0:00:03 > 0:00:08If you're critically ill or seriously injured in a place like this,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12there's only one thing that can save you, and that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17It doesn't matter where you are, this helicopter, with trained pilots and paramedics,
0:00:17 > 0:00:22will fly to your rescue at two-and-a-half-miles a minute.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25These are Yorkshire's Helicopter Heroes.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50When the people of Britain's biggest county dial 999,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54there's a good chance help will come from the skies.
0:00:54 > 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, a major road accident
0:01:06 > 0:01:11paralyses a village, but one victim can only think of others.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15- How is the other guy?- The trouble is he's stuck in the cab.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18A driver is crushed by his own runaway truck.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20He's been dragged quite a way down the road.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Can I just have a little listen of your tummy?
0:01:24 > 0:01:28A little boy falls six foot on a day out at gran's.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34And the unsung heroes who help the Helimed team save lives.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45The UK has thousands of road ambulances on standby 24 hours a day,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49but helicopters are just too expensive to have dozens waiting around.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Yorkshire has five million people,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57but just two air ambulances.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01When there's a serious accident with multiple casualties,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04the Helimed fleet comes into its own.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09In East Yorkshire, a small village has been brought to a standstill.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12There's been a head-on smash between a minibus and a car transporter
0:02:12 > 0:02:14on the main road through the village.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19The minibus has gone into the path of the transporter.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22There's been a collision and that's put the transporter off the road
0:02:22 > 0:02:26into the garden wall that you can see behind me now.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The transporter has narrowly missed a row of terraced houses,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and amongst the twisted metal and collapsed garden walls,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37the two drivers are seriously injured.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39With numerous witnesses to the accident,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44999 calls are flooding in and Helimed 99 is quickly scrambled.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48With the nearest hospital over 20 miles away, the decision's
0:02:48 > 0:02:52made to also send Helimed 98 from its base in Sheffield.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55ETA between 15 and 18 minutes, over.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Our other helicopter has been dispatched about 15 minutes ago.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Those on the scene have requested two helicopters to be in attendance.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07We've got a 15 minute transit. We've heard from our other air ambulance
0:03:07 > 0:03:11to say there are two patients and the one that we're going to be
0:03:11 > 0:03:14taking is still trapped in the car transporter.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20With Helimed 98 still speeding north, Helimed 99 paramedics Lee Davison and Colin Jones
0:03:20 > 0:03:24are the first to arrive in the village of Holme On Spalding Moor.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- This is Mark. - How are we doing, chief?
0:03:26 > 0:03:30He was driving this Mercedes here.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Quite a devastating impact with the transporter.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38A lot of frontal-end damage, so obviously potential for fractures and head injuries, things like that.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40We've got to keep an eye on the patients -
0:03:40 > 0:03:43we'll try and get the other aircraft here as quick as we can.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Ground paramedics found minibus driver Mark in the middle of the road,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49but it's a mystery how he got there,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and one that paramedic Colin needs to solve quickly.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55How did you actually end up on here?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57- He doesn't remember.- No idea at all?
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Witnesses say he was thrown out of the driver's seat
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and into the path of the car transporter.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08If he's been hit by the lorry, his head injury could be very serious.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Just take a really deep breath for me.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- Does that feel all right?- Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15OK. And again.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Motorists thrown from their vehicle usually don't survive the impact,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and Mark's been lucky he wasn't crushed by the minibus.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27His head is bleeding badly, but that's not his most worrying symptom.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29He was unconscious for five minutes
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and can't remember anything about the accident.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I've given him some morphine. We'll also give him a drug that...
0:04:36 > 0:04:41The morphine can make you feel a bit sick, so we'll give him a drug that actually takes that sickness off.
0:04:41 > 0:04:47Mark's badly hurt, but all he can think about is the other driver involved in the accident.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- How is the other guy?- The other guy?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Erm...he's bruised and battered,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54but the trouble is he's stuck in the cab.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Meanwhile, Lee has started to examine the driver of the car transporter.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Although both vehicles were travelling at low speed,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07the fully-loaded transporter weighs nearly ten tonnes,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and it's collided head-on with the garden wall.
0:05:10 > 0:05:141,000 feet up, Helimed 98 is quickly bearing down on the village.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Helimed 98, we're just approaching the scene from air.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23The crew will have the job of freeing the driver of the car transporter from his crushed cab.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28But there's increasing concern for minibus driver Mark.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- It's a little bit sore. - Where is it sore the most?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- Just in my back.- In your back?
0:05:33 > 0:05:34- Yeah.- Right, okey dokey.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39We'll try not to drop you. OK, so we're going that way.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45At the roadside there's only so much Colin and Lee can do apart from monitor Mark's condition,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and get him to hospital as fast as possible.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Right, if we can lift it as high as we can.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Don't actually put the weight on it until you're well and truly in.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Mark's head and back injuries mean he gets the first Helimed seat,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04but the other driver won't have long to wait.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08This is only the second time Helimed 98 and Helimed 99
0:06:08 > 0:06:11have been sent to the same accident scene.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Both drivers have received the top treatment the Ambulance Service can offer.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Now they need the best hospital care the NHS can provide.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Coming up, the battle to free the trapped driver begins.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I'm going to get your left leg out.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35And then we're going to drop you that way, flat onto the passenger seat.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38A little boy takes a tumble, and the paramedics
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- are worried. - CHILD CRIES
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Hold on! There you are, nanny got you.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47And the day a Satan's Slave became a good Samaritan.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Dealing with a road accident is a pretty dangerous job,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and that's why members of the emergency services
0:06:58 > 0:07:03make sure passing motorists see them by wearing one of these.
0:07:03 > 0:07:09But some roadside risks are less predictable, but just as deadly.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15Sometimes the Helimed team instinctively know their lifesaving skills are needed.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18A male has been trapped under a lorry.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Imagine being dragged hundreds of yards down a hill under a two-tonne lorry.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25That's what happened to a car recovery driver
0:07:25 > 0:07:29on the outskirts of Otley, just a few miles from Helimed HQ.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- He's just going to be over the hill here.- OK.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37They may be close by, but that doesn't mean this job will be any easier to spot from the air.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It's got to be down here somewhere, hasn't it?
0:07:40 > 0:07:43There's an ambulance behind us, Tim.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Yeah.- Going uphill there.- Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49The ambulance has stopped.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Stopped on road there, mate.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- Yeah, there's a responder there, as well.- Ah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59All pilot Tim has to do now is find a flat place to land
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and that's not going to be easy on the side of a hill.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- This is not flat at all.- No.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06This is a risky business.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Helicopters can and do tip over on landing...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Just pop your door, Pete, will you, see if that's...?
0:08:12 > 0:08:13That's looking good this side.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16..sometimes with fatal results.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Down flat, yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Paramedic Pete Vallance has over 20 years' experience
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and knows he's about to face some serious injuries.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Hi, gents.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- How we doing? You're all right? - The chap has got the...
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's rolled back on to his knee, as you can see here.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- He's rolled down the road a little bit.- Right.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41- No pain anywhere else other than in his lower leg.- Yeah.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42No loss of consciousness.
0:08:42 > 0:08:48We think the handbrake may not have been applied as sufficiently as it should have been.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49The wagon's begun
0:08:49 > 0:08:52rolling down the hill and he's attempted to jump in the cab,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and in doing so has slipped under the vehicle,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and has been dragged quite a way down the road by his legs.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02To Pete's surprise, his patient, Geoff,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05is sat up and chatting to medics,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10but his apparent calmness disguises the fact he's got a very serious leg injury
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and is still stuck underneath his breakdown truck.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17The main problem is his leg injury and it has been trapped under the vehicle.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22We've got to relieve his pain before we can extricate him. There are plenty of assets,
0:09:22 > 0:09:28so hopefully, it's not such a big job, but it's quite a nasty injury.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Local fire crews are arriving in force to help the medics
0:09:31 > 0:09:35free Geoff's trapped leg. He's lost a lot of blood
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and his blood pressure is now dangerously low.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43Despite Geoff's capacity to cope with the pain and his relative calmness,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48paramedics Pete and Darren know that both the medical team and the fire crews must work quickly
0:09:48 > 0:09:53to free their patient before his condition deteriorates.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57We'll put the airbags underneath just to lift it up a touch, if we need to -
0:09:57 > 0:10:01just to give them a bit more space to actually move him out, you know what I mean?
0:10:01 > 0:10:07With the wheels chocked and airbags carefully positioned, the team begin to lift the recovery truck.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- We're going to move your legs. - All right.- All right.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Can we get two firefighters here just to give him a hand?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15We're going to pull him out on the slide bag.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Just relax. If it hurts, tell us.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- On three. One, two, three. - That'll do.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- Is that hurting?- No, no. - No, you're all right?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26At last he's free,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31and Darren and Pete can assess the full extent of his injuries.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34His leg's been crushed between the wheel and road.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35The bone is broken,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and the muscles of his lower leg have been torn apart.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43Worst of all, his knee's been shattered.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46He's got quite a severe leg injury involving his knee,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49which is nearly sort of a third of the way round
0:10:49 > 0:10:54the circumference of the joint itself, which is exposed,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58also possibly fractured inside, so we need to be as careful as we can.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Geoff runs his own breakdown firm and needs to be mobile.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07But his injury is so severe that Pete and Darren are unsure
0:11:07 > 0:11:10whether he'll ever be able to walk on his injured leg again.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Geoff faces a long fight to regain the use of his leg.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16His livelihood depends on it.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Coming up, the breakdown man is freed, but his crushed leg
0:11:26 > 0:11:28could still cost him his life.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It's obviously just worn away at his leg.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35A second chopper races to help a trucker trapped in his cab.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And the mates who saved a runner's life.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40The guys who are with him
0:11:40 > 0:11:43have been first-aid aware and got their friend back.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50When you have family living in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53a stay with relatives can be just like a holiday,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55but there are dangers,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59especially for visitors more used to life in town.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08Helimed 99 is heading up into some of the North's most rugged landscapes.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Towering more than 2,000 feet over the market town of Ingleton
0:12:12 > 0:12:13are Yorkshire's three peaks,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Whernside, Ingleborough and the forbidding Pen-y-ghent,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21a huge slab of limestone that's a summer playground for outdoor enthusiasts,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26but in the valley below, playtime has gone badly wrong
0:12:26 > 0:12:28for a little boy staying with his gran.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31We've got a two-year-old child who's fallen off a wall,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33we believe he sustained a head injury
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and is in and out of consciousness.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38There is a land crew with the patient -
0:12:38 > 0:12:40they requested the air support unit.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45We're going to have a trip across there and see if we can help out with the crew.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Radar, Helimed 99 Alpha.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Ex-Army pilot JJ Smith has flown helicopters
0:12:49 > 0:12:53all over the world, from the forests of Norway
0:12:53 > 0:12:57to the mountains of Afghanistan, but these hills demand respect.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02They're notorious for sudden updraughts and unpredictable weather.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Wha-hey! This could be bumpy.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Paramedics Pat and Sammy know their job won't be easy today either.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Treating children can't be taken lightly.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Children can be quite hard to assess.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Often they're upset anyway.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19You can't tell whether they're crying because they're upset
0:13:19 > 0:13:21or they're injured.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24They need to be able to tell you where they're hurting.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Often we're dealing with two people -
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Mum or the relative, whoever was caring for them,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31is upset as well that the accident has happened.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The market town of Ingleton has a local ambulance station,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36but the road journey from here
0:13:36 > 0:13:40to the nearest hospital in Lancashire, the next county,
0:13:40 > 0:13:41can be long and difficult.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48Two-year-old Bob is about to become one of the team's youngest ever patients.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53He's landed headfirst after falling off a six-foot garden wall while visiting his grandparents.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Paramedics Sammy and Pat know it's critical that Bob gets to hospital quickly.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Children can deteriorate very fast.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04But there's just enough time for Sammy to do some revision.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07We use this aide memoire. It's broken down into ages,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09so I've already looked up the two-year-old.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13It has their normal parameters, and then has all their drug dosages.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15It's an excellent guide,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and in a moment of stress when you're trying to help a young child
0:14:18 > 0:14:23just to double-check your dosages is always a good idea.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29- I have visual at 12 o'clock.- OK, check doors and harnesses, please.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34The stone cottages of the Dales provide few problems for pilot JJ Smith.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36They often come with large back gardens,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39and he can land the helicopter close to their young patient.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Hello, little Bob. How are you doing? - He's very, very drowsy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Yeah. Are you all right holding him in line there?- Yeah.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Great. Hello, Bob. Is this Mam?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Nan.- Nan. Hiya, Nan.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Bob's nan is upset, but hiding it.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00She'd only turned her back for a moment,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02and Bob had been warned not to leave the garden.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Sammy must calm the two-year-old down to assess his injuries.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08BOB CRIES
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Can I just have a little listen of your tummy?
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Where is it? Is it underneath there? Thanks, Nan.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Most parents will probably have joked that children bounce,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21but falls from this height can be fatal.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Sammy's looking for any signs of a skull fracture, spinal injury
0:15:24 > 0:15:27or brain haemorrhage.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Can I have a little feel of your tummy?
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Oh, is that tickling? There we go, then.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- You have your spaceman mask to make you feel better.- Oh, look at this!
0:15:35 > 0:15:37This will make you feel better.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Treating children is a real skill for any paramedic.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Drug doses have to be carefully calculated,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and Bob's level of consciousness must be monitored closely
0:15:46 > 0:15:47to stop him falling asleep.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- BOB CRIES - All right, darling.- That's it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52There we go. All done.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Most distressing of all,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58he must wear a hard collar until they know he hasn't broken his neck.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59BOB CRIES
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The Dales may be a beautiful and secluded place to live,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07but that also means that Bob's miles from the hospital treatment he desperately needs.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Good boy.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Are you going to come for a ride with me in my helicopter?
0:16:15 > 0:16:17BOB CRIES It's all right, I'm not going anywhere.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It's all right, Nanny's coming.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22It's a frightening prospect for a two-year-old to face,
0:16:22 > 0:16:27but a flight in Helimed 99 might save Bob's life.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31We're going to get you in the aircraft now. Nanny's with you.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Hello. It's me again!
0:16:34 > 0:16:36That's it.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Nanny?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Lancaster Hospital is just 10 minutes away by air,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and Bob's grandma will be with him all the way.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's a... It's a great height for a two-year-old to fall,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51so we're just a little bit concerned about the child.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55We're just been erring on the side of precaution, really.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Just half an hour ago, Bob was playing on the swings with his sister,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05now he's strapped tightly into a helicopter and 1,000 feet up.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Did he go blue around the lips at all?- No, he didn't change.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Just very pale and very cold and... - Clammy.- Clammy.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15The windsock on the roof opposite you.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- The helipad to the left. - Yeah.- OK, happy.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Just a few minutes later,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Lancaster Hospital, with two very worried parents inside,
0:17:24 > 0:17:25comes into view.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29OK, Nanny. We're down on the ground. We're just going to stop the blades,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and then there will be a team, and we'll take Bob with us.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35OK. Yeah. One, two, three, lift.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Bob's in an exclusive club.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Very few toddlers have ever flown in Helimed 99,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44but everyone is more concerned about his condition.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Only a brain scan and a thorough examination in A&E
0:17:47 > 0:17:51will determine whether Bob will make a full recovery.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57Bob, our two-year-old is now in resus and he doesn't look very well.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00He's laid there quite limp.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I like it when kids are more upset and crying and clingy.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It could mean that there's something quite serious going on,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09so they're carrying on the care.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Sammy needn't have worried.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Just a week later, and back home in Lancaster, Bob is back on his feet
0:18:15 > 0:18:18doing what two-year-olds do best, tiring out Mum.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Not that she's complaining.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Surviving a six-foot fall with no serious injury
0:18:24 > 0:18:27is better news than anyone could have expected.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30When I saw him on that stretcher, it was like this little tiny body,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34this great big stretcher... I cried.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I cried a lot! SHE LAUGHS
0:18:36 > 0:18:39But as soon as he got out of that neck brace, that was it.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41He was back to himself. He was great.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46It was a good feeling. I want to cry with happiness now!
0:18:46 > 0:18:50And the next time Bob goes to spend a day in the Dales,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Gran's back garden definitely won't be his playground.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Coming up, a breakdown man may never walk again,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05unless doctors can repair his knee.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09I've lost part of my knee and the surrounding flesh.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And the day a first-aid class helped save a life.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Within two minutes of commencing CPR, he came round.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Now, let's return to the village in East Yorkshire,
0:19:23 > 0:19:28where a major collision has left two drivers fighting for their lives.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33In the centre of a small village in the Yorkshire Wolds, a head-on smash
0:19:33 > 0:19:35between a minibus and a car transporter has sparked
0:19:35 > 0:19:40a major emergency operation involving the Fire Brigade, police
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and both helicopters from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50In the impact, minibus driver Mark was thrown out of his seat and into the road.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54He survived a situation that often proves fatal,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57but he sustained head and back injuries.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02We're coming in with a 40-year-old - that's four zero - male, GCS 15.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Head injuries and lower back pain, over.
0:20:06 > 0:20:12As the crew of Helimed 99 prepare Mark for his emergency flight to hospital,
0:20:12 > 0:20:18their colleagues from Helimed 98 arrive to help the driver of the car transporter.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I'll leave him with you. We're going to York, which I've said.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Ten tonnes take some stopping,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29even at relatively low speeds, and the driver has only just avoided
0:20:29 > 0:20:32a row of terraced houses, but the collision with the garden wall
0:20:32 > 0:20:35has left him trapped under the dashboard.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37You've got some pain in your tummy?
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Is that above your belly button or below, would you say?
0:20:42 > 0:20:43All around there.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44All right, pal.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Paramedics Lee Gray and Paul Bradbury
0:20:47 > 0:20:51often see lorry drivers in situations like this.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55A frontal impact causes the steering wheel to pin the driver to his seat,
0:20:55 > 0:21:00which can cause internal injuries to the stomach, liver and abdomen.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04But Lee can't examine him properly, until he's out of his wrecked vehicle.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07This gentleman will stay behind you and hold on to your neck
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and we'll slide a board under your bottom.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13We'll get your left leg out, and we'll drop you flat on to the passenger seat
0:21:13 > 0:21:18- on to a board that we're going to pull you out from that way. Is that all right?- Yeah.- Good man.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21No-one in the village of Home On Spalding Moor
0:21:21 > 0:21:24can remember seeing a smash like this before.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27In Helimed 99, the crew have stabilised Mark
0:21:27 > 0:21:29and quickly leave the carnage behind.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33He's stable. He's in quite a lot of pain in his lower back,
0:21:33 > 0:21:34which would suggest
0:21:34 > 0:21:37some sort of spinal injury.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38And in just 15 minutes,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42they'll be handing Mark over to the waiting doctors
0:21:42 > 0:21:45at York District Hospital.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Back on the ground, Lee and Paul are still working out
0:21:47 > 0:21:50how to remove the driver of the transporter.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Just keep nice and still.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54No, I'm not going to touch that leg.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I just want to keep hold of your neck.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Whiplash is the most common injury sustained by drivers involved in car crashes.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02You all right, firefighter up there,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05keeping his neck? Because I'm going to look after this right tib and fib.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Lee and Paul know this driver's neck and spine could be badly damaged.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11All right, nice and steady.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Let's just try and get this...
0:22:13 > 0:22:16If you come around here, let me swap.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21It's been a big day for East Yorkshire's emergency services
0:22:21 > 0:22:24that help to cover nearly 1000 square miles,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and this is the last test that they'll face.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32With Paul directing inside the cab, and with a little careful manoeuvring from the Fire Brigade,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34the driver has moved into a position
0:22:34 > 0:22:37where the team can immobilise his neck and back.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Just watch him back all the way, lads.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Professional drivers spend more time on the road than anybody else,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47but this driver must be feeling more relieved than ever
0:22:47 > 0:22:49to get out of his cab.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53He's had the full dose of morphine, but he's still in pain.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Open your eyes for me nice and wide.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Good man. And take a nice deep breath now we've got you out.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Good, deep breath in, and out.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Good man. No new pain anywhere? How is that pain in your belly?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Is it all right? Or getting better or worse, eh?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- The same.- Just the same. Good man.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I'll keep tormenting you until you talk to me, all right?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18While Mark in Helimed 99 is landing at York District Hospital,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and only minutes away from receiving life-saving hospital treatment,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26the driver of the car transporter is still over 20 miles away.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Coming up, hospital doctors prepare to treat
0:23:36 > 0:23:39two casualties from the same crash.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42It's nice we can get together, but not always nice for the patients.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46And the walkers who were well-prepared for an accident
0:23:46 > 0:23:48down to six layers of bandage.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57When you're self-employed, you rely on being fit enough to do your job,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01but what happens when a small businessman can't walk?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03In West Yorkshire, the owner of a recovery business
0:24:03 > 0:24:07finds himself in that terrible position.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11On a road outside the town of Otley in West Yorkshire,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14breakdown recovery driver Geoff
0:24:14 > 0:24:18has been dragged down a steep hill underneath his truck.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Fire crews have managed to lift the truck, allowing Helimed 99
0:24:21 > 0:24:28paramedics Pete Vallance and Darren Axe to free Geoff's injured leg and assess the damage.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It's not good news.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35He's got quite a severe leg injury to his right leg involving the knee.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39It's worn down to the bone
0:24:39 > 0:24:42for at least one third of the circumference,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and possibly fractured as well underneath.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Pete and Darren know the chances of Geoff making a full recovery are slim.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52His leg has been crushed and is badly broken,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55but if he's to stand any chance of walking on the injured leg again,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59the team must get him to the expert team of orthopaedic surgeons
0:24:59 > 0:25:01at the Leeds General Infirmary.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- How is my leg?- You've made a mess of it...- We're looking after you.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- ..because you've dragged it.- Have I?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Yeah, it's dragged it down road, so...
0:25:09 > 0:25:12You're going to the right place anyway, all right?
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Despite the slope, pilot Tim managed to land next to the incident,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20but this is a graphic example of the dangers the crew face on a daily basis.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22When the blades are spinning,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24you can't really see, but now they've shut down,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26you can appreciate how low they get,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29so it makes it very dangerous operating here.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Fortunately, taking off from a makeshift helipad
0:25:33 > 0:25:37on the side of a hill is a lot easier than landing on one.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Leeds Tower, Helimed 98 Alpha.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41VOICE OVER RADIO
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Both Darren and Pete know their patient has been lucky to survive
0:25:48 > 0:25:50being dragged underneath a two-tonne truck,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55but his leg injury is one of the most serious they've ever seen,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and the hard work's not over for Darren.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59He's got to help pilot Tim
0:25:59 > 0:26:03navigate the huge cranes scattered across the centre of Leeds.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Mate, with got that big red crane there.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- Yeah, visual.- OK.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12There's a couple of new white ones which are in and around it as well.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20The team land on the roof of the LGI just in time
0:26:20 > 0:26:23as Geoff's huge pain threshold begins to reduce.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Are you all right, Geoff?
0:26:25 > 0:26:26The pain's getting a bit strong.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Is it? We'll get you some pain relief when we get down.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34I'm not going to give you any at this moment, but we'll give you some as soon as we get down.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Geoff's journey from roadside to resus is almost over.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44- It's just, like, stinging. You know, stinging and throbbing.- Is it?- Yeah.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48A team of doctors, nurses and orthopaedic surgeons
0:26:48 > 0:26:51have been waiting for the Helimed team and their patient.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Geoff now faces a series of tests,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58and an agonising wait to discover the full extent of his injury.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's a really, really nasty leg injury.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03This guy's been dragged underneath
0:27:03 > 0:27:07at least three tonnes of wagon for a substantial distance,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and it's obviously just...
0:27:09 > 0:27:13worn away at his leg, because that's the part that was trapped underneath.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20It will be an overall examination with lots of different departments being involved.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23They'll obviously get imaging and X-rays of this.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28I would probably estimate that he'll be on his way to surgery
0:27:28 > 0:27:31at some point shortly.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36This is what Geoff faces for at least the next 12 months -
0:27:36 > 0:27:41regular visits to the dressings clinic and intensive rehabilitation.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42I lost part of my knee,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46the surrounding flesh, skin.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50And they've took the calf muscle out and rebuilt my knee with it,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53took a skin graft from that leg to cover that one.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55The injury was so serious,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58doctors had to completely rebuild Geoff's knee,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00one of the most complicated parts of the body.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04It's two weeks since the accident, and the long road to recovery
0:28:04 > 0:28:09has started, both physically and emotionally.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13I knew I'd hurt my leg, but not to this extent, no.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16I reversed the vehicle into the back of my truck
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and my truck just start rolling slowly.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22So I opened the car door, jumped out on to the road,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25but the car door hit me on my back and knocked me to the floor.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28And then my leg went under the back of the truck,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and it just dragged me. I was dragged. I just...
0:28:31 > 0:28:34It took me for about 100, 200 yards down the hill
0:28:34 > 0:28:36until some public stopped the vehicle.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I've family and friends working and driving for me,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41so all that's sorted now.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46It's just trying to get some sleep now at night. I've not slept for two and a bit weeks.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Try and get things out of my mind that are going through it.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Just... Just time now. We'll see.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Coming up, doctors begin treating two victims of a major road crash.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11How would you react if someone had a serious accident or a heart attack
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and you were the only one there to help?
0:29:13 > 0:29:21Every day a few of us find out and what we do often means the difference between life and death.
0:29:23 > 0:29:30Sheffield has a population of over a million and a reputation as a massive industrial city.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33But the city centre is surrounded by hillsides and countryside
0:29:33 > 0:29:39and Sheffield has more trees per person than any other European city.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Helimed 98 is on its way to the South Yorkshire Forest
0:29:43 > 0:29:47to an injured mountain biker caught out by a terrifying steep hill.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52There is somebody down near the track.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- Yeah.- That looks like it, mate. Yeah.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01Wharnecliffe Woods are some of the most technically difficult downhill bike tracks around.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Hardcore rides for experienced bikers.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07And David Clark has taken on too much.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13He's not a very experienced mountain biker, but we're here for the weekend just having some fun and we
0:30:13 > 0:30:17probably chosen a trail that's a bit too serious. He didn't have a bike with any suspension and...
0:30:17 > 0:30:20But he's a bit nuts and so he just threw himself down it.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22But, yeah, he's come off and he's gone over his ankle
0:30:22 > 0:30:24and the bikes come after it and he's just gone straight over...
0:30:24 > 0:30:25Straight over his ankle.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29There's nowhere for Helimed 98 to land near to the mountain biker,
0:30:29 > 0:30:36so pilot Craig Redmon has to put the chopper down at the edge of the forest.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41OK, you're securely down right rear now. Securely down.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45But it's a long way to the patient in the middle of the woods, so paramedics Paul Bradbury
0:30:45 > 0:30:51and Lee Gray grab a lift from a local with a handy four wheel-drive.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59I understand why you haven't got a Ford Fiesta now round here.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01I don't think it would do it, would it? Oh, no.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Their driver, Greg Hughes, knows all these tracks.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09It turns out he lives in the forest.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13I just sort of live here and the ambulance just came and we just...
0:31:13 > 0:31:17We do this. We pick up old ladies that we find wandering in the woods.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22Dave's rescuer is a member of the Satan's Slaves biker gang.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25He may look unconventional, but it turns out he and his biker mates are
0:31:25 > 0:31:28big Air Ambulance supporters.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32It's the first time I've seen it in action. Well worth it.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Hiya, mate. All right? - How are you doing, all right?
0:31:35 > 0:31:36I came down the slope,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41went over the bars a bit...
0:31:41 > 0:31:43The handlebars kind of...
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I thought I was going to be fine, but then the bike got caught up with my leg.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- All right, so yeah... - One, just on his shoulder.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Dave's nearly a mile from the helicopter.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I wish it were a bit steeper!
0:31:55 > 0:32:01And he'd be surprised by the unsung hero who's about to give him a lift, if it wasn't for the gas and air.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Yeah, it's OK. They've all been very good, haven't you?
0:32:04 > 0:32:06- Yeah.- Don't make me say it.
0:32:06 > 0:32:13The pain relief is being provided by 50% oxygen, 50% laughing gas.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Is it time for my close up?
0:32:16 > 0:32:19And the laughing gas bit has been particularly effective.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26If you've a preferred route, please notify the driver at the start of the journey.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Who's stuck that up there?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Yeah.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Bit of a trek, yeah. I think we crossed every type of terrain going, there.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41Thanks to this young man over here, I don't know if I've ever been down a steeper hill in a car.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45He's, thankfully, not got too serious an injury, so he's
0:32:45 > 0:32:50quite comfortable and the laughing gas has obviously taken effect quite well in between screams.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52To me, to you.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56So, with a final thank you to his unsung hero, Glenn...
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Thanks, mate.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Dave is off to hospital and a repair job on his smashed-up ankle.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Fell running is very popular.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14Every weekend, hundreds of superfit take to the Yorkshire Fells.
0:33:14 > 0:33:20They run up the peaks and down again and, looking at the views, I can see the attraction, but if you're in the
0:33:20 > 0:33:27middle of nowhere and you suffer a heart attack, you'd better hope your running mates know what to do.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33With just a few details on a screen to go on, the Helimed crew are going to answer this emergency call.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Everything indicates it's serious.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39A fell runner has had a heart attack.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The location is so close to the airport, pilot Tim has to constantly check in.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49He's bang in the middle of the flight path for incoming jets.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Leeds Tower, Helimed 98 Alpha. We're still airborne about five miles west of the field.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Still looking for the patient.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'Helimed 98 Alpha, that's no problem.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:07As they leave the urban sprawl of Leeds, the landscape very quickly opens up.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11It's a hot day and these are steep hills.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13That's that reservoir there, look.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18The one on the right is that one there. So, we're left of it, so it's right over where we are.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21But no matter how fit you are, a heart attack can hit you at any time.
0:34:23 > 0:34:2598, Air Desk, we've found it, over.
0:34:25 > 0:34:32Super fit 64-year-old Bill Padgett was 11 miles into his run when he collapsed.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36A local land ambulance paramedic got there first.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41It's become clear that Bill's running buddies have saved his life.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44People that were running with him did say that they actually
0:34:44 > 0:34:47had performed CPR on the gentleman, that he did go blue, that he had
0:34:47 > 0:34:49stopped breathing and he didn't have a pulse.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Within two minutes of commencing CPR, he came back round.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Knowing what to do in a crisis like this is the key.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01They call it effective CPR, chest compression to keep someone alive
0:35:01 > 0:35:06until paramedics with life-saving drugs and more sophisticated equipment can take over.
0:35:06 > 0:35:12And that's exactly what these guys, members of the Bingley Harriers Running Club, have done.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13What has happened is they've got...
0:35:13 > 0:35:17The guys who were with him have been first aid aware, realised what's
0:35:17 > 0:35:23happened, got early intervention with the chest compressions, some mouth to mouth and have got their friend back.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And at the moment he's currently...
0:35:26 > 0:35:29He's obviously critical because of what's happened, but he's stable,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33so we're going to fly him to LGI which is a couple of minutes away.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39Bill owes his life to his mates and he'll soon get the chance to say thanks.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44Within a few days he was out of Leeds General Infirmary and is now even planning to resume running.
0:35:46 > 0:35:53Now, the Air Ambulance has some of the most sophisticated navigational gear going, but very occasionally
0:35:53 > 0:36:00the Helimed team need a bit of extra help to find their patient, especially in a place like this.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06Are you actually on a path between the Scar House Reservoir and Niddersmore?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Right, OK.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Nidderdale Way?
0:36:10 > 0:36:13I've got a feeling it's up here somewhere.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Scar House Reservoir is a remote beauty spot in Nidderdale that keeps
0:36:18 > 0:36:23the taps of Bradford running, but today it's the scene of an accident involving a rambler.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29Helimed 99's job is to find her, but that's more easily said than done.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33We're on the Nidderdale Way. We're running down to the other side, yeah.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Having someone resourceful with you when you have an accident
0:36:37 > 0:36:39can save your life and that's what's happened today.
0:36:39 > 0:36:46Paramedic Daz uses the satellite phone to ring the rambler who first dialled 999.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50And the Helimed team get a talk down that wouldn't disgrace Air Traffic Control.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Helimed 99 Alpha is about to let down.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56If you want me to knock it down, I will!
0:36:58 > 0:36:59- Hi, sweetheart.- Hello.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01How are you doing, not so good?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Brenda Lofthouse fell over on the path.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07She crashed forward and banged her head.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10It's so easily done, this sort of thing
0:37:10 > 0:37:16and you feel such a fool bringing out ambulances and things like that, but the gash was such that we felt that
0:37:16 > 0:37:21after about six layers of bandage and the blood still coming through you get a bit nervous, sort of thing.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23With that in mind
0:37:23 > 0:37:26we fortunately got an Air Ambulance and here we are.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31And it turns out husband Dave is the hero of the hour,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33along with some vintage mobile technology.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Right, youths they would laugh their cotton socks off at that, but I'm pleased I had that today.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Quite amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Brenda's friends and some passing mountain bikers have done all the hard work on this job.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50They've stemmed the blood from the head injury and bandaged Brenda's wounds.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55Now the wall, designed to keep sheep in and helicopters out.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Right, this is going to be fun.- Aye.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00While Brenda's husband takes the long road home...
0:38:00 > 0:38:02She'll get concerned, but she's tough.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I think the expression is a 'tough old bird'.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10Her walking friend Jean is getting a lift with the helicopter.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Now I'm up here, I know why you didn't see us,
0:38:12 > 0:38:17but when you're down there you think, hey, come on, we're waving,
0:38:17 > 0:38:18you can see us.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22And is making the most of her once in a lifetime flight.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Tell me, are we be going over Hangthwaite at any time or not?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Yes.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Yes, probably in about the next minute.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Well, tell me will you, please, because my mum and dad live there?
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Just wave at them, they'll know.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42The trip to Harrogate takes only minutes at 150 miles an hour and
0:38:42 > 0:38:50in a straight line, and Brenda is on her way to A&E to have some stitches and some headache tablets.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Will you catch me when I'm looking better next time?
0:38:54 > 0:38:59And thanks to those unsung heroes, all our patients are on the mend.
0:38:59 > 0:39:05Now, let's catch up with the road smash so serious, all the available choppers were scrambled.
0:39:05 > 0:39:12The residents of Holme On Spalding Moor in East Yorkshire are still in shock after a head-on crash
0:39:12 > 0:39:17in the centre of the village and a rescue operation involving both Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopters.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Thanks to Helimed 99 the minibus driver, Mark Morris,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24is being handed over to the doctors at York District Hospital,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27but back at the scene of the accident, the crew of Helimed 98
0:39:27 > 0:39:32are preparing the driver of the car transporter for his emergency flight to hospital.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Roger, Chris, will be taking off in the next two minutes, over.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And there's increasing concern about his condition.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40It could be potentially serious injuries that he's got
0:39:40 > 0:39:43given the force that he's hit the wall with.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48Road accidents cost the country £16 billion a year.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Helimed 98 is leaving this clean-up operation behind and heading for York.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55We've just carried on his pain relief, which is the
0:39:55 > 0:39:59biggest thing at the moment, just to keep his heart rate nice and low.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04Mediaeval York attracts nearly four million tourists a year and is one
0:40:04 > 0:40:10of the most congested cities in the country, but when you're dropping in from 500 feet, that's not a problem.
0:40:10 > 0:40:16Colin's gone with our patient with the first ambulance crew, and the second one is just unloading now.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Where we were, up there, it would be a good 40 minutes, 45 minutes
0:40:20 > 0:40:22for a crew to run into York District,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26which it's taken us about six minutes to come from there, so it's obviously very quick.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30It's nice we can both get together, but not always nice for the patients.
0:40:30 > 0:40:36Despite his condition worrying the Helimed team, the driver of the car transporter escaped
0:40:36 > 0:40:41without any serious injuries, but minibus driver Mark wasn't so lucky.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44I broke a bone in the bottom of my back.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I had stitches inserted in my head,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49in my hand and I bruised all my lung.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53So, I feel pretty lucky, actually.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58The doctors and nurses say it was actually the seatbelt that saved my life.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04Although Mark was wearing a seatbelt, passers-by found him lying on the floor next to the minibus.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06It's estimated nearly a quarter of all fatal car
0:41:06 > 0:41:12crashes involve someone being thrown from the vehicle and Mark knows he's beaten the odds.
0:41:12 > 0:41:19I remember seeing it coming towards me and it just seemed to be slow motion, just waiting for the impact.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I do feel pretty lucky to be alive.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- How is the other guy?- The other guy?
0:41:24 > 0:41:30Despite lying injured and in pain on the ground, Mark only had one thing on his mind.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33I remember asking the police officer, anyone else involved?
0:41:33 > 0:41:36And he said, yeah, the other driver, he's trapped in the cab.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And I kept thinking, I hope he's OK.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43And he's got a new found respect for his flying rescuers.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44I think they've done an amazing job.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47They put their lives on the line, as well.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50They go into difficult situations,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53so I think they deserve a lot of credit.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57When Helicopter Heroes comes back,
0:41:57 > 0:42:02a child's knocked down in an army town and Helimed 99 swoops to the rescue.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04'You must not go any further left.'
0:42:04 > 0:42:11A 120-mile mercy mission is a dying transplant patient's only hope of survival.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I've got a good feeling about this one.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19The team are called to a Scout camp after an accident on a rope swing.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24And an off duty paramedic becomes the hero of a nasty bike accident.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28I knew something had happened, so I just stopped to see what was going on.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd