0:00:01 > 0:00:08When you're with someone critically ill or seriously injured, every minute can feel like an hour,
0:00:08 > 0:00:14so a helicopter like this can be a beautiful sight. It was for me when I was a copper.
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 hospital
0:00:47 > 0:00:56thanks to this 150-mile-an-hour lifesaver. Every day brings a new life or death emergency.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Two helicopters, four paramedics, five million patients.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Today on Helicopter Heroes,
0:01:03 > 0:01:08paramedic Darren commandeers a car as fog shrouds a major accident.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The fog is over the incident and we can't get in.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16A bird man falls to Earth with painful consequences.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20As a doctor, I knew we had a spinal injury.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25There's a serious accident on one of the UK's most dangerous roads.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Combined speeds of 140 miles an hour.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35And the team mount a tricky rescue after a man falls down a rock face.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Yorkshire's flying paramedics rarely have to walk far,
0:01:47 > 0:01:53but sometimes they have to go to extraordinary lengths to save lives.
0:01:53 > 0:02:00It's a foggy morning and on the outskirts of York a car and lorry have left the road
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- and collided with a house. - Can you get the winches out?
0:02:05 > 0:02:13The lorry driver's escaped with only minor injuries, but the driver of the silver car is trapped.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Amazingly, her two-year-old daughter has survived unhurt.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Stamford Bridge. North of York.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26In Sheffield, where the sun's still shining, the crew of Heli Med 98 have been scrambled.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30They know the weather could make this a difficult mission.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34We're en route to East Yorkshire.
0:02:34 > 0:02:41Apparently up there the fog's not lifted yet, so the weather is quite bad there.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44We'll see what we find when we get closer.
0:02:44 > 0:02:51This might look like they're cruising at 35,000 feet, but they're only 500 feet above ground.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54INDISTINCT
0:02:54 > 0:03:01The blanket of fog looks pretty, but it could seriously hamper the helicopter's progress.
0:03:01 > 0:03:08If you think of the region we cover, half might be covered in sunshine and the other half in thick fog.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12If we can't see the ground to land, we're no good to anyone.
0:03:12 > 0:03:20Back at the scene, it's increasingly apparent that the driver needs Heli Med 98's help.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23She's still trapped.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28As the crew approach the scene, it's clear the fog hasn't lifted.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Lights are off. We can't get down under this fog.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Yeah, right.
0:03:39 > 0:03:45Despite the risks involved, pilot Tim attempts a descent to get a better view.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Can't see much, mate.
0:03:47 > 0:03:55But it's too dense and Tim aborts the manoeuvre. It's now a desperate search for the incident.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58We've still got it there, mate.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01There's lights off to the right.
0:04:01 > 0:04:09- No, we can't get through there. - Much to pilot Tim's frustration, the fog is right over the incident
0:04:09 > 0:04:14- and he's forced to land a mile up the road.- Looking good.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You look all around here
0:04:16 > 0:04:21and there's clear blue skies, but behind us is a wall of fog.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26The incident's a mile inside that. It would be crazy to try to land.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32- We'd become a bigger emergency than the one we're attending. - With no updates on the patient,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Tim and Darren decide to take matters into their own hands.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43- Is it full? - Two passing motorists are about to become a makeshift taxi service.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49My feet are not so good! I've just come out of a field.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55For the two hijacked commuters, a quiet journey into work has been transformed into a race
0:04:55 > 0:05:00to get a flying paramedic to the aid of a badly injured motorist.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05The people who are in this incident are trapped inside their vehicles.
0:05:05 > 0:05:11We've never seen it where the fog is smack over the incident and we can't get in.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But as they approach the incident, there's yet another obstacle.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20I'll have to get out and walk. Thank you very much.
0:05:20 > 0:05:28A long queue of traffic has formed behind the crash scene and Darren has to walk for a half a mile.
0:05:28 > 0:05:34It's taken him a long time to get there. Will Darren be too late to help the injured motorist?
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Coming up on Helicopter Heroes: the driver's daughter is unhurt,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50but her trapped mum badly needs Darren's lifesaving skills.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56One of the UK's most dangerous roads claims another victim.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00You stop with your seatbelt, but your internal organs don't.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06And a cyclist is seriously injured after a fall down a rock face.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10We'll stick this collar round your neck, mate, now.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20I can't understand it myself, but some people aren't happy taking in a view from the top of a hill.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23They must throw themselves off it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29It's a beautiful day for flying over the Yorkshire Dales, but not everyone stayed in the air.
0:06:29 > 0:06:37A paraglider has smashed into a hillside and Heli Med 98 is rushing to the scene.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43Paramedics Pat and Sammy know the biggest risk is that he might have broken his back,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48a common injury in extreme sports that could lead to paralysis.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52More help is at hand. Dr Bob Mark is on board.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57If the paraglider is badly hurt, he'll have the fullest possible medical support team.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Is that an emergency vehicle?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02OK, we've got it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:09The Yorkshire Dales are beautiful, but spotting accident victims from the air can be incredibly difficult.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14Luckily, the colourful parachute canopy acted like a marker beacon.
0:07:15 > 0:07:22Paramedic Sammy moves quickly to support injured paraglider Richard Carter's head and neck.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26If he has injured his back, one wrong move could paralyse him.
0:07:26 > 0:07:33- I hit the hill with my backside. - Yeah.- And then I was still in the air and I flew off.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37So you hit up at the top there and came down?
0:07:37 > 0:07:42It's still...really, really severe pain, with an ache in my middle.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48- I can feel it going down. I can feel my coccyx as well. - Right, OK.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Richard has suffered the same fate as many extreme sports enthusiasts.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Paragliding is all about split second thinking and decision making.
0:07:57 > 0:08:05Even experienced flyers have accidents. Sometimes you don't know it's gone wrong until it's too late.
0:08:05 > 0:08:11We took off and he swung a 360 round towards the hill.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15And obviously the wind pushed him towards the hill
0:08:15 > 0:08:20and he didn't make the full 360 and he hit his backside on the hill.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Despite the impact and pain, Richard kept his wits about him.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29I sort of bounced off the hill and I was airborne,
0:08:29 > 0:08:35- so I thought I'd get as far towards the road as I can.- Bless you!
0:08:35 > 0:08:41It's an incredible piece of clear thinking. Knowing he was injured, and would probably go to hospital,
0:08:41 > 0:08:47Richard kept flying and landed near a road to make life easier for an ambulance crew,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50but he didn't know Heli Med 98 would come to his rescue.
0:08:50 > 0:08:56If 10 is the worst pain, can you score it out of 10?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Five. Maximum of five.
0:08:59 > 0:09:055 out of 10 might not seem high, but he could be in shock and not fully aware of his injuries.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11- I'm going to feel your back. - The paramedics still have to treat him incredibly carefully.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15His fellow paragliders are here.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21Luckily, one of them's a doctor and he's made sure Richard isn't moved and is kept warm.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26I knew that when he hit his back we could have a spinal injury.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31I radioed him and said, "Do not move! Stay still! I will come and get you."
0:09:31 > 0:09:37We came as quick as we could, getting him warm and then just waiting for the ambulance to come.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Steady - roll back.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45The team have worked incredibly quickly, but there's a problem.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48No signal! Have you got a signal on the phone?
0:09:48 > 0:09:51No, there's no comms.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I'm going to have to use the sat phone.
0:09:55 > 0:10:02But Tim can't get a signal on the satellite phone either. They can't tell the hospital they're coming.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's a logistical nightmare.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11If the hospital can't be warned that they're coming, they won't be ready to treat Richard.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15While Pat continues to battle for a signal,
0:10:15 > 0:10:20Tim makes a desperate dash to higher ground with his mobile.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30Coming up: more bad news for the bird man who fell to Earth.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34We treat all neck or back pain seriously.
0:10:34 > 0:10:42- Ohhh...!- Reinforcements arrive in the battle to free a trapped mum from her badly damaged car.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And a man who cycled off a clifftop is rescued by Heli Med 99.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53We don't know what's inside his head. He may have a fractured skull.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03In London, you are only three minutes away from an ambulance,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08but in the country it's a frighteningly different situation.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Rural road accidents are killers.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18Speeds are often high and trees and walls can devastate the strongest car.
0:11:18 > 0:11:25And the A59 between Harrogate and the Dales has a lethal reputation.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29I've been to multiple serious road traffic accidents
0:11:29 > 0:11:32on the A59 in North Yorkshire.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36It seems to be a road that is very undulating,
0:11:36 > 0:11:42but there's also some long straights. People take a lot of chances.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48We get serious accidents involving tractor trailers to motorbikes to cars.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52They're usually high impact, serious
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and sometimes fatal injuries as well.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02In the police, we say there's no such thing as a dangerous road, just dangerous driving,
0:12:02 > 0:12:10but the A59 is about as close as it comes and was named in the Top 10 of the UK's most hazardous routes.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17Today the early morning traffic west of Harrogate is backing up as far as you can see.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22A high-impact head-on smash has brought everything to a standstill.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26A two-vehicle RTA on the A59 on a steep hill.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31There's two vehicles with four patients.
0:12:31 > 0:12:38A high-performance convertible and a hatchback are just twisted metal - with people trapped in them.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Heli Med 99 has been called in.
0:12:41 > 0:12:47The rescue services are already at the scene. The driver of the hatchback is of most concern.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51He's critically injured, but they can't just drag him out.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The emergency crews must wait for medical help.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He may have serious spinal injuries.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03At the airport, Heli Med 99 gets priority over holiday traffic and it's on its way.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09Even though the smash is in the Dales, they're over the scene in minutes.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I have a visual out of my window.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And it's not looking good.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20Apart from the dry stone walls to avoid, there's plenty of field to safely land in.
0:13:20 > 0:13:2450-year-old Asif Khan is in a bad way.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29The impact of a smash like this on the human body is immense.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Paramedic Sammy Wills takes charge of the rescue
0:13:34 > 0:13:38and comes up with a plan to get her patient on the way.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Right, Plan A.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Roof out round the back, longboard.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Have we got the trolley ready?
0:13:47 > 0:13:53Her first plan is to get Asif out by getting the fire brigade to cut the car to pieces.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58But Sammy's plan might need changing if her patient stops breathing.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01If we lose his resps, Plan B.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Straight out.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10The fire brigade get the roof off quickly and it's clear Asif is badly injured.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Sammy manages to speak to him and isn't happy.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19- Got any pain in your legs at all? - No...- No. Can you wiggle your toes?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- No, OK.- He hasn't moved his legs. - Thank you.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25This is the worst news possible.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31Asif may have a spinal injury and now the crew have to twist him to get him out of the car.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It's a risky procedure.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Does he look actually trapped?
0:14:36 > 0:14:43Though Asif is barely conscious, Sammy explains she has to slide a specialist neck and body brace,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47called a KED, behind him before they risk moving him.
0:14:47 > 0:14:54'The KED is like half a spinal board. It comes down the back, cocoons your ribcage.'
0:14:54 > 0:14:59You're strapped, your head is strapped to keep your body in line.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04And it just gives us extra hand holds for lifting him out.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10Though the patient is barely conscious, Sammy still talks and reassures him.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Asif, we're just going to lift you. Everybody ready?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Ready, steady, lift.
0:15:17 > 0:15:24- And brace. - At last they get Asif out, on his way to the helicopter and hospital.
0:15:24 > 0:15:31'The A59 is a particularly fast road, just two lanes of traffic with a few passing places.
0:15:31 > 0:15:37'Unfortunately, the crashes we attend are head-on. Combined speeds of 60-70mph.'
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Combined, 140 miles an hour. Your body, in that scenario...
0:15:42 > 0:15:48It isn't good. Cars are fantastic - airbags, seatbelts, you name it,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53but even though you stop, your internal organs have to stop within you.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And a lot of damage and all sorts happens inside.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02It's been a tricky one and no one's more grateful than Asif.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06After a spell in hospital, he's well on the mend.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11That's great news. It was a full team effort, everybody working hard.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And that's really good news.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It was a supreme effort to get him out of such a wrecked car,
0:16:18 > 0:16:25but it won't be the last time Heli Med 99 attends such a crash between the Dales and the Lakes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:32We apologise for blocking off the roads, but you never know when it might be you who needs it.
0:16:36 > 0:16:43- Coming up: a medical mistake leaves a paraglider pilot in danger. - It's a wake up call to slow me down.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Can you pull him down here?
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And there's a tricky rescue for a cyclist who pedalled off a cliff.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Let's catch up on that rescue on a country road in East Yorkshire.
0:17:03 > 0:17:10On a busy commuter route into York, a lorry and a car have collided in thick fog.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The lorry driver and the car's two passengers have only minor injuries,
0:17:14 > 0:17:19but the car's driver is seriously injured and still trapped inside.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24- Heli Med 98 were unable to land because of the fog.- Too dangerous.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29I'll have to get out and walk. Thank you very much.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Darren had to hitchhike his way to the incident.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I'm not used to walking it!
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- What do we call you, love?- Louise. - Louise. What's your pain like?
0:17:42 > 0:17:47- On a scale of 1 to 10? 10? - 8.- 8, you think? Right.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53Louise Quinn had just set off for a day out with her husband and two-year-old daughter Isobel.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Amazingly, Isobel appears to have escaped without a scratch.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Louise's husband was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The owner of the house is in a state of shock.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12I saw the child seat and I got quite emotional about that.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17And, em...I couldn't believe that anyone got out of there alive.
0:18:17 > 0:18:23But the driver's side of the car has taken the brunt of the impact and Louise's legs are trapped.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28As Darren rushes to treat Louise, firefighters secure the car.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34It's balanced precariously on the metal gate and could fall at any moment.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- I'll give you some pain relief. - Louise has a nasty leg injury,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43but the huge impact could have also caused serious internal injuries.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Right, this will start to ease that pain a little bit.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Louise has been trapped for nearly an hour and it's freezing cold.
0:18:52 > 0:18:59She needs to be in hospital, but Darren knows he can't move her until he's relieved her pain.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Has the pain gone? is it still there?
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- Is it less than an 8 now?- Yeah. - It's less than 8?
0:19:07 > 0:19:12- 5.- I like 5. I'd like 2 better.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18With Louise's pain under control, Darren can now concentrate on getting her out.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21At this stage, every second counts.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27If we put a board in here, support it, cut the seat, she's going to come flat
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and come back out flat.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34'The car didn't lend itself to easy extrication.'
0:19:34 > 0:19:42Whichever angle we decided to place the spine board, it was always going to be down to brute strength
0:19:42 > 0:19:44as to the way she came out.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Ohhhh...!
0:19:47 > 0:19:53After being trapped for over an hour, Louise is finally ready to be pulled out of the car.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Right, take 10 good breaths for me. Don't blow it on me, though.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01That's it.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Lovely, that's brilliant!
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Keep her moving! Take it back!
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Try to ease her out.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13It's taken two teams of firemen to prise Louise from her crushed car.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19Safely on the stretcher, Darren can now assess the full extent of her injuries.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25Time is of the essence for all patients who are traumatically injured.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31And the injuries she sustained were quite significant and major injuries.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36The sooner that patients are transferred to hospital care the better the prognosis.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39We'll be there as quick as we can.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- Two miles up that road. - Louise to be in hospital fast.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50The only problem now is that the fastest form of transport is still two miles down the road.
0:20:50 > 0:20:56She has quite a nasty fractured femur. I'm going to transfer her up the road into the helicopter
0:20:56 > 0:21:02and it looks like we'll be going to LGI. This weather is blocking all the other landing sites off.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06We need to do what's best for this patient.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Keep breathing that, Louise.
0:21:09 > 0:21:16To get Louise to her lifesaving flight means a short journey in a road ambulance first.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19We're on our way to you now.
0:21:19 > 0:21:26Louise, this is oxygen. It'll make you feel a bit better. ..Don't spare the horses.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31People who are trapped for long periods can deteriorate quickly.
0:21:31 > 0:21:37Flying Louise to the specialist trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary might take longer,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40but it can deliver expert care.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44We had a frustrating wait waiting for Daz.
0:21:44 > 0:21:50The fog is just lingering on the ground. It's about 50-100 feet deep,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54then it's clear blue skies all the way to Leeds.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Less than two hours ago, Louise was preparing for a family day out.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Now she lies seriously injured in the back of a helicopter.
0:22:05 > 0:22:13As the crew head towards West Yorkshire, Tim's prediction is right - Leeds is bathed in sunshine.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Ohhh... - We'll look after you. You're fine.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Darren's done all he can. A team of doctors are waiting to assess Louise's injuries.
0:22:25 > 0:22:32But after suffering such a massive impact, it could be a long wait to see if she makes a full recovery.
0:22:40 > 0:22:46Coming up: the owners of the house count the cost of living here.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51I couldn't believe the devastation. Like a war zone or a plane crash.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56And there's a rescue on a cliff face in South Yorkshire.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59We'll stick this collar on, mate.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11You can guarantee that hitting a hillside hard is going to hurt.
0:23:11 > 0:23:18Up in North Yorkshire, the team of flying paramedics treat a man who can tell you how much.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Paramedics Pat and Sammy are in a remote part of the Yorkshire Dales
0:23:24 > 0:23:30treating injured paraglider Richard Carter. He's hurt his back after crashing into the hillside.
0:23:30 > 0:23:38Richard says he's not in much pain, but they can't take any risks. He could have a spinal injury.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43I must admit, I feel if I had to get up and walk, I...
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Richard's ready to fly, but there's a problem.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Pilot Tim Taylor has tried to find a mobile phone signal, but the area is too remote.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59The helicopter's satellite phone isn't working either. With all their communications cut off,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03they can't let the hospital know they're coming.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11Airedale Hospital is the closest, but it doesn't have a helicopter landing pad.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16The air ambulance drops patients at a playing field close to it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21If they can't get word through, there will be nobody to meet them.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Tim, I'll see if I can get a signal at the top there.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- Are we not better off just going? - Yeah, OK.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34Tim's right. They have to take off and hope for a signal in the air.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40Relax, mate. You've done the hard work. Just come for a ride.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46With no other options, Pat tries a stab in the dark - a text message.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51I've managed to get a message sent. "Airedale - 12.15."
0:24:54 > 0:24:59And Pat's text does the trick. His message did get through.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08- Good afternoon. - Someone's explained the situation. He's a retired paraglider!
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Once his wife finds out!
0:25:11 > 0:25:18Richard's back home now. He insisted he wasn't badly hurt and doctors could find nothing wrong with him,
0:25:18 > 0:25:25but three days later he was still in pain and when he went back to be x-rayed,
0:25:25 > 0:25:32there was a shocking discovery. Two of the vertebrae in his spine had been crushed and fractured.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37I really wasn't sure if I was even injured or not, to be honest.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42They asked me the pain out of 10 and I said it was 5 at the most.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I felt I could walk if I had to.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50But I was just unsure about my condition at all.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It seemed strange, looking back now.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Richard is incredibly lucky that Sammy and Pat went by the book.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04Despite insisting that he wasn't in much pain, they still took every precaution.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'He told us his pain wasn't so bad, but we don't have x-ray vision.'
0:26:08 > 0:26:12That's why we treat all neck and back pain seriously.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16We put a collar on, put them on a longboard,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and until proven otherwise that's how we will treat people.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's a wake up call to slow me down a bit
0:26:24 > 0:26:32and make me take a few steps back and think, "Be a bit more sensible and enjoy it for what it is."
0:26:36 > 0:26:43Coming up: imagine coming home to this. The owners of a roadside bungalow count the cost.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It was unbelievable to see, really. Quite frightening.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58The flying paramedics can fly up to 12 missions a day, but some cases stay in the memory forever,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01often for the wrong reasons.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It's heading 158...
0:27:05 > 0:27:11At air ambulance HQ, dispatcher Chris has spotted an emergency call that needs Heli Med 98's help.
0:27:11 > 0:27:18In a field near Barnsley, a man has fallen off his bike and 20 feet down a rock face,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22landing headfirst on the rocks below. He's in a bad way.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26He's unconscious and has serious head injuries.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Luckily for him, Heli Med 98 are already on the way to the scene
0:27:30 > 0:27:35and they can cover the 20 miles in just 10 minutes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:42With such serious injuries, getting medical treatment fast may be the difference between life and death.
0:27:42 > 0:27:49We've got some more staff for you now, mate. We'll get you checked out.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55Any pain down here? Is there any pain? Is there any pain as I do that?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58There is pain there?
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Eddie McNally was on a bike ride with his son when he fell.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07A normally harmless tumble has ended in disaster.
0:28:07 > 0:28:15We were on bikes and his girlfriend came up, on t'bike, and we saw him here.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Going to stick this collar on.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Eddie's head has taken nearly all the impact of the huge fall.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27I'll support your head, Eddie. Relax. I've got it, mate.
0:28:27 > 0:28:33But paramedic Darren is worried Eddie might have a serious spinal injury as well.
0:28:33 > 0:28:40With Eddie's spine and neck supported, Mick begins to clear the debris scattered around the scene
0:28:40 > 0:28:45while Darren's attention turns to Eddie's severe head injury.
0:28:45 > 0:28:52'It looked serious and very spectacular due to the amount of blood he'd lost.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:58It throws up complications for us because you have a patient who could deteriorate rapidly.
0:28:58 > 0:29:05He's also bleeding quite badly. You don't know what's happened, inside his head.
0:29:05 > 0:29:11He may have a fractured skull. He may have sustained concussion or compression to his brain
0:29:11 > 0:29:13because of the impact.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19What about just lifting him bodily, trousers, belts and boots, and sliding it underneath.
0:29:23 > 0:29:30The team must work fast. Eddie's been lying on the cold, hard ground for over 20 minutes
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- and needs to be in hospital. - Feel his chest here.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Don't feel right. Let's get this strapped on and get him out of here.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43- Which way are we going? - That way. That way.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48But the path back to the helicopter is steep and very slippy.
0:29:48 > 0:29:55The team know they need to be quick, but can't risk becoming casualties themselves.
0:29:55 > 0:30:01We'll get his stats in the aircraft, before we get him in. It's easier.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06- Up, up, up. - Mick's preparations pay dividends
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and Darren can slide Eddie onto the chopper straight away.
0:30:10 > 0:30:17Heli Med 98 is the best way to get him into hospital before his condition gets any worse.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22He's doing OK. His vital signs seem fairly stable.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26A lot of cuts and abrasions and things.
0:30:26 > 0:30:32His chest sounds clear, but it was a matter of concern when we first picked him up.
0:30:32 > 0:30:39But he's doing fine at the moment. we just need to get him in quickly to have a good look at him.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44As Heli Med 98 comes in to land at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47it's clear there's another problem.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Few hospitals have a heli pad outside A&E.
0:30:51 > 0:30:57At the Northern General, patients need a land ambulance to transfer them into the hospital.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Eddie, just give me your arm again.
0:30:59 > 0:31:06Ambulance Control normally despatch an ambulance immediately, but there's no ambulance to meet them.
0:31:06 > 0:31:14Although Eddie is relatively stable, Mick and Darren know every minute counts. He could still deteriorate.
0:31:14 > 0:31:20Finally, the ambulance arrives. and just in time as Darren's worst fears are realised.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Eddie has a massive seizure.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Hang on, he's... Get him on that board, quick! He's going!
0:31:27 > 0:31:34'It wasn't unexpected, but it was a bit of a surprise the speed at which it occurred.'
0:31:34 > 0:31:39He's lost a substantial amount of blood, a lot of it around his face.
0:31:39 > 0:31:46It may occlude his airway, so we need to continue and maintain an open airway and his oxygenation
0:31:46 > 0:31:51'and get him into the department as quickly as we can.'
0:31:51 > 0:31:58The pressure on Eddie's brain is increasing rapidly and it's causing his whole body to shut down.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03He needs to be anaesthetised to control his breathing.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Watch your fingers, folks.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Get some suction when we get in.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Clear his face and clear his nose.
0:32:15 > 0:32:21Eddie's condition is deteriorating all the time. He's unconscious and his jaw has clamped shut.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26Eddie's survival depends on how fast they can get him into A&E.
0:32:26 > 0:32:33Can't get it in? He's clamped. 'We're not dealing with definites in anything that we do here.
0:32:33 > 0:32:40'We're dealing with the potential for disaster and that guy degenerated so quickly,
0:32:40 > 0:32:46'from speaking and being able to orientate to being totally unconscious and then fitting.'
0:32:46 > 0:32:53Eddie! 'Initially, we estimated it at 20 feet, but it was more like 40-50,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'from the point where he left the top of the cliff to hitting the rocks.'
0:32:57 > 0:33:01He's obviously taken the whole impact onto his face and head
0:33:01 > 0:33:07and once you do that the amount of damage you can do from that height could be fatal.
0:33:07 > 0:33:14As soon as Eddie arrives, he's rushed to A&E, where doctors work tirelessly to save his life.
0:33:14 > 0:33:21It's a tense wait. Few people survive after suffering such a massive head injury.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26But against all the odds, Eddie pulls through
0:33:26 > 0:33:31and 24 hours later he's made remarkable progress.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37His body is battered and bruised, and he's still in a lot of pain, but he's alive.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Should was out and got put back in.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47Stitches in my forehead, and I've got a breakage there and a breakage there.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And my teeth are broken as well. My jaw's broken.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Can't remember going on the bikes, can't remember anything at all.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01I'm still in pain, with my teeth and my jaw.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06And my face. Yeah. I don't know how lucky I am.
0:34:06 > 0:34:13The news that Eddie is on the road to recovery comes as quite a surprise to one of his lifesavers.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17I've seen people that have fallen less and they're dead.
0:34:17 > 0:34:24To say that he's recovered and has all his faculties about him, that's just great for us.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Let's catch up on that story we brought you earlier.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37On a busy commuter route into York, there's been a dramatic crash.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39A car and a lorry hit a bungalow
0:34:39 > 0:34:45and although the occupants of both vehicles survived, the car driver, Louise Quinn,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48sustained several serious injuries.
0:34:48 > 0:34:55Heli Med 98 has fought through thick fog to get there and pilot Tim had to land miles from the scene.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00Darren Axe hitches a lift and helps get Louise out of the wreckage.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03That's it! Lovely! Brilliant!
0:35:03 > 0:35:10He gets her safely back to the helicopter, but has he got his patient to hospital in time?
0:35:10 > 0:35:14The weather we've been flying in is a first for me.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20Flying above areas where there is so much fog is something I'd not experienced.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25Safety's got to be everyone's paramount thought.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28We were looking to see the floor to land.
0:35:28 > 0:35:36If not, there could be hazards - wires, trees - so that makes it unacceptable for us to land.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41There's no doubt who has been the real hero of this rescue.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45There's a catch here on the left.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50Without Tim Taylor's determination to get to Louise, despite the fog,
0:35:50 > 0:35:55she may never have made it to hospital.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Today he's invited me to join him up front in the cockpit of Heli Med 98.
0:36:00 > 0:36:09So, as the pilot, do you have to make a decision sometimes as to weighing up the risks
0:36:09 > 0:36:13as to the weather, the risk to your own crew and the patient's safety?
0:36:13 > 0:36:17You do have to be disciplined with the safety side.
0:36:17 > 0:36:24We're going out to somebody that is in trouble. Do we want to make ourselves a bigger emergency?
0:36:26 > 0:36:31The problem we keep getting with the weather is it's not black and white.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Good weather slowly merges into the bad weather.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40Nine times out of 10 we're in the border between good and bad.
0:36:40 > 0:36:47- It is frustrating, especially setting off with good weather to an incident that's just...- Yeah.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50..in worse conditions.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58So you're here flying an air ambulance. What background have you got that you ended up doing that?
0:36:58 > 0:37:03I was quite lucky, really. I joined the army as a bricklayer.
0:37:03 > 0:37:10- So you went from an army brickie to a pilot?!- Yeah.- Probably the most diverse career!
0:37:10 > 0:37:16You'd be surprised. I've met a few shocks that are pilots now.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21'Like me, Tim's a former soldier. No wonder he's not fazed by bad weather.
0:37:21 > 0:37:27'He used to risk of being shot at flying combat missions in Iraq.'
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Every household is legally allowed to own two weapons.
0:37:31 > 0:37:38- Firearms?- Yeah. And when you've got a foreign helicopter, you can't blame them for having a pop.
0:37:38 > 0:37:44So it's a complete contrast from one minute flying around as a target in Iraq
0:37:44 > 0:37:48- to flying as an air ambulance. - It's a complete adrenaline rush.
0:37:48 > 0:37:54You know somebody needs your help, you've got the tools and equipment to go and help.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00It really is a great feeling to be part of the team that can and does help.
0:38:06 > 0:38:13Back at the village of Skirpenbeck, the other victims of the accident have been all but forgotten.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18I think they'd be surprised to find a 30-ton truck in their driveway
0:38:18 > 0:38:21where the roof used to be!
0:38:22 > 0:38:27I'm glad it wasn't MY house! Fortunately, the damage isn't bad.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32Richard and Susan returned home to this.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37Driving home, all I could think was, "What am I coming home to?"
0:38:37 > 0:38:42The news had said there was a wagon and a car had gone into my house.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46My first thoughts were, "It's demolished!"
0:38:46 > 0:38:52- And then you think, "God! Is everybody OK?" - I couldn't believe the devastation.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55It's like a war zone or plane crash.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00There were that many fire engines and ambulances and everything else,
0:39:00 > 0:39:06you couldn't believe there had been such a tragic accident on our doorstep, really.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It was terrifying.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15Richard and Susan don't mind living by the roadside. After all, he's an AA man,
0:39:15 > 0:39:21but 30-odd tons of wrecked vehicle came within inches of ploughing through their kitchen window.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27- Now they face a substantial repair bill.- We need to get in touch with the builder.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32We'll have to strip the roof off to replace that main joist
0:39:32 > 0:39:36that goes from that corner to the centre of the roof.
0:39:36 > 0:39:43Their newly-built roof is badly damaged. The wreckage smashed the rafters.
0:39:43 > 0:39:49They know how lucky they've been, but that's nothing to how lucky Louise Quinn has been.
0:39:49 > 0:39:56It's four weeks since the accident and back home in Cheshire Louise is recovering
0:39:56 > 0:40:01with husband James and Isobel, who is none the worse for her experience.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07- The family had been on holiday in Yorkshire.- We'd rented a lovely cottage and arrived on Monday.
0:40:07 > 0:40:14Tuesday morning we went out, blanket fog, and then it happened. Awful. Just dreadful.
0:40:14 > 0:40:21Louise was very badly injured, but still has clear memories of the hour she spent pinned in her car,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26especially wondering what had happened to her daughter.
0:40:26 > 0:40:32'I shouted "Isobel! Isobel!" It was just...'
0:40:32 > 0:40:36We were both so worried about her. Weren't we, sweetie pie?
0:40:36 > 0:40:38'A wonderful fireman had her.'
0:40:38 > 0:40:44Louise is convinced that Isobel escaped unhurt because of her top-of-the-range car seat.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49It's one purchase Louise has no regrets about.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53She was more worried about the others than she was about herself.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58As a patient, she was very calm. She was still in substantial pain.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02The pain relief that we gave her did reduce that to a large degree,
0:41:02 > 0:41:06but she was a cracking patient, really.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10I remember a paramedic trying to get a line into me.
0:41:10 > 0:41:16You've got lovely skin, but the worst veins I've ever come across in my life!
0:41:16 > 0:41:21'I remember somebody saying, "Lovely skin, but awful veins!"'
0:41:21 > 0:41:26And Louise is so grateful to the crew of Heli Med 98,
0:41:26 > 0:41:32she's set up a website to raise cash for the charity that keeps the air ambulance in the air.
0:41:32 > 0:41:38I owe my life to them and my family's life. They got me there in 16 minutes or something.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40You know, I was straight in to A&E.
0:41:40 > 0:41:46And it just was essential. An essential part of my recovery.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51I'm so grateful. I don't know how I'd ever repay.
0:41:52 > 0:41:58The Heli Med team deal with more motorists than any other accident victims.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02They know Louise's recovery won't be entirely physical.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04One day, she must drive again.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09Some people are able to drive again as soon as their injuries permit.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Other people will be psychologically damaged, I suppose, by it.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19They'll play it over and over in their mind and lose confidence.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23You never know how people are going to deal with it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28She seemed to be dealing with it pretty well while she was with us.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33Louise is now back behind the wheel, but yet to drive again in fog.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36That's all, but when we come back:
0:42:36 > 0:42:42there's a major road crash and the team are forced to scramble two helicopters.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Three patients. It's a bad entrapment.
0:42:46 > 0:42:54On the grass moors of North Yorkshire, there's a race to save a trapped gamekeeper's foot.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00If we try to put traction on this, it's going to hurt.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05Daz meets a patient who is apparently a stranger to pain.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11And there's a miracle escape for a trucker thrown through his windscreen without a scratch.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2008
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk