0:00:03 > 0:00:09If you're critically ill or seriously injured in a place like this,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12there's only one thing that can save you. And that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It doesn't matter where you are, this helicopter,
0:00:15 > 0:00:22with its highly-trained team of pilots and paramedics, will fly to your rescue at 2.5 miles a minute.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25These are Yorkshire's Helicopter Heroes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50When the people of Britain's biggest county dial 999,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53there's a good chance help will come from the skies.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is ready to scramble 365 days a year,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and each one brings a new life or death emergency.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes, the team face a terrible dilemma.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10A trapped farm worker may lose his legs or his life.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15He's got his legs stuck in this screw, and it's gone underneath a concrete slab.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18A drunk driver is badly injured.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20She's got a nasty leg injury and nasty arm injury, so...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23she'll be in a lot of pain when we try to move her.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Pilot Steve's in a tight spot as he attempts a dramatic landing.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And a 999 call takes up a lot of time.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39The case of a tipsy teenager ties up 40 members of the emergency services.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46When you work nine-to-five on a farm, there are all sorts of hazards
0:01:46 > 0:01:51that can turn an ordinary working day into a life-changing ordeal.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56ON RADIO: '...male who was trying to extract his machinery...'
0:01:56 > 0:02:00There's been a 999 call from a farm, and it sounds serious.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Helimed 98 is on the case.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12The gentleman is trapped by his legs.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13There's no land crew on scene yet.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17A crew and emergency practitioner are en route at the moment.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18They are screaming for a doctor.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23It is lucky that anaesthetist Dr Steve Rowe is flying today as a volunteer.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27He used to work on a farm, and he knows his medical skills may be tested.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31There tends to be lots of large machinery on farms,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and every year I see a couple of folk
0:02:34 > 0:02:38that have unfortunately met the wrong end of the machinery.
0:02:38 > 0:02:44With farm accidents, pilot Tim Taylor rarely has to worry about finding somewhere to land.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48I've got visual with the vehicles in the middle of the farm building.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53We'll land in the grey concrete area.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55The accident's happened in a battery hen house.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01Their 29-year-old patient's trapped in machinery, and in agony.
0:03:01 > 0:03:08He's got both his feet firmly fastened into the auger, a chicken auger.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10We are giving him a bit of pain relief at the moment,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and the fire brigade are potentially trying to free him.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19Tony was trying to clear a blockage in a powerful auger that removes manure from the hen house,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24when he lost his balance and both his feet became trapped in a heavy steel corkscrew.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Anthony.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Am I touching your right foot or your left foot?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Right or left?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Right side. - OK, so that's your right foot. Good.
0:03:35 > 0:03:42But the damage to Tony's lower legs is so serious, the medics can't tell exactly what they're looking at.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47It would need both his legs to be broken and opened in this not very clean environment.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Tony's been breathing Entonox, a pain-killing gas,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54but his pain is so intense he needs something stronger.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- Shall we get the Ketamine out? - Yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Ketamine? It's a pain-relieving drug as well as...
0:04:03 > 0:04:08It's more humane for the patient. It can effectively knock him out.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Ketamine is so powerful, only doctors can prescribe it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Well done. That's the deal.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The fire brigade aren't short of advice on how to free Tony.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Knocking that section of wall out, we can lift it up six inches... well, up to that high.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27The auger will have to be lifted,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but they are dealing with tonnes of steel encased in a shaft
0:04:30 > 0:04:32that goes through a wall.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- Anthony?- Yeah.- Good. Just keep taking nice, steady breaths.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39OK, mate. You're doing really well.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Have you got any oxygen on board your vehicle?
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Can we have...as many as you've got, please.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Do you want Entonox as well?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Tony's bleeding heavily from his legs, but they're buried
0:04:55 > 0:04:58almost up to his knees in foul-smelling chicken manure.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02It will have to be removed, but it's not the smell that worries Dr Steve.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08It's infection. But swilling the droppings away from the wound is impossible.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Tom, pass us that chimney sheet.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16The medics put a tourniquet on Tony's legs to help stop the bleeding.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Steve's putting a tourniquet on, which basically is wrapping something around the leg,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24then you tie it up, which stops the blood flowing into the legs.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Obviously Steve thinks that once we get his legs out, he might bleed heavily.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33So he's putting something on to stop the blood flow to his lower legs.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39Time is running out. Paramedic Pat knows that as the operation to free Tony goes on,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43the chances of having to abandon the fight to save his feet increase.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Surgical team.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Sammy can't say the word on her mind...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50amputation.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55What's your flight time to LDI?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Five minutes. - Cos we might want a surgical team.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01We're looking at amputating his feet. All right?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Surgical instruments and another doctor are on standby at a nearby hospital
0:06:06 > 0:06:11to allow Dr Steve to carry out the first amputation of his career in a chicken hut.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Me and Tim are going to fly to Dewsbury hospital to pick up Andy Poutney and bring him back here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21As Pat and Helimed 99 take off to collect the second doctor, scalpels and a saw,
0:06:21 > 0:06:26only a specialist fire brigade rescue team can now save Tony's legs.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37Coming up, the fire brigade have a plan, and it could save Tony's legs.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41My colleagues in the fire service are just making some room behind me
0:06:41 > 0:06:44to actually lift the screw up and see if we can take it off his legs.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48There's a tricky rescue operation on the canal bank.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55And on a frozen pond, the Helimed team are called to a suspicious hole in the ice.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59The body remains upright in the water. There could be two people in there.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07When I wore a uniform for a living,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11I would despair at the number of people who would still drink and drive.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16And sometimes these guys have to come face to face with the effects of motorists who think
0:07:16 > 0:07:19they can handle a few drinks as well as their cars.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's the morning rush hour in South Yorkshire.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26On a busy road near Barnsley, three cars have collided.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28One driver was trapped and seriously injured.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The crew of Helimed 99 are on their way to the scene,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37and paramedic Darren Axe, who was born in the next village, knows it well.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Initial reports are that people are trapped in the car.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43We don't know how many at this time.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46You don't know what you are going to see until you get there.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51The driver of a Ford Mondeo is lying across the front seats of her car.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Her arm and leg are badly broken.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Freeing her would mean taking her car apart.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59The crash is a mystery.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01The road is straight and visibility's good.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06It shouldn't have happened. But one of the ground paramedics seems to have an idea.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10The driver is slurring her words.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15Allegedly this lady here, in this vehicle, has had a few to drink.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19This will feel a bit uncomfortable, all right? Just to support your neck.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21If it's comfy, we've done it wrong.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24If you look at her hand, it's obviously nasty.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28I'm struggling to dress this properly, so I'm just doing it to keep it clean.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30It's not very pretty to look at, is it?
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Alcohol's doing one good thing for their patient.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It's clearly acting as a painkiller.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40If that was me, I'd be screaming my head off.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43She's not complaining now, but she might.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45She's got a nasty leg and arm injury, so...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48she'll be in a lot of pain when we try to move her.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50So we're going to get some pain relief ready to give her.
0:08:50 > 0:08:56If she starts to scream out, which I'm sure she will, we'll have to stop and give her some pain relief.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Drink driving doesn't just affect those who choose to risk it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The woman in the Mondeo is one of three casualties.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07A man in a people carrier has received less serious injuries,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and another motorist is being taken off for a check-up.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16- Northern General have a really good plastics department. They'll put your arm back together.- Will they?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21This woman's just become a statistic.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26She's one of around 3,000 road users killed or seriously injured each year
0:09:26 > 0:09:29in accidents where alcohol is a factor.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Nearly one in six of all road deaths is caused by booze.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36But to the paramedics, all patients are the same.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39You said you'd not, but have you had a drink at all?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Don't shake your head. It's really important to tell us.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- No. Not since last night. - Did you have a lot last night?
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Um...I had a bottle and a half of wine.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Despite all the signs to the contrary, the driver thinks she's sober.
0:09:54 > 0:10:01And she seems to believe that the one she drank the night before can't be a factor in her accident.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04I can't believe... I were just going home. I can't believe this.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Binge drinkers can take up to 24 hours to be fully sober.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Paramedic Simon has seen his fair share of the misery caused by drink driving,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15but these guys are professionals.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Just rest your leg down.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20That'll take all the pressure off it, won't it?
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Blame doesn't enter the equation for the Helimed team.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29She may have broken the law, but the severity of the woman's injuries mean she'll be flown to hospital.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33The other two patients with less serious injuries will go by road.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Coming up, paramedic Simon lends an ear as his patient comes out with her account of what happened.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49I can't believe... I just turned around that corner and that car was there.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53The battle to free a trapped farm worker is stepped up.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Start to lift now. You lift, I'll get them a lift.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01And a police search team struggle to find a man trapped in an ice-covered pond.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Now, this thing weighs three tonnes and takes years of training to fly.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Imagine if you could drive your car at 150 miles per hour,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and had to take in a dash like this.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24But some emergencies even stretch the Helimed pilots to the limit.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Yorkshire is criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of waterway.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34The canal banks on the Pennine foothills are a favourite with walkers.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38But today, one waterside hike has ended in agony.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Pam Watts has a broken ankle.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Her injury isn't serious, but her predicament is. It's a cold day, dusk is approaching,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49and she's more than a mile from the nearest road.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53In a situation like this, ground paramedics know just who to call.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Helimed 99 is on the way.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59We've got a fractured ankle, which, on the face of it,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01shouldn't be life-threatening injury.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It's just the location that is a problem,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06to actually move her to the ambulance.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Quite often when we actually put the patients onto the helicopter,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13we relocate the helicopter to where the ambulance can get to
0:12:13 > 0:12:15and then leave them with the ambulance crew.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18For pilot Steve Cobb, this route is familiar.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20My house is down there.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Do you support the local brass band?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I support the local pub.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Looking at hospitals, we've got Huddersfield, which is only three miles.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And that's a secondary transfer, so...
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Hopefully it might be just a case of moving the patient to the ambulance, maybe.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42For paramedic Tony Wilkes, this will be a tricky case.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Pam's lying at the top of a muddy embankment.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Carrying a stretcher back to the chopper could end in an injury much worse than a broken ankle.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Can't see any wires or anything from my side.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Me neither.
0:12:55 > 0:13:01To get near to their patient, pilot Steve's only choice is to land the chopper on the towpath.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But he's going to need some help on the ground.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Boggy. Very boggy.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- What do you want me to do? - Do you want to jump out?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- Tony doesn't mind.- I think...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The paramedics have been trained to guide the helicopter in.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20So Tony's dropped off in a nearby field, while Steve has one more look at his landing pad from the air.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Do you think you can get up there? - Yeah, I think so. Yeah.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Don't see anything unusual there.
0:13:25 > 0:13:33The towpath was built 250 years ago to be wide enough for a man and two horses to walk side by side.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37But pilot Steve is about to try it for size with his three-tonne helicopter.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Not a loss of chance here, is there?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Steve has more than 5,000 hours logged
0:13:44 > 0:13:49over 20 years in the captain's seat, but this will test even his skills.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Helicopters are generally recognised as among the most complicated aircraft to fly.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- You've just hovered over a bit further...- He's...
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Tony's still calling you down.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Forward.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Down.
0:14:09 > 0:14:15Steve's trying to touch down in an area just two feet wider than the landing skids.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19One slip, and £3 million worth ends up in the drink.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24With Tony's help, Steve's done it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31The ground crew at the scene have done a great job and fully brief Tony.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35They'd been walking the two dogs. Her husband's taking the dogs back.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37One's pulled her over.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41She's got a fractured left ankle and also a fractured wrist.
0:14:41 > 0:14:47It's just in there because it was cold. Entonox is needed, and her pain's...quite reasonable now.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50The location the lady's in there is quite difficult to get to.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56And they'd have had to carry her over a wall and down a quite steep and slippy bank.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59This is just about wide enough for us.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We got Tony to come up and just do a recce for us, check it was OK and just guide us in.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's worked out quite nicely.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- Pam, have you flown in a helicopter before?- No.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10No? Do you fancy doing it now, eh?
0:15:10 > 0:15:14So what we're gonna do, we're gonna get a stretcher out, we're gonna sit you up,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18get you on, get you buckled up, OK? And then we'll pop you down to Huddersfield.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22It doesn't take long before Pam's on the chopper's special stretcher...
0:15:22 > 0:15:24She's a very fit lady.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26She'd proper boots on and everything, that's what's unfortunate.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30..and ready to be loaded into Helimed 99.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Ready, Pam? Ready, steady, lift.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36But it's going to be a tight fit.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Landing pads are normally five times this size.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46But the crew did the right thing calling the chopper in - it's a long walk to the road.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48You all right there?
0:15:48 > 0:15:55With Pam safely on board, Steve must run through a longer than usual take-off checklist.
0:15:55 > 0:16:01- Let's review the obstacles. - Yeah.- One tree.- One wall.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Another tree.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Power lines, hill...
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- Horses behind.- I think that's just about covered everything?- Yep.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- All clear.- Thank you. We're clear of the tree.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Straight up to avoid the back end hitting the wall, and Pam is on her
0:16:20 > 0:16:24way to Huddersfield Hospital for some bone setting.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32And a few days later, she's back home with a tale to tell about an amazing landing.
0:16:32 > 0:16:39Sort of about that much between the path and the wall, and the helicopter landed just about...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41well, about 10 foot away from my feet.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48I actually thought his blades were gonna touch the wall when he came down, cos it's quite a high wall.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I mean, it was just like landing on a sixpence.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56If I'd have seen it coming down, I probably would have had kittens, you know, coming at me that close.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01But he kept my face covered till they cut the motor.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11Coming up... the police investigation into a drink-drive accident gets under way.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Plus Helimed 99 is scrambled on an expensive wild goose chase.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The medics who fly in this helicopter often have some terrible decisions to make.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Imagine having to choose between losing a limb or your life.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Now, imagine making that decision for someone else.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Dr Steve Rowe has to right now.
0:17:35 > 0:17:41On a farm on the outskirts of Bradford, a major rescue operation is under way.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Farm worker Tony Dolan is trapped by his legs after falling
0:17:44 > 0:17:51into an industrial auger, a giant corkscrew designed to remove manure from the hen house where he works.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Paramedic Sammy Wills and flying doctor Steve Rowe know
0:17:55 > 0:17:59that if he can't be released soon, they'll have to amputate his legs.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02We're looking at amputating his feet.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06A second doctor's already on his way by air to assist with the operation,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10and only a specialist fire brigade rescue unit can save his legs.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18This team is trained to deal with explosions and disasters, and they know speed saves lives.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22But Dr Steve Rowe's priority is keeping Tony alive.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28Fellow flying doctor Andy Pountney has arrived in Helimed 99 to help amputate the patient's legs.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- He's well and truly stuck.- Right.
0:18:31 > 0:18:37He's had about 125 of ketamine so far, reasonably comfortable on that.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39If they wait too long, Tony's life could be
0:18:39 > 0:18:44in danger through the toxins already building up in his crushed legs.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- We'll see what we need and...- Just give us a shout what you want, Andy.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54Inside the hen house, Tony's condition is being carefully monitored on an ECG.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Any deterioration and they will begin surgery.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01But outside, the firefighters have other plans.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06They're demolishing part of the wall to create enough space to lift the auger free of Tony's legs.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11His legs are well and truly under there.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13We've tried getting them out by easing them out, it's not working.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15So our colleagues in the fire service
0:19:15 > 0:19:18are just making some room behind me to actually lift the screw up
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and see if we can take off his legs.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30Part of the steel manure removal system will have to be cut to free the huge corkscrew.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Is that the vibrations?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37But the vibration is hurting their patient.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39There's nothing they can do.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It's unusual for us, but this really is necessary.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Slowly, the auger is being lifted.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52We've only got a short travel distance to lift it, and then it's blocked and chopped.
0:19:52 > 0:19:58So as you lift it up, we're placing the blocks and wedges underneath so it's not gonna go back down again.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02- Do you want some more clearance? - Everybody got a piece?
0:20:02 > 0:20:07Start to lift now. You lift, I'll get them to lift.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Are you ready? Hold it when you get it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17After more than an hour, the rescue team finally ease the auger off Tony's legs...
0:20:17 > 0:20:20And slide back and slide back.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21Let's go!
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And he's free.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Let's go, guys. Yeah, we're clear.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Let's go. Let's go.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Down. Ready?
0:20:36 > 0:20:38It's all right, it's all right. Calm down.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47So we've got him out, managed to lift the screw off him, and his feet just popped out, which is good.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52So we're gonna get him stabilised and take him into LGI now for an assessment.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Keep your hands in, we're going to lift you outside now. You're out!
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It's been a very close thing.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01A few minutes longer and the doctors would have had to amputate.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But the team know Tony's condition is still very serious.
0:21:04 > 0:21:11He's bleeding heavily and this is the very worst environment in which to sustain a traumatic injury.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Can you get someone to run through two bags of saline,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17we're gonna rinse this off and get some saline and we'll dress it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Trying to irrigate these wounds, because they're covered in...
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Chicken manure has contaminated his wounds.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26If infection sets in, he could still lose his feet.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31It's vital they're cleaned up rapidly and he reaches surgery quickly.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Are we ready for the lift?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- Yeah.- One, tow, three, lift.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40- Anthony, are you all right? - Keep that arm down for us, Anthony.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43All right, Anthony? Yeah?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47The medicine's going to make you feel a bit strange, but don't worry, you're OK.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49OK? You're out, and we'll get you to hospital very shortly.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55The next half-hour could decide whether Tony walks again or is permanently disabled.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Coming up...
0:22:01 > 0:22:05rescue at last for Tony, but will surgeons be able to save his shattered feet?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08We'll make sure his airway, breathing and circulation are absolutely fine,
0:22:08 > 0:22:13make sure there's enough fluid flowing round in his veins to get him into theatre as soon as we can.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18And a police search team struggle to find a man trapped in an ice-covered pond.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22I mean, we do get sometimes where people step out onto the ice,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26make a hole and then retrace their steps, cos they think it's funny.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Now, how do you decide who most needs an air ambulance?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36It's a simple decision for the Helimed dispatchers.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39If you're trapped inside a car, you get a helicopter.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It doesn't matter what caused the accident.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47On a rush-hour route near Barnsley, there's been a three-car shunt,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52and paramedics believe one driver's boozing might be the cause.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57It's taken 20 minutes for firefighters to prepare the car for the patient's removal.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03Now they will need to clear the way to Helimed 99, which is waiting to carry the motorist to hospital.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08We could do a blood pressure, actually, before we do give her the morphine.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Is there any pain, while we're here?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Any pain in your tummy?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15No? ..This leg obviously hurts.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Pilot Tim Taylor managed to land within 100 metres of the accident,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28but the route from crash to chopper isn't straightforward.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- Would it be criminal damage if I pushed these over? - Not if YOU do it!
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Don't hurt yourself, mate.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And neither is the delicate task of lifting the driver from her wrecked car.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Where's that hurting?- My leg. - Whereabouts on your leg?
0:23:43 > 0:23:49- Is it your ankle? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh! - That's brilliant, Sharon. All done.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Just rest it down.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- You're all packaged up neatly. We're gonna slide a board underneath you... - Yeah.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58..and just slide you into the helicopter, out the car.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- All right?- Are we ready, then? - On your count.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- Straight under, yeah?- I think we might need some more manpower here.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Back injuries are common amongst paramedics,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11and the best way to avoid them is by calling in reinforcements.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14On up, then. Ready, steady, up.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15There we go.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19OK?
0:24:19 > 0:24:23It's not surprising police have taken a keen interest in this case.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Normally they'd be breathalysing anyone they suspect of drink-driving,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29but the woman's condition means they must wait.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Now we're strapping you to this helicopter stretcher,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37gonna pop you in the helicopter and fly you to Sheffield.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- Oh, gosh. - I know, it's scary, innit? But don't worry, Tim's done it before.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45People pay a fortune to fly in helicopters.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49I can't believe... I just turned round that corner and that car was there.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Yeah?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Well, yeah, these things happen.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Thanks, lads...and lasses.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Thank you, anyway.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Pop this oxygen on your face, yeah? All right?
0:25:01 > 0:25:06Paramedic Simon doesn't drink at all when he's driving, and he doesn't think much of those who do.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I saw far too many accidents like this when I was a copper,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and Simon's lost count of patients he's treated in circumstances like this.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20The woman will soon be undergoing surgery on her badly broken arms,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22but that's not before she's taken a breath test.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28Because of her history, the woman was later sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months,
0:25:28 > 0:25:33given a three-month curfew and ordered to wear an electronic tag.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35She was banned from driving for a year and a half
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and ordered to take a test before she gets behind the wheels again.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44It's not so bad when drunk drivers just injure themselves, it's when
0:25:44 > 0:25:47they injure other people that it becomes hard to become...
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Remain detached, if you like.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54But, you know, it's our professional responsibility to be detached
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and to offer the same level of care to everybody,
0:25:56 > 0:26:01regardless of how the accident's occurred and what's occurred beforehand.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I think in any, you know, ambulance personnel's book,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08they're never, ever going to be popular, these people.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Whether they're good people in everyday life doesn't really matter.
0:26:12 > 0:26:18Once they've consumed a quantity of alcohol and then decided to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21it's like being let loose with a loaded gun.
0:26:29 > 0:26:35Coming up - a trapped farm worker reaches hospital, and there's relief for the team treating him.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- I'll be having a thorough shower when I get home.- I said, "Hurry up, it's my turn!"
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Seeing the world from 2,000 feet doesn't half make it look small.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49That's Sheffield down there, home to half a million people.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54And on an average day, about 100 of them will need to make a 999 call,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57but only a lucky few will get these guys coming to help.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Today's emergency services are a highly-trained and multi-skilled network
0:27:03 > 0:27:07of rescue teams using some of the most up-to-date technology.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09And the Helimed team is the pride of the fleet.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14But resources like these don't come cheap - an RAF chopper, eight grand an hour.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18So wasting their time is an expensive business,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22and the bad news is, hoax or trivial call-outs cost millions every year.
0:27:24 > 0:27:30Apparently you've been stood down on this helicopter crash and diverted to another detail, over.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Today, many of these resources are racing to a frozen lake near Sheffield.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41Someone's spotted footsteps on the ice and they think someone's fallen into the freezing cold water.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Tony, does it look as though it's north or south of Sheffield?
0:27:44 > 0:27:48It's north-north-west, just to the east of Stocksbridge.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53The Helimed team takes every 999 call seriously, but like their colleagues on the ground,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58their job is made harder and more dangerous by pranksters who use the emergency services
0:27:58 > 0:28:01as a very expensive prop in their practical jokes,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and something doesn't quite ring true about this particular job.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Any more information, over?
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Negative...
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Police divers are searching under the ice in freezing conditions, but they've found nothing.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22It looks as if one set of footprints leads straight to the hole, one set of footprints goes out there,
0:28:22 > 0:28:27and then come straight back to where the hole's been broken into the ice.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30At the moment, there's no footprints actually leading back.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36Fire crews and ground paramedics are also on the way, and the team want Helimed 98 there just in case.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39With the divers failing to find anything from under the ice,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43paramedic Lee Davison wants to use the chopper to look from above.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48Is it worth us having a look over the top to see if we can see anybody underneath?
0:28:48 > 0:28:50But even from the air, there's still no sign.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53We're just coming to attend to assist, really.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Obviously if someone has been submerged for a length of time,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59we'll need to get them to hospital as soon as possible.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02But you never know, if somebody's gone into icy water very quickly,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06then they can actually be resuscitated for a time afterwards.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09The South Yorkshire Police underwater team are
0:29:09 > 0:29:12regular officers who are called in for jobs like this.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It's a dangerous and time-consuming business.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19The search is also putting a strain on the local emergency services.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24Dozens of rescuers are waiting to help, but all they can do is watch.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Police divers started doing the initial search.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32Usually in these situations the body remains upright in the water.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35It could be two people in there.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40The hi-tech intercom system allows the team on dry land to talk to the diver.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43He might have found something.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46RADIOS CRACKLE
0:29:46 > 0:29:49But it's another false alarm.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51You've done a full circuit.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54He's coming back up to the surface and he'll bring himself out,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56out of the pond, and get him back out to the side.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00He's been under ice, so we've had to check the bottom and the underside
0:30:00 > 0:30:04of the ice to ensure that the person is not stuck underneath the ice.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08It could be a historic or it could have been there a couple of days.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13After well over an hour of searching, the operation is finally called off.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18There's no sign of a body and it appears that rescues team's suspicions have been confirmed.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21We do get it sometimes where people step out onto the ice, make a hole
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and then retrace their steps because they think it's funny.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27But as we can see, there's a lot of people here who...
0:30:27 > 0:30:32have not wasted their time, but in certain terms if it's a prank...
0:30:32 > 0:30:35they're taking a lot of resources up.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Nearly 6,000 hoax calls were made to Yorkshire's emergency services
0:30:39 > 0:30:43last year, costing the taxpayer millions of pounds.
0:30:43 > 0:30:49The Helimed team return to base counting the cost of another wasted journey.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52You're putting yourself at risk for some idiot
0:30:52 > 0:30:55who thinks it's clever to dial 999,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58just to see ambulances or even fire engines and police cars
0:30:58 > 0:31:00rushing around with blue lights on.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05Ambulance emergency. Can I take the telephone number you're calling from?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07CALLER INAUDIBLE
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It's a different day, but the same old story.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20A 999 call says there's been a smash on one of Yorkshire's major motorways.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28We've got reports that a lorry overturned on the A1, M1 link road.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31It's an area of the motorway that we've come to quite often.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34There's quite a sharp bend in the road there.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39We believe that there's a driver or occupant of the HGV that's still trapped.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43When you've got large vehicles like this that are over on their side,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47the forces involved in this are quite significant.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52The wreckage tends to come in and crush around the occupants of these vehicles.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55The extrications can be quite lengthy.
0:31:55 > 0:32:01500 feet below Helimed 99, a co-ordinated response is underway with the police, the fire service
0:32:01 > 0:32:08and ground ambulances, putting themselves and other road users at risk, racing towards the scene.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10It's normally this just here, in't it?
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- On this bend. Where they...- Yes.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15..lose it.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- Can you see owt, Steve? - Not at the moment, no.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22There's no wreckage no sign of queuing traffic.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27It's only taken five minutes to get there, but it costs the Helimed team hundreds of pounds every time
0:32:27 > 0:32:30they respond to a 999 call, and working in helicopters
0:32:30 > 0:32:32is more dangerous than your average desk job.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37Hoax call. The police have run back to say that there's nothing there.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And stand down.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Money's been raised generally by members of the public.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Sometimes corporate, but often by members of the public.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47We can't replace this easily.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50For us, every pound counts.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53We could really do without flying when we don't have to.
0:32:55 > 0:33:02I'd think any, every time that any emergency ambulance or police or fire respond to a call,
0:33:02 > 0:33:09there's always an increased risk, a calculated risk. But you're driving often above the legal speed limit.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13You're driving and out of traffic. So you're increasing the risk of an accident happening.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Ambulance emergency. Can I take the number you're calling from?
0:33:16 > 0:33:19'No! Bye!'
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Emergency. Can I take the telephone number you're calling from, please?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Hello? Hello?
0:33:29 > 0:33:31It's dawn in Sheffield.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36At Helimed 98's base, the team are preparing to go on an intriguing emergency call.
0:33:36 > 0:33:37Clear left, please?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39- Clear left.- Cheers.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42I'm not really familiar with the area.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46But where we need to be is near a crossroads of the railway lines.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52OK. They described it as an open road. Whether they meant disused, I'm not sure.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56A teenager has been found on a disused railway line by a couple
0:33:56 > 0:34:01of early rising dog-walkers and they can't wake him up.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06Paramedics Sammy Wills and Glen Powell are already trying to work out what's happened.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11Their young patient could be in a diabetic coma, or fallen and banged his head.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16- At the moment, JJ, all we know is that he's a 14 or 15-year-old... - 15-year-old.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19On a disused or maybe unopened road.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I don't know if there's any new roads being built. This was a rough...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25It could be a disused railway.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27It could be. There's a few.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31But the crew must also consider another scenario.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36This has all the signs of being the aftermath of an alcohol-fuelled night out.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40There's a pylon and a bit of grass on the right hand side as we're looking.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Where the pylons are, I'll come down inside of them.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Local emergency services have turned out in force
0:34:47 > 0:34:50and the Helimed team head straight to where they're parked.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Disconnecting...
0:34:53 > 0:34:59But the teenager is still a mile's walk away and you don't need to do that when you've got a helicopter.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01He's not in the road. He must be somewhere else.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08- Apparently it's a 15 minute walk down that way.- All right. So we don't know where he is then?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I'm trying to speak to Dave. I've got nothing back from him.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16This is as close as they can get.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21But there's still some thick undergrowth and a steep slope between the team and their patient.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23- Am I pulling you down now? - All right.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Are you ready? Woo-hoo! Ooh...
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Open your eyes, mate.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37- Has he spoken?- He's still refusing to co-operate with his name.- Right.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40This looks serious and the boy's blood sugar level is low.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45But after a quick check-over, Glen recognises the symptoms.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47He said he'd been out drinking last night.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51- Has he told you he's a diabetic?- No, he says he's not a diabetic.- Right.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I could've brought you a blanket, mate. Do want me to go and get you a blanket?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57What's your name? Tell us your name.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58BOY GROANS
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Go on, then we can do this paperwork and leave you be.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06The young lad is nursing a pretty serious hangover.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09One which has taken a helicopter, four medics
0:36:09 > 0:36:12and a couple of policemen off the front line.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15He's had some alcohol last night and been out all night.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19I know it looks a bit cruel, but we've given him some medication
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and it takes about 10 minutes to bring him round.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24So we're just letting that take effect,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26so he's not angry and aggressive towards us.
0:36:26 > 0:36:32There's probably a few people wondering where the boy is, because it appears he's been out all night.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Thankfully it's midsummer and it's relatively mild.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37But if it had been a few months earlier,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40it could've been a very different story.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Come on. You need to talk to us. We'll have to stay with you until we find out who you are.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Shall I help you stand up, fella?
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- How does that feel?- I'm all right.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52Do you want to put your hat on?
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Binge drinking costs the country billions of pounds every year.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02And the cost of sorting out this teen is rising every minute
0:37:02 > 0:37:04the emergency services are on the scene.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10But the fact is there could be another patient who needs Helimed 98's life-saving skills nearby.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14He's come round and he's eventually decided to do the right thing.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16He'll be tucked up in bed in a few hours
0:37:16 > 0:37:18after he's been checked out by the hospital.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19He's a 15-year-old.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22He'll probably get into trouble when he gets home.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24He's been missing during the night. So, yes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28He's anxious not to get found out, but unfortunately he's in a predicament
0:37:28 > 0:37:33where the police are here, the ambulance service is here and we're gonna take care of him.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38With nothing worse than a sore head, the teenager will soon be
0:37:38 > 0:37:42just another statistic as he heads to the local A&E for a check-up.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47He'll go by road, which will allow this £3,500 a day air ambulance and
0:37:47 > 0:37:51its team of flying paramedics to get back to the jobs of saving lives.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Let's catch up with a case of the farm worker
0:37:57 > 0:38:00trapped in machinery in the hen house where he worked.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Tony Dolan came within minutes of losing his foot after he was trapped
0:38:05 > 0:38:09in an industrial corkscrew at a battery hen house outside Bradford.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Now after a tense two-hour rescue operation,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18he's on his way to specialist treatment at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Despite his dramatic escape,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24minutes before flying doctor Steve Row was forced to amputate,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Tony's still in real danger from the bacteria
0:38:27 > 0:38:30in the chicken manure in which he was trapped.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32OK then, Tony.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Good lad. How's your pain just now?
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It's still hurting.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37It's hurting the very badly. OK.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40We'll give you some more painkillers in just a second, OK?
0:38:40 > 0:38:44He's lost a big toe and both feet have been badly crushed.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Hello. Are you all right? Do you know where you are?
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- No.- No? OK. You're on top of the Leeds General Infirmary hospital.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53The lift from the hospital helipad
0:38:53 > 0:38:56will take Tony six floors down to resus -
0:38:56 > 0:39:00the A&E department where the most seriously-injured patients are assessed.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Hello there. How are you doing?
0:39:03 > 0:39:06The crash team is waiting to assess Tony's injuries.
0:39:07 > 0:39:12He had a tourniquet applied to his left leg for about an hour whilst we extricated him.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18The decisions they make over the next 10 minutes could decide
0:39:18 > 0:39:23whether Tony walks again or loses one or even both feet.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26We need to make sure his airway breathing and circulation are fine,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29he's got enough fluid flowing around his veins,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31he's got painkillers and antibiotics.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33We'll get him into theatre as soon as we can,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36but we need to assess his injuries at the end of his legs.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40They must balance repairing his wounds with removing enough
0:39:40 > 0:39:43debris to minimise the chance of serious infection from the manure.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45The main problem with this
0:39:45 > 0:39:48will be contamination and infection.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51He clearly was buried quite deeply in all the chicken muck,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54so it's prime for infection to take hold.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58The guys are giving him antibiotics to ward off against that.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The way in which Tony was injured is critical to the treatment they give him,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07and thanks to a helpful illustration found on the internet,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09they know what an auger looks like.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Doctor Steve and paramedic Sammy had to come closer than they'd like to
0:40:13 > 0:40:17the manure from the more than 1,000 chickens Tony was looking after.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I'll have a thorough shower when I get home.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24This is the first chance they've had to begin the big clean up.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27I said, "Hurry up, it's my turn!"
0:40:27 > 0:40:30It's not just the crew of Helimed 98 that need a shower.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Their equipment is covered in an unwanted reminder of their day down on the farm.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37As much as we tried to catch
0:40:37 > 0:40:41the bodily fluids leaving this gentleman's legs,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43as it was coming out...
0:40:44 > 0:40:48We just had to keep him safe, and unfortunately the stretcher got it.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Decontaminating their patient's wounds will not be so easy.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55For Tony, the next 24 hours will be crucial.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01For the next four weeks, Tony's in and out of theatre
0:41:01 > 0:41:05as surgeons battle to save his legs.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08It's still touch and go but Tony's trying his best to stay positive.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12It can get to you sometimes.
0:41:12 > 0:41:13But in your head you've got to know
0:41:13 > 0:41:16that you're going to get to that stage of walking again.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20I know in my head I want to get up and get out
0:41:20 > 0:41:22and walk and stuff like that,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26but I know that if I do I'll probably end up doing more damage
0:41:26 > 0:41:27to myself than owt else.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31It's in my head I've got to do it. I've got to make it.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36Tony's legs were so badly damaged his doctors are having to use other parts of his body
0:41:36 > 0:41:39to help with the reconstruction process.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41About a week ago they did skin grafts,
0:41:41 > 0:41:46taking skin off different parts of my body to put on to my legs,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50and muscle out of my body, out of the top part of my thigh here,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52and out the back of my shoulder.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57He wishes he didn't, but Tony clearly remembers what happened.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58I tried to pull myself out.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Didn't work.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Had a vision of seeing my legs just disappear
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and me just sat there still, and my legs just disappearing
0:42:06 > 0:42:09because the machine's just ripped them to bits and pulled them apart.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Yeah, I thought I weren't going to get out. I thought that were it.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18I'm not letting it beat me. I'm determined to walk.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21At the end of the day I were born with two legs,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23and I'm keeping two legs.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26When Helicopter Heroes comes back...
0:42:26 > 0:42:28A man severs his hand in an accident,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32but the Helimed team are determined to save it.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35We'll go direct to LGI. Hopefully they can stitch it back on.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40There's a race against the setting sun as an injured rider is flown to hospital.
0:42:40 > 0:42:4310 to 15 minutes, maximum.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47The chopper flies to the rescue of a ground ambulance bogged down on a rugby pitch.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50We're going to push the ambulance off the field.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54There's a touch down on the motorway after a multiple pile up
0:42:54 > 0:42:56brings gridlock to the M6.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk