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If you're critically ill or seriously injured in a place like this, | 0:00:03 | 0:00:08 | |
there's only one thing that can save you, and that's speed. | 0:00:08 | 0:00:12 | |
No matter where you are, | 0:00:12 | 0:00:14 | |
this helicopter with its highly-trained team of pilots and paramedics | 0:00:14 | 0:00:18 | |
will fly to your rescue at 4.5 miles a minute. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:22 | |
These are Yorkshire's helicopter heroes. | 0:00:22 | 0:00:25 | |
When the people of Britain's biggest county dial 999, | 0:00:46 | 0:00:50 | |
there's a good chance help will come from the skies. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:53 | |
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is ready to scramble 365 days a year. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:58 | |
Each one brings a new life-or-death emergency. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:02 | |
Today on Helicopter Heroes: | 0:01:02 | 0:01:05 | |
a pleasure flight ends in a terrible crash | 0:01:05 | 0:01:08 | |
and the pilot's wife is trapped. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:10 | |
Is this blood loss been from head injury? | 0:01:10 | 0:01:12 | |
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know this hurts. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:17 | |
He's a bright guy, a character! | 0:01:17 | 0:01:19 | |
But is so happens this patient works for NASA. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:23 | |
A new home-owner has an unexpected visitor. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:27 | |
I've been here just three months. I haven't even unpacked yet! | 0:01:27 | 0:01:31 | |
And the former flight attendant determined to become one of the Helimed team. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:36 | |
Having your own private plane is a dream for thousands. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:45 | |
Weekends away and no traffic jams! | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
But flying a light aircraft | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
is not as safe as checking in for that jet to the sun. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:53 | |
As one couple found out on one sunny summer's day. | 0:01:53 | 0:01:57 | |
The skies over Yorkshire are a playground for weekend pilots. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
And when a plane crashes, the Helimed team scramble instantly. | 0:02:03 | 0:02:08 | |
..a green field. We're trying to sort out who's going out. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:14 | |
The crew are keen to get on the way, but Helimed 99 must take on more fuel | 0:02:15 | 0:02:19 | |
before it can take off. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:21 | |
The team don't waste any time, though, | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
as they finalise their route to the crash scene. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
East of Norton-on-Derwent. Find Norton-on-Derwent, | 0:02:27 | 0:02:30 | |
which is here. Come east. | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
Is it next door to Eddsfield airfield? | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
-That's where we'll be. -That's where it is. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:40 | |
50 miles away, emergency services are fighting to free the female passenger | 0:02:43 | 0:02:48 | |
in a plane that left the runway and crashed through the hedge | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
at an airstrip on top of the Yorkshire Wolds. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:54 | |
We found a 49-year-old patient | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
trapped in the cockpit of the plane. | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
Airborne at last, paramedic Ben Anderson is only on his second week in the air | 0:03:04 | 0:03:09 | |
and he knows his skills will be tested today. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
I got told head injury and leg injury that was bleeding profusely. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:16 | |
OK. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:18 | |
At least Tony Wilkes has been to air crashes before | 0:03:18 | 0:03:22 | |
and the scene of the accident is familiar. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:25 | |
A light aircraft has crashed. Not sure if it's on takeoff or landing. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:29 | |
It's at an airfield that we know. | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
Every now and again we call in for some fuel. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:35 | |
Obviously, they're not designed to crash, but you do. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:38 | |
You don't always have the protection that you'd like. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
At Eddsfield, the tiny airfield near the market town of Driffield, | 0:03:42 | 0:03:47 | |
part-time fire-fighters are hard at work | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
removing the canopy of the plane to reach Denise Lee | 0:03:50 | 0:03:54 | |
whose husband Brian was flying. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:56 | |
Helimed pilot JJ Smith | 0:03:57 | 0:03:59 | |
is curious to find out what went wrong. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:02 | |
-Did she go through the fence? -Apparently, yeah. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:04 | |
Check for landing, please. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:07 | |
Seatbelts. | 0:04:07 | 0:04:09 | |
At last, Helimed 99 is on final approach to Eddsfield. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:12 | |
JJ isn't hanging about. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:14 | |
It's going to be rough as we go down, guys. | 0:04:14 | 0:04:17 | |
He knows an airfield won't have the wires and trees | 0:04:17 | 0:04:20 | |
he has to look out for on a normal approach. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:23 | |
Businessman and part-time pilot Brian Lee was coming in to land | 0:04:25 | 0:04:30 | |
when something went wrong and his £50,000 Robin light plane | 0:04:30 | 0:04:33 | |
careered off the end of the runway, | 0:04:33 | 0:04:36 | |
smashed through a ledge and hit a fence. | 0:04:36 | 0:04:39 | |
Now his wife is badly hurt. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:41 | |
What's it gone up to now? | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
-It's when she moves it, it whops straight up to ten. -OK. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:50 | |
Despite wearing a full safety harness, | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
both bones in Denise's right leg are broken | 0:04:53 | 0:04:56 | |
and she's bleeding heavily from a cut to her head. | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
Has all this blood loss just been from head injury? | 0:04:59 | 0:05:03 | |
Was someone sat here as well? | 0:05:03 | 0:05:05 | |
What's worrying the fire brigade | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
is the high-octane aviation fuel leaking from the damaged tanks in the aircraft's wings. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:13 | |
If it catches fire, they'll have seconds to react. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:17 | |
It's still leaking fuel. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:19 | |
Yeah. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:20 | |
To make things worse, they can't rule out a spinal injury, | 0:05:20 | 0:05:24 | |
which means moving Denise quickly could paralyse her. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:28 | |
It's a dangerous situation. | 0:05:28 | 0:05:30 | |
All we've done is assist by removing the canopy | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
to help release the casualty. | 0:05:33 | 0:05:36 | |
The lady's not actually trapped, but it'll be a difficult extrication | 0:05:36 | 0:05:41 | |
because of her injuries. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:42 | |
We're going to put her on a spine board | 0:05:42 | 0:05:45 | |
and then lift her out. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
Have we got any more... Can we get another BP at all, | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
-or is it gonna cause... -Yeah, we can... | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
The damage to the aircraft is an indication of the deceleration | 0:05:54 | 0:05:58 | |
Denise experienced as the aircraft hit the fence. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
Now Brian, who escaped unhurt, | 0:06:01 | 0:06:03 | |
can only stand and watch the battle to free his wife. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:06 | |
The pilot is walking wounded, | 0:06:06 | 0:06:10 | |
but not seriously wounded. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:12 | |
They're both very lucky. Both very lucky. | 0:06:12 | 0:06:16 | |
Once we start moving her, the thing is... | 0:06:16 | 0:06:20 | |
Denise's badly broken leg and fears for her back | 0:06:20 | 0:06:24 | |
means the operation to lift her from the cockpit | 0:06:24 | 0:06:26 | |
will have to be long and delicate. | 0:06:26 | 0:06:29 | |
And the fuel is continuing to leak. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
I'm concerned at the minute that the aircraft's still leaking fuel. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
We'll be as quick as we can to get out of this position. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:39 | |
It's definite fractured legs. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
But she's not unconscious, so that's as bad as it's gonna get. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:45 | |
But to be honest, we're not gonna take too long to get her out | 0:06:45 | 0:06:49 | |
and make it safe. | 0:06:49 | 0:06:50 | |
Coming up: the team prepare to free Denise, | 0:06:56 | 0:06:59 | |
but it isn't going to be easy. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:01 | |
Lean on her side and bring her legs forward. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:04 | |
A van driver crashes into a roadside house. | 0:07:04 | 0:07:08 | |
He's extremely lucky to get out the way he has. | 0:07:08 | 0:07:10 | |
And new paramedic Al needs a head for heights | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
to treat his first patient. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:16 | |
Let's feel your chest. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:18 | |
Mountain biking is a booming sport. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:25 | |
Serious off-road riders head to the North Yorkshire hills | 0:07:25 | 0:07:28 | |
to test out their skills. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:30 | |
But coming off one can have serious consequences. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:35 | |
The North York Moors National Park | 0:07:36 | 0:07:38 | |
is one of the UK's biggest tourist attractions. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:40 | |
500 square miles of rolling hills. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
Thousands come here to ride the steam railway | 0:07:44 | 0:07:47 | |
or hike 1,400 miles of moorland footpath. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
But Dalby Forest, in the heart of the park, | 0:07:50 | 0:07:53 | |
conceals another more dangerous attraction. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
Paramedic Pat Greaken is about to meet up with an unusual patient. | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
A mountain biker who's come off on a track in the heart of the trees. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:04 | |
It's not the Americans' fault that you good people... | 0:08:04 | 0:08:07 | |
It's clear he's not local! | 0:08:07 | 0:08:10 | |
AMERICAN ACCENT: I'm not going to Disneyland, for sure! | 0:08:10 | 0:08:13 | |
31-year-old Gabriel Sibley is from Boulder, Colorado. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:17 | |
He's no stranger to coming off things at high speed. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
I've shattered my right hand. I have seven pins in my right hand. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
And that morphine's BLEEP hardcore. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:28 | |
I barf like a BLEEP. | 0:08:28 | 0:08:30 | |
I can give you something for vomiting. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:32 | |
As well as having a way with words, | 0:08:32 | 0:08:35 | |
Pat's patient seems to have a clear idea of what's going to happen. | 0:08:35 | 0:08:39 | |
In fact, he's a bit of an expert! | 0:08:39 | 0:08:41 | |
I hope you're good at intravenous tapping! | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
I'm not saying a word at the moment! | 0:08:47 | 0:08:49 | |
By the way, thanks, everybody. I appreciate it. | 0:08:49 | 0:08:52 | |
Sorry if I'm angering anybody by being a BLEEP or whatever! | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
It's becoming apparent that Gabriel is an unusual sort of patient. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:01 | |
It turns out he helps build space rockets! | 0:09:01 | 0:09:04 | |
Really! | 0:09:04 | 0:09:06 | |
Gabriel is a mate of mine from Oxford. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:10 | |
He studies robotics down in Oxford. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:14 | |
And he came over from the US | 0:09:14 | 0:09:18 | |
and he's a bit of an outdoor sports nut-head, basically! | 0:09:18 | 0:09:22 | |
He's a bright bloke. He worked for NASA as well! He's a bright guy, a character! | 0:09:23 | 0:09:27 | |
When not designing lunar buggies, | 0:09:27 | 0:09:30 | |
Gabriel also does some international down-hill skiing. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
But today, simply riding a bike downhill has gone very wrong. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:38 | |
I found out he was quite badly, | 0:09:38 | 0:09:41 | |
so I called the ambulance. | 0:09:41 | 0:09:43 | |
Tried to find the best reference I could. | 0:09:43 | 0:09:45 | |
We just kept him calm and cool and he's done really well. | 0:09:45 | 0:09:49 | |
By the way, mate, well done. Thank you for calling for us. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:53 | |
-Well done. -What's your name? | 0:09:53 | 0:09:54 | |
-I'm Sammy. -Thank you. -You're welcome. | 0:09:54 | 0:09:57 | |
It's so steep. It's really quick down here. | 0:09:57 | 0:09:59 | |
Then you hit this and he just basically took off. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:03 | |
There's too much speed and he just launched it. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:05 | |
He landed on his head. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
There's bits of the helmet scattered over here. | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
Look at this, pieces of his helmet. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:15 | |
If he didn't have his helmet on... | 0:10:19 | 0:10:21 | |
Over. The bike's all right. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
Apart from the front wheel. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
Have some more gas, Gabriel. That's it. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:30 | |
Cycle helmets are really solid. | 0:10:30 | 0:10:31 | |
For Gabriel's to have broken into pieces on impact | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
means it's been a huge smash. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:37 | |
Do you want more gas? | 0:10:37 | 0:10:38 | |
Even with morphine, Gabriel's pain is getting worse. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:42 | |
I'll take it if it'll pipe me down. | 0:10:42 | 0:10:44 | |
It'll make you feel more comfortable. That's it. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:48 | |
Without an x-ray, it's impossible to see the damage he's done. | 0:10:48 | 0:10:51 | |
He could have a serious neck or back injury. | 0:10:51 | 0:10:54 | |
One thing's certain. They need to move him from here and on to hospital as quickly as possible. | 0:10:54 | 0:11:01 | |
Coming up: the cyclist who launched himself into space | 0:11:05 | 0:11:09 | |
is prepared for another takeoff. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:11 | |
Fire-fighters fear an explosion as the operation to free a pilot's wife reaches its climax. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:18 | |
And new paramedic Kate meets a man whose DIY hobby cost him his fingers. | 0:11:20 | 0:11:24 | |
The worst-case scenario is they'll amputate them. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
Starting a new life in a rural area sounds great. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:37 | |
But sometimes, a room with a view of the countryside | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
can also have a main road at the front door. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
And that can have its dangers. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:45 | |
Moving into a new house | 0:11:47 | 0:11:49 | |
can be one of the most stressful things you'll ever do, | 0:11:49 | 0:11:52 | |
especially if you're doing the renovations yourself. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
Jacqueline Simpson bought this cottage near Thirsk, north Yorkshire, last year | 0:11:55 | 0:12:00 | |
and spends all her time doing it up. | 0:12:00 | 0:12:03 | |
And then this happens. | 0:12:03 | 0:12:05 | |
A lorry has careered into the side of Jacqueline's new home. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
She's still inside, and the driver's injured. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
'There is now a responder on scene | 0:12:16 | 0:12:18 | |
'and it transpires there's a patient with a hand injury' | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
and they're trapped and also unconscious. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
The fire crews are worried. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:26 | |
The impact of the crash may mean that the wall of Jacqueline's house has become unstable. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:31 | |
They make a decision to get the driver out of his cab quickly. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:35 | |
We first tried to get him out through the driver's door. | 0:12:35 | 0:12:38 | |
But we realised because of his injuries, that wasn't a practical thing to do. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
So the obvious thing to do was remove the front windscreen, | 0:12:42 | 0:12:46 | |
which we cut out with a saw, then it was easy to access him through the window. | 0:12:46 | 0:12:50 | |
The destruction is visible from 500 feet. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:54 | |
I can roughly do that landing site. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
There are big wires there. | 0:12:57 | 0:12:58 | |
We're going in on the road, yeah? | 0:12:58 | 0:13:01 | |
Yeah, we'll go on the road. There's a set of wires across. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:05 | |
I'll approach over the top of that. | 0:13:05 | 0:13:07 | |
With police roadblocks halting the traffic, | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
the narrow road outside Jacqueline's house | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
makes the perfect helipad. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:15 | |
OK. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:16 | |
The van driver, David Burton, is a local landscape gardener. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:22 | |
Flying paramedic Pete Vallance knows he's in a critical condition. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:27 | |
The fact that you've got out of that wagon that's on its side into a building. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:31 | |
We have to take it for granted you may have hurt your back. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
The fire crew that rescued David now need to hold him down | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
to protect his spine. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:39 | |
His head injury has left him confused | 0:13:39 | 0:13:42 | |
and he's trying to stand up. | 0:13:42 | 0:13:44 | |
-I want to stand up. -No, you have to lie down. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:47 | |
Dave, can you put your legs down? | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
All right. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:51 | |
The paramedics know that what's happening inside David's head | 0:13:51 | 0:13:55 | |
can be more worrying than the cuts and bruises they can see. | 0:13:55 | 0:13:59 | |
We don't believe he's been unconscious, but he's got lower back pain. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:03 | |
It doesn't appear to be as severe as we initially thought | 0:14:03 | 0:14:06 | |
but looking at the wreckage, | 0:14:06 | 0:14:08 | |
the possibility of other injuries that are hidden at the moment | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
are possible. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:14 | |
Jacqueline is still inside, being comforted by friends. | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
Quite a high impact involved in the smash. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
He's extremely lucky to get out of it the way he has done. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
Quick thinking and team work by the emergency services | 0:14:25 | 0:14:28 | |
means that Dave is now ready for his flight to hospital. | 0:14:28 | 0:14:31 | |
He'll be taken to the specialist neurological team at Leeds General Infirmary. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:36 | |
Back at the scene of the accident, | 0:14:36 | 0:14:37 | |
Jacqueline is still in shock. She was hanging curtains in the living room | 0:14:37 | 0:14:42 | |
when the lorry came hurtling towards her. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:45 | |
I was standing at that window, removing the newspaper | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
to allow the sunshine to come through | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
to dry this damp-proofing and plastering. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:54 | |
I've been here just three months. I haven't even unpacked yet. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:58 | |
A huge, huge bang | 0:14:58 | 0:15:02 | |
and instinctively I ran away and I realised there was an accident. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:08 | |
I still feel terribly shocked. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
I can hardly believe this has happened. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
But it is a lucky escape. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:17 | |
'Helimed 98 Delta. Clear the ATZ to the north.' | 0:15:17 | 0:15:21 | |
Jacqueline may have escaped serious injury, | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
but the same can't be said for David. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:27 | |
Helimed 98 is half-way into the 15-minute journey to Leeds General Infirmary | 0:15:27 | 0:15:33 | |
and there's increasing concern for his condition. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:35 | |
Head injuries are one of the hardest conditions to treat out of hospital. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:41 | |
Without a scan, they can't know whether David has suffered one of the most serious head injuries, | 0:15:41 | 0:15:47 | |
a haematoma. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
If there is bleeding inside his skull | 0:15:49 | 0:15:51 | |
it could be putting pressure on his brain | 0:15:51 | 0:15:53 | |
and that can be fatal. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:55 | |
DAVID CALLS OUT IN PAIN | 0:15:56 | 0:16:00 | |
-Ooh, that hurt! -Sorry about that. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
-Where did that hurt? -Just in me back. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
David has gone from mangled wreckage to specialist trauma hospital | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
in less than one hour. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:12 | |
But he faces an anxious wait to find out if his injuries are as serious as they appear. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:17 | |
A few weeks later, and David's back home, but not back to normal. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:25 | |
Fortunately, his head injury wasn't serious, but the scans and x-rays picked up something else. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:31 | |
He's broken his back. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:33 | |
I've got a big scar at the back of my head. | 0:16:33 | 0:16:35 | |
Apparently I've broken my back in one place. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:39 | |
In the middle. I think it's 12. C12 or something. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:43 | |
I've broken my back and I've got to wear one of these... | 0:16:43 | 0:16:46 | |
..for another two or three weeks, if not longer. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:51 | |
It is upsetting because I was hoping to be able to work till I was 70. | 0:16:51 | 0:16:56 | |
But whether I'll be able to drive | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
or whether I'll be able to work or take notes, I don't know. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:03 | |
And there's another twist in this story. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:06 | |
David actually owns the field next to Jacqueline's house. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:10 | |
The previous owner sold the field to me and my partner | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
and we bought the field at the back, about three acres. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
But there's a good reason why David didn't buy the cottage. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
It's too close to the road, for a start! | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
I've seen too many vehicles go into the front of it! | 0:17:22 | 0:17:26 | |
That's little comfort for Jacqueline. | 0:17:26 | 0:17:28 | |
But she remains determined to live in Bridge House. | 0:17:28 | 0:17:32 | |
There's lots to do and it'll be a few more months before her new house is finished. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
But she's still managing to look on the bright side. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
Things could have been for somebody an awful lot worse. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:43 | |
But it wasn't, and so I'm very grateful for that. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:48 | |
It's the cosmetic side of things now. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:51 | |
I'm looking forward immensely to unpacking my things, | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
buying some furniture, | 0:17:55 | 0:17:57 | |
and decorating, and just creating a home for myself, really. | 0:17:57 | 0:18:01 | |
I'd be deeply unhappy if anything like this happened again. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:05 | |
But I suppose it's possible. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:09 | |
Coming up: a NASA scientist heads for touchdown in the NHS. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:19 | |
He's in a lot of pain with his back. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
And there are testing times for the new recruits fighting to become flying medics. | 0:18:22 | 0:18:27 | |
Let's get back to the Yorkshire Wolds | 0:18:32 | 0:18:34 | |
where a pilot's wife is trapped in the wreckage of her husband's light plane. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:39 | |
The crew of Helimed 99 had to wait to top up their tanks | 0:18:41 | 0:18:44 | |
before they could scramble to an air crash at a remote airfield on top of the Yorkshire Wolds. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:50 | |
East of Norton-on-Derwent. Find Norton-on-Derwent, which is here. | 0:18:50 | 0:18:55 | |
Now paramedics Ben and Tony are helping fire-fighters | 0:18:57 | 0:19:00 | |
struggling with the complicated extrication of the pilot's wife, Denise Lee. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:04 | |
My colleague will slap you on some morphine now. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:07 | |
Proper stuff, Denise. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:10 | |
She broke both bones in her left leg | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
after the family light plane left the runway, crashed through a hedge, | 0:19:13 | 0:19:17 | |
and hit a fence during a difficult landing. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:19 | |
OK. We've got a female, obviously she's crashed in a light aircraft. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:24 | |
Age 49 years. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:26 | |
She has some lacerations to her head and a fractured tib and fib. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:32 | |
We're going to Scarborough, ETA possibly 20 to 25 minutes | 0:19:32 | 0:19:37 | |
but I'll update you nearer the time. Over. | 0:19:37 | 0:19:40 | |
It's the fuel leaking from the wrecked Robin light aircraft | 0:19:42 | 0:19:45 | |
that's worrying the fire brigade. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:47 | |
One spark could cause a devastating explosion. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:50 | |
Tony knows there's no time to waste. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:52 | |
His patient needs urgent hospital treatment. | 0:19:52 | 0:19:56 | |
We'll have to be careful how we're extricating her. | 0:19:56 | 0:20:00 | |
The ideal way is to get her straight back | 0:20:00 | 0:20:02 | |
but she's vertically upright so we can't get the board in. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:05 | |
We've got a vice on her but it's not fitted properly cos we can't get to her legs. | 0:20:05 | 0:20:10 | |
Just maintaining security of the C-spine | 0:20:10 | 0:20:12 | |
in case she's got any neck or back injuries. | 0:20:12 | 0:20:16 | |
But we can't secure it round her legs properly. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
We're worried if we pull her from a vertical position it's gonna come off. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:23 | |
We're gonna lean her on her side and hope the legs follow. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:26 | |
But she's got definite fractures, so we have to be careful. | 0:20:26 | 0:20:29 | |
Will that board come in any more? | 0:20:29 | 0:20:31 | |
We need a few hefty people round this side that can lift well. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:41 | |
Are you a good lifter? | 0:20:41 | 0:20:43 | |
We're only ever gonna move at six inches at a time. | 0:20:43 | 0:20:46 | |
Denise's husband Brian is doing his best not to show his feelings. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:50 | |
He's trying to comfort his wife as the operation to free her enters its final phase. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:56 | |
Sorry about this, sweetie. Ready, steady, lift. | 0:20:56 | 0:20:59 | |
DENISE CRIES OUT | 0:20:59 | 0:21:01 | |
Quite a smooth extrication at the end of the day. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
We'll get her on the aircraft, give her some more pain relief | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
and reassess her injuries. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:13 | |
Light aircraft don't have the crash protection motorists enjoy. | 0:21:13 | 0:21:17 | |
No airbags or crumple zones. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
The team think the rudder pedals on which Denise's feet were resting | 0:21:19 | 0:21:23 | |
may be responsible for her broken bones. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:26 | |
But they can't rule out even more serious injuries. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:33 | |
Coming up: Denise reaches hospital, but are her flying days over? | 0:21:38 | 0:21:43 | |
And the team's new paramedics learn how to become fire-fighters as their training continues. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:50 | |
If you hurt yourself in America, | 0:21:55 | 0:21:57 | |
the first question they'll ask you in hospital is your credit card number. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:02 | |
Up in north Yorkshire, one patient from the States | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
is about to find out about free health care | 0:22:05 | 0:22:07 | |
on the NHS. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:10 | |
Helimed 99 has landed at a mountain bike track | 0:22:11 | 0:22:14 | |
in the Dalby Forest in north Yorkshire. | 0:22:14 | 0:22:17 | |
Their patient is Gabriel Sibley from Colorado. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:20 | |
He's a robotics scientist who's worked for NASA. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:24 | |
But he came to earth with a bang when his mountain bike launched him into space. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:28 | |
Paramedics Pat and Sammy are unsure of his injuries | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
but he's in great pain. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:34 | |
Gabriel, I want you to put this arm up there. | 0:22:34 | 0:22:37 | |
OK. Same with that one. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
-Aghh! I can't! -OK. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:41 | |
Aghh! | 0:22:41 | 0:22:42 | |
I can't move that arm. It hurts too much. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:45 | |
Where does it hurt? In the wrist? Elbow? Shoulder? | 0:22:45 | 0:22:48 | |
-In the ribs in the back. -OK. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:50 | |
They have to assume the worst - spinal damage. | 0:22:50 | 0:22:54 | |
They need to move him onto a rigid board to protect his back. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
You can see the problem on that right shoulder. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
The chopper landed in a field 200 metres from the cycle track. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:05 | |
If he's got a spinal injury, they need to carry him smoothly over the rough terrain. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:11 | |
Fortunately, all his extreme sportsmen mates are on hand to help out. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:18 | |
Welcome aboard. | 0:23:18 | 0:23:20 | |
Do you remember the accident at all, Gabriel? | 0:23:20 | 0:23:22 | |
I did one lap, and then I went again | 0:23:22 | 0:23:25 | |
and I guess on the first jump I went too far. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:28 | |
-Do you remember falling and being on the floor? -No. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:31 | |
-Is there some black areas? -I remember right before I hit | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
then it's black. | 0:23:34 | 0:23:36 | |
Gabriel can see that there are problems with his hands and finger. | 0:23:36 | 0:23:40 | |
He has enough medical knowledge of his own to realise the symptoms | 0:23:40 | 0:23:44 | |
of a potential problem. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:47 | |
Can you just check that my left finger is too cold? | 0:23:47 | 0:23:50 | |
I mean, the blood circulation might... Left middle, I think. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:55 | |
-That one? -It's really cold. -That's the one that's deformed. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
-It feels really cold. -Yeah. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
Pilot Steve gets the helicopter on the way to the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:07 | |
It's ten minutes across the North York Moors. | 0:24:07 | 0:24:10 | |
Pat's worried about Gabriel, | 0:24:11 | 0:24:14 | |
particular the injuries he can't see. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:17 | |
At the moment, he's stable. He's taken a big fall at speed, | 0:24:17 | 0:24:21 | |
landing on his head and back. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
We believe he's broken both his wrists | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
and sustained internal injuries we can't see. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
We want to get him to hospital, get him checked out. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:33 | |
But my main concern is his back. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:36 | |
Once they land in Middlesbrough, | 0:24:36 | 0:24:38 | |
it's a short push from the helicopter to the only person | 0:24:38 | 0:24:41 | |
who can diagnose Gabriel's injuries. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
A trauma consultant armed with x-rays. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:47 | |
Gabriel's just grateful he's here. | 0:24:47 | 0:24:50 | |
Some of the world's most gifted scientists work at Oxford University. | 0:24:55 | 0:25:00 | |
The academics' choice of transport is the pushbike. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:04 | |
But not Gabriel. At least, not yet. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:07 | |
This is a CT scan of the head, looking for head injuries. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:11 | |
It's been a few weeks since his accident. | 0:25:11 | 0:25:14 | |
He's back at work and analysing data - | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
his own battered body! | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
I broke number four and number five metacarpals, | 0:25:19 | 0:25:21 | |
a compound fracture. It came out right here. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
The break in number four started at the head of a pin | 0:25:24 | 0:25:29 | |
from a previous break when I was 16. There's seven pins in there. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:33 | |
I really bruised the inside of my upper right torso here. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:37 | |
And my back. That's what I was most worried about. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:40 | |
That hurt way more than my hands hurt. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
I could see the bones coming out and that's what hurt me. | 0:25:42 | 0:25:46 | |
Ow! Ow! Ow! | 0:25:46 | 0:25:48 | |
Ow! Ow! | 0:25:48 | 0:25:50 | |
Ow! | 0:25:50 | 0:25:52 | |
Listening to it, really more than seeing it, | 0:25:52 | 0:25:54 | |
you can hear the sound of the pain. Yeah. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:58 | |
Have some more gas for me. Good lad. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
Slightly relax your arms. We'll put a blanket underneath. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:04 | |
To make such a simple error as to go too fast over a big jump | 0:26:05 | 0:26:09 | |
is not something I would do. I've never done that. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
I've been hitting jumps for a long, long time. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:15 | |
So, yeah, definitely, it shook me up. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:18 | |
In the USA, Gabriel says the care that he has had | 0:26:18 | 0:26:22 | |
would have cost many thousands of pounds and he's very grateful. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:26 | |
But there is one piece of kit that didn't cost a lot. | 0:26:26 | 0:26:30 | |
And he owes it his life. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:32 | |
I still have a bump on my forehead. I think it'll go. | 0:26:32 | 0:26:35 | |
Yeah. If it wasn't for that helmet, I don't think I'd be here. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:40 | |
Coming up: A pilot's wife finally reaches hospital. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:48 | |
But has she really escaped a plane crash with just a broken leg? | 0:26:48 | 0:26:52 | |
Being a paramedic on the road takes special skills. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:00 | |
You have to be able to think quickly and clearly | 0:27:00 | 0:27:03 | |
when everyone else is panicking. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
And you have to master complex medical procedures. | 0:27:05 | 0:27:08 | |
Imagine trying to find someone who can do all that | 0:27:08 | 0:27:11 | |
in one of these! | 0:27:11 | 0:27:13 | |
Everyone who's ever been in the emergency services | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
will tell you that despite all the training, | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
driving on blue lights gives you a buzz like no other. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
Add to that the job satisfaction that comes with saving someone's life, | 0:27:23 | 0:27:27 | |
and you can understand why there's no shortage of people wanting to be paramedics. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:32 | |
But today, more than 30 ambulance staff | 0:27:32 | 0:27:35 | |
want to give all that up for a place in a cockpit. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:39 | |
There are job vacancies at the Helimed team. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:41 | |
And the competition is fierce. | 0:27:41 | 0:27:44 | |
'A lot of nervous people wandering about the unit today.' | 0:27:44 | 0:27:47 | |
Some of them have been waiting up to two years for today. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
First, they've got to pass an exam and a tough interview. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:56 | |
Every job interview is stressful. | 0:27:56 | 0:27:58 | |
But the candidates for the Helimed job know that today | 0:27:58 | 0:28:01 | |
they're up against the cream of the ambulance service. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:05 | |
I've been on a couple of jobs when they've come in and conveyed patients. | 0:28:05 | 0:28:09 | |
It's something that I've always thought, "That looks good. I'd like to do that." | 0:28:09 | 0:28:14 | |
Outdoor enthusiast Al Day is one of the first to face the interview panel. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:19 | |
I think once I got over the initial nerves of it, | 0:28:19 | 0:28:23 | |
and I started to get going, it wasn't actually too bad. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:27 | |
I've been in mountain rescue for a long, long time as a volunteer | 0:28:27 | 0:28:31 | |
so I've always been interested in rescues and that kind of thing. | 0:28:31 | 0:28:35 | |
Just a perfect job. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:37 | |
Kate Coughlin's already flown as an observer on the chopper. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:41 | |
She comes highly qualified. | 0:28:41 | 0:28:43 | |
As well as being a paramedic, | 0:28:43 | 0:28:44 | |
she did three years as an airline flight attendant. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:48 | |
I did a day out with Simon and Paul about three years ago. | 0:28:48 | 0:28:52 | |
It was a great experience. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:54 | |
I'm down to the last stage, so fingers crossed! | 0:28:54 | 0:28:57 | |
And there's good news for both Al and Kate. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:01 | |
They've beaten off all the other candidates | 0:29:01 | 0:29:04 | |
to take a coveted seat in one of their Helimed helicopters. | 0:29:04 | 0:29:07 | |
But there's little time to celebrate. | 0:29:07 | 0:29:10 | |
There's a lot for our new recruits to learn. | 0:29:10 | 0:29:13 | |
So, where to now for our successful candidates? | 0:29:13 | 0:29:17 | |
Well, it's not up in this just yet. First stop, it's back to school. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:22 | |
At an airbase in Gloucestershire, it's a big day for the successful recruits. | 0:29:23 | 0:29:27 | |
Their first day as trainee air crew. | 0:29:27 | 0:29:30 | |
The Earth is divided into parallels and latitude. | 0:29:32 | 0:29:37 | |
It takes years to become an experienced aviator. | 0:29:37 | 0:29:40 | |
But these guys have got only two weeks before their first shift. | 0:29:40 | 0:29:44 | |
No pressure there, then! | 0:29:44 | 0:29:46 | |
Cumulus, that's a little layer of fluffy cloud. | 0:29:46 | 0:29:50 | |
Can bring rain occasionally. | 0:29:50 | 0:29:52 | |
-Strato-cumulus. -That's layers of fluffy bits. -Layers of fluffy bits. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:57 | |
I don't know my stratus Columbus from my cumulus nimbus! | 0:29:57 | 0:30:01 | |
Right! | 0:30:01 | 0:30:03 | |
Hmm. Not sure they've quite grasped the weather charts just yet! | 0:30:03 | 0:30:07 | |
Let's see if they're any better at dealing with an aircraft that's on fire. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
Helicopters can and do have accidents. | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
With a 1,000-litre fuel tank, | 0:30:14 | 0:30:17 | |
a fire on board is a real risk. | 0:30:17 | 0:30:19 | |
If that happens, they need to be ready to deal with it. | 0:30:19 | 0:30:22 | |
Beautiful. | 0:30:23 | 0:30:25 | |
So, they've got the jobs, done the basic training, | 0:30:25 | 0:30:28 | |
but the real hard work starts here for the Helimed team's fledgling aviators. | 0:30:28 | 0:30:33 | |
They've got four weeks to learn the basics of navigating the skies | 0:30:33 | 0:30:37 | |
the hard way. | 0:30:37 | 0:30:38 | |
With just a few days to go before they start their new job for real, | 0:30:39 | 0:30:43 | |
some of the more experienced members of the Helimed team | 0:30:43 | 0:30:46 | |
are about to put the new recruits through their paces. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:49 | |
The biggest problem is when you go off the aviation maps onto the local area OS maps | 0:30:49 | 0:30:54 | |
and suddenly you're covering the ground | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
ten times faster. | 0:30:56 | 0:30:58 | |
It's very hard to go from one to the other quickly. | 0:30:58 | 0:31:00 | |
You shoot past where you're going | 0:31:00 | 0:31:03 | |
and then you're lost and it's hard to get back onto it. | 0:31:03 | 0:31:07 | |
If the weather's bad and they're working hard and we have a pilot from out of the region, | 0:31:07 | 0:31:12 | |
then it's a team effort. | 0:31:12 | 0:31:15 | |
Trying to get from A to B quickly, they need to know their map skills. | 0:31:15 | 0:31:19 | |
Heading? | 0:31:19 | 0:31:21 | |
A rough heading... | 0:31:21 | 0:31:23 | |
about two-nine-zero. | 0:31:24 | 0:31:27 | |
New recruit Kate Atkinson | 0:31:27 | 0:31:29 | |
is in the co-pilot's seat. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:31 | |
She's used to navigating around the streets of Wakefield, west Yorkshire. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:35 | |
Now she's plotting routes across parts of the country she's never seen before. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:40 | |
As long as we keep that railway on our right-hand side... | 0:31:41 | 0:31:44 | |
-Left-hand side! -Left-hand side! I did point left! | 0:31:44 | 0:31:47 | |
With just a few small mistakes, | 0:31:49 | 0:31:52 | |
Kate, along with the other new flying paramedics, successfully make it through their training. | 0:31:52 | 0:31:58 | |
Now it's time for the true test for our new paramedics, | 0:31:58 | 0:32:01 | |
when a job comes in for real. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
Malham Tarn's dead ahead, into Pen-y-Ghent. | 0:32:05 | 0:32:08 | |
One o'clock, just behind it. | 0:32:08 | 0:32:10 | |
Whernside's off to our... Well, two o'clock. 12 o'clock, probably. | 0:32:10 | 0:32:16 | |
Yeah. | 0:32:16 | 0:32:17 | |
When an emergency call comes in that someone is suffering chest pains | 0:32:17 | 0:32:21 | |
on top of Pen-y-Ghent, one of the highest hills in Yorkshire, | 0:32:21 | 0:32:24 | |
Helimed 99 is immediately dispatched. | 0:32:24 | 0:32:27 | |
The patient could be having a heart attack | 0:32:27 | 0:32:30 | |
and is in a dangerously remote location. | 0:32:30 | 0:32:32 | |
For new paramedic Al, this is familiar terrain. | 0:32:32 | 0:32:35 | |
For years he's been a volunteer member of the mountain rescue team. | 0:32:35 | 0:32:39 | |
But from the air, things can be a little disorientating at first. | 0:32:39 | 0:32:44 | |
A solitary person looks like he may be signalling to us at about four o'clock. | 0:32:44 | 0:32:49 | |
On the ridgeline. Sorry, not four o'clock. Eight o'clock. | 0:32:49 | 0:32:55 | |
Identifying one person in a vast landscape | 0:32:56 | 0:32:59 | |
when all you have is a rough grid reference can be tricky. | 0:32:59 | 0:33:03 | |
Everyone on board has a role to play in identifying the casualty. | 0:33:03 | 0:33:06 | |
Once located, they then have to find somewhere safe to land, | 0:33:06 | 0:33:10 | |
all the while knowing that the clock could be ticking for the patient. | 0:33:10 | 0:33:14 | |
-Nearly there. -It looks very wet, though, Steve. | 0:33:14 | 0:33:18 | |
Come left, it looks drier. Can you see? | 0:33:18 | 0:33:21 | |
-Is it black? -Yeah, it is. | 0:33:21 | 0:33:23 | |
Coming left about ten. | 0:33:23 | 0:33:25 | |
Keep coming. Tail looks clear. | 0:33:25 | 0:33:28 | |
57-year-old Stefan Yanecki was hiking with friends on Pen-y-Ghent | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
when things started to go badly wrong. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:35 | |
Hello there, sir. How are you feeling? | 0:33:35 | 0:33:38 | |
Rough? Tell me what's happened. | 0:33:39 | 0:33:41 | |
You've got some pain, have you? | 0:33:44 | 0:33:46 | |
In your chest? | 0:33:46 | 0:33:47 | |
-Me legs have gone. -Right. | 0:33:47 | 0:33:49 | |
-Have you still got pain in your chest? -It's aching a bit. | 0:33:49 | 0:33:52 | |
-Anywhere else? -No. | 0:33:52 | 0:33:54 | |
This may be Al's first job on the air ambulance, | 0:33:54 | 0:33:57 | |
but he's had to deal with dozens of injured and unwell walkers in his time, | 0:33:57 | 0:34:01 | |
both as a paramedic and as a member of the mountain rescue team. | 0:34:01 | 0:34:05 | |
For now, it's important to establish whether Stefan could be critically ill | 0:34:05 | 0:34:10 | |
by giving him an ECG to see if he's having a heart attack. | 0:34:10 | 0:34:13 | |
I just need to have a feel of your chest, Stefan, | 0:34:14 | 0:34:18 | |
to get these in the right place, OK? | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
We were just out for a walk | 0:34:20 | 0:34:23 | |
and we were coming down the hill | 0:34:23 | 0:34:25 | |
and he began to feel very unwell. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:28 | |
He was a bit dizzy earlier, but we thought it was just the steep hill. | 0:34:28 | 0:34:33 | |
Then we thought we probably need to go back and get him off. | 0:34:33 | 0:34:39 | |
But he couldn't make it so we sat him by the wall and called the ambulance. | 0:34:39 | 0:34:43 | |
Al's first job, he's doing absolutely fine. It's his home territory, | 0:34:43 | 0:34:47 | |
being part of the mountain rescue team. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:50 | |
Hopefully, he'll be showing me a few things! | 0:34:50 | 0:34:53 | |
The results of the ECG look good for Stefan, | 0:34:54 | 0:34:56 | |
but the paramedics don't want to take any chances. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:59 | |
He needs to be checked over in hospital | 0:34:59 | 0:35:01 | |
and the fastest way to get him off the mountain is by helicopter. | 0:35:01 | 0:35:05 | |
We've got him on-board and he's got a bit of pain. | 0:35:05 | 0:35:08 | |
We'll give him some morphine to make him more comfortable for the trip. | 0:35:08 | 0:35:13 | |
It's only a short hop to Blackburn, about seven or eight minutes away. | 0:35:13 | 0:35:19 | |
Cardiac patients, we like to keep 'em comfortable. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
Minutes later, they're airborne. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:27 | |
Stefan is now on his way from the top of one of Yorkshire's highest peaks | 0:35:27 | 0:35:31 | |
to the care of a fully-equipped hospital. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:33 | |
He seems to be doing OK. His pain is easier than it was | 0:35:33 | 0:35:36 | |
when we first arrived. | 0:35:36 | 0:35:38 | |
Some of the medication we've given him seems to be taking effect. | 0:35:38 | 0:35:42 | |
He's fairly comfortable at the moment. | 0:35:42 | 0:35:45 | |
So a short trip to hospital | 0:35:45 | 0:35:48 | |
and we'll be able to deliver him into some definitive care. | 0:35:48 | 0:35:52 | |
This has been Al's first job flying with the air ambulance. | 0:35:52 | 0:35:56 | |
But it won't be his last. | 0:35:56 | 0:35:58 | |
It may be Day One, but he's already making a difference. | 0:35:58 | 0:36:02 | |
So is paramedic Kate. | 0:36:02 | 0:36:05 | |
Helimed 99 is on its way to help a man who's cut off four fingers with a circular saw. | 0:36:05 | 0:36:10 | |
Kate has dealt with all sorts of injuries in eight years with the ambulance service. | 0:36:10 | 0:36:15 | |
But nothing like this. | 0:36:15 | 0:36:17 | |
I had a chap that had impaled a meat hook into his hand | 0:36:18 | 0:36:23 | |
but I've never actually had someone's fingers amputated. | 0:36:23 | 0:36:26 | |
So it's all new. | 0:36:26 | 0:36:29 | |
If there's anything they can do with the fingers, time's critical. | 0:36:29 | 0:36:33 | |
Just have to see when we get there how much damage has been done. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
This is the third case in as many months | 0:36:37 | 0:36:40 | |
where someone has chopped off fingers or a hand | 0:36:40 | 0:36:43 | |
and the Yorkshire air ambulance has been called to help. | 0:36:43 | 0:36:46 | |
It's thought that over 15,000 people are injured by saws every year. | 0:36:46 | 0:36:51 | |
But this case is especially serious. | 0:36:51 | 0:36:54 | |
He's been chopping wood on a rotary saw. | 0:36:54 | 0:36:56 | |
The fingers have gone into it. | 0:36:56 | 0:36:58 | |
The forefinger is as good as amputated, held on with skin. | 0:36:58 | 0:37:04 | |
He's nicked the middle finger. | 0:37:04 | 0:37:06 | |
That finger's all but off, just held on by a little flap. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:09 | |
-And the little finger's all but amputated as well. -OK. -And his thumb. | 0:37:09 | 0:37:13 | |
The crew from the land ambulance have already given immediate first aid. | 0:37:13 | 0:37:18 | |
But they've called in the helicopter because the quicker their patient gets to hospital, | 0:37:18 | 0:37:23 | |
the better the chances of saving his fingers. | 0:37:23 | 0:37:26 | |
Inside the house, Kate meets some of her colleagues from her days on the road. | 0:37:26 | 0:37:31 | |
You wanted to find me something, didn't you? | 0:37:31 | 0:37:33 | |
-Now, then. -This is George. | 0:37:33 | 0:37:37 | |
63-year-old George Chapman seems remarkably relaxed | 0:37:37 | 0:37:40 | |
considering he's just sliced off four of his fingers! | 0:37:40 | 0:37:44 | |
His hand has been tightly bound to prevent any further blood loss | 0:37:44 | 0:37:47 | |
or damage to the fingers. | 0:37:47 | 0:37:49 | |
But astonishingly, George has refused any pain killers. | 0:37:49 | 0:37:53 | |
Kate, I'll get aircraft ready. | 0:37:53 | 0:37:55 | |
That's it. You're with us. | 0:37:55 | 0:37:58 | |
I'm gonna get you to sign I've handed over to you. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:00 | |
Just in case there's any comeback! Thanks, Kath! | 0:38:00 | 0:38:04 | |
You might get there and his whole arm will be missing! | 0:38:04 | 0:38:07 | |
It wasn't like that when I left him. | 0:38:07 | 0:38:09 | |
Now the crew must see if they can get permission to fly George to a specialist centre | 0:38:09 | 0:38:14 | |
where plastic surgeons can attempt to stitch his fingers back on. | 0:38:14 | 0:38:18 | |
The digits are off, so he needs them putting back on. | 0:38:18 | 0:38:21 | |
We need to get him to somewhere as quick as we can. | 0:38:21 | 0:38:24 | |
I'm getting confirmation of whether we go to Leeds or York. | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
George continues to astonish the crew | 0:38:28 | 0:38:30 | |
by walking to the helicopter and joking with a neighbour on the way. | 0:38:30 | 0:38:34 | |
Still without any pain relief! | 0:38:34 | 0:38:36 | |
Just had an accident! Val will let you know about it. | 0:38:36 | 0:38:42 | |
It's a short journey to fly George to the Leeds Infirmary | 0:38:42 | 0:38:45 | |
where plastic surgeons are standing by | 0:38:45 | 0:38:48 | |
to try and re-attach his fingers. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:50 | |
He's been given the best possible chance | 0:38:50 | 0:38:53 | |
but there are no guarantees. | 0:38:53 | 0:38:55 | |
Well, it depends how much damage has been done | 0:38:55 | 0:38:58 | |
as to whether they can get the circulation going again and the use of his fingers. | 0:38:58 | 0:39:03 | |
The worst-case scenario is they'll just amputate them. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:06 | |
For new paramedic Kate, her first week has been a baptism of fire. | 0:39:06 | 0:39:11 | |
There will be plenty more like this to come. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:14 | |
As a member of the Yorkshire air ambulance team, | 0:39:14 | 0:39:16 | |
she will deal with serious injury or major trauma on a daily basis. | 0:39:16 | 0:39:21 | |
I'm pleased to say all our new recruits made the grade | 0:39:21 | 0:39:24 | |
and are now ready to fly on life-saving missions unsupervised. | 0:39:24 | 0:39:28 | |
Now let's join one of them, Ben Anderson, at work | 0:39:28 | 0:39:31 | |
at a plane crash in east Yorkshire. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:33 | |
Ben's been caring for pilot's wife Denise Lee for more than half an hour | 0:39:35 | 0:39:40 | |
and reassuring her that her injuries could have been a lot worse. | 0:39:40 | 0:39:44 | |
In my opinion, it looks a lot worse than it is. | 0:39:44 | 0:39:47 | |
It's a scalp injury that's bleeding everywhere. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
-If you look in the aircraft, you're lucky to be alive. -I know. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:54 | |
Ben took several flying lessons before fatherhood got in the way. | 0:39:54 | 0:39:58 | |
He knows weekend fliers are among the air ambulance's biggest supporters. | 0:39:58 | 0:40:03 | |
The Helimed call sign is well known to anyone listening to air traffic control. | 0:40:03 | 0:40:08 | |
But it turns out Denise's support for the air ambulance goes a lot further than most. | 0:40:08 | 0:40:13 | |
She's been selling charity raffle tickets for them. | 0:40:13 | 0:40:17 | |
-We'd best look after you, then! -I've got £1,000 of tickets to sell! | 0:40:17 | 0:40:21 | |
OK. We have a vested financial interest in looking after you! | 0:40:21 | 0:40:26 | |
It's less than an hour since Denise took off from the runway at Eddsfield. | 0:40:28 | 0:40:32 | |
Now she's airborne again, | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
this time for the short flight to Scarborough Hospital | 0:40:35 | 0:40:38 | |
where her injuries will be thoroughly checked out. | 0:40:38 | 0:40:41 | |
OK. A mast at 12 o'clock. | 0:40:43 | 0:40:45 | |
The crash team is waiting to examine Denise and x-ray her back. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:52 | |
Only half the people who experience an air crash survive. | 0:40:53 | 0:40:56 | |
So Denise has already beaten the odds. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:59 | |
The next 24 hours will reveal whether she's really been fortunate enough | 0:41:00 | 0:41:05 | |
to escape with just a broken leg and cuts. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:07 | |
Just three weeks later, | 0:41:12 | 0:41:14 | |
and in the picturesque village of Egton Bridge near Whitby, | 0:41:14 | 0:41:17 | |
Denise is recovering at home with husband Brian. | 0:41:17 | 0:41:21 | |
She knows she's lucky to be alive, and so does he. | 0:41:21 | 0:41:24 | |
It happens in a split second. I'd made the decision | 0:41:24 | 0:41:27 | |
that the speedo was going and if I kicked it to left or right | 0:41:27 | 0:41:31 | |
I may have turned it over and we'd have been upside-down. | 0:41:31 | 0:41:36 | |
I'd said to Denise, "We won't make it." | 0:41:36 | 0:41:39 | |
You see the hedge coming up, you tuck your elbows in and put your head down | 0:41:39 | 0:41:43 | |
and hope for the best! | 0:41:43 | 0:41:45 | |
And I came away quite lightly. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:48 | |
It was Denise that was injured. I just scratched a finger. | 0:41:48 | 0:41:52 | |
But it's better now. Don't worry! | 0:41:52 | 0:41:54 | |
All I remember is the hedge tree stumps coming through, | 0:41:55 | 0:42:00 | |
the glass coming through and... | 0:42:00 | 0:42:03 | |
I just covered my face. That was it. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:06 | |
Then everybody running around being very nice and you know. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:11 | |
Amazingly, the crash hasn't put them off flying. | 0:42:11 | 0:42:14 | |
Denise is studying for her pilot's licence | 0:42:14 | 0:42:17 | |
and is determined to carry on when her leg heals. | 0:42:17 | 0:42:20 | |
When Helicopter Heroes comes back, | 0:42:24 | 0:42:26 | |
a police spy in the sky swoops on the National Park's bikers. | 0:42:26 | 0:42:31 | |
But too late to prevent a serious accident. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:33 | |
I smacked straight into him. All I could see was an explosion of bike bits. | 0:42:33 | 0:42:38 | |
There's a road smash and the Helimed team are scrambled. | 0:42:39 | 0:42:42 | |
His finger's gone as well. | 0:42:42 | 0:42:44 | |
High in the Pennines, a paraglider crashes | 0:42:46 | 0:42:49 | |
and needs a life-saving flight to hospital. | 0:42:49 | 0:42:52 | |
He was on a paraglider and come in to land. | 0:42:52 | 0:42:55 | |
And the show-jumpers riding for a fall. | 0:42:55 | 0:42:58 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:43:12 | 0:43:15 |