0:00:03 > 0:00:07If you're critically ill or injured in a place like this,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12there's only one thing that can save you and that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It doesn't matter where you are.
0:00:15 > 0:00:22This helicopter with its highly-trained team will fly to your rescue at 4.5 miles a minute.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26These are Yorkshire's Helicopter Heroes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50When the people of Britain's biggest county dial 999,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53there's a good chance help will come from the skies.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is ready to scramble 365 days a year
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and each one brings a new life or death emergency.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Today on Helicopter Heroes:
0:01:05 > 0:01:11- A man is drowning and the helimed team help the local lifeboat. - There's a man gone in.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16- A pilot's in trouble: - Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Can helimed 98 save him?
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Total engine failure. About to crash.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27There's a whip round at the rugby to pay for a player's rescue.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29It doesn't hit home till you need it.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And this won't hurt a bit.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39- He said, "Have you got burning tackle?"- The team improvise to rescue a farmer's wife.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Yorkshire's scenery helps drive one of its biggest industries - tourism.
0:01:49 > 0:01:56Everywhere you look, there's a view that could sell a postcard. Nowhere is more beautiful than Whitby.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The whole town is built around its historic harbour.
0:02:01 > 0:02:08Captain Cook lived here and this is where many people still earn their living.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12No wonder the local lifeboat is never short of volunteers,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16but tonight there's a real emergency for the inshore lifeboat crew.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20A man's fallen 20 foot from the harbour wall.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26The accident's happened within sight of the lifeboat house,
0:02:26 > 0:02:32but 50 miles away at Leeds Bradford Airport, helimed 99 is being scrambled to join the rescue.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Clear to lift.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Hundreds of holidaymakers are watching the rescue.
0:02:40 > 0:02:47Paramedic Lee Davison knows hot weather and cool water is often a dangerous combination there.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51We've dispatched ourselves over to Whitby,
0:02:51 > 0:02:58just on the east coast, a nice seaside town that's very popular. At this time of year,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01people feel it's quite hot, but the water's cold.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06Patients can suffer with hypothermia.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Whitby's lifeboat house is among the busiest in the UK.
0:03:11 > 0:03:19They've been saving lives at sea for 200 years and they know this fall can cause serious injury.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25It'll be about 18 minutes to the scene. Do you have any further update?
0:03:25 > 0:03:33'Yeah. The patient's been recovered from the water. He's currently being checked out.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37'I don't have a patient update yet. As soon as I do, I'll update you.'
0:03:37 > 0:03:43The helimed team know this is not a town built with helicopter landings in mind.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49'Helimed 99, thank you. I've just had an update from the scene.
0:03:49 > 0:03:56'Your presence is required. They've made a space for you to land on the beach by the station.'
0:03:56 > 0:04:02It's not somewhere I've done a lot of rescues from, the beach, or recovered patients from.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05You can end up going anywhere!
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Whitby's mariners have kept an eye out for each other for centuries
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and today their proud tradition of lifesaving has been upheld.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20The man's been rescued by an eyewitness who climbed down into the water
0:04:20 > 0:04:22to keep him afloat.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Pilot Craig Redman knows beach landings are a high-risk option,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32but in the middle of Whitby he has no choice.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38It all depends what time of day it is. If the tide has just gone out, there's lots of moisture in the sand.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The problem with putting skids down is that you sink into it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Most pilots refuse to shut down their engines.
0:04:46 > 0:04:52A technical failure on the sand means £3 million of chopper swamped by the incoming tide.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55But it's a risk he'll have to take.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01I can see a lifeboat. Down left, ten o'clock there.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07But the tide is out just far enough for pilot Craig to land helimed 99
0:05:07 > 0:05:09right outside the lifeboat station.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Bring it down on your left.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Yeah, you're secure there, mate. That's fine.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Can one of you take me to where they are?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Attracting a crowd is part of the job for flying paramedics.
0:05:23 > 0:05:29A mixture of daytrippers and locals have come to see what's happened.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Hi, hi.- This is Stuart.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39When Stuart Sloane fell 20 feet into the harbour, it was filled with fishing trawlers and sailing boats.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45- He's gone backwards... - And he falls.- Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:52- No witnesses seen him hit the wall? - No. Witnesses seen him tumble off but nobody seen him hit the wall.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58No one knows if he hit anything on the way down, but the bruising to his chest is a bad sign.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Are you all right? You OK?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- My chest...- I know. Is your chest hurting? Yeah, OK.
0:06:06 > 0:06:13Stuart's lucky he didn't drown. As he fell in, he was spotted by Steve Crowe, who works nearby.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I thought, "What on Earth happened?"
0:06:17 > 0:06:19He's fallen in t'water.
0:06:19 > 0:06:27Steve immediately went in after Stuart and kept his head above water for 10 minutes until the lifeboat.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- Slowly warming up?- Getting there, ish.- Warm and dry now?
0:06:31 > 0:06:37- You can get changed?- Yeah. I just want to get rid of this.- OK.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Stuart may be on dry land, but he's not out of danger.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45He's still in his wet clothes and is dangerously cold.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49If his ribs are broken, he could have a punctured lung.
0:06:49 > 0:06:56All his rescuer Steve can do is watch and hope that his efforts are not in vain.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06Coming up: the tide's coming in and their patient needs urgent hospital treatment.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09We'll get him to hospital ASAP.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Pilot Steve drops in on his favourite football team.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17I usually go by road. This is a lot quicker!
0:07:17 > 0:07:22And a teenager copies his favourite film with painful results.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Don't do this at home!
0:07:28 > 0:07:34If you think the weather is changeable, spare a thought for these guys. At 150mph,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38the helimed team experience the four seasons in one flight,
0:07:38 > 0:07:43especially when they head up into the hills.
0:07:46 > 0:07:54With radar covering most of Yorkshire, helimed pilots know they can get help from the control tower.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04The air traffic controllers at Leeds Bradford Airport are the guardians of the local skies,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09but today an unexpected emergency makes airliners take a back seat.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Total engine failure! About to crash.
0:08:18 > 0:08:2420 miles away in the foothills of the Pennines, a pilot is in danger of crashing his microlight.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28His engine's failed and he's going down.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34Leeds Bradford Airport rang me. They've got a distress call from a microlight.
0:08:34 > 0:08:42They expect the area where he's come down is north of Emley Moor. Police helicopter is en route.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Paramedic Sammy Wills knows what the pilot may be going through.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50She recently flew in the same type of plane from the same airfield.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52It's a fantastic feeling,
0:08:52 > 0:08:57but I can't imagine the panic of having to make a distress call.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03The pilot was passing the huge TV transmitter on Emley Moor when the emergency started.
0:09:03 > 0:09:09Since his mayday call, there's been silence. They're looking for two men and a few square metres of fabric
0:09:09 > 0:09:12in several square miles.
0:09:13 > 0:09:21We're at Emley Moor mast and we've not got a visual. If you've got further details, let us know.
0:09:21 > 0:09:28- The local police chopper has beaten them to it.- We're got police aircraft and the microlight.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Good morning to you.
0:09:35 > 0:09:42Pilot Andrew Dixon is lucky to be alive. He's just pulled off a textbook emergency landing
0:09:42 > 0:09:45after losing a blade from his propeller.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49All of a sudden there was a bang and no engine. Started gliding in.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Mayday. It wasn't until we came down we realised we'd lost the prop.
0:09:53 > 0:10:00They gave me a hand out. The fuel system's hanging off the plane and in danger of fire.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05The impact has left Andrew in agony. It's aggravated an old back injury.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- You had a hard landing and felt it go.- Correct.
0:10:09 > 0:10:16He's managed to stay within the cockpit, but he's got a chronic history of back problems.
0:10:17 > 0:10:24- I tried standing up at one point, but...- Don't look sideways. Keep looking straight ahead.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Sammy and Glen know they can't take any chances.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Andrew could have damaged his spine. They must protect his neck, too.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39- This jacket has so many layers! - It's cold up there! - I know! I've had a go.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- Have you?- I have. It was fantastic.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Andrew's reason for taking up flying is unusual.
0:10:46 > 0:10:53- I had a fear of flying.- Uh-huh. This is the right way to overcome it, I'll tell you!
0:10:53 > 0:10:59Well, I worked for the United Nations and I came down in an aircraft into a field.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01- You did?- So a proper fear of flying.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07Yeah. I tell you what, if you can overcome it, fancy flying in our helicopter?
0:11:07 > 0:11:14The microlight looks undamaged, but it's taken a major impact, landing on rough ground.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20Bit of a hairy landing, but we actually did really well considering how rough this field is.
0:11:20 > 0:11:27The team fear the impact that bent the plane's undercarriage has further damaged Andrew's back.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32His days at the controls could be numbered.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Coming up: pilot Andrew reaches hospital, but there's bad news.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43There's a good chance of a spinal injury.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48In Whitby, the man who narrowly escaped drowning takes off.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52The ribs could puncture a lung, so we keep that in mind.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56And the team rescue a trapped farmhand.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58He needs surgery straight away.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Seeing the world from 2,000 feet doesn't half make it look small.
0:12:06 > 0:12:12That's Sheffield, home to 500,000 people and on an average day about 100 need to make a 999 call.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16But only a lucky few get these guys coming to help.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Despite that, there's no shortage of people down there willing to donate time or money
0:12:21 > 0:12:24to keep the air ambulance flying.
0:12:24 > 0:12:32And today Chief Pilot Steve Cobb is doing his bit by coming in on his day off to visit his other passion -
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Huddersfield Town Football Club.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40I usually go by road. This is a lot quicker, a lot less crowds.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44It'd be tight landing on a match day, but we'll be OK today.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50It's the launch of an unusual fundraising venture.
0:12:50 > 0:12:57It's the first time a football team has supported an air ambulance charity rather than have a sponsor.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02The Yorkshire Air Ambulance are extremely proud to be here today.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08I think our various teams, and my own team at the YAA, have worked extremely hard
0:13:08 > 0:13:12in pulling this together, this sponsorship deal,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16a partnership deal such as this today to raise our funds.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24Tonight Huddersfield are holding their own against former Premiership giants Newcastle United.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29The salary of one of their internationals would pay for the air ambulance for a year,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33but football is doing its bit thanks to Huddersfield Town.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38And it's not just the professionals who are doing what they can to help.
0:13:41 > 0:13:48It's a sunny Sunday in Kippax near Leeds. Under 11s are playing Yorkshire's sport - rugby league.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54You've got to be tough to go into these tackles. There's always a risk of injury.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Today, 10-year-old Adam Taylor is hit by a high tackle round his head.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04He's on the ground and not moving.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08We've got a nine or ten-year-old young lad playing rugby.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Apparently severe neck pain, scoring 9 out of 10.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17A woman on the scene said they'd clear the field as much as they can.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22There are some wires across that behind the goalposts.
0:14:22 > 0:14:28And you've got them gazebos. Two to the rear of the ice cream van and one in front of it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32An ambulance has already arrived. The crew are checking out Adam.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38He has a neck injury and that's always a cause for concern.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45They came down here to score and went into a rugby tackle.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51Referee gave a high tackle and he jarred his neck. To be safe, we sent for an air ambulance.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56He suffers from asthma. No allergies that we know.
0:14:57 > 0:15:04Everyone in the crowd is worried for Adam, but no one is more anxious than the First Aider who helped -
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Adam's mum Kerry.
0:15:07 > 0:15:14He just got a high tackle. His head jarred back and he ended up on t'floor.
0:15:14 > 0:15:21I'm a bit nervous, a bit shaky. I was more of a support, but we have a few First Aiders who could help.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28If you've got a neck injury, there's potential that the spinal cord could be damaged
0:15:28 > 0:15:34or, at worst, severed, so it's important we don't move him and aggravate any injuries.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Adam's starting to come round and looking forward to his flight.
0:15:38 > 0:15:45Sadly, the head restraint means he'll only see the sky and a few rotor blades on this trip.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47- Will you get me in there?- Yeah!
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Wow!
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- Can you see the helicopter now? - Yeah.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00With Adam safely on his way to hospital,
0:16:00 > 0:16:06you'd think the club's relationship with the air ambulance was over, but it's just begun.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12Adam's coach and the organisers make the spontaneous decision to have a collection.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Until you actually realise what this great service is doing for Yorkshire,
0:16:16 > 0:16:22it doesn't hit home until it comes to a place like this. We've got to do summat back.
0:16:22 > 0:16:28It costs more than £7,000 a day to keep the helimed choppers in the air.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34But by the time the cash has been counted, the collection has paid for Adam's short flight to hospital.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38£300 in small change. It's a real result.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44We are absolutely pleased to have raised that much in such a short space of time.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It shows the generosity of the people around here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Coming up: the unlikely cause of a plane crash is revealed.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Somebody's waiting for a pigeon to come home! From the bang, I thought it was an ostrich!
0:16:59 > 0:17:05And a farmer's wife needs urgent treatment after a bizarre accident with a rake.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09The rake's become embedded with two prongs.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19Now let's go back to Whitby, where the helimed team are helping the victim of a nasty accident
0:17:19 > 0:17:21in the town's harbour.
0:17:22 > 0:17:29Amongst the sandcastles and seaweed, helimed 99 has landed on the beach in Whitby in North Yorkshire
0:17:29 > 0:17:36to help a man who has fallen 20 feet off the harbour wall and into the chilly North Sea.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43Whitby local Stuart Sloane nearly drowned after struggling in the water for over 10 minutes
0:17:43 > 0:17:48before being rescued by Steven Crowe.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52We went down onto the boat to see if we could get him out.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57We chucked him a life ring and he couldn't move. He had tight hold of a rope.
0:17:57 > 0:18:05The only thing to do was go in and get him across to the ladder and wait for the ambulance.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11Stuart's been taken to Whitby's lifeboat station, the scene of many dramatic sea rescues
0:18:11 > 0:18:16and where helimed 99 paramedics Lee and Kate can start treating him.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22All right. We need to get these wet clothes off.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Keep going, Stuart. Put your hand on your chest there.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31- I'm in real pain. - I know you are, mate.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Stuart was obviously enjoying himself before he fell.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- What's he got on down below? - A kilt.- Right.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Has he got his undies on?
0:18:44 > 0:18:49But still in his wet clothes, he's in danger of becoming hypothermic.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54That's when the body temperature falls below 35 degrees.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57If it falls any lower, it could be life threatening.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02What I'd like to do, if possible, is lay the sleeping bag out. OK?
0:19:02 > 0:19:08And then we'll lay it on the floor, put him onto the board, OK?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12And then we'll put the board in and wrap him all in it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Lee needs to work quickly and not just to get to hospital.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22It's now half past eight in the evening and due to strict aviation rules
0:19:22 > 0:19:26helimed 99 needs to be back at base before it gets too dark.
0:19:26 > 0:19:34But the height of Stuart's fall means Lee can take no chances and must protect his neck and spine.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37One, two, three, lift.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Hold on, hold on! That's it.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- Make sure that board's underneath. - Aaah!
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And down. Superb. That's perfect.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48'We've got this chap on a longboard,'
0:19:48 > 0:19:53taken off his wet clothes to get him as warm as we can.
0:19:53 > 0:20:02We've wrapped him up with a blanket and in a sleeping bag. We'll get him on the aircraft as soon as we can.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04We need to get him to hospital ASAP.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10Living by the sea might be many people's dream, but Whitby is used to dealing with tragedy.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Two years ago, three people drowned when their boat capsized here.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19And the Whitby lifeboat has nearly 50 awards for outstanding bravery.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25Good man, that's it. Just keep nice and still.
0:20:26 > 0:20:32- I've broken some ribs... - Yeah, well, you've done something. You're in a lot of pain.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Say to these lads down here as well. I want them all out of the way.
0:20:36 > 0:20:43Whitby is a small town and news travels fast. Dozens of people have come out
0:20:43 > 0:20:51to see helimed 99 take off from its seaside helipad. It can't come a moment too soon for pilot Craig.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- Guys, am I clear to start?- Yeah. - We need to get a move on.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04All right, Stuart. It will be very noisy while we take you to hospital.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Stuart lives in Whitby and loves its remote and tranquil setting,
0:21:08 > 0:21:14but the nearest major casualty department is at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and that's over 25 miles away.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20He's complaining of a neck and right-sided chest injury or pain.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24He's got significant bruising on the right side of his chest.
0:21:24 > 0:21:30When you've got significant trauma like that to the chest, it can impair the breathing.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35He's maybe fractured a few ribs on his right side which are giving him the discomfort,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39but the ribs could puncture the lung so we've got to keep that in mind.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Coming up, their patient reaches hospital, but he's not out of trouble yet.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53He still was very cold, despite the blankets that we put on him.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And a teenage farm worker is run over by a five-tonne tractor.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02As he's jumped out, another tractor has rolled over him.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The Helimed crew are all dedicated professionals.
0:22:10 > 0:22:17They never stop training and it's rare for a month to go by without a new drug or technique introduced
0:22:17 > 0:22:19to help them do their job better.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24But the hazards of flying rarely change
0:22:24 > 0:22:30and paramedics Sammy and Glen are about to come face to face with one of them - a bird strike.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32- This horrible pheasant...- BLEEP
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Yeah, that went through us. That hit the disc.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39This pheasant hit the chopper's rotors.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44There's no visible damage, but the pheasant is beyond even their life-saving skills.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49But accidents like this can and do down aircraft.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55Ask pilot Andrew Dixon. Sammy and Glen have just been finding out what could have happened to them.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01A passing pigeon hit the blade of his microlight plane's propeller, leading to a painful forced landing.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05He's had a bird strike. They've had a semi-hard landing.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11Because of his previous back injury, he's got back pain, so we're treating him as worst case scenario.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Ready, steady, lift.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Excellent.
0:23:16 > 0:23:23Andrew is on his way to hospital, but his previous back injury wasn't just any old slipped disc.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25And start easing him in.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31- Was this 12th vertebrae as a result of some kind of trauma in the past then?- I got shot.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- I had a backpack on and the bullet...- Cut that.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41..hit the backpack and, obviously, it were like a shockwave from the bullet.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Andrew was dressed for his open cockpit.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- You couldn't do us a favour, could you?- I will do. Go on.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53- Get your scissors and do t'other arm. I'm sweating like a pig.- Of course I will.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57- It's all this microfleece to keep you warm...- While you're up there.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02- You're a star.- I've never been told I'm a star for cutting clothes off another fella before!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04'Lifting at 10.45...'
0:24:04 > 0:24:09Andrew is airborne again, this time for hospital.
0:24:09 > 0:24:1520 minutes ago, his coolness saved the lives of himself and his passenger.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Are you panicking a little? You're all right.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23Now the shock of a life-threatening, in-flight emergency is beginning to hit him.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29In the next hour, Andrew will find out if he's likely to fly again
0:24:29 > 0:24:33or whether his back injury will ground him for good.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35We do a brief neurological assessment
0:24:35 > 0:24:39which found that he was numb in the top part of his legs,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42so there's a good chance of spinal injury.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47Now they're doing a more thorough neurological assessment in the hospital.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Altitude 2,000 feet...
0:24:49 > 0:24:53For the Helimed team, it's been a textbook search and rescue mission,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57thanks to the reassuring voice that helps them do their jobs every day.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02It was all dealt with very swiftly, great teamwork from all involved.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06The aviation community, whenever "Mayday" is heard on a radio,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08no matter where you are,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12whether you're flying for British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16we're all part of the community that says an emergency is going on
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and everybody offers their assistance as quickly as possible.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23And at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Andrew is grateful for the fellow aviators who flew to his rescue.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Literally, within a minute,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I take my headphones off
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and I could hear the police helicopter circling above.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40Another minute after that, we saw the Air Ambulance coming in to land as well.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Fortunately, it's just a bit of bruising now on the spinal cord.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50But hopefully, in a few more weeks, I'll be back up flying.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Making a Mayday call was a memorable experience for all the wrong reasons.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!'
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's a call you never really want to make.
0:26:01 > 0:26:07The aircraft were being thrown about quite violently for the first 10 or 15 seconds.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12But after that, I managed to gain control and land safely in the field.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Somebody's waiting for the pigeon to come home.
0:26:16 > 0:26:22Although by the sound of the bang, I thought it were an ostrich, but ostriches can't fly.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32Coming up, the man rescued from drowning in Whitby harbour reaches hospital. Will he recover?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35They'll want to warm him back up to a normal temperature.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Some of this scenery may look familiar.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48This is what's now known as Herriot Country after James Herriot,
0:26:48 > 0:26:54the local vet who turned life down here on the farm into best-selling books and a TV series.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00But the Helimed team know their way around the fields and barns of this area for a different reason.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Even the most idyllic landscape can be the backdrop to a nasty accident.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12The Helimed team are called to farms twice a week on average, more than 100 times a year.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Cattle moving off to the left, horses as well. Beware of horses.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Today in North Yorkshire, the early harvest is over for one farm worker.
0:27:21 > 0:27:27- Hiya, lads. How are we doing?- Hiya. - How's the pain?- Bearable.
0:27:27 > 0:27:3227-year-old Matt Rodgers has been trapped by a combine harvester. His leg is crushed.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- What injuries has he got? - It looks like just tissue damage.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It's just all muscle.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Is it muscle?
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- We strapped that across him. - Oh, right, I see.
0:27:46 > 0:27:53- Can you feel the oxygen, Matt?- All down this side?- It all opened up inside, yeah. Right up to there.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Fire-fighters have spent 45 minutes cutting him free.
0:27:57 > 0:28:03Now he's about to get a 150 mile-an-hour flight to surgery.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09We'll go straight north and over the hill to James Cook where they've got the specialist trauma centre.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12He needs some surgery straight away probably.
0:28:12 > 0:28:19Matt's leg is badly broken. He'll need reconstructive surgery if he's to walk normally again.
0:28:19 > 0:28:25Combine harvesters are heavy, powerful and hard to steer as Matt's found out.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29OK, you're normally fit and well. No asthma, no diabetes...?
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Matt's been freed, but the medics are concerned.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36His crush injuries are serious and he could be bleeding internally.
0:28:36 > 0:28:42He had a bit of metal protruding out his right lower buttock, but it didn't penetrate his skin.
0:28:42 > 0:28:48- He's got quite bit of bruising on this other femur.- We'll get him all tied up, lads, then we can...
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- Is my phone still there? - Yeah, it's in your pocket.
0:28:51 > 0:28:57He's an hour's drive from the nearest major trauma unit at the other side of the North York Moors.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02But thanks to Helimed 99, he'll be touching down in A&E in Middlesbrough
0:29:02 > 0:29:04in less than 15 minutes.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07OK, feet first, nice and high.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12That'll be grand. Keep him as high as we can. That's great. Keep coming, keep coming.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18No wonder farmers in North Yorkshire are among the Air Ambulance's biggest fundraisers.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23They know they're more likely to need help than most city dwellers.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27After extensive surgery at the James Cook Hospital, Matt was released,
0:29:27 > 0:29:32but it will be some time before he is fit to return to work.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37You don't have to be working out in the fields to hurt yourself on a farm.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41This is a workplace the whole family has to share.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47In a farmyard in West Yorkshire, there's been a bizarre accident.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Helimed 98's patient is a woman who has become impaled on a rake.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58To get a rake through your leg, it could be they've stood on a rake and it's gone through the foot
0:29:58 > 0:30:01or it could be that a rake has splintered
0:30:01 > 0:30:04and become impaled into the leg,
0:30:04 > 0:30:10but as with any injury where it's pierced the skin, you're looking at damage to underlying structures.
0:30:10 > 0:30:17Ground medics have moved Mary Schofield into their ambulance. The rake is still embedded in her leg.
0:30:17 > 0:30:23Negative at the moment, because she's in the ambulance, so we'll be able to transport her closer.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25She must have fallen on to the rake
0:30:25 > 0:30:31and the rake's actually become embedded with two prongs around her knee area.
0:30:31 > 0:30:37Paramedics see all sorts of injuries, but this one is a first for everyone and it's serious.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Mary has lost a lot of blood and the pain is unbearable.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46We gave her some pain relief. We cut down the rake with a steel saw.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51Whether we'll be able to get her in the helicopter, I don't know.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Peter now had a dilemma. The handle of the rake is too long to fit into Helimed 98.
0:30:56 > 0:31:03But they can't risk moving the rake in case it's ruptured blood vessels or an artery.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07The options are cutting it down, so we can get this into the aircraft -
0:31:07 > 0:31:12the guys have already cut the post to get into the vehicle - or cutting the metal fork itself.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18If Mary thought her ordeal couldn't get any worse, she could be in for a surprise.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23They said, "Have you got any burning tackle?" They'll cut the steel off,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26so there isn't a handle on it and it travels better.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30That should mean the paramedics can remove the wooden handle,
0:31:30 > 0:31:35but blowtorches can reach temperatures of over 2,000 degrees Celsius
0:31:35 > 0:31:39and the team risk making Mary's injuries a lot worse.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- Get that wet stuff over. - Get them wet rags over her.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48Paramedics have to be resourceful sometimes and with the aid of a few useful objects from the farmyard,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52the team start to remove the end of the rake.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Just as close to that as we can.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05The fierce flame is just a few inches away from Mary's leg, but it's worked.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09She's been very brave. I don't think I could have been as brave.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12She's been marvellous. She's done really well.
0:32:12 > 0:32:18- Am I going to Pinderfields still? - Yeah, I think so.- In the ambulance? - In the helicopter.- Oh, dear.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22If it's hurting too much, let us know and we'll stop.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28Now minus a long wooden pole, Mary easily fits into Helimed 98.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And Pinderfields Hospital is only a few minutes away.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38Husband David is flying too, but with a dirty metal rake still stuck in her knee,
0:32:38 > 0:32:44infection is a real risk and one which could complicate Mary's recovery.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Working on a farm is among the most dangerous jobs you can do.
0:32:48 > 0:32:54From frisky livestock to toxic chemicals, there are endless ways you can hurt yourself.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59But even your trusty tractor can be a killer.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Did they say this guy was actually in a field?
0:33:02 > 0:33:06It's Crosper Farm. I'm wondering if it's a family business?
0:33:06 > 0:33:12On the outskirts of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, a young farm hand has been run over by his own tractor
0:33:12 > 0:33:15that weighs over five tonnes.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Got some wires down just before the building.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25He's waving away, or someone in the crew. I can't make out his hand signals, to be honest.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28It's going to be a dusty landing,
0:33:28 > 0:33:34particularly for a ground paramedic who probably wishes he hadn't decided to marshal in Helimed 99.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Peter Wass appears to have had a miraculous escape.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43He was emptying freshly cut grass on to a silage heap when the accident happened.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47And the tractor has squashed Peter into the soft mound.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50This is the driver of the tractor.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54And as he's jumped out, another tractor has rolled over him.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59There's no doubt 16-year-old Peter has been lucky.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03But he's sustained a notoriously painful injury.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07He's been run over by a tractor over his right upper leg.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Query - dislocated right hip.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14I think we'll be about ten minutes getting him on board.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18So I think we'll have an ETA of about 10.40. Over.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22That'll start working, but it'll be about 10 or 15 minutes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26I'm just loading you up, so take your time, nice and steady.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32We'll get you some gas and air, so we can get you on this flat board cos that's gonna be a bit painful.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36The main thing is transferring him with as little pain as possible.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40He'll have some gas and air to supplement the morphine.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- Are we going straight over on to the board?- Yes.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- When you're ready... - Ready, steady, move.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Do you want some more of that gas?
0:34:51 > 0:34:57I know you're not so keen on it, but just try and relax that leg again for us. All right?
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Take some nice, deep breaths.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02According to the Health and Safety Executive,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06agriculture is now officially the most dangerous job in Britain.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09OK, that's it. Let go.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Peter's farming career has only just started.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18Now he's likely to be laid up for months recovering from the accident that could have killed him.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Harrogate Hospital and more pain relief is thankfully only a few minutes away.
0:35:23 > 0:35:30- Were it the front or back wheel? Can you remember?- Back wheel. It went over my leg, then stopped.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34But you were on all that silage, so it were soft underneath you.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37All right. It's no consolation, is it?
0:35:37 > 0:35:44This is Helimed 99, just lifted from a site near Spofforth and bound to Harrogate Hospital.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Thanks to Helimed 99 and the silage heap,
0:35:47 > 0:35:52Peter spent just a few days in hospital and was soon back home.
0:35:52 > 0:35:59But farming is a physical job and it'll be some time before he is back on the farm.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05Growing up on a farm sounds like a dream for a city kid like me -
0:36:05 > 0:36:09loads of fresh air, freedom and lots of things to mess about with,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12but the countryside can be a dangerous place.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Take this wheelbarrow - hardly the most dangerous object in the world!
0:36:17 > 0:36:23But in the skies over the Yorkshire Dales, paramedics Pete Vallance and Al Day are about to deal
0:36:23 > 0:36:26with the result of a bizarre accident.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Somebody's apparently fallen. We don't know too much about the job.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33It's come from another ambulance service.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36We'll see what's going on when we get there.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Looks like cattle to the right-hand side and horses.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Farmers have to be smart businessmen to survive up in the Dales.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Some have branched out in unusual directions.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- You've got llamas in that field. - Is that what they are?
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Pilot JJ Smith hasn't had to deal with llamas before.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00The team's patient today is Daniel Hall. He's one of three brothers who love Jackass,
0:37:00 > 0:37:05the American TV series in which crazy stunts often result in painful injuries.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08They've certainly managed that bit. His leg is broken.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13His injury is the result of a high-speed wheelbarrow ride down a steep hill
0:37:13 > 0:37:17on the farm where his mum keeps horses.
0:37:17 > 0:37:23- He was wheelbarrowing down the hill, then he let go and he started rolling and spinning.- And he heard a crack.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27His brothers are remarkably unsympathetic.
0:37:27 > 0:37:33- Daniel actually did it with me first, then Joshua.- Great. - Then Daniel did it with me later.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38And then I did it, but I didn't break anything.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- Don't watch it. - Don't watch it? Don't do it.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46If you push up with your good leg, if I support this, can you manage up there?
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Paramedic Pete is used to bizarre accidents, but not those inspired by TV.
0:37:51 > 0:37:58I've watched a few episodes, but it gets a bit severe at times with some of the stunts they get up to.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03- I bet you don't watch it, do you? - Do you watch Jackass?- No, I don't.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Good answer.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Don't do this at home.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11He should have listened to his brother.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16Daniel's injury is painful, but not serious enough to earn him a flight to hospital.
0:38:16 > 0:38:22He's soon on his way back up the hill on four wheels. He'll be in plaster for a month.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26His next attempt at wheelbarrow racing will have to wait.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30I'm pleased to say all our patients are on the road to recovery.
0:38:30 > 0:38:37Let's find out what happened to the man who was lucky to survive a fall off the harbour wall at Whitby.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39On a summer's Sunday evening,
0:38:39 > 0:38:45the holidaymakers in Whitby have witnessed a dramatic rescue in the town's historic harbour.
0:38:45 > 0:38:51The inshore lifeboat was launched and plucked local man Stuart Sloane out of the cold water.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56Now the Helimed team are racing the setting sun to get Stuart to the trauma centre
0:38:56 > 0:39:00of the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05It seems that he's maybe fractured quite a few ribs on his right side.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08With the chopper not able to fly at night,
0:39:08 > 0:39:13Middlesbrough and the James Cook Hospital helipad is a welcome sight for the crew and patient.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18We're going into the hospital. OK, arm across your tummy like that.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22There's another worry. As well as Stuart's injuries from his fall,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25swallowing a lot of salt water can be deadly.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29It can bring on what's called secondary drowning
0:39:29 > 0:39:33where excess salt dehydrates the body to such an extent,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37it can go into cardiac arrest up to 24 hours after the incident.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40We're quite concerned about this rib pain that he's got.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43We're quite worried about his ribs.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47They're just in there now giving him some more painkiller,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51then Lee's handing over and letting them know what's happened.
0:39:51 > 0:39:57While Lee is in Resus dealing with his patient, pilot Craig is speeding things along,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02clearing up the paramedics' medical kit. He needs a quick getaway from Teesside.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07They're probably gonna want to warm him back up to a normal temperature.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11He still was very cold, despite the blankets that we put on him.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15It's a week since the accident
0:40:15 > 0:40:19and Stuart is now recovering back home in Whitby.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27For Steve Crowe, the hero of this rescue, it's just another day at work,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31persuading tourists to take a speedboat ride around the bay.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34I was just packing up for the night,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36getting everything on the boat, then go home.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40And somebody shouted down that he fell in.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44It's a fair old fall, to be honest with you.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It's about a 20-foot fall, something like that?
0:40:47 > 0:40:53First I was looking for a way to get him out without having to go in there cos it's very cold.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57There wasn't a way, so I climbed down the ladder and walked up to him.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00If he'd calmed down, he could've walked over to the ladder himself,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03then waited for the inshore lifeboat to show up.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07The RNLI inshore rescue crew train for incidents like this.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13These volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18When we got on the scene, a police officer and a member of the public were holding him.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20We realised he was badly injured.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24That's the first time I've worked with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28It's good that they're there to assist with what we've got to do.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32And as for our reluctant hero Steve Crowe,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36every day at work is a reminder of what could have been.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41Since that day, whenever people are up close to the edge, it makes you a bit nervous.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Yeah.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50And that is all from Helicopter Heroes for now.
0:41:50 > 0:41:56Thanks for watching. And remember, if you're ever in trouble, help might just come from the skies.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk