0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're seriously ill or critically injured,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10every second counts, especially if you're up high or off the beaten track.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14But, thanks to these guys, the people of the UK's biggest county
0:00:14 > 0:00:19are never more than ten minutes away from a hospital.
0:00:19 > 0:00:27The Yorkshire Air Ambulance can do 150mph, and every day brings a new life or death emergency.
0:00:46 > 0:00:52Five million people depend on these yellow helicopters to bring life-saving care from the skies.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56When a multiple pile-up closes Britain's highest motorway
0:00:56 > 0:00:59or there's a serious accident on the shop floor,
0:00:59 > 0:01:05the highly trained paramedics and pilots of the Helimed team are there to rescue the casualties.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Today on Helicopter Heroes... paramedics Lee and James
0:01:08 > 0:01:12fight to save a critically ill member of their own team.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- Chris? Chris?- Are you with us, mate? - Chris?
0:01:15 > 0:01:20The X-rays tell the story of a road accident that could have killed a teenager.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23She's in a really awkward position on a cold surface.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And a couple on a motorbike have a miraculous escape.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I'm all right. Are you all right?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Hello - ambulance.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Nearly 2,000 paramedics can be dispatched at the touch of a button
0:01:43 > 0:01:47from this room, but only one person can scramble the Air Ambulance.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57Dispatcher Chris Solomons' day is difficult, demanding and life-saving.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01You're going for a 21-year-old male that's fallen 40 foot. Four zero foot, over.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Roger, received. 40 foot fall, 21-year-old. 237816, over.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Without him, the Helimed team couldn't do their jobs.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Hundreds of people owe him their lives.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18No problems, they're on their way.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24- Cheers, love. Bye.- But this morning, the 999 screens are blank.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It's Chris who needs help.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34He's arrived for work with a pain in his chest.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Paramedic James Vine is concerned.
0:02:36 > 0:02:42His symptoms are worrying enough, but the read-out on the cardiac monitor is unmistakable.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Chris is having a heart attack, and it's massive.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49ECG looks dodgy at the moment.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Not 100% sure what it is, but we'll err on the side of caution,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and it should mean a trip down to LGI.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58OK? Pop that up there for us.
0:02:58 > 0:03:04Even in the 21st century, a simple aspirin is the most effective first aid for Chris.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It will help thin his blood.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Oh, God...
0:03:09 > 0:03:15They'd like him checked out at hospital, but it's so early, its helipad is not open.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21- It's going to need to be the secondary site.- What time do they open?- 8am.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26- Or are we best with a crew? - I'll have a crew, please, mate.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28A blood vessel in Chris's heart is blocked.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33James can see that much from the trace, but it's about to get a lot worse.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- Get him on the floor. - Yes, get him on the floor.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Chris goes into cardiac arrest.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42His heart has stopped beating. He's no longer breathing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47If James and Lee don't start CPR in minutes, he will die.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52The blow to Chris's chest
0:03:52 > 0:03:54is designed to help kick-start his heart.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07Lee and James know heart massage is only effective in a tiny minority of cases,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10but their friend and colleague's life depends on it.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Can you ring 999 and get us a crew?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's time for even the Helimed team to dial 999.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Can I have Air Ambulance, please, at Leeds Bradford Airport, the air ambulance base, please?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26The chopper's defibrillator has been brought in.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It will deliver a massive electric shock to his heart.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39It takes two jolts, but at last Chris's ailing heart starts to respond.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44- All right, Chris. Come on, kid. - Chris's colleagues are fighting to save his life.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48He's in the best possible hands, but there's a serious problem.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Unless the fire crew that man the Leeds General Infirmary helipad can be contacted,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Chris's best chance of survival may be lost.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- Come on, Chris.- Chris?
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Are you with us, mate?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Chris? Chris?!
0:05:18 > 0:05:23The school run means lots of traffic and hundreds of young pedestrians.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26It's a combination that can lead to tragedy.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32And one morning in South Yorkshire, the Helimed team receive the kind of call that the paramedics dread.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39It's the rush hour, but paramedics Glenn Powell and Sammy Wills
0:05:39 > 0:05:43don't have to worry about the morning jams, which is just as well.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Today's case is serious.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48We're on route to reports of a 14-year-old young lady
0:05:48 > 0:05:50that's been knocked down.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53She's got leg injuries and a head injury.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57The land crew have asked us to support them.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03The accident's happened in a housing estate in the suburbs of Doncaster.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09Pilot JJ Smith's spotted an ideal landing site, right next to the accident,
0:06:09 > 0:06:14but it's not going to be an easy landing.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- High trees.- We're coming in crosswind as well.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22It's close to houses and trees.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Let's have a look.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29- That field? Happy?- That field opposite the guy?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Looking good my side.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36But the team are down, within a few hundred yards of their patient.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Teenager Lauren was crossing the road near her home when the accident happened.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46You're not going to break my leg back into place, are you?
0:06:46 > 0:06:52- We're going to do what?! - Break my leg back into place?- No!
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The damage to the car shows she was hit on the lower leg,
0:06:54 > 0:06:59but its her femur, the biggest bone in the body, that appears to have been broken.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Where are you injecting me?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04What we'd like to do is just put a little needle,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08possibly in the back of your hand, maybe just in your elbow area.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10In this one that's hurting?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13No, we'll go in the one that's not hurting, shall we?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16She's in a really awkward position on a cold surface,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18so we've got to get her moved fairly quickly.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21We can't move her straightaway because of the pain.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25She's only small for a 14-year-old, so we're giving her a bit of pain relief.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29A little sharp scratch, Lauren. Right, we're in there.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Right, you're just feeling something a little bit cold in the back of your hand.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35And that's medicine, OK?
0:07:35 > 0:07:39It's called morphine, it's a really strong painkiller.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Lauren's being very brave,
0:07:41 > 0:07:47but Sam and Glenn need to turn her over to stabilise her leg and check for more serious injuries.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53Trying to get the pain under control and then try to pull the leg straight with a traction splint.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56And then we can get her on this spinal bar
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- and get her on her way to hospital.- Take a deep breath for me.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Ready, steady...
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Many pedestrian suffer serious head injuries, but this was a low-speed accident.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09That doesn't mean she's not in danger.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13You can bleed to death internally from a fractured femur.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- Ah, my leg!- They must straighten her leg where she lies.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19They'll use a traction splint.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's a device to stabilise her femur to minimise pain
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and reduce potential blood loss through movement of the bones.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29You might feel it going a bit cold up your arm.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34- OK, that's fine. - Lauren's mum was told about the accident by a neighbour.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36She found her daughter lying on the road.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38I didn't know your mum was here, Lauren.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Meanwhile, JJ the pilot has an emergency of his own to deal with.
0:08:43 > 0:08:49Stray horses can damage helicopters, and, unless they are driven away, he won't be able to take off.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- All comfy?- Yeah.- Lovely.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Can I go in the aer... I mean, not the aeroplane, the ambulance?
0:08:56 > 0:09:01- I'm scared of flying.- You won't know anything about it.- I don't care, I don't like flying.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Despite Lauren's fears, Sammy and Glenn know that she needs to get to hospital as soon as possible.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I'll be right there at your side.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13The team aren't taking no for an answer.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19Lauren's medical condition is so serious that driving her through the rush hour is simply not an option.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- OK, Lauren.- All right, Lauren, all the best, sweetheart.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Few people are more vulnerable on the roads than motorcyclists,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44so any rider who comes off a motorway is lucky to survive.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Every day, the M18 in South Yorkshire
0:09:46 > 0:09:51carries thousands of trucks heading to and from the Humber ports.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56It's a lethal place to have an accident, especially if you're a motorcyclist.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Junction 1 on the M18, it's somewhere around here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Two bikers have come off in the carriageway and been lucky to survive.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11Alert truckers managed to avoid them and their bikes as they came to rest in the middle of the inside lane.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16It's sitting here. Just come off A1 Junction 1, Bramley northbound, M18 Junction 1,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18near Bramley, Rotherham.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21And that's the location we've got.
0:10:21 > 0:10:29Now Helimed 98 is on the case, but the motorway is still open, so pilot JJ can't touch down on the road.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Is there any way down?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Paramedics Paul and Kate can't reach their patient without some help.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- Got a ladder? - But the fire brigade has the answer.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50This section of the M18 was blasted out of the local rock.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The team have to climb down into the cutting.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57JJ's taken off again.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Once the police have closed the motorway, he'll be able to get closer to his passenger.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Born-again biker Ben Reed and his wife were out for a spin when they came off.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Just trying to examine you to check if you've damaged your ribs.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Ben's in a bad way, but all he can think about is his wife.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Where's my wife? - I'm here.- Are you all right?
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- I'm fine, love, I'm fine. - I'm all right. Are you all right?
0:11:20 > 0:11:25- I'm fine. Just do as they tell you. - She's spot-on, mate.- She's OK.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I'm not too bad.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Just my hand's hurting, that's all.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34He were pulling in, and the next thing I knew, I were on the floor.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Witnesses to the accident know how lucky Ben and his wife have been.
0:11:39 > 0:11:45I was in the nearside lane. The bike overtook me cos I've a heavy load. Into the hard shoulder barrier.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48He just got stuck, carried on,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50attached to the barrier,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and just came off the bike.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54The bike carried on, they stopped.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Can you wiggle your toes for me in your left foot?
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Wiggle your toes.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Wiggle your toes. - BEN GROANS
0:12:00 > 0:12:01All right.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- Can you feel that?- Mmm!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06I tell you what - this jacket's old, you can cut it.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08He's got a lower leg injury and a chest injury,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11decreased breath sounds on one side of his chest.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13He's got scuff marks on his helmet,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17so we can't rule out that he hasn't got a head injury.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Ben's wife is now realising how close they came to tragedy.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26To come off on a motorway with all the juggernauts and the cars coming past,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28they've been extremely lucky, yeah.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Now the motorway's been closed, JJ is clear to land.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39He knows turning the M18 into a helipad will cause major disruption, but his patient must come first.
0:12:39 > 0:12:45Hopefully, we'll only be five or six minutes and then we'll get him on and get him off,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47so we don't delay both sides of the motorway long.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52For every minute we delay them, they've got another mile tailback. We'll be as quick as we can.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Ben's wife has escaped the high-speed crash with just a broken bone in her hand.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02She'll be back on her feet, but Ben won't be standing for a while.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Paul and Kate have diagnosed broken bones in both his feet.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Heading two-niner, zero degrees. Right, base?
0:13:10 > 0:13:16Like many local bikers, the team's patient is a regular donor to the Air Ambulance charity.
0:13:16 > 0:13:22But very few of the passengers are this happy to be getting a ride in the chopper.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24He is quite a character.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28He's been quite cheerful throughout, very excited to be in the helicopter.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Let's get you onto this ambulance.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'Bike accidents on motorways can potentially be really serious'
0:13:36 > 0:13:40with significant injuries, so they've been really lucky today.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43In a few days, Ben's back home,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48but this biker knows there's a long road to recovery ahead
0:13:48 > 0:13:53and plenty more weeks doing little more than watching the telly.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I've got five breaks in this left foot.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01My right foot, I've got a break down the right-hand side here.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And then I've got what they're saying is a nasty break in here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09And this rib, I can feel that, that is terrible!
0:14:09 > 0:14:13If we'd have come off in the third lane or the middle lane,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15God knows what a car would have done to us.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19We can only imagine. I've an idea what it would have done.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24And Ben will continue to donate £1 a week to the Helimed team.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's worth every penny, and I think that more people ought to think about putting something in it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33You don't think so, but you're going to need it one day.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34It can happen to anybody.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53Now, imagine knowing only you can save the life of a critically ill colleague.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58It's the terrible responsibility faced by three members of the Helimed team this morning.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Helimed team dispatcher Chris Solomons had a massive heart attack,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06minutes after he arrived for work.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09After a shock from the chopper's defibrillator,
0:15:09 > 0:15:14his heart is beating once more, but it could stop again at any moment.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Chris, it's James, you're at work.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18It's just oxygen, it's just James.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21You're at work. Just relax.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27And there's a problem. It's early morning and the helipad at the Leeds General Infirmary is still closed.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32Helimed 99 can't take off unless the hospital's fire crew can be raised.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36They don't open till 8am. We're on the early shift today at 7am.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41It's now 7.35, so we'll have to wait and see.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44We've got an ambulance on the way and we'll decide then what's the best thing to do.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47He's back with us now, so thank God for that.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Paramedic Lee Davison has treated hundreds of patients with heart attacks
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but never a friend and colleague.
0:15:54 > 0:16:00He and James Vine are assessing Chris's treatment so far to make sure they're not missing anything.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03OK, shall we just re-analyse everything, then?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Normal sinus rhythm,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09he's got a line in, he's had no adrenaline,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13he's had aspirin, he's had CPR and shocks.
0:16:13 > 0:16:20Chris is in agony. He's experiencing the symptoms that kill 120,000 people every year in the UK.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We've had to shock him twice,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26trying to get the heart back into a normal rhythm.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32We've worked on him with some CPR as well and managed to get some output.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38We're trying to stabilise him now so we can get some of the cardiac team to look after him from there.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43- All right, Chris? All right, mate. You're OK, you're at work.- Ow.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45What's hurting?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Never got the aircraft out so fast.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Hopefully we can use it.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- If we can't, it's going to be a real pain for us.- Thanks, bye.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55The crew's here.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00The ground ambulance crew are about to join the fight to save him.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05This is absolutely dreadful for us, obviously, with it being one of our own.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It just took us on the hop a bit there.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13We didn't expect him to come in like that, but that's what we're trained for
0:17:13 > 0:17:15and we've managed to get him back.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Hiya, mate. We just need the trolley off.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We're just debating whether to go by air or not.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- Is it cardiac arrest?- Yeah.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25We've got output.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31He's been shocked twice. Came in with chest pain, looked really pale, clammy.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36He went off on us after about ten minutes, and we've shocked him twice. He's had CPR.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We've got him back at the moment, he's been speaking to us.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45If we can get hold of the LGI, we'll trolley him to the aircraft and take him.
0:17:45 > 0:17:51What we're going to do, lads, if we can just hang on two minutes, we're just sorting the helipad out.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It was a couple of extra pairs of hands -
0:17:54 > 0:17:57we didn't know what we were up to at that stage.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But at last, the team has some good luck.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02The LGI's fire crew have been located.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Chris will be able to fly straight to A&E.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Bad day at the office. Not even had a cup of coffee yet, have we?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13On three. One, two, three, lift.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15He's still wired up to the ECG.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18James isn't taking any chances.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Chris gave me the shock of my life.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25They'll be able to monitor Chris's heart in the air.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27OK. One, two, three and lift.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Keep going, lads, keep going, keep going, beautiful.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39Chris is responding well - so well that James can crack the odd joke.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Try not to do anything stupid like that on the flight on the way down for me,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47cos me and you are barely talking as it is at the moment, all right?
0:18:47 > 0:18:50But he knows his patient's not out of the woods yet.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56Chris is five minutes away from the primary angioplasty unit at the Leeds General Infirmary.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It's there a team of surgeons
0:18:58 > 0:19:02deliver the most up-to-date treatment available to heart patients.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06The plan is that Chris is going down to the LGI,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09to be assessed by the cardiology team
0:19:09 > 0:19:12to try to open the coronary artery that's blocked.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18A tiny tube will be inserted into Chris's heart and the blocked artery opened out.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22A tube or stent will stop a clot reoccurring.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25On three. One, two, three and lift.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Many of the hospital's fire crew ran to work this morning.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35They knew the patient was one of their own.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Right, mate, we're just coming into coronary care, OK?
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Chris has played an important part in saving the lives of hundreds of heart attack victims
0:19:42 > 0:19:48by ensuring the staff of this unit have a full breakdown of a patient's medical history.
0:19:48 > 0:19:54There's no-one to do that for him today, but James and Lee will do their best.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Two shocks, 200 and 300, back into a sinus rhythm.
0:19:58 > 0:20:05Systolic's been initially hypertensive at 70. He's up to a systolic at 118.
0:20:05 > 0:20:12James and Lee have kept Chris alive long enough to give him the best chance of a good recovery.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15We've come into coronary care at the LGI.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Obviously, this is what they specialise in here,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22so he's in the best place that he can be.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We'll just get him transferred over to the team here
0:20:25 > 0:20:29and then obviously, we'll leave him from here, but going on from here,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34they'll probably take him to... just have a look...with the X-ray
0:20:34 > 0:20:39and see where the blockage is and determine where to go from there.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45Within an hour of his attack, he'll have had angioplasty.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49But they know he's not out of danger yet, and it's time for them to leave.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Now let's return to the outskirts of Doncaster in south Yorkshire,
0:21:07 > 0:21:13where the team are fighting to save a teenager knocked down while crossing the road near her home.
0:21:15 > 0:21:1914-year-old Lauren was knocked down while walking her dog.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24- I'm scared of flying!- You won't know anything about it, sweetheart. - I don't like flying. Please!
0:21:26 > 0:21:32She's on her way to hospital with a very serious leg fracture and a broken wrist.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Lauren's mum will be reunited with her daughter in A&E.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39It's been a morning neither of them will forget.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42A few weeks later, the memories are still fresh.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Lauren had said that she was going to walk the dog with Natasha, as she does every morning.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The silver car, I just remember the bonnet coming, and it just hit me,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and I remember rolling across the road.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57And there was an almighty banging on the door.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00It frightened me to death. I thought the house was falling in,
0:22:00 > 0:22:01I wondered what on earth had happened.
0:22:01 > 0:22:07I felt, like, my leg breaking, because I didn't go unconscious when the car accident happened.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12And she says, "I'm ever so sorry, are you Lauren's mum?" I said, "Yes,"
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and she said, "I'm afraid she's been knocked over by a car."
0:22:15 > 0:22:20And it really hurt, and I couldn't move this arm or anything, or my leg.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Horrific, actually. I never felt so frightened in all my life. It was awful.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27There was loads of people putting blankets on me,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and I remember shaking cos I was so cold on the floor.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35When they said that they were going to get the air ambulance, well, that really scared me,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39because I really thought there must be something seriously wrong here.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44I didn't want to go in it. I was like, "No, I don't like flying."
0:22:44 > 0:22:49This woman, she was really nice. I don't know who it was, but she said, "No, come with me."
0:22:49 > 0:22:53The driver of the vehicle that hit Lauren came up to me.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57As he walked towards me, I said, "Can you tell me what happened?"
0:22:57 > 0:23:03And he just said, "I'm really sorry, she just came from behind the back of the bus,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06"and I didn't have time to stop."
0:23:06 > 0:23:11I could tell by his face he was absolutely devastated.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Absolutely devastated.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18It's three weeks since the accident, and Lauren's already getting bored waiting for her injuries to heal.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But the bad news is she may need further surgery on her wrist.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27If we're going to do anything, we have to do it soon, like in the next day or two.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31When will I be getting my cast off my wrist?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33In about four weeks.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34She was fortunate,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37in terms of she didn't have any head, neck,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41chest or abdominal injuries, so she just had broken bones,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44which we can operate on, and they should heal up and be fine.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So she should have no long-term sequelae from the injury.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52It'll be another month at least before Lauren's up and about again,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56but mum and daughter know it could have been so much worse.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58She could have been killed.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02How any of us would have coped with that, I really don't know.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Now, remember Helimed dispatcher Chris Solomons,
0:24:18 > 0:24:24whose sudden heart attack led to the sort of medical rescue mission he normally organises himself?
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Let's catch up on his case.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Chris is lucky to be alive after a cardiac arrest.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It would have killed him if he hadn't been in the office
0:24:32 > 0:24:35with paramedics James Vine and Lee Davison.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40They were able to save his life by shocking his heart back into rhythm.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It's our bread and butter. We deal with that every day of the week.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47But it's very different when you're having to do it for someone you genuinely care about.
0:24:47 > 0:24:53You know, he's a good lad, he's one of our own, so you don't want to see harm come to anyone.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Now Chris is recovering in hospital after a procedure to open out a blocked artery in his heart.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I was scared. I tell you, I was scared.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Because at one stage my hands, they were just like that.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And I just couldn't open them or move them.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10The pins and the needles was horrendous.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I then realised that there was something going on.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Because I knew this wasn't any type of indigestion,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19because the pins and needles was down my legs as well.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It's not a thing I would like to experience again.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I wouldn't like anybody to experience it again.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Little more than 24 hours after the attack, Chris is sitting up in bed,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32enjoying goodwill messages from his colleagues.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34All the guys at work turned around and said,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38if there's anything they can do, to let them know, which is brilliant,
0:25:38 > 0:25:39which is brilliant.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43So...just wait and see how I get on.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47But I'm missing it already.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53Chris began to feel the symptoms as soon as he arrived for work that day.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Get him on the floor.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02He was effectively dead for five minutes, but his memories of that morning are hazy.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I don't know if I was getting up or if they were picking me up.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12And then I don't remember anything after that until I'm on the floor
0:26:12 > 0:26:14by the table.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17There's Lee and James looking over me.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22I don't know where Cobby was at the time. And two other paramedics.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Less than a week after his attack,
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Chris is well enough to return to work, just for a social visit.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33- Hiya, mate.- Matey! All right? - Just be careful!
0:26:33 > 0:26:38He's here to thank the two men who saved his life.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Looking well.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- Still a bit sore. - Is it? Can't understand why.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47If laughter's the best medicine, he's come to the right place for treatment.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50We just got rid of the chalk mark!
0:26:50 > 0:26:54LAUGHTER
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Oh, don't make me laugh, it hurts.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02It will be a month or two before Chris is ready to even think about returning to the dispatch desk.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06But at least he now knows how many of the team's patients feel.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Knowing it was James's official last day,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13I wanted to come up and see him before he went back out on the road, to say thank you.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I didn't know Lee was going to be here. He kept that a secret from me.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19But, no, I just basically wanted to see James
0:27:19 > 0:27:22before he went off duty, because I knew I'd see Lee another day.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26But to see them both in the same day is great.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28And just to say my thank you to them.
0:27:28 > 0:27:35It's a long road to recovery, but Chris is determined to get back to work with the Helimed team.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I would much rather be back at work doing my job
0:27:38 > 0:27:40than be sat at home not doing anything.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45When Helicopter Heroes comes back...
0:27:45 > 0:27:49there's a terrible coincidence as a paramedic finds himself fighting
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- to save the life of a friend.- He's a good friend. He's also a local fire-fighter.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58A mountain-biker loses her front teeth, but Dr Andy's determined to save her smile.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02And a five-month-old baby is overcome by the hot sun.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:11 > 0:28:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk