0:00:03 > 0:00:06If you're critically ill or seriously injured
0:00:06 > 0:00:09in a place like this,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12there's only one thing that can save you, and that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It doesn't matter where you are, this helicopter,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18with its highly trained team of pilots and paramedics
0:00:18 > 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 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 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes, 10-year-old Lucas has just been
0:01:06 > 0:01:10hurled 20 feet over a wall after a road accident.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13He's complaining of pain in his head. No neck pain, no back pain.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Now the team fear he may have a serious head injury.
0:01:16 > 0:01:23It's Christmas, but there's no rest for paramedic Darren Axe on a 999 dash to the top of the Pennines.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26A lot of pain in his back and it hurts to breathe.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28There's a freak accident down on the farm.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I have some leg pain.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35And the team ruffle a few feathers touching down on a village green.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Most mums and dads will tell you it's very difficult to just stand by
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and watch if your son or daughter's in pain,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51but sometimes these guys have to ask parents to do just that,
0:01:51 > 0:01:56especially if a child has been seriously injured and they need to deliver vital treatment.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's a beautiful but bitterly cold Sunday morning
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and the start of another day for the Helimed team.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And it's not long before they get their first call.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16In rural North Yorkshire, a young boy is lying motionless on the frosty ground.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18This is every parent's worst nightmare.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22He's been hit by a van and thrown over a garden wall.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Details are sketchy, but the crew knows the boy will need their help.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33It's a sad fact that pedestrians rarely escape accidents like this without serious injury.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37It sounds quite a serious accident. The crews are coming from,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39I think Bridge and Harrogate,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42so one of them should be on scene by the time we arrive,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46but we've mobilised straightaway because the...
0:02:46 > 0:02:48It sounds quite a serious accident.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Because we don't deal with children on a daily basis,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54we've got to start thinking where we're going to go,
0:02:54 > 0:02:55what we're going to treat and how.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59They're heading for the small village of Darley near Harrogate.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05The icy roads that appear to have played a part in the crash are no problem for Helimed 99.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Helimed 99, we're en route to your detail at Darley.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Our ETA approximately four, I repeat, four minutes. Do you have an update, over?
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Ground control to Helimed 99, roger. We've got reports of a two vehicle RTC.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21One of the... One of the reports stated it was vehicle versus van versus child.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Paramedics Paul Bradbury and Simon Cavanagh are particularly worried about their patient.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29They both have young sons themselves.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32He's gone right over the wall.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Maybe that field there?
0:03:33 > 0:03:38- In that field or that field? - That field would be better, but will you be able to get out of it?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's a dry stone wall, we can climb over that, sure.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Right, guys.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50The only suitable landing site is a few hundred yards from where their patient is lying.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It's a bizarre scene.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The van has actually been hit by another car from behind
0:03:55 > 0:03:58after stopping to let the boy cross the road.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03The driver seemed to be OK, but the young boy's in a bad way.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06He's called Lucas and he's just 10-years old.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- He's got a cut across the front of his head.- Yeah.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13He's complaining of pain in his head. No neck pain, no back pain.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Lucas is bleeding heavily and he's freezing cold.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19As well as being in pain,
0:04:19 > 0:04:24paramedic Paul knows his young patient will be disorientated and very frightened.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- You all right?- Oh, no. Where's mum?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Your mum's stood behind me. It's all right.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32What we're going to do, Lucas, is roll you on to your back.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36We'll be as gentle as we can with you, yeah? Good boy.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Can we just bring the board over this way?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Paramedic Simon knows Lucas has been lucky to survive the impact,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45but his condition is giving everyone cause for concern.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50We don't know whether he's been unconscious, but he's got a nasty laceration to his head.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55We'll assess his injuries when we get him into either the warmth of the ambulance or the helicopter.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59The second ambulance is just turning up now, so we'll be moving him quite quickly.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05Apparently the young boy was walking his dog. This red van was coming up the hill, wanting to turn in,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09wasn't sure if he was going to cross the road, so stopped to let him cross.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10The grey car came down the hill,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13collided with the van and ended up down the bottom there.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15The lad and his dog got thrown over the wall, ended up
0:05:15 > 0:05:18in the garden, and the van's stuck on to the wall there.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21If you're a parent, you'll know there's nothing worse
0:05:21 > 0:05:26than seeing your child in pain, and Lucas's mum, Christina, has rushed to her son's side.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31The accident has happened outside the local pub, owned by Lucas's auntie and uncle,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and the whole family are in a state of shock.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36One, two, three.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Well done, Lucas.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Good boy. That's fantastic. Well done.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Right, we'll just go across on your count.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Do you want Lucas...
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Don't be scared. - Because you banged your head.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56The next half hour will be vital for Lucas. The cuts on his head indicate the nasty head injury,
0:05:56 > 0:06:02and the force of being thrown over the wall could be causing pressure to build up around Lucas's brain.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05There's no more Paul and the team can do out here,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08but Lucas needs specialist hospital treatment, and fast.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Coming up, concern grows for Lucas as he shows symptoms of a serious head injury.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Oh, don't go to sleep yet. - Don't go to sleep.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25There's a narrow escape after a dramatic accident down on the farm.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30And the partner of a man having a heart attack has to leave him in the hands of the Helimed team.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Oh, no, I didn't want to stay.
0:06:37 > 0:06:44Now, the Helimed choppers are on call 365 days a year, and that includes Christmas.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Now, they normally manage to get some turkey, but often real life gets in the way of festive cheer.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57It's Boxing Day, and paramedic Darren Axe is showing of his carving skills.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59You can see why I'm not a surgeon, can't you?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01The Air Ambulance is on call every day of the year,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05but that doesn't mean they can't join in the Christmas festivities and it's turkey
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and all the trimmings for Darren, dispatcher Dave and pilot Steve.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Elite for me!
0:07:12 > 0:07:17But the Christmas period has come to a painful end for a couple enjoying a bike ride in the Pennines.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The damage to their bikes suggest this is a bad one.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24They've both collided with a car and been thrown into the undergrowth.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Helimed 99 is on its way.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It's Boxing Day, people are out and about. They've been
0:07:30 > 0:07:32knocked off and sustained some injuries.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35We do have one of our volunteer doctors on the scene, Jez Pinnell,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40with an ambulance crew, and he's requested our assistance to transport the patient.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45I haven't got the full details on the injuries, but it doesn't bode well.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47It takes less than 10 minutes to get to the Pennines.
0:07:47 > 0:07:55It's freezing cold, and the cyclists have been lying in a foot of icy water for nearly half an hour.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Lot of pain in his back, saying it hurts to breathe. Abdomen pain.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02By chance, flying doctor Jez Pinnell lives just around the corner
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and has left a family get-together to lend a hand.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06He's got a radial pulse.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Steve and Janet Hilton are keen cyclists, they even travel to watch the Tour de France,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15but Steve's condition is giving Jez cause for concern.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18He's got what appears to be fairly serious injuries. A lot of pain.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Pain in his back, tummy and his chest.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25He's conscious and talking to us, which is a good sign,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28but he's quite blue, he's quite shut down.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It's very cold out here, that's probably the reason he's so blue.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36Paramedic Darren has the perfect piece of kit to get Steve warmed up.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38A giant sleeping bag called a flectalon.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Watch your step, chaps.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44The fleece-lined insulation will gently increase Steve's body temperature
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and allow Jez and Darren to fully assess his injuries.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Put him down into that.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52All right, matey, we're on our way.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Steve's clothes are soaking wet, but once in the helicopter
0:08:56 > 0:09:00and out of the biting wind, he'll quickly start to warm up.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Both Jez and Darren know that collisions between cyclists and cars rarely have a positive outcome.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10If could just slide that door shut so we can get him out of the wind.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13He may be badly injured himself, but Steve's only worried about his wife.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18Stephen, your wife's in the other ambulance. She's absolutely fine, mate, OK?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Janet has suffered minor injuries and will soon be on her way to hospital by road.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Steve's injuries won't be so easy to treat.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- I'm just going to chop some of your kit off you.- OK.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Where's your pain now, Stephen?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- Inside. - In your tummy? Yeah, just here.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38He's been in a ditch in his Lycra, so he's going to be freezing,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40so we've got him in the flectalon blanket,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43hopefully he'll get warm as quick as possible and to hospital.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49Over 2,000 cyclists are killed or seriously injured on our roads every year.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Wearing a helmet and all the right safety gear could have saved Steve's life.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Just straighten your arm, that's a good man.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00At this stage there's no time for Darren to worry about Steve's expensive lycra.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Going to be a sharp scratch again.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Steve needs emergency surgery on his abdomen.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10Huddersfield Hospital is only minutes away by air, but Jez knows the team are running out of time.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13We're bringing a chap in by helicopter who's got a rigid abdomen.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17I suspect it's going to need laparotomy. We need a full trauma team, please.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Coming up, can the team prevent a Christmas tragedy?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30The race to get their patient to hospital begins.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32When everything else is all right, we'll be leaving.
0:10:32 > 0:10:3610-year-old Lucas is booked in for a brain scan.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We're going to get you inside where it's nice and warm, OK?
0:10:39 > 0:10:43And the Yorkshire weather is too much for a Californian holidaymaker.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Just really nauseous,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49she went a little bit more, I was like, no, let's get back down to this bit.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Now, getting around on a farm is a lot easier if you've got one of these.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Quad bikes are now as much a part of many farmers' lives
0:11:01 > 0:11:06as green wellies, but quads can land you in a lot of trouble.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10OK, mate, so we'll just head to the mast, yeah?
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Helimed 98 is flying south from Leeds to a farm on the remote Emley Moor,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19famous for its huge TV transmitter mast.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24We believe it's an incident which is involving sort of guys on quad bikes.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28There's definitely one patient that's had an accident, had a head injury,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30but the other two people are still missing,
0:11:30 > 0:11:35so we don't know if they've actually been looking for
0:11:35 > 0:11:39this guy or whether they've actually had an accident themselves.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- We're just coming overhead now, all eyes out.- Two feet.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Pilot Tim has to land the helicopter in a deep crop of oilseed rape to get to the accident.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Hey, mate. How are you?
0:11:51 > 0:11:56This is a rural area, but there's plenty of help on hand, which is just as well.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59It's clear three people were riding on one quad bike
0:11:59 > 0:12:04when it plunged 30 feet down a wooded ravine into a stream.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08This banking's gave way, so as the banking's collapsed,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12it's caused the bike and all the riders and occupants to fall over into that, er,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15canyon there, and then into the river.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- He's just complaining of some leg pain.- Is there a further couple of casualties?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Yeah, there's one in a van at the top, and somebody in the van.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- So, no-one else down here?- No.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30So, with two patients accounted for, the Helimed crew deal with the most badly injured.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Farmer Gerald Parker has a serious head injury
0:12:32 > 0:12:37and his back took a big hit when the bike went down the embankment.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Gerald, can you remember what's happened, sir?
0:12:41 > 0:12:45We were trying to go out near t'stream when it slid in.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- We ran into t'stream... - Right.- Right on top of us.- Yeah?
0:12:49 > 0:12:54Incredibly, despite his injuries, Gerald has managed to drag himself
0:12:54 > 0:12:57up the steep hill so he could be found.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58No, not at all, or not really?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- Not really.- There is a little bit of an ache there, is there?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- Mm.- Yeah.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Gerald's wife Margaret has heard about the crash and has come over from the nearby farmhouse.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11She's understandably worried.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I just got a phone call to say could I come,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16they'd had an accident with the quad.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Yeah, he's got head... And he's slightly confused, so...
0:13:21 > 0:13:26His knee's giving him quite a bit of pain as well, so we're just going to fly him to Leeds, to OGI.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Flying doctor Tim Mole is keeping a close eye on Gerald's condition.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36He was already on beta blockers for angina
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and this accident would have put a strain on the healthiest heart.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Interestingly, your heart rate is a solid 60. Beta blocked, I'm sure.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54From hillside to hospital is less than 10 minutes at 150 miles an hour, and Gerald will soon be
0:13:54 > 0:13:57undergoing a full examination by trauma doctors
0:13:57 > 0:14:01at the head injuries unit of Leeds General Infirmary.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Back in the shadow of the Emley Moor Transmitter,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09life on the farm has to continue without the boss for a while.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16But just a few weeks later, Gerald is back at Horncliffe Grange farm.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Yeah, we were just travelling along looking for cattle,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22probably not looking where I were going,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and all of a sudden it just hit a bump and down it went.
0:14:25 > 0:14:32I'm usually quite safety conscious, and telling other people that I can't do that any more, now!
0:14:32 > 0:14:36His head injury was potentially serious, but he's recovering well
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and Gerald knows who he has to thank for his survival.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Well, yeah, he works for us, Dean. Yes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Well, he got the other guy out first because
0:14:45 > 0:14:50two of us finished up down in the stream and he got the other guy out and then he got the quad off me.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56Well, if I wouldn't have done what I did, we'd all have drowned.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01I were in that much pain, but when I saw Gerald under the bike
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and all bent, like, all pain went, you know?
0:15:04 > 0:15:09I knew I had to get him out or else he would have been gone.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11If it hadn't have been for Dean we mightn't be here.
0:15:11 > 0:15:17Gerald's wife, Margaret, is now a big fan of the Air Ambulance team who flew to her husband's rescue.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20They were just superb.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22The service that they give is unbelievable.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25They did an absolutely fantastic job.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I couldn't praise them enough, really.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Coming up, concern grows for a cyclist critically injured at Christmas.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I feel a little bit sick.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40You probably will. You've just had some morphine.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46And pilot Steve has to land near the top of one of England's highest peaks.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Now, let's catch up on the case of 10-year-old Lucas,
0:15:53 > 0:15:58knocked down and badly injured outside a country pub in North Yorkshire.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05In the village of Darley, a mum looks on as her son lies seriously injured on the ground.
0:16:05 > 0:16:0810-year-old Lucas was out walking his dog when he
0:16:08 > 0:16:12became the unfortunate victim of a collision between a car and a van.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17He's got a nasty head injury after being hit by the van and thrown over a garden wall.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I want to go to sleep.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20No, don't go to sleep yet.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Talk to us. - You'll miss us if you go to sleep.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26We'll get you somewhere comfy to sleep in a bit.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Drowsiness is a classic symptom of a serious head injury and it's a worrying sign.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Paul cannot let Lucas fall asleep, and a local policeman is on hand to help.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- Lucas, what's your date of birth again?- 20th May 1997.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41'97. And where do you live again?
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The paramedic's role is not just to treat a patient's injuries.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51Paul must try to calm Lucas down and built up a relationship, a job made easier by the fact
0:16:51 > 0:16:54that Paul's son is almost the same age as his patient.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55Can you move this arm for me?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Can you lift it up, lift it up in the air.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Do it again.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Can you do it any higher?
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Touch my hand with it, if you can. Good boy. Is that all right?
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- Yes.- And this one, this one.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Yeah. Fantastic, good.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10That's it, Lucas.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18All his limbs seem to be OK, but head injuries are notoriously hard to diagnose.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24Lucas needs to be in hospital and, luckily for him, Harrogate is only minutes away by air.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Lucas enjoys spending time at his uncle's pub
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and now he's being carried past it for an emergency flight to hospital.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Feed it on, feed it on, feed it on, feed it on.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38It's rare the Helimed team can find a perfect landing site next to their patient,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and farmer's gates are just another occupational hazard.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Paramedic Paul's concern for his young patient is obvious.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53He doesn't look very well, we're going to get off as quick as we can.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55He's got a head injury, leg injury,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57a possible chest injury, as well.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01We've got a seven minute flight from here to Harrogate, so off we go.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Paul has been a paramedic for over 20 years and he knows that
0:18:07 > 0:18:10at this point he can't lose concentration for a second.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Children can deteriorate very quickly
0:18:13 > 0:18:18and Lucas's head injury could cause him to fit or lose consciousness at any moment.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24Paul carefully monitors Lucas's heart rate and blood pressure, but all mum Christina can do is hope.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Having parents there is a bit of a mixed blessing.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Most of them are very good, and it calms the child down
0:18:31 > 0:18:34having a family member or a parent there.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35That lady was very...
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Very much had her emotions under control.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39She was obviously very upset,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41but she was being very brave for her kid.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44A trauma team is waiting to take Lucas to A&E
0:18:44 > 0:18:48where X-rays and scans will reveal the full extent of his injuries.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Lucas, can you hear me? My name's Martin. I'm one of the doctors here.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54We're going to get you inside where it's nice and warm, OK?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57All right? Right, OK.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Children compensate a lot for injuries, so it's very difficult to
0:19:01 > 0:19:06really assess them unless you're in hospital, so he's starting to lose a bit of
0:19:06 > 0:19:08lucidity, if you like. He's started to, um,
0:19:08 > 0:19:14want to go to sleep, he's feeling a little bit sick, so potentially he might have some sort of
0:19:14 > 0:19:18head injury going on. Something inside his head, rather than just a puncture in his skull.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24It's been a difficult job for Paul and all the rescuers, but they've
0:19:24 > 0:19:29got Lucas to the specialist care of a hospital in just 30 minutes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Lucas' friends and family are rushing to be with him,
0:19:31 > 0:19:37but it's going to be an anxious few hours as they wait for news on the severity of his injuries.
0:19:43 > 0:19:50Coming up, Lucas undergoes a brain scan and doctors are finally able to assess his condition.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55And I join flying doctor Ben Wyatt on his rounds in the Pennines.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Now, most of us like to veg our way through the Christmas holidays.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Too much pud and no gym until New Year.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Now, it's not good for you, but as two superfit cyclists found out,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14neither is hitting the road over the festive season.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19It's Christmas time at Helimed HQ, but the team are needed in the Pennines to help a couple
0:20:19 > 0:20:23whose Boxing Day bike ride has come to an abrupt end.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Flying Doctor Jez Pinnell lives around the corner and was first
0:20:26 > 0:20:31to help Steve Hilton and his wife, Janet, who collided with a car.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38She's on her way to hospital by road, but Steve has suffered serious internal injuries
0:20:38 > 0:20:43and it's now up to the team to get him to emergency surgery in time.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Let's see what's going off.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Make sure that everything else is all right, mate, then we'll be leaving.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Dr Jez has already alerted his surgical colleagues at the nearby Huddersfield
0:20:54 > 0:20:59Royal Infirmary and they're preparing for Helimed 99's arrival.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- Stephen, are you all right? - Jez is part of a network of doctors
0:21:03 > 0:21:06who take their lifesaving skills out of hospital.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08He may have started his Boxing Day at home with the family,
0:21:08 > 0:21:14but he's now travelling at 150 miles an hour 500 feet up.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19My pager was activated because of this incident, I only live a mile or so up the road and
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I wasn't doing anything apart from tidying up the kids' Christmas presents
0:21:23 > 0:21:24so it was a good excuse.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I knew this road is quite fast so they were likely to have serious injuries.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30This chap looks like he might have.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The helicopter has helped Steve get to hospital in just five minutes,
0:21:34 > 0:21:40- but he's now suffering from one of the more unpleasant side effects of flying.- How's your pain?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- Not too bad.- Not too bad now.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- Yeah.- OK, mate. No worries.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I feel a little bit sick.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Yeah. You've been in a helicopter, had morphine.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52We're going to get you into the ambulance now.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- I feel sick.- Feel sick?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Yeah.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Strapped to a spinal board simply being sick can be a serious problem.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- You're going to be sick? - You're going to be sick?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07These are worrying symptoms.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Internal injuries are particularly hard to diagnose out of hospital and
0:22:11 > 0:22:17without X-rays and scans there's no way of knowing whether Steve will make a full recovery.
0:22:18 > 0:22:25Steve undergoes numerous tests and scans to reveal the full extent of the damage to his abdomen.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29There's never a good time to be a patient in hospital, but Christmas
0:22:29 > 0:22:33is particularly difficult despite the best efforts of staff.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Just two days later and Dr Jez is back in more familiar
0:22:36 > 0:22:41surroundings checking on a patient he's been keeping a close eye on.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Quite amazed how quickly you've recovered.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I mean, you've had some serious injuries.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48You've broken a bone in your back, some ribs, bruised your
0:22:48 > 0:22:53lungs, got a nasty injury to your leg and a few days later you're sitting
0:22:53 > 0:22:57out in a chair and you're raring to go to get back on your bike and get back to work.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59I think that's pretty amazing.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- I'm determined to get back on my bike.- Which I think is excellent.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I think...
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Well, it's thanks to yourself. - Oh, you know...
0:23:07 > 0:23:08- I appreciate it.- You're welcome.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13- Where you landed was in the bottom of a drainage ditch. - I honestly don't know.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17A six foot deep ditch, but it was like a soggy bog at the bottom.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- Well, I'm glad it was!- So, it was the softest landing you could have...
0:23:21 > 0:23:24you could have had, really. It just made it pretty awkward
0:23:24 > 0:23:30getting you out because every time we stood next to you we were up to your knees in mud!
0:23:30 > 0:23:35After thanking one of his rescuers, now out of hospital and on the mend,
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Steve and his wife, Janet, want to thank the other medic who gave up his Boxing Day to come to their aid.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44He's not back in the saddle yet, but Steve knows that the Helimed team have given
0:23:44 > 0:23:48him the best chance to get back to the sport that he loves so much.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I'm... I'm determined. I want to get back on my bike.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55I want to do what I enjoy doing and I don't see anything stopping me doing that.
0:23:55 > 0:24:02It's always great when people that have been in such a bad position, you know, go back to doing what they
0:24:02 > 0:24:07- always did and we can't, you know, ask for any better than that.- No. - No, no.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17Coming up, there's a happy ending as 10-year-old Lucas recovers after a terrible road accident.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Well, my head was bleeding and my nose went a bit funny.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30You don't have had to have had an accident to need the Helimed team.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Every day victims of critical illnesses find themselves taking off
0:24:34 > 0:24:36for a life-saving flight to hospital.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The Pennine hills separate the north west and the north east of England.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45They're beautiful, but remote.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49If you get ill up here it can take a long time to get to you
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and you can be a long way from hospital.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Doctor Ben Wyatt is one of the Helimed team of flying doctors.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01He's a GP in the Pennine town of Ripponden.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06He's a keen flyer, a former member of Mountain Rescue and now puts all
0:25:06 > 0:25:09those skills together when he works with the air ambulance.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14So, Ben, this is your day job and it's worlds apart from what you get up to on the helicopter, isn't it?
0:25:14 > 0:25:18It's quite different. This is general practice in real life.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- You've got stacks of patients. - Yeah.- How many do you cover here?
0:25:21 > 0:25:27Nearly 9,000, and it's a semi-rural area, so although most of the population is here in
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Ripponden and the villages around, there are some remote farm spots.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And in those remove spots have you ever seen the need to call in a helicopter yourself?
0:25:35 > 0:25:36If someone was having a heart attack
0:25:36 > 0:25:40in a remote area I would ask for an air ambulance if available.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Helimed 99's always racing the clock,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48but when the patient has a heart attack the pressure's always on.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51We're going to a little place for a
0:25:51 > 0:25:53gentleman who we believe is having
0:25:53 > 0:25:55a heart attack. The land crew have
0:25:55 > 0:25:59identified he is having an MI and they've already pre-alerted Leeds
0:25:59 > 0:26:03General Infirmary and we're able to get him there that bit quicker.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06We have 90 minutes from the onset of chest pains until the patient
0:26:06 > 0:26:09receives his primary angioplasty. So, we've got a
0:26:09 > 0:26:1490 minute window to get this gentleman from his home address into the primary angioplasty site.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20Primary angioplasty involves clearing out the blocked arteries around the heart.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26- It doubles a patient's chances of survival, but the sooner it's done the better the outcome.- This is
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the magic 90 minutes from the point of this chap started
0:26:29 > 0:26:33with the chest pains to getting him into the angioplasty suite.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35This is what makes the difference for him.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I've visual with the ambulance now at one o'clock, Steve.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The patient has been driven from the edge of the Yorkshire Dales
0:26:42 > 0:26:43to the local cricket pitch.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- Just looking at that pole, I think it is a flagpole.- Yeah, it is.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50The clock's ticking for Michael Mottram.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55He's in his mid-50s and was taken ill soon after breakfast. His partner is terrified.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Oh, no, I didn't want to stay.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Central chest pain at? - 10.20.- 10.10 or...
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So, we were there 10 minutes later.
0:27:04 > 0:27:0610 minutes later.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12Michael is an hour's drive or more from the angioplasty unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16By road he'd never make it within the magic 90 minutes.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19A little bit of morphine, all right? Help take that pain away.
0:27:19 > 0:27:26Michael was taken ill suddenly, but his partner recognised the symptoms immediately and dialled 999.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- Is that making a difference? - I had an idea.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Really sweating and ill and
0:27:32 > 0:27:35couldn't breathe and pain started and that was it.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41Within 10 minutes Michael's airborne and on his way to Leeds, 30 miles away.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Michael's had chest pains since 10.20,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50so we're actually 70 minutes already into his window.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52How's the pain? Still about a six?
0:27:52 > 0:27:59We have six minutes left to go and we'll have him in the angioplasty suit within the time.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03The firefighters at Leeds General Infirmary are used
0:28:03 > 0:28:09to rushing patients four floors down from their rooftop helipad and into the angioplasty unit.
0:28:09 > 0:28:15He had an aspirin and tramadol, and he's also had 10 milligrams of morphine.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20Like most patients here, little more than an hour ago Michael
0:28:20 > 0:28:25had no idea he'd need surgery today, but the medical team are already preparing for his operation.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It'll be done under local anaesthetic.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And they've beaten the clock.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Well, that's the 90 minutes. He's in the department.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35They're just organising now a cath lab,
0:28:35 > 0:28:40making it available and the person that's doing the procedure
0:28:40 > 0:28:45has already got a patient on the table, so as soon as he's done, we'll come and consent.
0:28:45 > 0:28:51In a few seconds a catheter will be passed through Michael's arteries and into his heart.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54There the blood clots that caused his heart attack will be cleared
0:28:54 > 0:28:58and tiny tubes inserted to keep the blood vessels open.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03Michael will soon be home with a much reduced risk of a fatal heart attack in the future.
0:29:05 > 0:29:11Back in Ripponden, and GP Dr Ben Wyatt is taking me on his afternoon patient visits.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16Like all the Yorkshire Air Ambience doctors, when he flies with them he's a volunteer.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18This is his regular job.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21This is, of course, completely different to your work on the Air Ambulance
0:29:21 > 0:29:24because that must be almost all trauma.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Most of it, yes, with the occasional medical case.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30But you're right, it's mostly road traffic accidents and similar.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36'Just as Ben arrives at his first patient's home, he gets a call.'
0:29:36 > 0:29:40- Hello? - 'Hi, Ben. I'm sorry to bother you, but we've just got an emergency call
0:29:40 > 0:29:44- 'and Adrian's gone out on one emergency visit already.' - OK. What's the problem?
0:29:44 > 0:29:47'She collapsed into the chair and she's not really responding.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52- 'Her husband's just rung.'- OK, can you organise an ambulance and we'll be there as soon as we can?
0:29:52 > 0:29:58'Ben's elderly patient lives down one of the country lanes that crisscross the Pennine hills.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01'He knows the route well and arrives before the ambulance.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Well, this isn't exactly what Dr Ben had planned,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10but if the call comes in, and you're the only doctor, you've got to go.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14So, Ben, what happened in there with your patient?
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Well, an elderly lady had been found collapsed
0:30:17 > 0:30:19when her husband got back from the Post Office.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21It's not quite clear what's happened.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25She's picking up a bit now, but she's going to Accident & Emergency.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- Brilliant. That's what she needs.- Exactly.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- She's got the ambulance. The ambulance managed to get to this patient.- Yes.- Brilliant.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I wasn't expecting to get caught up in a genuine emergency
0:30:34 > 0:30:40and the location made me realise just how vulnerable you can be when you're a long way from help.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Newton-on-Rawcliffe is one of the most isolated villages on the North York Moors.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50It's no place to be taken ill, but that's what's happened today.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54A holidaymaker has been struck down by a suspected pulmonary embolism -
0:30:54 > 0:30:57a potentially lethal blood clot on the lung.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Well, it's one mile just here, mate.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Yeah, OK.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03There's that valley coming up, which is good.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07'Pilot Matt Tachon's a New Zealander who's just joined the team
0:31:07 > 0:31:11'and today his flying skills are going to be tested to the limit.'
0:31:11 > 0:31:15- Just on the far side of the pond. - Got it.- I think that's about as close...
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Where the ambulance man is, actually, I'm going to go into that little triangle there.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23'The only suitable landing site in the village looks like the village green.'
0:31:23 > 0:31:26We're going to follow the line of the road down over the pond
0:31:26 > 0:31:31- and then into that little area just past the pond.- Yeah. - Past the road, past the pond.- OK.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- We've got waves on the undershoot here.- Right, I'm happy with that.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35And we've got wires...
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- The next set of wires as well.- Yeah.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43'Newton's a popular holiday spot and the tourists have turned out to record Helimed 98's arrival.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47'But some other local residents could present Matt with a challenge.'
0:31:47 > 0:31:50We've got ducks on the pond, as well, underneath.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- Bird strikes can be lethal for helicopters.- No wires on the...
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Yeah, there's wires coming across here, Matt, into this pole.- Yeah.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02But there's none coming across the park itself is what I'm looking for.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- The ducks are clearing away to the left.- OK.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- Clear to your right, Matt.- Thanks. - OK, I've got the telegraph...
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- I've got a wire in front, Matt. - Visual?- Just a visual, yeah.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15OK, and you are...
0:32:15 > 0:32:16- OK, just going to...- Head down.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Just turn it slightly.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- OK.- OK to bail? - OK to go out.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27Go out to the left if you can cos obviously the blades are slightly down on the right
0:32:27 > 0:32:28OK, will do.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Hey, Mick.- Hi, are you all right? - This is Keith.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35'Holidaymaker Keith Wakely is 50.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40'He was staying in a holiday cottage, recovering from a previous pulmonary embolism.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42'Now it looks like it's happening again.'
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Are you OK there, Keith? - Yeah, fine.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47I don't think the village has seen anything like it before.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52But, you know, we wish a happier event, obviously, and that the outcome will be OK for them.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56It's the first time we've had anything like this happen to people in our holiday cottages,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59so it's a bit of a shock all round, really, for everybody.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02'Keith's condition could be very serious.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05'Embolisms can create prevent patients taking in oxygen.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07'Serious ones kill instantly.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10'He needs blood thinning drugs as soon as possible.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15'He's been in good hands. His wife is a former emergency nurse.'
0:33:15 > 0:33:20He suddenly said he'd got chest pain and breathlessness.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Just after he'd had his breakfast, it came on completely out of the blue
0:33:24 > 0:33:29and we called the ambulance and they've sent for the helicopter.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31We're going to bob you on our stretcher.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36- OK.- All right. Do you think you'll be able to manage just one step without assistance?
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- I'll be all right.- Yeah, just as quick as you can, mate.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42'Today's daring landing was down to the local paramedics
0:33:42 > 0:33:46'who realised the village green was an ideal helipad, and signalled Helimed 98 down.'
0:33:46 > 0:33:50We had a walk round the village to find a clear area.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53There's a lot of wires crossing over in the village, so it was like
0:33:53 > 0:33:57the village green looks the safest, clearest area.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Now, pilot Matt faces doing it all over again.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03OK, we're over the pond at this time.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Visual with all the ducks, they're still on the ground.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11'Keith's on his way to hospital in Scarborough.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17'His second embolism brought his holiday to a premature end, but, thanks to Helimed 98 and its crew,
0:34:17 > 0:34:21he was receiving life-saving treatment within 10 minutes of lifting off from the village green.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24'And the ducks also soon recovered.'
0:34:26 > 0:34:32I'm back on the patient visits with Doctor Ben Wyatt, a GP who flies with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.'
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Do you want to show me where it was hurting?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Today he's checking up on patient Margaret,
0:34:37 > 0:34:42who came to the surgery with a wrist complaint after a fall earlier in the week.'
0:34:42 > 0:34:44I think that's probably about it for today.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- I'll see you in surgery. Can you come and see me next week? - Yes.- Lovely. OK.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- She's a nice lady, isn't she? - Lovely. Absolutely lovely.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Yeah. A really, really nice lady.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55'Doctor Ben volunteers for his Air Ambulance work.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59'His GP experience compliments the paramedics' lifesaving skills,
0:34:59 > 0:35:05'but in his Pennine practice he's aware that there's one thing that can catch anyone out at any time,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07'the ever-changing Yorkshire weather.'
0:35:07 > 0:35:12The problem for this area is people just getting out into a remote area,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15getting cold and wet and getting hypothermia.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18They're out in the wrong weather in the wrong conditions with the wrong...
0:35:18 > 0:35:21wrong clothing and so on.
0:35:21 > 0:35:26It's late in the afternoon on an unseasonably cold November day
0:35:26 > 0:35:30and Helimed 99 has been scrambled to Pennygent,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34a huge limestone peak on the borders of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Lots of people get out there and sometimes get caught out by the conditions,
0:35:37 > 0:35:43the terrain and, obviously, if they don't feel well it just all adds to the problems that they may have.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46The only details we've got regarding this patient's condition
0:35:46 > 0:35:48is that they're feeling dizzy and nauseous.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52You know, that can be anything from feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous because we've not
0:35:52 > 0:35:56had anything to eat this afternoon, they're a bit tired because they've doing a lot of walking, to,
0:35:56 > 0:36:01you know, with some of the signs or symptoms for something more sinister, such as a heart attack
0:36:01 > 0:36:03or other life-threatening conditions.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08They know that for every 300 feet they climb the temperature drops by a degree.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Whatever is wrong with their patient hypothermia could soon set in.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Well, hypothermia causes all sorts of problems really in patients.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18You know, they can quickly become unconscious.
0:36:18 > 0:36:24Even a variation of as little as four degrees can really put them in a bad place.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30They're heading for the third biggest peak in Yorkshire, all 2,300 feet of it.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Time's running out.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Once darkness falls, only a Mountain Rescue team will be able to help their patient.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38They must find her fast.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41We've only got about an hour or so before sunset,
0:36:41 > 0:36:46so we have to get them off the hill to the hospital and back to base in the next hour and a half.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52Luckily, the casualty is just below a rocky plateau that's one of the few landing sites on the peak.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57- That's lucky. It looks as if there's a bit of an outcrop there. - Yeah, yeah.- OK, mate.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02Every rescue has a story behind it and this is stranger than most.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03American tourist Jennifer Bock
0:37:03 > 0:37:06is on a second day of a holiday from sunny California.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Her sister, who lives in the UK, thought she'd enjoy a brisk trip
0:37:10 > 0:37:14to the top of the peak, but the cold has got to her.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18A little bit of a steep bit she started feeling dizzy. "Oh, Lisa, I'm feeling really dizzy."
0:37:18 > 0:37:20At first she said, "I'm scared."
0:37:20 > 0:37:25I was like, "Oh, it's OK," I just thought it was the height. "I'm feeling really dizzy, Lisa."
0:37:25 > 0:37:28"I don't feel good, I don't know if I can do this."
0:37:28 > 0:37:31She went a little bit more, then it was like, no.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Let's just get back down to this bit
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and then once we got there she's just feeling nauseous and...
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Hypothermia kills hillwalkers every year.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Jennifer is very lucky.
0:37:41 > 0:37:47As medical emergencies go this is almost as serious as it gets so high in the Pennines.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49OK, you take it easy, sweetie.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Jennifer's sister is shocked at the weather's effects.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58- She's an experienced walker and has few fears about trekking down the hill with her son.- We can...
0:37:58 > 0:38:01We can make our way down. You can see the path, how clear it is.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04This is the path there and it takes you straight down into...
0:38:04 > 0:38:07The best thing to do is...
0:38:07 > 0:38:09The Helimed team aren't so sure.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Can you get in touch with Fell Rescue and get them to start coming up
0:38:12 > 0:38:18and they'll either meet them at the top or the bottom then they know they've actually got off OK, then?
0:38:18 > 0:38:22While Jennifer's sister treks down to the nearest village,
0:38:22 > 0:38:27the team's Californian patient is wrapped up in a thermal sleeping bag and on her way to hospital.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Hypothermia may kill, but its victims can recover rapidly
0:38:33 > 0:38:38and just a few days later the sisters are visiting the Helimed base to thank their rescuers.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- There was like no blood or guts. - Yeah!
0:38:41 > 0:38:44And a happy ending!
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Because she was OK.
0:38:45 > 0:38:51And I'm pleased to say all our patients are now on the mend, and one thing's for sure,
0:38:51 > 0:38:5610-year-old Lucas could not have foreseen the accident that left him with a head injury.
0:38:57 > 0:39:03At Harrogate Hospital doctors are assessing a young patient flown in by Helimed 99.
0:39:03 > 0:39:0510-year-old Lucas Crosby has suffered head injuries
0:39:05 > 0:39:10after being hit by a van and thrown over a dry stone wall.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12He's lucky to have survived the impact,
0:39:12 > 0:39:17but injuries like this are difficult to assess without specialist equipment.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Lucas' recovery now depends on how his young body copes with such a traumatic ordeal.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25Lucas, can you hear me? My name is Martin, I'm one of the doctors here.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Right, we're going to get inside where it's nice and warm.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Lucas is rushed to the children's ward
0:39:30 > 0:39:35where his condition is carefully monitored over the next 48 hours.
0:39:35 > 0:39:42Patients who survive head injury often lose their memory and can even suffer changes in personality,
0:39:42 > 0:39:47but Lucas has defied the odds and has made a remarkable recovery.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49They took X-rays of my neck,
0:39:49 > 0:39:56my legs, and my arms, I think, and I've got no broken bones.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01Well, my head was bleeding and my nose went a bit funny
0:40:01 > 0:40:04and, well, I went a bit numb in my arms.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05No, don't go to sleep.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Don't go to sleep. Not asleep.
0:40:07 > 0:40:14All I can remember was I just saw a van was coming down a road and
0:40:14 > 0:40:19it all went... I just all went black and the next thing I know I just remember waking up in a field
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and there was just blood everywhere on the grass and stuff, so I was pretty scared.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27In fact, the doctors are so happy with his progress...
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- Bye.- Bye. - That Lucas is being allowed home after spending
0:40:30 > 0:40:32just two days in hospital.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36I was astonished to see, you know, what a good recovery Lucas had made.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38By the time, you know, we'd got there,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41given he'd been hit by a van and knocked over a wall,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44dropped six foot and landed on some rocks,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48the fact that two days later he was discharged from hospital he made a fantastic recovery.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53I think had that been anybody sort of 15 an over it would have been a different story.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57And after a few more weeks rest, Lucas is back to normal.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Surprisingly for a 10-year-old, Lucas wanted to get back to school
0:41:01 > 0:41:08as soon as possible, but he has one other ambition, to meet the team that helped save his life.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10This is where you were.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Do you want to have a jump inside, Lucas?
0:41:13 > 0:41:16You have a sit across there.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19That's it. Sit in that one. That's where I sit.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Paramedic Paul Bradbury finds this one of the most rewarding parts
0:41:22 > 0:41:28of the job and Lucas is getting a very special look behind the scenes.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Time for Lucas' first lesson in helicopter engineering.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34So, all these dials here, they tell us where we're going,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36how high we are, how fast we're going.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39So, how fast you think it goes, this helicopter?
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Around 100mph?
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Yeah, around about 140mph it'll travel at.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47It was excellent to see Lucas.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Last time I saw him he was looking quite a lot worse than that.
0:41:51 > 0:41:57The fact that he was extremely pale, not talking a great deal and in quite a lot of pain.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Working on the Air Ambulance, it's so varied.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02The fact that some days you know you've made a difference to somebody.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07The fact that you've got them to a specialist unit and as a result of the Air Ambulance,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11what we've done and also what the specialist unit's done has saved somebody's life.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13I think the fact that Lucas is here today,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17he's got another 70, 80, 90 years in front of him is fantastic.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19It could have been a totally different story.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22When Helicopter Heroes comes back -
0:42:22 > 0:42:26there's an accident in a dairy and a worker is trapped in a machine.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29A piece of metal has gone all the way through his hand.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33A trainee journalist hits the headlines when he crashes his car.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37We've got a potential sucking chest wound there.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41The team return to the scene of a rail disaster for another life-or-death emergency.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45You know, the carriages were in that field.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49And up in the Peak District, a girl on a go-cart needs help.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Can you move all your arms and legs? Yeah, you can?
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:56 > 0:42:59E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk