0:00:03 > 0:00:06If you're critically ill or seriously injured
0:00:06 > 0:00:11in a place like this, there's only one thing that can save you
0:00:11 > 0:00:12and that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17It doesn't matter where you are, this helicopter, with its highly 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.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50When the people of England'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 > 0:01:10there's a rescue operation after a climber is badly injured in the Peak District.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Left ankle, just above the joint, tib and fib poking out.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16A golfer collapses on the green
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and only his son's first aid skills can save him.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Come on, Dad!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It's all stationary all the way down there, look.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The Helimed team are scrambled to a major road crash.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30And the helicopters come into their own
0:01:30 > 0:01:35as snow puts the skids under their colleagues on the roads.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I've had to dig myself out about four times.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45When I was in the Army I was a climbing instructor
0:01:45 > 0:01:50and I must say nothing feels as good as getting to the top of a really difficult crag like this.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Sadly, few things hurt more than falling off.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01- It's Curbar Edge, which I would imagine is going to be a rock face.- Okey-doke.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03It's near Froggatt, Froggatt Edge.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08Helimed 98 is being dispatched to a climber in trouble in the Peak District.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Thousands of climbers tackle the crags and fells of Derbyshire every weekend.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's a beautiful but potentially dangerous location.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- RADIO:- 'Air desk to Helimed 98, receiving.'
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Helimed 98, pass your message.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28'Yeah, just for information, I've spoken to Edale Mountain Rescue, they are en route.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Paramedics Pete Valance and Darren Axe know this area well.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36When he's not flying, Pete works on a ground ambulance in nearby Rotherham.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39There's a climber fallen off from near the top,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44- I think...- Yeah, about 25 feet.- And he's broken his leg just above his ankle, a compound fracture, I think.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48It's taken just five minutes for the crew to get to the Peaks
0:02:48 > 0:02:53and now pilot Andy Figg must find a safe landing site for Helimed 98.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- Is anybody waving to us?- There's a large group of people here.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02- I think the ambulance has pulled into the car park there.- Yeah, OK. Do you see anything, Darren?- No.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04We've got someone down here waving.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- Oh, right. Here we are, maybe, possibly.- Yeah, three o'clock.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Oh, nice one, OK.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Helimed 98 to Yorkshire Air Desk, we are on scene and landing.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18If we could keep Mountain Rescue running.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21OK, you've got two people underneath the nose here.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Yeah, I know. Not a problem. I can see where they are... where our patients are.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Yeah, they're on that outcropping there below...
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Below the outcropping now at your two o'clock, Andy.- OK, mate.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35All right, if these two people would like to get out of the way.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42It's a less than ideal landing site. Large boulders cover the uneven ground and two walkers
0:03:42 > 0:03:46are trying to marshal in Helimed 98, but with them standing in the middle
0:03:46 > 0:03:49of the landing site the team are relying on Darren's
0:03:49 > 0:03:53subtle hand gestures to move them out of the way!
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Move away!
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Just keep going!
0:03:57 > 0:04:03Helimed 98 are the first emergency service to arrive and help Hungarian climber Attilla Forbour.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Darren's the first to make the treacherous trip down the crag.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Left ankle, just above the joint, tib and fib poking out.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Not a lot of blood. There's blood there, but it's not spurting.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- The bone's protruding out? - The bone's protruding out, yeah.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Before Darren can treat the climber, he needs to understand what happened.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23How far have you come down, about 15 metres?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- No, no. It was nothing at all. About two-and-a-half metres. - Two-and-a-half metres?
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Just a very unfortunate landing.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Unfortunate landing, all right. You've not banged your head?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- No.- You've got no pain in your back?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- No, nothing.- You've not been unconscious or knocked out, no?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39His feet got to eight, nine feet in height,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41he hadn't got his first bit of gear in.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Slipped, fell off and as he landed on his mat
0:04:43 > 0:04:44he just rolled his ankle.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It wasn't even a hard landing so it's just bad luck.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52As paramedic Pete prepares to give Attilla some pain relief more help arrives.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Hello, people.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Hello.- Hi, guys.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Attilla moved to the Peak District from Hungary largely because of the climbing it offers.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06It's no coincidence some of the UK's best climbers live here.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10A Mountain Rescue team have also been scrambled to help.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13They rescue hundreds of climbers every year
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and have the specialist equipment needed to move Attilla off the crag.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20What sort of timescale are we looking at?
0:05:20 > 0:05:21They'll be here in ten minutes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Darren and Pete are worried.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Attilla has a very painful broken leg
0:05:25 > 0:05:31and lying on an exposed crag 1,000 feet up hypothermia can set in quickly.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- I'm worried about the inconvenience...- Well, don't worry, mate. We'll look after you.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38As Attilla worries about causing a fuss,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Darren discovers this situation is more serious than he thought.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47Attilla's leg is so badly broken the blood supply to his foot has been cut off.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- But you know we're going to have to try and straighten this out, don't you?- Yeah.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Because the bones are sticking out.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Yeah.- And that's not good.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04Coming up, resetting the bone is difficult in hospital, but the team have to cope on a rocky ledge.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07What we're going to do now is straighten your leg out, OK?
0:06:07 > 0:06:13Two Air Ambulances are scrambled after a builder's van is involved in a major pile-up.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17There's another Air Ambulance here that are dealing with the chap in the back of the van.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21And an elderly man with a heart problem is stuck in the snow.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- He had a collapse driving over the moor, here.- Right.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36Taking a first aid course is one of the things many of us say we'll do one day and never find time for.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Well, I did some in the police and never regretted it.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44But sometimes those lifesaving skills can save someone very close to you.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53What was supposed to be a relaxing round of golf has ended prematurely.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Come on, Dad!
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Crookhill Golf Club.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01The air support unit has been called in and Helimed 99 is on the way.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06We're heading out to the outskirts of Doncaster, between Doncaster and Rotherham,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07to a golf course. We've got reports
0:07:07 > 0:07:11of a gentleman that's collapsed on the 18th tee.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14It seems 63-year-old golfer John Harrison has had a heart attack.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16His son is with him.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21The paramedics are planning ahead. Helicopters like this are fast,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25but they don't have a lot of space inside.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28In the helicopter we are quite confined, so if we have to carry out
0:07:28 > 0:07:33CPR or anything, advanced life support, we are quite restricted to what we can do.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Paramedic Tony Wilkes gets an update.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Still doing CPR. They've give him one shock.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43He's on 18th green. There's a large group of people there,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45so we should be able to identify him.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51As the helicopter comes in to land, pilot JJ Smith has to do what the golfers try to do,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55avoid the bunkers and the sand traps surrounding the 18th green.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- He's come off the 18th green, just collapsed, no prior warning.- Yeah.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05CPR was in progress upon my arrival. He was in...
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Patient John Harrison had just finished his round of golf when he collapsed.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- He's got a family history of heart problems.- Right.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16His father died of a heart attack, et cetera.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17- What's his name?- It's John Harrison.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Everybody knows him as Snake.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- Right. And how old's John?- 63, 64.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Wayne's dad is clinging on to life.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31His heart had failed, but one person knew what to do
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and knew how to perform heart massage, CPR.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38John was kept alive by his own son.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40As I knelt down, I could see he wasn't breathing.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43If his heart's not working then he's not, you know...
0:08:43 > 0:08:46That's probably what the breath thing is, and it's sort of ABC.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50So airway, breathing and circulation. So it was a case of, look, what can I do?
0:08:50 > 0:08:55- Do you want to get in your car.- My phone is down here. I'll wait until they move him.- All right, fine.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57'He's not breathing. His chest is not moving.'
0:08:57 > 0:09:05Start doing what you think you can do and I started chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Come on, Dad!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'When I was in the Royal Navy'
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I did a St John's Ambulance course, but I would be honest
0:09:12 > 0:09:18and say it's probably been brushed up as such by watching TV, watching programmes that show it on TV.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22He's better than he was and he's starting to get a reflex back.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23'I've always felt'
0:09:23 > 0:09:26that I should know what to do in an emergency...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I've got children myself, if something was happening
0:09:29 > 0:09:34I should be able to do at least the basics to help them out at that moment in time.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40Wayne's heart massage kept blood pumping around his dad's body when his heart had stopped.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Paramedics call it 'effective CPR'. When the land crew arrived,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48they were able to shock John's heart back to life.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- We have an output.- You have got an output again?- And a reflex.- Good.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Come on, Dad! - He's been in cardiac arrest.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58The land crew's managed to get an output back,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03so it's a case of getting as quickly as we can into hospital.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07John's son's quick thinking and CPR has increased his dad's chances of survival
0:10:07 > 0:10:12from less than 10% to 30%. He has that chance,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16but the odds are still stacked against him.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Coming up, Wayne's dad's heart is still beating,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29but most people don't survive an attack as serious as his.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Get a bag and mask and everything ready, just in case.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35The climber who shattered the bones in his leg
0:10:35 > 0:10:38needs urgent surgery, but he's still a long way from hospital.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43Getting them out from here is quite tricky and needs the expertise of the Mountain Rescue team.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And Helimed 99 touches down in a playground
0:10:46 > 0:10:50to treat a young casualty of an ice slide.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Every county in the UK now has an Air Ambulance.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It's a network entirely funded by charity,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04but sometimes an incident is so serious
0:11:04 > 0:11:07one helicopter isn't enough.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13On a busy holiday route in the Derbyshire Peak District there's been a major pile-up.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Three vehicles have collided and several people are trapped.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Two vehicle RTC, head-on and they are saying three definite trapped.
0:11:20 > 0:11:2540 miles away at Leeds Bradford Airport, the crew of Helimed 99
0:11:25 > 0:11:29know they've got a long way to go and not long to do it.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35No matter how much of a hurry they're in, they must do their pre-takeoff checks by the book.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- 1017 of fuel. Clear green, no captions.- Roger, control switches.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- Both set to fly. - Right, confirmed.- Thank you.- OK, we've got a bearing of 184.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- 184.- About three miles.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- OK.- All clear at the back, Steve. - Thank you.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Multiple crashes put unique demands on the emergency services.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58Most modern ambulances can carry only one patient, and that goes for helicopters, too,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00but the Helimed team won't be alone today.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Controllers have mobilised paramedics across a wide area.
0:12:04 > 0:12:10- RADIO:- 'Helimed 99, this job at Ashton, five persons trapped,
0:12:10 > 0:12:16'two car RTC head-on, four ambulances en route,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20'you and another Helimed also en route, over.'
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Sounds a bit juicy, this.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- Cobby?- Hello?
0:12:23 > 0:12:27There's another Area Ambulance also en route.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29He'll get there before us no matter where he's coming from.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32'It's Helimed 54,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'Helimed 54 also en route with yourself, over.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:39This isn't good news for pilot Steve Cobb.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Radar coverage on the Peaks is patchy at best and mid-air collisions are a real risk.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48He decides to talk to his colleagues in the County Air Ambulance.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'll just see if I can raise this other Air Ambulance.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Helimed 54, this is Helimed 99 on the RC.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05But no-one is talking and now Steve will be relying on his eyesight to spot another chopper
0:13:05 > 0:13:09heading to the same job at the same speed.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Head-on they'll be closing at 300mph.
0:13:12 > 0:13:18- It should be right on the nose, actually.- Yeah.- I've got stationary traffic on that road down there.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23- See the tanker there? - Straight ahead of us? Straight down the middle?- Yeah.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- It's all stationary all the way down there, look.- Yeah.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31On these rural roads a jam usually means only one thing, a crash.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37There's relief all round when they find the county chopper is already on the ground.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42- Thanks. We've just had a word with your medic.- Yeah.- He said this one's going to be for us at some stage.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46A gang of contract workers have been using their van as a bus.
0:13:46 > 0:13:53It's a practice discouraged by the police because this is what happens when there's an accident.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We've two serious casualties - the driver trapped in the front
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and someone in the back of the van that we've not had a look at.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Another Air Ambulance will deal with the chap in the back of the van
0:14:02 > 0:14:04so we'll deal with the chap in the front.
0:14:04 > 0:14:10Hello, Paul. Are you all right? Yeah, these guys looking after you?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14He's still trapped as you can see. There's quite a lot of deformity to the vehicle,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17but he's conscious and talking. His airway is fine, he's breathing fine.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22His circulation is fine. He's got an injury to his shoulder, possible some injuries to his legs.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24The driver's foot is entangled around the brake pedal,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27they need to free it to move him
0:14:27 > 0:14:32but the Fire Brigade's cutting equipment is too big to reach the footwell.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38- I've just tried pedal cutter in and it won't go.- No. And we've haven't got anything smaller, have we?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- That's free. - Right.- I reckon we can move his foot.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45We reckon now we can move his feet down this side.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50There's a lot of damage to the car. It's been quite a high speed impact. Although he seems fairly stable,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53he obviously could have significant injuries that are yet to become apparent.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58One of the driver's mates has been lucky to escape with a broken arm
0:14:58 > 0:15:02but the man travelling in the back of the van has a collapsed lung so a flying doctor
0:15:02 > 0:15:08has to perform surgery in the road, inserting a chest drain to reinflate it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13The County Air Ambulance copped for the most seriously ill patient,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17so they'll take theirs to Sheffield. It's only five minutes from here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20We'll take our gentlemen to Manchester, to Wythenshawe,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22as it's ten minutes from here for us.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28Few hospitals are equipped to deal with several seriously injured patients at once.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Often they have no choice but to accept them,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36but the speed of the Air Ambulances means several A&E units are often within a few minutes'
0:15:36 > 0:15:39flying time and they can share the workload around.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45At last, they've found a way to free the driver
0:15:45 > 0:15:50and Helimed 99's patient is about to start the journey to hospital.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55- I'm going to shift your shoe now, Richard, and your little leg should pop out.- You can shout if you wish.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- It's stuck on pedal.- I know, I manoeuvring it
0:15:58 > 0:16:04- about until it comes out but that's all.- That's out, that's out. - All right, we're out. Marvellous.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06All right there, are you? Let's get your leg round.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08- That's good.- Superb.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12The driver's Paul Brown, the leader of the contract gang.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16He was driving his men home to Sheffield when the accident happened.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Ready, steady, slide.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Well, done, well done. He's on it.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25- Relax, relax.- Well, done, mate.- Are you all done?- Relax, yeah.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29He has a broken wrist and collar bone as well as deep cuts to his face,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32but the team suspect he may also have internal injuries.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I'm just going to have a little listen to your chest, OK?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Just take a deep breath for me, Paul.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Lovely. And again.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44But it looks like Paul's been lucky.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48His injuries are relatively minor for a head-on impact.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Helimed 99's flight to Manchester should take less than ten minutes,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56but that would take it through the dozens of airliners queuing up
0:16:56 > 0:17:00to land at one of the UK's busiest airports. It's a headache for pilot Steve.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The best route would have been a straight line from here
0:17:04 > 0:17:07but that takes us across Manchester International,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09so whether we get that route I don't know.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11It is a case of wait and see when we get airborne.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15It could be messy but hopefully not.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21Air traffic controllers try and give Air Ambulances priority but it's not always possible.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Manchester Helimed 99, alpha.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26But today the chopper's allowed to fly straight across Manchester Airport,
0:17:26 > 0:17:32with holiday flights carrying hundreds making way for one injured man.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Just ten minutes after lifting off from the Peak District,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42their patient's touching down with at Wythenshawe Hospital where Paul will undergo a full examination.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47Doctors later confirmed he'd a lucky escape with no further injuries.
0:17:53 > 0:18:00Coming up, the golfer who survived a cardiac arrest thanks to his son, but will he recover fully?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04What he basically needs is intensive care as soon as possible.
0:18:04 > 0:18:11And the chopper faces a monumental problem as a woman collapses in the local churchyard.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Now, let's return to the crags of the Peak District
0:18:18 > 0:18:20where a badly injured climber
0:18:20 > 0:18:23is relying on Mountain Rescue to save his leg.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28In the Derbyshire Peak District, Helimed 98's crew is rescuing an injured rock climber
0:18:28 > 0:18:31who's fallen ten feet from a rugged gritstone crag.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Attilla Forbour has broken two bones in his leg
0:18:36 > 0:18:40but it's so serious that paramedics Darren Axe and Peter Valance
0:18:40 > 0:18:43cannot find a pulse in his foot.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44We need to cover this
0:18:44 > 0:18:48wound because his bones are exposed to the air and infection.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54If the team can't restore blood circulation to his foot Attilla could lose it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We need to try and straighten his leg somewhat,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00immobilise it and secure it in place.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02A local Mountain Rescue team have also arrived
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and will help get Attilla off the crag, but first Darren and Pete
0:19:06 > 0:19:09must examine his leg and that means cutting his shoe off,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12the first part of the excruciating treatment.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Don't want to cut your little toe off, do we?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Just support his foot, mate, while I go under here.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Next to arrive is anaesthetist Dr Steve Rowe. He regularly flies
0:19:22 > 0:19:26with the Air Ambulance and is also a Mountain Rescue volunteer
0:19:26 > 0:19:28in his spare time.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33- He's had ten of morphine...- Yeah. - His pain's reduced but he's still feeling it somewhat.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- I've got no pulse and he can't wiggle his toes at all, so...- OK.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41My mate'll bring down some gas and air for you to suck on, it's going
0:19:41 > 0:19:45to turn you all dizzy and then we're going to pull it straight, OK?
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Attilla is in agony, but paramedic Pete delivers the news that it's going to get worse.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53As your breathing it in you need to take nice deep breaths,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56but it wears off as soon as you stop breathing it
0:19:56 > 0:19:59so you need to have that pain relief inside you
0:19:59 > 0:20:01for when we move this leg, OK?
0:20:01 > 0:20:05OK, ready, steady, go.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Concentrate on your breathing.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- That's it.- Keep breathing.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Well, done.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14- Keep breathing.- Well done.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Entenox, or gas and air, is keeping Attilla's pain at bay
0:20:18 > 0:20:22but his foot needs more painful manipulation.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24What we'll do now is straighten your leg out
0:20:24 > 0:20:26from the knee, OK?
0:20:30 > 0:20:35To keep Attilla's broken leg straight Darren and Pete strap it into a splint.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Just need a clean dressing, now.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Well, done. You did really well. I know that was sore and I'm sorry that it had to hurt you
0:20:45 > 0:20:47but your leg's all straight and the bones aren't poking out
0:20:47 > 0:20:51and that's a good thing. It means it's going to heal better.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55The trauma of moving Attilla's leg has left him exhausted
0:20:55 > 0:20:59but his rescuers must now prepare him for the journey to the waiting helicopter.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Although the Air Ambulance is able to get here very quickly
0:21:02 > 0:21:08and administer immediate care, that's great, but getting them out from here is quite tricky
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and that needs the expertise of the Mountain Rescue team.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15You wrap it round your body, closely fitting round the body, then draw the air out
0:21:15 > 0:21:20and it's got polystyrene balls inside and it makes it stiff, like a splint around your body.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Ready, steady, lift.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Attilla has fallen on to a ledge no wider than ten foot.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32Mountain Rescue teams are trained to deal with extreme situations like this but the hill is steep
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and the wet heather is slippery underfoot
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and there's a steep drop if anything goes wrong.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40On a normal rescue like this it takes about 20 to 25 people.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45When we've got the casualty stable and on the stretcher we'll then bring them up the crag
0:21:45 > 0:21:48on the stretcher, and that's what you saw. We had to pass the stretcher
0:21:48 > 0:21:53between people's hands. Rather than six people carry it we had to pass it on like pass the parcel
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and that's the safest and most stable way
0:21:55 > 0:21:58of getting a casualty up the crag in these circumstances.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02You can put the board on here, please, and then just feed it round.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Today it worked very nicely. Air Ambulance Control were able to alert our team directly,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09so we both arrived at a similar time and worked well together.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15Attilla knows all about the coordination and teamwork that's needed for such a remote rescue.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I'm on a rescue team, myself.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Are you? - Are you a rescue team member?
0:22:19 > 0:22:20He's a rescue team member himself.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- Here?- No, no, not here. I did quite a bit in the Julian Alps
0:22:23 > 0:22:29- and other parts of the world. - Right, so you'll have been on the other end of all this, then?- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Attilla's rescuers have done all they can to save his foot.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37They've restored the circulation and stabilised him but with miles to the nearest hospital
0:22:37 > 0:22:41it's down to Helimed 98 to get him to the waiting team of surgeons in time.
0:22:48 > 0:22:54Coming up, Attilla reaches the hospital, but will his injury mean his climbing days are over?
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The leg was bent this way - 90 degrees more or less.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Once you reach hospital, your chances of surviving
0:23:06 > 0:23:10a serious injury or critical illness immediately improve
0:23:10 > 0:23:15but when your patient's suffered a cardiac arrest recovery really isn't that simple.
0:23:15 > 0:23:2163-year-old golfer John Harrison has had a heart attack on the 18th green.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23His golf partner is his son, Wayne.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25You've got it, yeah, yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29He kept his dad alive by performing CPR, heart massage,
0:23:29 > 0:23:34until the paramedics arrived and used electric shock treatment to get the golfer's heart going again.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40The air crew need to get him to hospital now as soon as possible if he's to have any chance of recovery.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42The land crew's done a great job -
0:23:42 > 0:23:45they've got a cardiac output back. Time's of the essence now.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48We need to get him to Rotherham Hospital as soon as we can do.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Caring for Dad isn't the only priority at this stage.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57Wayne has done a fantastic job but now he must leave his dad in the hands of others.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Paramedic Paul reassures him.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03It's important he knows exactly what's going on.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07We'll take him to Rotherham Hospital, all right? It'll take us two minutes to get him there.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Don't break your neck getting there. The last thing we want is for you to have an accident.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15- At this moment, Wayne, dad's heart's beating again on its own. - All right.- OK?
0:24:15 > 0:24:19'I never stopped talking to him. I told him he wasn't going. I did call him a few...
0:24:19 > 0:24:21'a few obscene names that,'
0:24:21 > 0:24:25you know, there was plenty of life left and it wasn't...
0:24:25 > 0:24:28As I say, it wasn't the time or the place to be going anywhere.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32'It started to affect me more in a shock
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'at what had gone on because, as I say, it was so out of the blue.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38'I thought, "It's too late."
0:24:38 > 0:24:41'I thought what I'd done wasn't enough.'
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Speed means survival with cardiac cases.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51Even the best CPR can lead to the brain being starved of oxygen with lethal complications.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56But with a chopper standing by on the 18th green, John has a better chance than most patients.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57AD's disconnected.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Although he's breathing on his own, the paramedics are still worried.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Let's just get the bag and mask and everything ready, just in case.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09It's a short journey from the golf course to the hospital by air,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12with John's son making his way there by road to be with his dad.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17A young man who'd I'd never met before drove my car with his friend
0:25:17 > 0:25:22following in his car and I couldn't remember where the hospital was.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Luckily, we saw the helicopter and I knew it was in that direction.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29We... We got there.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Half a mile to go. And the ambulance is parked in the field.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39They call it the "golden hour" but John has made it in minutes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42He will soon be in intensive care.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Emergencies like this don't always run smoothly
0:25:47 > 0:25:52but this team effort has gone according to plan giving John the best possible chance of recovery.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I'll look in your eyes, John.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- All right?- Yeah, fire away, mate.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59SIREN WAILS
0:25:59 > 0:26:05The crew have done really well and eventually they've got a pulse back, a cardiac output,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10so what he needs is intensive care as soon as possible which is why we brought him straight to Rotherham.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It's three months since John's heart attack
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and there's no chance of teeing off today
0:26:16 > 0:26:19but two golfers have come back to the wintry 18th green.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25If you don't have heart massage after cardiac arrest
0:26:25 > 0:26:28your chances of survival go down by 10% every minute,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32which means John owes his son his life.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34He's not fully fit but he's alive.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39This is where, I think, where it happened.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The helicopter landed there on the green.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Well, I'm stuttering at bit with my speech therapy
0:26:47 > 0:26:51but I'm all right apart from that, you know?
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- It looks a bit different now.- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It definitely looks different now but, um...
0:26:57 > 0:26:58first time we've been back.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03'I think he's 90% better.'
0:27:03 > 0:27:08He's still got a little distance to go.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12The emergency services that got him there, the nursing staff
0:27:12 > 0:27:16et cetera that have nursed him through have been fantastic.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The aftercare help he's had has been fantastic.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Now, it's a case... I think it's just going to be small steps, but hopefully we'll...
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Well, I know we'll get to where we've got to get to.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Wayne and his dad hope one day they'll play again.
0:27:31 > 0:27:37He only normally plays with me because I'm the only one that will put up with his cheating!
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'Life's important, isn't it? You know,'
0:27:43 > 0:27:47life itself. But the ambulance and the hospital staff
0:27:47 > 0:27:51are absolutely brilliant and they're worth their weight in gold,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55as simple as that. I never thought I'd ever be
0:27:55 > 0:27:58in an ambulance in my life, a helicopter anyway!
0:27:58 > 0:28:03And father and son are closer than ever and are even making plans for a rematch.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I'll look forward to coming back when the weather's better
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and the next game of golf we play will be together.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I'm proud of my son, yeah. He's brilliant.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Coming up, the climber rescued from a rock face recovers from surgery
0:28:21 > 0:28:24but doctors will decide whether he climbs again.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32The Helimed teams spend their lives fighting nature.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34They're always up against the weather
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and the rugged Yorkshire landscape does its best to get in their way, too.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Winter comes early in the Pennines.
0:28:42 > 0:28:48It may look beautiful but snow means the flying paramedics are likely to be busy.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Today, Helimed 99 is heading north to the icy Yorkshire Dales
0:28:52 > 0:28:55for an elderly patient who has suffered a cardiac arrest
0:28:55 > 0:28:57on a road near the market town of Leyburn.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- RADIO:- 'They're currently located in a 4x4 vehicle.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06'He's in a very poor state and there's concern that he may arrest.'
0:29:06 > 0:29:10With snow blocking many roads, the helicopter's his only hope.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Winter takes its toll, especially on the elderly.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17When you start to get cold it puts stress on the heart. It has to beat
0:29:17 > 0:29:20that bit harder to get the blood pumped around your circulation.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24But the snow's the least of pilot Steve Cobb's worries.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28He's heading into one of the UK's busiest military training areas.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Could you just have a buzz through that, Simon, and see
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- if if it says anything about danger areas where my finger is?- Yeah.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Helimed 99 could come under fire from the Army if Steve can't contact the military
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and ask them to stop shooting on the rifle range
0:29:42 > 0:29:46that's right next to the road where their patient is waiting.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51We'll need to make sure we don't inadvertently go whizzing in and get shot down.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56The trouble is the military can't decide who's in charge of the range.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02- RADIO:- 'I do have a contact number for 409 and 408 but not for 442.'
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Roger. If you give it on 409, please.
0:30:08 > 0:30:14Just in time word reaches the ranges, and a temporary ceasefire is declared.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17'They have got through to somebody
0:30:17 > 0:30:21'and he says they will be... They can stop firing.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Roger, that's great, thanks very much. We'll be there in about four minutes.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Heavy snow has brought chaos to the Yorkshire Dales with minor roads blocked
0:30:29 > 0:30:33and the temperature below zero even at lunchtime.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35This is no time or place to be seriously ill.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37You all right?
0:30:37 > 0:30:43- This is an 80-year-old gent who has basically had a medical collapse driving over the moor here.- Right.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Their patient, 82-year-old Tom Shepherd, was taken ill
0:30:46 > 0:30:50as he tried to reach his home in the remote village of Reeth.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54He's one of hundreds of motorists caught out by the early arrival of winter.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57It's even caught some of the locals out because I was talking
0:30:57 > 0:30:59to one local we were digging out on top of the Buttertubs
0:30:59 > 0:31:04and he hadn't gone anywhere with a shovel and he thought he could get through in his 4x4.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09The roads are so treacherous Helimed 99, which is based 30 miles away,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14has been on scene for two minutes before the local land ambulance crew arrive.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16We've had to dig ourselves out a few times.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I certainly have had to dig myself out
0:31:19 > 0:31:23about four times in the last two days, so it is quite hard going at the moment.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Tom's in a bad way.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30He has a history of cardiac problems and he has a pacemaker fitted.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35It looks like he's fairly stable at the moment. Still worried about him, but it's nothing too bad.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38It's feared Tom had a cardiac arrest.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43He's lucky his heart appears to have restarted itself but he needs urgent medical treatment.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Troops preparing for war in Afghanistan
0:31:46 > 0:31:51have had to stand and wait while Helimed 99 was in the firing line.
0:31:51 > 0:31:57Now the ceasefire's over as the team lift off for Harrogate Hospital's coronary care unit.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01But the weather is continuing to cause disruption across much of the north
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and the NHS is feeling the freeze, too.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- Just getting a sat phone call, mate. - OK.- 'I've just spoken to casualty again, Si.'
0:32:09 > 0:32:14They're not refusing to see you but they're saying if you could go to James Cook it would help.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18They've no beds in the department and they're full in resus.'
0:32:18 > 0:32:20It would help them out.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25- Harrogate are full. They're not refusing us, but it would help them greatly...- If we could go there.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27- Let's go to LGI, then.- LGI, then.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- OK, do you want to check that with Si?- Yeah, OK.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Are you OK there, Tom, mate? You're not struggling with your breathing or anything?
0:32:34 > 0:32:40Tom needs urgent medical attention, but if there's no bed for him at Harrogate he'll have to be flown
0:32:40 > 0:32:4315 miles further to Leeds.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45It's all down to the weather.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49It's called 'winter pressures', that's what the NHS refer to it as.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54It's the rise in road accidents, people falling and breaking their wrists and ankles and things.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58It all adds up to a wait in A&E.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Even big city hospitals aren't immune from those pressures.
0:33:02 > 0:33:09Leeds General Infirmary is itself full to bursting today but they do have room for Tom.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14Thankfully, his heart scare didn't cause any permanent damage and he was home for Christmas.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Even back at base,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Leeds Bradford Airport,
0:33:19 > 0:33:24the early winter makes a difficult job even harder for the Helimed team.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26This year's been quite bad for us,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29yes. We've had snow, we've had fog, we've had mist,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32we've had rain, it's been cold and miserable.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36As I say, it's been below plus two for the last three weeks so it's not been nice.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39We've not been caught out yet.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42There's still plenty of winter left so we have to be careful every day,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46make sure we know what the weather's going to do and make sure we have the right kit with us
0:33:46 > 0:33:49If it's snowing, the apron where the aircraft's based
0:33:49 > 0:33:52gets covered in snow, maybe ice, it gets quite slippy.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Snow and ice can alter the shape of the blades
0:33:55 > 0:34:00which reduces the lift and can compromise our performance.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04We operate quite a lot up in the Dales, Yorkshire, in the Peak District.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07If we do have a problem up there with the aircraft and we get stuck
0:34:07 > 0:34:11then we could have problems in just surviving up there in the middle of winter.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17You need to be properly equipped when snow comes to Yorkshire,
0:34:17 > 0:34:22not like this walker up at 2,000 feet in jeans and trainers.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28It's not for nothing that Helimed 98 carries a tent and survival equipment.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32A forced landing up here in the Fells would be serious.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Today, the team are heading for the market town of Settle in the Dales
0:34:36 > 0:34:39where an elderly lady has fallen in the snow.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Basically, what's happened is the lady's been walking on the packed ice
0:34:43 > 0:34:48and she's fallen and she's got a fracture of her leg. Luckily
0:34:48 > 0:34:52that's a surgery across the road so they've managed to come and assist her.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55The accident happened in the local churchyard.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Finding a landing site could be tricky.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03OK, just going over tall trees now.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Pilot Andy Figg must manoeuvre three tonnes of helicopter into a handy gap
0:35:08 > 0:35:09between the gravestones.
0:35:10 > 0:35:17Elderly people are especially vulnerable to falls in snowy weather and 82-year-old Christina Isles
0:35:17 > 0:35:23has suffered the most complex form of broken leg, a compound fracture.
0:35:23 > 0:35:29Helimed 98's paramedics are usually welcomed by their patients, but Christina has news for her rescuers.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33- I hate helicopters. - You hate helicopters? Right.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35- Have you ever been in one?- No.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- I've been on an aeroplane a couple of times.- Oh, right.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41It's a little bit noisier than an aeroplane.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Nurses from the local GP surgery have made Christina more comfortable, but the graveyard
0:35:46 > 0:35:51where she's lying is freezing and she needs urgent hospital treatment.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52The actual bone's
0:35:52 > 0:35:55come out, cracked and it's sort of bent her ankle round.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58We're going to apply traction, give her some painkillers
0:35:58 > 0:36:02and put it back round again so she's got a pulse back in her foot.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- Deep breaths.- Keep breathing, Chrissy.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10- In and out. Keep breathing in and out.- All right, lovey.- Well, done.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- OK, lovely.- Well, done, you were very brave. I'm sorry if that hurt you.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Christina's trip to hospital in Lancaster is likely to be
0:36:18 > 0:36:21more comfortable by air, even if she doesn't like flying.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26The good news is her broken leg was set and she was soon back home
0:36:26 > 0:36:29but she won't be taking any more shortcuts in the snow.
0:36:31 > 0:36:37One man's blocked road is another child's playground and that's why Helimed 98
0:36:37 > 0:36:42is on its way to a primary school near Pickering on the edge of the North York Moors.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45The weather's played a huge part for the Ambulance Service.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Over the last couple of days we've had a lot of ice
0:36:48 > 0:36:53and it's made the footpaths, paths, roads treacherous.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Teachers saw 11-year-old Grace Smith fall during morning playtime.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01She's hurt her back and her symptoms are worrying.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06She's got no feelings in both arms, which is obviously a bit concerning. That's all we know, really.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11The ambulance crew's been dispatched from Whitby, which is quite a way from Pickering.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Landing in the middle of a market town can be tricky, but thanks
0:37:14 > 0:37:19to the school's football pitch pilot Tim Taylor's got a handy helipad waiting.
0:37:19 > 0:37:26200 kids have been ordered to stay inside as Grace's rescuers arrive but the windows are crowded.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Ground paramedics have already started checking out Grace's back.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34We're going to ask you to very, very slowly I want you to turn your head
0:37:34 > 0:37:38and if at any point it hurts I need you to tell me, OK?
0:37:38 > 0:37:44Her fall happened only days after she took a tumble from her pet pony and that's a bad sign.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49But the fact that she can move her arms after all is a very good sign.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53And she's just tripped up today, basically. The initial worry about her having no feelings
0:37:53 > 0:37:56in her arms has disappeared. She's got full movement.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59It seems Grace has just bruised her back
0:37:59 > 0:38:04and the numbness may be down to the freezing snow she'd been lying in.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09There's relief for her teachers and her gran who rushed round as soon as she heard what had happened.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15Typical Grace. I mean, she throws herself into everything that she takes on.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Everything that she takes on, everything she takes part in she just sort of goes wholeheartedly into it.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Today the Helimed team's lifesaving skills won't be needed.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27She's walking fine so we'll leave her with the land crew
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and, hopefully, she'll be well. We'd rather get to a job
0:38:30 > 0:38:36and not be required than be required so, yes, a good ending for us all.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41For Sammy this job has brought back memories of her own days at primary school.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I used to dream of helicopters landing at my junior school!
0:38:44 > 0:38:48I was staring out the window, "Ooh, what if a helicopter could land here?"
0:38:48 > 0:38:53And at least today she gets to give today's kids their own private air display.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56All that snow makes you shiver, doesn't it?
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Now, let's get back to the warmth of a hospital ward
0:38:59 > 0:39:02where a climber who shattered his leg is recovering after surgery.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08On a rocky crag high up in the Peak District, Helimed 98 is about to complete
0:39:08 > 0:39:12the final part of a mission to rescue an injured climber. Before paramedics
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Darren Axe and Pete Valance arrived, Attilla Forbour
0:39:15 > 0:39:20was in real danger of losing his foot. Despite a painful procedure
0:39:20 > 0:39:24to straighten the badly broken bones there's no more the team can do.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Attilla needs the expert care of an orthopaedic surgeon.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32At the Sheffield Northern General Hospital,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35a team of doctors is waiting for the Helimed team's arrival
0:39:35 > 0:39:40but the job of reconstructing his foot will put all of them to the test.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41It's not as bad as it looks.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45But it's... It looks like a torturing machine or something.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48The bones were sticking out that way
0:39:48 > 0:39:53and the leg was bent this way 90 degrees, more or less.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57It took doctors hours of complicated surgery to reconstruct
0:39:57 > 0:40:01and realign Attilla's foot but after a few months' rest
0:40:01 > 0:40:04he should be able to put his climbing shoes on once again.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07It wasn't a real fall. It was almost jumping off
0:40:07 > 0:40:09because I went for the big hold on the top.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14I didn't get it for the first time and I thought, "I'll just lower myself down a bit."
0:40:14 > 0:40:18It was just a very, very bad landing. A few minutes earlier
0:40:18 > 0:40:22you were climbing, you were independent, you were doing what you wanted to do,
0:40:22 > 0:40:23and a few minutes later
0:40:23 > 0:40:27being dragged around on the hillside by people you don't know.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29It is a very scary experience.
0:40:29 > 0:40:35Three months later and Attilla's climbing buddies are back traversing their way across
0:40:35 > 0:40:37the Peak District's rocky outcrops
0:40:37 > 0:40:42but Attilla's recovery is taking longer than expected and his feet are still firmly on the ground.
0:40:42 > 0:40:49I went out a couple of times with them since the accident actually and I'm quite enjoying watching.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54I was going to do some climbing today, actually, but I'm not quite sure if they would let me!
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Attilla's best mate Kev was climbing with him when the accident happened.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02It's frustrating for us because, I mean, we've got a good mate
0:41:02 > 0:41:05who can't climb with us. It's just one of those freak accidents that happens.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09The Air Ambulance was superb. I mean, they got to the crag,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12they circled, they instantly knew where to land
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and were there very, very quickly.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20And despite the pain he inflicted on Attilla by straightening
0:41:20 > 0:41:24his broken leg, he's full of praise for beefy paramedic Darren Axe.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29'Wow! He was just absolutely brilliant. Actually I was told in the hospital
0:41:29 > 0:41:32'that he saved me probably a couple of months of suffering
0:41:32 > 0:41:35'with doing such a good job with it and putting it back'
0:41:35 > 0:41:41right at the place and without actually making any further damages than there was already.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Originally from Hungary, Attilla loves the great outdoors
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and used to be a Mountain Rescue volunteer himself.
0:41:48 > 0:41:54But if you thought nearly losing his foot would put him off climbing you'd better think again.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59There are all sorts of lovely climbing destinations so the challenges are out there
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and I just need to get a bit better.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06I can't wait to be back on my feet and to be able to do it again.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09When Helicopter Heroes comes back,
0:42:09 > 0:42:14a walker slips on an icy ravine and starts a major rescue operation.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Coming down here wasn't such a good idea.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20There's a race to save a golf club greenkeeper's badly injured hand.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24This gentleman has put his fingers into what looks like a strimmer.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29The team hit the language barrier after a French jockey falls from her horse.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:42:30 > 0:42:32His dialect's wrong.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37And winter puts the skids under Yorkshire's motorists with painful results.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk