They'll get the best chance when we get there.
0:03:00 > 0:03:07With the information that two patients are still injured, the Great North air ambulance
0:03:07 > 0:03:10has also been dispatched.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15It's something that isn't a regular thing that happens,
0:03:15 > 0:03:22but obviously, like any ambulance services, you help each other out when it's required.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26With two helicopters heading for the same small village,
0:03:26 > 0:03:32pilot Steve has to contact Heli Med 63's pilot to co-ordinate the landing.
0:03:33 > 0:03:3663 are talking on the radio.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41- On the ambulance radio? - Yeah. I can hear them.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Heli Med 63 from Heli Med 99.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49But there's no reply from Heli Med 63.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Steve knows they will emerge from the gloom at the same time
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and it's an anxious wait.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01- Just to confirm that is 123, isn't it?- Er, yeah.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08Keep a good lookout in case we get there at the same time.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14Finally, just two minutes from the scene, Heli Med 63's pilot makes contact with Steve.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Yeah, where are you?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20'We're clear, we're fine.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24'I guess we'll be appearing somewhere to your left.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:32Heli Med 63's pilot Matt Niven is well known to the crew of 99 as he often flies with them,
0:04:32 > 0:04:38but Steve and Matt must make sure they know exactly where each other is located.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44'We're about four miles south. We'll be to your left.'
0:04:44 > 0:04:50Their plan works perfectly and Heli Med 63 safely glides into view.
0:04:51 > 0:04:58- We'll let you land first. - 'OK, we'll go to the right-hand side of the field there.'
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Steve's done his job. It's now time for Lee and Tony to do theirs.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10- Hi! You OK? - We've got one patient with an RSI in the car.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16- These two were in the car as well. - The driver's called Richard. He's a part-time community medic
0:05:16 > 0:05:21trained by the Ambulance Service, but now he needs medical aid. Quickly.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26I just want him out the car and in the clear.
0:05:26 > 0:05:33The patient in the car is trapped. They're going to have to do a Rapid Sequence Induction,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37which is a way to secure the airway and put him to sleep.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Richard's life is now in the hands of a skilled team of medics
0:05:41 > 0:05:46who are about to turn a field into a makeshift operating theatre.
0:05:51 > 0:05:58Coming up on Helicopter Heroes: the battle to get the victims to hospital intensifies.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00They're putting the patient to sleep.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08Heli Med 99 touches down in a pit village to rescue an injured teenager.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12As she crossed the road, the car's hit her.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18And what happened when a mountain biker tried to capture his jump on camera.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28Tens of thousands of people every year put their hands in their pockets to keep these flying.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33Maybe some of them think one day they may need them.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Sometimes that day comes sooner than they think.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Jenny Rooke owes her life to the air ambulance.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46She was flown to hospital after a serious fall from a horse.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Since then she's become one of the charity's biggest fundraisers.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It is a lifesaver in the countryside
0:06:53 > 0:06:56with the roads and rural areas.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I'm so grateful.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05Every year she helps organise a massive tractor rally through the North Yorkshire countryside.
0:07:05 > 0:07:12It raises thousands of pounds to keep the air ambulance flying, which husband Mark is passionate about.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17It's so vital for people to support it in whatever form
0:07:17 > 0:07:20to keep it going. It's just a must.
0:07:20 > 0:07:26But they couldn't have imagined that just weeks after this year's fundraiser,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31their own family would once again need the crew of Heli Med 99.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36At her home in Beadlam Grange, Jenny's 20-year-old son is in agony.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44He's just fallen 20 feet through the roof of their barn. A land ambulance crew treats him,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49but his pain is so severe they've called in Heli Med 99.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The crew soon realise this is a familiar address.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01- It's where we do the tractor pull. - That's why I've heard of it before!
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Beadlam Grange is high on the North York Moors,
0:08:05 > 0:08:10but just a short flight for Sammy Wills and Tony Wilkes.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15Did you get that, Sammy? 20-year-old male, fallen through the roof.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21There is a crew on scene. We'll give him morphine if he can have it.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26But even before they get there, cloudal rain is having an impact.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31- The weather's not just a problem outside.- Oh, look!
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Start bailing out(!)
0:08:36 > 0:08:42- We're going to Beadlam Grange? - That's that one.- Left here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Tim Taylor used to fly combat helicopters for the army
0:08:46 > 0:08:52- and he doesn't hang about when choosing a landing site. - I'm going down.
0:08:54 > 0:09:01But today it's easy. It's just a few weeks since he landed here for the fundraiser
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and now he's back to take one of them to hospital.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- You all right? - A 20-year-old male.
0:09:11 > 0:09:18- He was on the roof of the barn and has fallen through, landing awkwardly.- Right.
0:09:18 > 0:09:26He's got a fractured femur on the left. He was in a lot of pain, but is a lot better now in traction.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28OK. You all right?
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I'm feeling better.
0:09:31 > 0:09:38Peter and his dad were working together on the roof when suddenly he disappeared through a skylight.
0:09:38 > 0:09:44He's come through the roof. They were both cleaning gutters out.
0:09:44 > 0:09:53I think Peter stepped back onto the clear bit and he's come down...about 18 feet.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58Peter fell into a store full of farming equipment. He was lucky he landed on his feet
0:09:58 > 0:10:03and his fall was broken by a pile of waste wood.
0:10:03 > 0:10:10We'll put a collar round your neck. When your leg hurts, it's hard to work out if your back does as well.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15- Back right shoulder. - Right, OK. All right, then.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21- Try and relax.- It's just... - It's all right. Straighten your arm out and we'll put a needle in.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Peter's fractured his femur, the biggest bone in his body.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31Sammy's also concerned Peter may have injured his spine.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37Peter, open your eyes. Seriously, don't wiggle your head around, OK? Keep all in a straight line.
0:10:37 > 0:10:44- All right. You stay still. - Sammy and Tony rarely know the patients they're treating,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49but sharing their fears about Peter's back with the family
0:10:49 > 0:10:52could do more harm than good.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Coming up: the race is on to get Peter to hospital
0:11:01 > 0:11:06and an x-ray to reveal the extent of his injuries.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12Two air ambulances are scrambled to an accident on one of Yorkshire's busiest routes to the coast.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And a water-skier is in agony after a jump goes wrong.
0:11:23 > 0:11:29Communities don't come much more close-knit than Yorkshire's pit villages.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35For more than a century, people have relied on each other to get through very tough times,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38but that can often have a downside.
0:11:38 > 0:11:45Dozens of people have rushed out in Thurnscoe after a 13-year-old girl was knocked down by a car,
0:11:45 > 0:11:51getting in the way of the emergency services. The vehicle's windscreen is evidence of the impact's force.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55This was caused by the girl's head.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01We were told she was initially conscious and now she isn't.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03She's lost quite a lot of blood.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08It's rare for Heli Med 99 to be called into a housing estate.
0:12:08 > 0:12:16It's very difficult to find a landing site and the risks are greater close to houses and gardens,
0:12:16 > 0:12:22- but fortunately for the crew there's a field close by. - Will we get a stretcher through?
0:12:22 > 0:12:28Ground paramedics are on the scene, but their patient needs surgery quickly.
0:12:28 > 0:12:34The girl's also lying in the middle of a busy street with dozens of onlookers.
0:12:34 > 0:12:41Although distressing, her screams are a good sign. They mean she's conscious and her airway is clear.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46She's a 13-year-old girl. She came out and a car's hit her.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52Gemma Gadd was crossing the road outside her home when it happened.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Dr Andy Pountney is all too aware of the risks with head trauma.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02She appears to have significant injuries. She bullseyed the windscreen with her head.
0:13:02 > 0:13:10She's very agitated and combative. She's unconscious to all intents and purposes. We'll put her to sleep.
0:13:10 > 0:13:17That allows us to control her breathing and protect her brain. We'll fly to Sheffield Children's.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19No, no, no!
0:13:21 > 0:13:28This is a tough neighbourhood and feelings are running high. The medics don't feel entirely welcome.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- Move away.- Crowds of local kids want to see the chopper,
0:13:33 > 0:13:41and pilot Tim asks for a police presence to protect him. One thoughtless act could ground them
0:13:41 > 0:13:46and rob Gemma of her best chance of survival.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Gemma's mum is terrified. She knows her daughter is very seriously hurt.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Her life is in real danger and Dr Andy knows it, too.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Anything you don't need, we'll take for stabilisation.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08If she's to fly, he must take control of her breathing.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14- OK, 7.5 mils of that big one, please.- 7.5.- All right. You're going off to sleep now.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Come on, baby.
0:14:16 > 0:14:23- Drifting off to sleep, Gemma... - They anaesthetise her here. This is not an operating theatre.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29OK, Pat, can you have a listen?
0:14:29 > 0:14:35We're going to go back to the path. If you can make sure it's clear all the way down there for us. Thanks.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41The team are now breathing for Gemma. It's a critical stage.
0:14:41 > 0:14:48The crew have done all they can, but they must now get her to the helicopter as quickly as possible.
0:14:49 > 0:14:55With parked cars and steep curves navigated, there's just the fenced field to contend with.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01Andy's put her to sleep, so she's ventilated with a secure airway.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07Other than that, she's agitated and has a head injury. She needs to be there as soon as possible.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17- All clear left.- It's been a tough job for the whole crew,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20but interventions made at this stage can save lives.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25She was initially conscious, very combative, agitated.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Her airway was a concern to us.
0:15:27 > 0:15:34That's why we popped her off to sleep, so that we could take control of her airway.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39Her breathing is very important with a head injury.
0:15:39 > 0:15:46Gemma spent the next 24 hours on a life support machine at Sheffield Children's Hospital.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Her parents didn't leave her bedside.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56They say young people heal quickly and despite a long list of injuries,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00just a few days after the accident Gemma is home.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I honestly thought she were dead.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08That's all I can remember to this day.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11When the air ambulance came, it was serious.
0:16:11 > 0:16:18Dwaine is very grateful to all the emergency services who worked so hard to treat Gemma.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Without the air ambulance and paramedics, she wouldn't be here.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Coming up: he survived a 20-foot fall,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36but has he really escaped with just a broken leg?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40And a bird man comes down to earth with a bump.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45He came in really fast. You can see that huge divot.
0:16:47 > 0:16:54Let's catch up on the rescue operation to save a part-time medic caught up in a terrible car crash.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00A car driver is fighting for his life after smashing into a tree.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Both Heli Med 99 and Heli Med 63, the Great North Air Ambulance,
0:17:05 > 0:17:10are on the scene after the pilots guided them safely onto the ground.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17They're about to extricate the patient onto a long board.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Then they'll put him to sleep ready for transporting to hospital.
0:17:22 > 0:17:29The driver, Richard Harper, is so badly injured, Heli Med 63's doctor decides to anaesthetise him.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35A field in North Yorkshire is about to become an operating theatre,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40but first fire crews have got to haul Richard from the twisted metal.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Live power lines are lying just yards from the car.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Six inches, ready? Lift!
0:17:48 > 0:17:53Richard's out of the car, but not out of danger.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57He's still unconscious and medics couldn't clear his airway.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02His survival now depends on how fast they gain control of his breathing.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Suction here.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Serious condition - head injury,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12multiple fractures - so he's not too good at the moment.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18As the team sets to work on Richard, the fire crews start packing up.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23As the area's cleared, it's obvious why Richard is so badly injured.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28It's quite a severe injury and severe damage to the vehicle.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32He's hit a tree in the process, so you can imagine the damage.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Details also emerge about Richard.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42He's an Ambulance Service first responder, used to delivering life-saving treatment,
0:18:42 > 0:18:48but today passing motorists used his equipment to give him emergency first aid.
0:18:49 > 0:18:56Quite early into the incident, somebody did say that the patient was actually a responder.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02As far as patient treatment is concerned, we don't do anything different because of that,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06but when you feel it's one of your own, another healthcare worker,
0:19:06 > 0:19:12it does make you that much more determined to do everything to help him.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17The doctor prepares the paramedic team. They must all work together.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Paramedic Lee's first job is to try to find a vein in Richard's arm
0:19:22 > 0:19:25so the doctor can deliver the anaesthetic drugs.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Putting a patient to sleep is a complicated surgical procedure.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35Attempting it in a muddy field is not ideal, but it could save Richard's life.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Ready with the drugs.
0:19:38 > 0:19:45The team are almost ready and it's down to Lee to deliver the drugs that will stop Richard breathing.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51This is it. As Lee's drugs start to take effect, Richard stops breathing.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- That's seven mils for the first one. - OK.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Drip up in the air.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03It's now critical they get a tube down Richard's throat as fast as possible.
0:20:03 > 0:20:10- Drip's open and running. - If they can't start breathing for him, Richard will die.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Release the pressure a little bit.
0:20:17 > 0:20:24It's all over in a matter of seconds. It worked and they are now controlling Richard's breathing.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28The team could have just saved Richard's life,
0:20:28 > 0:20:34but now they must work quickly to get him ready for the short flight to hospital.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39Doctor's put the patient to sleep. A lot easier to manage.
0:20:39 > 0:20:47We've sorted him out peripherally to get him onto the aircraft and to Middlesbrough Hospital.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Ready, steady, lift.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56This time Tony and Lee load the patient into a different helicopter
0:20:56 > 0:21:03as the team decides Heli Med 63 should fly Richard to the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08It's pointless us flying him up and them following us, going north as well.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12We've helped. Now we're going back.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Richard will be receiving vital hospital treatment in less than ten minutes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:25For Steve, Tony and Lee, it's a long journey back to Leeds, wondering if Richard will make it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:36Coming up, Richard's injuries are very serious, but his mum's not giving up hope.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40We're gonna try and get him there as far as possible.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48And proof that falling on water at this speed really is like hitting concrete.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58Anyone can qualify for a ride in an ambulance if their injuries are serious enough,
0:21:58 > 0:22:04but one patient has reason to be grateful that his mum is a fan of the Helimed team.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11Farmer's son Peter Rooke has been lucky to survive a 20-foot fall through the roof of a barn.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16This is the second time Helimed 99 has been to Beadlam Grange Farm.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Four years ago, the crew saved the life of his mum Jenny
0:22:20 > 0:22:25who now runs an annual fund-raising event for the Air Ambulance charity.
0:22:25 > 0:22:32It's only a matter of weeks since the chopper was here for this year's Tractor Marathon.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- We were here. - What's the chances of that, eh?
0:22:37 > 0:22:44Peter's in agony from a broken bone in his thigh and the crew fear he may also have injured his back.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50I have for you a 20-year-old man, fallen approximately 20 feet on to concrete.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Peter plunged backwards through a skylight, but he was lucky.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59He landed on his feet and his legs took the full impact.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03With this concrete floor, a head injury would have been fatal.
0:23:03 > 0:23:10- Which bit landed first, Pete? - I don't know, to be honest really. - OK.- Presumably, left side.
0:23:10 > 0:23:17The team would like to take Peter to the Trauma Unit at Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital.
0:23:17 > 0:23:24It means flying over the 2,000-foot hills of the North York Moors and the weather's getting worse.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29There was a shower as we came over here. Now it's caught up with us.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33We need to get going quick before we get wet.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It's definitely the best decision to go to York.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43Pete's heading south at 150mph and he's still in pain, despite the drugs.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48We've given him morphine which has settled his pain down somewhat.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52We're just taking him to York District.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58You don't give morphine willy-nilly, so we initially gave him a relatively small amount
0:23:58 > 0:24:03to see if that does the trick, which it hasn't at this stage.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07We give him a bit more until we get on top of the pain.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11In less than 15 minutes, Helimed 99 has outrun the rain
0:24:11 > 0:24:16and is circling over the ancient rooftops of historic York.
0:24:16 > 0:24:23Peter needs surgery to his shattered leg. And doctors will also want to X-ray his back.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27If he has avoided a spinal injury, he's been very lucky.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The paramedics are pleased to help the fund-raising farmers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:38They donated and they get the assistance when they need it. I'm glad they did get it.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And the pilot knew where they lived!
0:24:41 > 0:24:47Just four days later and, incredibly, Peter is back on his feet.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50X-rays ruled out a spinal injury.
0:24:50 > 0:24:57Thanks to a steel pin running through his whole upper leg, there isn't even a plastercast.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02I was lucky to land on a relatively flat bit, instead of a big object.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05It was agonising, the pain.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10It was all in my leg. I was moving my arms and that, so...
0:25:10 > 0:25:17But nowt went through my mind about being paralysed or anything.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It was just so agonising, this pain.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Peter's going to be a spectator down on the farm for a month or two
0:25:25 > 0:25:30and he is in no hurry to repeat the accident.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35I'm usually sort of all right with pain, but I've got to admit that.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40The Air Ambulance has now landed at Beadlam Grange four times.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Peter's dad knows better than most how useful it is.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49It's absolutely valuable because, you know, there was no hesitation.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53The ambulance crew didn't want to take Peter on a bumpy ride.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58It's cross-country to get to York Hospital from here.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04Because you're in a rural area, it's another vital piece of equipment in medical terms.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11It costs nearly £7,000 a day to keep Yorkshire's two Air Ambulances in the air,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14but thanks to their annual Tractor Marathon,
0:26:14 > 0:26:20the Rooke family have raised far more than the cost of their two flights to hospital.
0:26:24 > 0:26:31Coming up, the mum who refused to give up on her son, seriously injured in a high-speed smash.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I saw him after his accident. It was just horrendous.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47Extreme sports were invented as an antidote to the safety of modern life,
0:26:47 > 0:26:53so people who get a kick out of taking a risk often end up needing a helicopter.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Adrenaline-pumping and occasionally downright scary,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02more and more people of all ages are taking to extreme sports,
0:27:02 > 0:27:09whether it's acrobatics on water, throwing yourself off hillsides or riding down mountains at high speed.
0:27:09 > 0:27:16If you do something like this, you expect to get a few bruises. That's where the Air Ambulance comes in.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21We're off to a location, it's only about two minutes' flight time.
0:27:21 > 0:27:28Someone's fallen off a pushbike in the woods and it's gonna be an access problem for the crew.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Might be an access problem for us judging by that hill!
0:27:33 > 0:27:40What Pete describes as a pushbike has disc brakes, suspension and cost a few thousand pounds.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46Mountain biker Rob Carr is an extreme sportsman in extreme pain.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Along with his brother Jamie and friend Ian,
0:27:50 > 0:27:56they were filming themselves biking over some pretty testing tracks.
0:27:57 > 0:28:04Well, not what...you want on a warm day - carrying all this kit up the hillside!
0:28:04 > 0:28:10Rob was jumping his bike off this rock when he landed badly and came off.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14He heard a bone in his ankle crack when he hit the ground.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Do you think it's broken or not? I can't feel any more grinding.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Normally, people have a pretty good idea of their own body.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30He's not moved in half an hour. If it had just been a sprain or a strain,
0:28:30 > 0:28:35once that initial pain goes off, Rob would have moved himself.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39He's stayed as he is and splinted it by his natural body posture.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43So he probably has done something a bit more severe.
0:28:43 > 0:28:49Pete is aware that there are going to be problems with moving Rob down to that helicopter.
0:28:49 > 0:28:56Pilot Steve is talking to base, working out what to do, and bringing up a splint for Rob's ankle.
0:28:58 > 0:29:05I've got your leg there. Straighten your leg out for me. Relax your thigh. You've tensed it up.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Relax it, Rob. How does that feel?
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- Both sides or...? - Mainly the outside.- OK.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Rob, talk to me.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20As they carefully splint Rob's leg, Pete decides that it's too dangerous
0:29:20 > 0:29:27to stretcher him down the hill to the helicopter. They need a land ambulance to pick Rob up.
0:29:27 > 0:29:34If they can get through there, rather than carry him all the way down to the aircraft...
0:29:34 > 0:29:40There is a good dirt track leading to where they are and it's only a mile from the main road.
0:29:40 > 0:29:47While Rob is lying waiting for his ambulance, at the other end of the track, there's a problem.
0:29:47 > 0:29:55Firstly, there's a barrier, and secondly, there's a very strong-looking padlock on it.
0:29:55 > 0:30:02But ambulance crews know about these things, and as well as medical kit, they carry bolt croppers.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06And on this occasion, they're gonna come in handy.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08One, two... Ugh!
0:30:08 > 0:30:13I had to work up a bit of a sweat and I've got a few hairs out of place.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16But I can't complain really.
0:30:16 > 0:30:24While Rob waits for his ambulance, his brother Jamie reveals the full truth behind that fateful jump.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29We'd already done it before, so it was just that one last time.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34That dreaded one last time. One more for the camera and that was it.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36- It was for the screensaver.- Yeah.
0:30:36 > 0:30:43And here it is, two seconds before the smash - Rob's screensaver shot with no head!
0:30:43 > 0:30:49At last, Rob's on his way to hospital. The helicopter crew are sorry they couldn't take him.
0:30:49 > 0:30:55But as the ambulance pulls away on top of the hill, you can clearly see why.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02A week later, and for Rob, there is plenty of time for some bike maintenance.
0:31:02 > 0:31:08I don't know if anybody can lay claim to knowing what a breaking bone is like,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11but that was the noise I heard.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15I thought, "Oh, yeah. That'll be a broken bone then."
0:31:15 > 0:31:20He has two breaks in that ankle and some chipped bones,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24so when he was on the ground, he was in a bad way,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28but also he knew the helicopter would struggle to get to him.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32I was a helicopter crewman in Northern Ireland.
0:31:32 > 0:31:38Before you choose to land at a site, you have to recce it, just to see if it's safe,
0:31:38 > 0:31:43if there's any obstructions or wires you're gonna hit on the way down.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48I guessed after the third circle, it wouldn't be landing too close.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Rob is a serious mountain biker.
0:31:51 > 0:31:58He has even ridden the breathtaking mountain bike trail up the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps
0:31:58 > 0:32:02and he is determined to get back on two wheels.
0:32:02 > 0:32:09I had my 40th birthday last year. It felt like a mid-life crisis, just taking up the sport.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14I've got a reasonably good bike, albeit second-hand here.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19I'm a Yorkshireman, so I'd like to get value for money out of it.
0:32:19 > 0:32:26So I think I'll definitely be back on the bike later on this year or certainly next season.
0:32:27 > 0:32:34Helimed 99 is on the way back from Rob's smashed ankle on the hillside when Pete gets another call.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41'Helimed 99, are you anywhere near the scene? They can see a helicopter.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Helimed 99, we're currently five minutes ETA to scene.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50It won't be us they can see. We've just come over Barnsley.
0:32:50 > 0:32:57It's not a rocky hillside that's done the damage this time. It's a high-speed smash on water.
0:32:57 > 0:33:0414-year-old Tabitha Nixon was taking part in a wakeboarding competition on a lake near Sheffield
0:33:04 > 0:33:07when she hit the water hard.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13- Wires down amongst the trees there as well.- Yeah.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18- We're over the trees. - Yeah, we're over the trees my side.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22With water on one side and wires on the other,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Steve must land in the boat club car park and there isn't much room.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30The wakeboarding competition is still in full swing
0:33:30 > 0:33:36and Pete's young patient has been taken into the clubhouse and laid out on the floor.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40We've sent for a big sleeping bag. You'll be more comfortable.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46Tabitha's head is bleeding and she damaged her back when she hit the water.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49She could have a spinal injury.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55Pete reassures his patient and with help from her parents and the police,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58she's carefully moved on to a rigid spinal board.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02If you wanna just hold the board up... That's great.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06We're going back on "roll" again. Ready, steady, roll.
0:34:06 > 0:34:12Flying is the best way to transport a patient with a serious back injury.
0:34:12 > 0:34:18With the competition she was taking part in still going on around her,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Tabitha is put on to Helimed 99 and they take off.
0:34:22 > 0:34:28The destination is the specialists at Sheffield's Children's Hospital, only minutes away.
0:34:28 > 0:34:35When you hit the water at speed, it's very unforgiving and bones break.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40But people always say the younger you are, the quicker you heal.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- In Tabitha's case, that's true. - I was just unlucky where I fell.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50On just a wake jump. It's still a mystery how I cracked my head open!
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Her scans showed that there was no serious damage.
0:34:55 > 0:35:02You would think that at the very least confidence would be dented, but not in this case.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07I've been wakeboarding since I was seven. I was just unfortunate on the day.
0:35:07 > 0:35:15Tabitha's mum watches nervously now as daughter plus crash helmet still goes for it at top speed.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17She's a resilient little soul
0:35:17 > 0:35:21and it's been her passion for an awful lot of years.
0:35:21 > 0:35:28Her first words on recovery were, "Will I be able to do the competition in a few weeks' time?"
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Anyone in an A&E department will tell you
0:35:31 > 0:35:37that the number of people injured at extreme sports is going up and up.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42Yorkshire is great for paragliding, but sometimes they crash.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46PHONE RINGS Hello, Yorkshire Air Desk?
0:35:46 > 0:35:52Helimed 98 is needed at the northern edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57A hang glider has come down with a bit of a bang on Dodd Fell.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02Pilot Tim, paramedic Sammy and Dr Andy Pountney are on their way.
0:36:03 > 0:36:09The coordinates we've got, it's potentially on a very steep slope,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13so we have issues about where we land the aircraft
0:36:13 > 0:36:16and how we get the patient to the aircraft.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21Andy's right. It is steep. That's what paragliders like.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Pilot Tim moves the helicopter down gently.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30There's a flat bit of ground.
0:36:30 > 0:36:3648-year-old Greg Butt had been flying for half an hour when he came down.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42He came in really fast and you can see the huge divot back there.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45He landed on his backside and somersaulted over.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50It's a dull ache, so it's about two or three, but there were spasms
0:36:50 > 0:36:54when it goes to kind of four or five.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58- But when I did it, it was kind of seven, eight.- Right.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03Greg's a qualified pilot and had all the right gear.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08A good thing too. This seat probably saved him.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11It can take a lot of impact.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17So it's done its job because he came in quite hard. That's what they're designed to do.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Ready, steady, roll...
0:37:20 > 0:37:25He needs his back protecting before the flight away from the dales.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31On to the spinal board, and with the help of all his mates, into the helicopter.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35He's taken a fair tumble. He's landed on his bottom.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40We've taken all the precautions in getting him on to a spinal board.
0:37:40 > 0:37:47We'll give him some morphine, as well as the gas and air, get him comfortable and fly him to Harrogate.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Greg's flight from the dales to hospital takes 15 minutes.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56He's soon into A&E and under the X-ray machine.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00It revealed he had broken a bone in his back,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03but he's determined to fly again.
0:38:04 > 0:38:10There are thousands of accidents involving extreme sports men and women every year.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13They choose danger and they love it.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18Thankfully, most of them don't need trips in an Air Ambulance,
0:38:18 > 0:38:25but it's nice to know it's there if this sort of thing gets your adrenaline pumping.
0:38:25 > 0:38:32Let's find out what happened to the medic injured in a major car crash near the Yorkshire coast.
0:38:32 > 0:38:38A muddy field between Pickering and Scarborough has been turned into a makeshift operating theatre
0:38:38 > 0:38:43as Helimed 99's crew fight to save an injured car driver.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Head injury, multiple fractures, so he's not too good at the moment.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Richard Harper's chances of survival are slim,
0:38:53 > 0:39:00but a team of medics, with a doctor from the Great North Air Ambulance, anaesthetise him at the roadside.
0:39:00 > 0:39:06It's risky as the team stop Richard's breathing before gaining control of his airway.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12Paramedics Tony and Lee have helped give Richard the best possible chance of survival.
0:39:12 > 0:39:18It's now up to a team of doctors in Middlesbrough to try and save Richard's life.
0:39:18 > 0:39:25It's four months since the crash and as spring arrives at Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29Richard's mum Carol grabs some fresh air.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33She has scarcely left her son's bedside in all that time.
0:39:33 > 0:39:40Looking back on the outcome that was going to be, I really can't bear thinking about it.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Richard had devastating injuries.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48He is slowly recovering, but he has already endured hours of surgery.
0:39:49 > 0:39:55The surgery that Richard's had up to now is, um...
0:39:55 > 0:39:59His brain... The front part of his brain put back in the sleeve.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02His cheek bones, his eyes,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and his jaw, his shoulder,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08his elbow, his wrist and his leg,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10all to the right side of him.
0:40:10 > 0:40:18After weeks in intensive care, Richard is being sent to his local hospital to complete his recovery.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21He is very lucky to be alive.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24I feel a lot better in myself.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28But there's quite a few injuries still to...
0:40:29 > 0:40:32..still to get sorted out.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But it'll just take time.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41Richard was a fit man who loved his work for the ambulance service.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45It's something he is unlikely to do again.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50He's been a first responder, UK events, he goes to football matches.
0:40:50 > 0:40:56And to see him six hours after his accident was just horrendous.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02Richard and his mum are very grateful to the paramedics who fought to keep him alive.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06Some of the ground ambulance team knew him.
0:41:06 > 0:41:13They wouldn't have thought that somebody they knew would be sat there waiting for them to come.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18They would have come anyway and they would have realised who I was
0:41:18 > 0:41:20and just go on and that's it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Ready, steady, lift!
0:41:23 > 0:41:30Some days, I don't know how I got through it, but we're looking ahead. It'll be nice to have him home.
0:41:30 > 0:41:36That's all from Helicopter Heroes, but when we come back, the team call in reinforcements
0:41:36 > 0:41:40after an injured mountain biker is stranded.
0:41:40 > 0:41:48A five-year-old boy has lost part of his ear, but the paramedics think they can save it.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Vehicle left the road. He's got nasty head injuries.
0:41:53 > 0:41:590 to 60 in four seconds and worth a fortune, but who is going to buy it now?
0:41:59 > 0:42:06And the hospital backroom staff scramble to help the Helimed team save lives.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2008
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk