0:00:04 > 0:00:06If you're seriously ill or critically injured,
0:00:06 > 0:00:07every second counts.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Especially if you're up high or off the beaten track.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13But thanks to these guys,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16the people of the UK's biggest county
0:00:16 > 0:00:19are never more than ten minutes away from a hospital.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23The Yorkshire Air Ambulance can do 150mph
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and every day brings a new life or death emergency.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Five million people depend on these yellow helicopters
0:00:50 > 0:00:53to bring life-saving care from the skies.
0:00:53 > 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 > 0:01:02the highly trained paramedics and pilots of the helimed team
0:01:02 > 0:01:04are there to rescue the casualties.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Today on Helicopter Heroes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Has he fallen down there?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11A walker plunges 40ft.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Paramedic Darren faces a dangerous descent to reach him.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Now then, sir, you can pick your spot, can't you?
0:01:18 > 0:01:20A biker's trapped beneath a car.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Can the team save him?
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Take a deep breath for me, boss.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29There's traffic chaos and the victim of a factory accident desperately needs an ambulance.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32We've been on scene a good half an hour, just waiting for a land crew.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36And paramedic Paul discovers a patient's drug stash.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37What's that there?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The helimed paramedics often work twelve-hour shifts.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51They usually have plenty of time to do training
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and the paperwork that comes with any job.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57But when the call comes in, they drop everything.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Today Helimed 99's taking off for Wharfedale,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04one of Yorkshire's prettiest dales.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07When summer comes to the village of Kettlewell,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09the tourists are never far behind.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13This is hardcore walking country.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Every day the dales bus delivers another party of ramblers.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19And the campsites are already booked up.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24But today one walker's day has ended in a serious accident.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29We've been passed through a detail where we've got an elderly gentleman
0:02:29 > 0:02:32that's fallen backwards we believe from a wall.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35And gone down an embankment or small cliff.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39For pilot Chris Atterill, it's not a routine flight.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Clouds are making his job harder and many of them have hard centres.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46It doesn't look too good coming out of Leeds,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49but obviously, we've dropped down a little bit.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54And visibility's quite good below the cloud base itself.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58It's not often the helimed team lands to get directions,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00but it saves time when you're trying to find a walker
0:03:00 > 0:03:03in hundreds of square miles of moorland.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05What I'm going to do is try and land on the green.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09The ground ambulance crew have already arrived at the scene of the incident.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13They're putting RAF Rescue on stand-by.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Have you got any landing instructions yet?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Where is it?- We've got a casualty up to the north-west of here in a valley.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23It sounds like it'll be tough to reach their patient,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27but at least now they have some good directions to go on.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- There's a settlement...- Yeah. - And it's near that settlement.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34So it's going to be, like I say, from where we were parked,
0:03:34 > 0:03:35- half past two.- Right, OK.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- Up on the high ground here. - Yeah.- It's just there.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41But there's a problem.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43The valley where the walker has fallen
0:03:43 > 0:03:45is swathed in low cloud.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Even with good directions from the patient's wife,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50finding him is proving hard.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Now his wife is supposed to be with him.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Can you go to the other side of this, mate,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59so we can look back up the valley?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- I'll bring the nose left if that helps.- Yeah, that helps a lot.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07They know that somewhere down there, a patient desperately needs them.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10But it's look increasingly like they'll fail to reach him.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I hate to see this, guys, but I don't think we're much use here.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17No. I tend to think that way myself.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I can't see anything.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Then pilot Chris's eagle eyes spot the casualty.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- Ah!- You got him?- Yeah.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Darren knows this is going to be a difficult rescue.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- Belt coming off, mate.- OK.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- Bag coming off.- Rights.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- Disconnected.- OK. - He's disconnected.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- Just stepping out.- OK.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Medic 1 to air desk.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48I'm on the ground
0:04:48 > 0:04:50with the patient.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55Can you definitely keep the RAF running towards this detail? Over.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The walker's wife spells out the severity of the fall.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Flippin' heck!
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Has he fallen down there?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Where is he?- Down the bottom here.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Down the bottom. Right.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Good. Just bear with me.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Cos this is treacherous.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Darren knows the man's lucky to be alive.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22His injuries could be very serious.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24He has a nasty looking head injury,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26but Darren is keeping it cheerful.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Now then, sir, you can pick your spot, can't you?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Normally, paramedics avoid moving their patients,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36but this case is different.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Tony Robinson's in real danger here.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42He fell from the top? And his face was in the water?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I had to get his face out of the water.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- Tony...- Yeah?- Are you all right sat there? You're not sliding off?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- I feel as if I'm a bit precarious. - Right.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Do you think with my help we can step onto there and sit on that rock?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Possibly. Possibly. It depends on this hip.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Well, Tony, just let me get positioned first.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Right.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Right, Tony.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- I've got you.- This right leg isn't moving properly.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Is it not? Put it down.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Agh!- Right, get on your good leg.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Got it, got it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21One, two, three, go.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Agh.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I've got you! I've got you, Tony! I've got you!
0:06:25 > 0:06:27If you're going, I'm going. So don't worry.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31It's been an ordeal for Tony's wife.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34We were following a walk from Buckden
0:06:34 > 0:06:37up towards the mines.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39And...
0:06:39 > 0:06:41It got very misty, very wet.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And the pass...
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The walk we were following didn't seem to be right.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49And to be fair, I got quite nervous.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51So we decided to come back to the mines,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and to follow the path down the river.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56And the problem was it was slippery,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59we were just negotiating this bit here when he slipped
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and just crashed to the bottom.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And to be fair, I thought he was dead.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Thanks to a passer-by, rescue has finally arrived.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I scrambled down and lifted his head out of the water.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14And screamed and screamed and screamed
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and a man came down there.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I don't know where he came from...
0:07:19 > 0:07:22..Who helped me get him out of the water onto that ledge,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26and then we tried the phones, and there was just no signal.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28That was at about...
0:07:28 > 0:07:30half-past two, quarter-to-three,
0:07:30 > 0:07:35and he set off down the hill to try and get some help.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38But Tony's still in real danger.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40It's more than an hour since his fall.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43He's soaking wet from the stream and he's very cold.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48He's also battling cancer and hypothermia's a real possibility.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Coming up - mountain rescue join the fight to save Tony.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It's just drizzled and rained on and off all day
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and just made all this limestone ground very, very slippy.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07There's a serious accident on the shop floor.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09We're only some four minutes' flying time from LGI,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11but they won't accept the patient.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14And the teams called to treat a car thief.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17The green car overtook us, just weaving from side to side.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32If you have a serious accident,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35there's one thing you really need on your side.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36And that's luck.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Just a fraction of an inch can mean the difference
0:08:39 > 0:08:43between a minor injury and death.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48High in Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is an RAF base that's been described
0:08:48 > 0:08:51as the biggest electronic monitoring station in the world.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It's run by America's National Security Agency
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and has security to match.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Today it's got visitors.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Helimed 99 has been scrambled
0:09:02 > 0:09:05to a serious accident outside the main gates.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07We've got a couple of parked vehicles down there now.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I don't know if that's somebody parked up or not.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11Oh, I've got a visual.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Yeah, visual.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14I can see that.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16A motorcyclist is trapped under a jeep
0:09:16 > 0:09:19that was being driven by a worker turning into the base.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24They don't usually welcome surprise visitors here,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28but today they'll make an exception for paramedics Tony and Sammy.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33- He probably has been unconscious. No pain except his right ankle in actual fact.- OK.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37- Haven't done the neck yet cos he's under the car and he's got a helmet on.- Yep.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40His sats and his pulse is OK. That's all I've really done.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- I think we've got a tib and fib so we'll deal with that before we move him out.- OK.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's a miracle the biker's still alive.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48He was unconscious for a time,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and the weight of the vehicle was pressing down on his chest.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54But the base's own fire engine was scrambled
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and firefighters quickly raised the jeep using an airbag.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Can you score your pain for me, out of ten?
0:10:00 > 0:10:02My ankle?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Whatever bit hurts the most.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- My ankle.- Out of ten, what would you score?
0:10:06 > 0:10:08About seven or eight.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Seven or eight. OK then, boss.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13We're not quite sure how he's ended up there,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16whether he's gone under at the front or the side.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Just complaining of leg pain initially.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Sammy's just doing some basic observations
0:10:22 > 0:10:23before we do anything else.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Sorry, Sammy?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28I think what we do, as we bring him out, we splint it at the same time.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30This is a risky process.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33The vehicle's weight is being supported by the air bag
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and a few chunks of timber.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Right, if you can reach in to under his shoulder that side,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40can you get to that?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I'll get that and you get his pelvis, yeah?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44To examine the biker properly,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47they're going to have to remove him from under the jeep.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We're just going to support your leg
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and then we're going to slide you out, OK?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55So, literally go about six inches first, everybody happy?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Ready, steady, slide.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58And brace.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I've now got his head there.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Hello, you all right, Dave?
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Biker David Skeet was on his way home from work
0:11:04 > 0:11:06when the accident happened.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Try and relax.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Do you take any medication for anything?- No.- No? None whatsoever.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13His helmet probably helped save his life,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but now it's getting in Sammy's way.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18We slid him out and we're just assessing him now.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20The portions we couldn't reach properly under the car.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Now David's helmet's off, Sammy can see her patient's face.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Cos of the thickness of the clothing his head isn't on the head block.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- Is that all right if we just cut your jacket?- Yes.- Thank you.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33You say your pain's about six out of ten,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- has it reduced since we've pulled you out from underneath?- A little.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38A little bit.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43David's thinking about his family, they're expecting him home for tea.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Can you let my wife know?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We can organise all that at the hospital, all right?
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- It's not a problem. Is she expecting you home about now?- Yeah.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55The fire brigade were happy to take a risk while David was being freed.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Now they want everyone away from the unstable jeep.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03From a safety point of view, guys, is there any chance we can move away...
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And get my feet out from underneath this? That'd work for me!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08That's fine.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- If we could just move another foot this way.- We can do that.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14Stop!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Would you like to try some gas and air? See if that helps your ankle?
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Yeah?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The base's armed police are more used to focusing on terrorism,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28but they're happy to make sure
0:12:28 > 0:12:30David's family finds out what's happened.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32There's someone going round to your house anyway.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It looks like David's had a miraculous escape,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38but a medical team at Harrogate Hospital
0:12:38 > 0:12:41are already on standby to examine him.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42For a good reason.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45He's quite stable and clearly, he could have fractured his leg.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Hopefully it's nothing more serious,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50but if that's gone over him at some point
0:12:50 > 0:12:54there's maybe some internal injuries that we're not aware of yet.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Coming up, the biker's free, but his symptoms are worrying Sammy.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05His blood pressure has been a bit low.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08The ravine rescue begins.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10We've got to move our casualty to a clear area
0:13:10 > 0:13:12where we're visible to the helicopter.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15And a driver collides with a wall.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20It looks like she sustained quite a significant head injury.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39The Yorkshire Air Ambulance choppers cover an area of more than 6,000 square miles.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41No two incidents are the same,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46but some factors are often familiar to the flying paramedics.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It's rush hour in Bradford,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55and thousands are heading home to the suburbs. But 1,500 feet above them,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Helimed 99 is on a mission to a serious factory accident.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Paramedics Lee Davison and James Vine carry morphine,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and that's what their patient desperately needs.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06This guy has got a crush injury,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09lower legs, isolated limb,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but that's just to give him more pain relief.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17We carry morphine, so we're making our way over there to back up the crew
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and help the patient with some good, strong painkillers.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26At an engineering works, there's been an accident involving a fork-lift truck.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Nigel Wilson's foot is crushed.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We've just got visual of the landing scene, over.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Helimed 99 is on final approach to the factory yard.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41It's not far from the city centre,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43but it's an ideal helipad.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47All clear there.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Inside?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Ground paramedics have already started treating Nigel,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58whose foot was trapped between the fork-lift and a stack of steel pipes,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00which the company makes.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04He's got a left lower open compound fracture.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Compound fracture.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12He's been trapped between the fork-lift and one of them steel reels there.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14I don't know how much one of them weighs.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18I might not be able to hear you very well, so come back in.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I brought you some morphine.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24He's in a bad way. There's a real risk he may lose his foot,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and he's bleeding internally.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30We've got one of the emergency care practitioners that's arrived on scene.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34So he's just trying to give him a bit of a nerve block currently,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36just to try and stem the pain.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40At the moment, we're going to see what we can do and see if that works.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44The firm take safety seriously.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The fork-lifts are essential to move stock around the factory.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50He got on the fork-lift to drive down
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and didn't take his leg in as he set off
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and he's caught his leg on a coil.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Nigel's just become a statistic,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01one of around 400 workers who'll need hospital treatment
0:16:01 > 0:16:04as a result of fork-lift trucks this year in the UK.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Around 10 of them will die.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11We are having difficulty communicating with the patient
0:16:11 > 0:16:14due to the noise. It can make it difficult to converse with your patient
0:16:14 > 0:16:17to find out what's wrong with them. The sooner we can get him out
0:16:17 > 0:16:22makes it easier for us to get a good communication going.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26The nerve block's not working as well as they or Nigel would like.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Lee will have to give him morphine.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30It's a controlled drug,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33with a strict procedure to go with it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35January 13, so it's in date.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It's morphine, 10 mg.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Nigel's injury is serious enough to require complex surgery.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45The team would like to fly him to specialist surgeons
0:16:45 > 0:16:48at the Leeds General Infirmary 10 miles away.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51But they're already busy with other cases.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56We're only four minutes' flying time from LGI,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57but they won't accept the patient.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00They've got some trauma where we've just been.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02We've taken a couple into them.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05So I've given the patient some pain relief,
0:17:05 > 0:17:06tried to get him comfortable.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08We're just waiting for a land crew to come
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and I'll have to go in the vehicle into Bradford.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Then the crew will have to pick me up.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17But there's another problem.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20An earlier accident on the M62 motorway
0:17:20 > 0:17:22has led to huge tailbacks,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and made Bradford's rush hour even worse than usual.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Many major roads are gridlocked
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and the ground ambulance has to reach the factory through the jams.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's the worst time of the day to be in a hurry.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37There's a land crew coming.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I don't know exactly how long they're going to be.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44That's the easiest option currently.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Finally the ambulance reaches the factory gates,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52but its crew now face the problem of finding their patient.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56We've been on scene half an hour just waiting for a land crew.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58That's how it goes sometimes.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Can't be helped.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Because Lee's given Nigel morphine,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05he will have to travel to hospital with him
0:18:05 > 0:18:08so he can brief doctors there first-hand.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Bradford Royal Infirmary doesn't have a helipad,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14so Lee will be travelling back to Helimed 99 by taxi.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18His colleagues are heading off for more fuel.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23How long was your foot trapped?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- Quick as that.- Right.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- Just nipped it.- It bent it backwards.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Right.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Fighting through the traffic is difficult for the driver.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Agonising for Nigel.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Just keep topping you up with a bit of morphine.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Just try and keep the edge off it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Finally, Nigel's made it to hospital,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50where he's met by his worried wife.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Surgeons operate on him within hours.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56But a month later he's still in bed,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01after his injury proved to be even more difficult to treat than doctors predicted.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06They made the decision to amputate the foot, which they did,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and I'm now on the plastic surgery,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12waiting for the wound to be closed up with plastic surgery.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I think prior to the accident I was a bit of a hard nut, I never cried,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but I can now!
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Definitely.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24It's changed my perspective on life, definitely.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27One day Nigel hopes to walk again,
0:19:27 > 0:19:32but he knows the road to recovery will be long and painful.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Coming up - the trapped biker's lucky to be alive.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The doctors fear he may have a serious head injury.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45He's 32, normally fit and well. Rider of...
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Ooh, can you get his helmet? Think it's in the boot, yeah.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52And the family whose day out ended in a collision with a stolen car.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The green car overtook us, just weaving from side to side.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Now, let's return to that incident we brought you earlier,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and the helimed team is hard at work.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24High in Wharfedale, the helimed team is fighting the weather and the landscape
0:20:24 > 0:20:29to rescue a walker who's plunged 40 feet down a moorland ravine.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32We've had trouble finding him with the helicopter,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36because of the low cloud and because he's fallen in tree cover,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40but eventually his wife were able to gesture to t'helicopter
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and show us where we needed to be,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44but we couldn't land here with the helicopter,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48so we've had to drop Daz off best we could, a few hundred yards away,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and then drop myself off in a place where it was safe to land,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54which was another few hundred yards further away.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Several times we thought we've heard the helicopter
0:20:57 > 0:20:59but...couldn't see it...
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I daredn't leave him because...
0:21:01 > 0:21:06he was ledged with his feet on that bit there, on that bottom, he was cold, he was shivering,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11he'd got quite a big head wound, er...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and I just daredn't leave him,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17so eventually I stuck my stick with a carrier bag on it at the top
0:21:17 > 0:21:22and...finally heard the helicopter and went running and wasn't sure that they'd seen me.
0:21:22 > 0:21:29An RAF chopper's been called in to winch cancer patient Tony Robinson out of the ravine
0:21:29 > 0:21:31but he's not out of the woods yet.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34He had a hip replacement, he had two hernias,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37then he had a brain tumour removed,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and then they told us it was secondary from his kidney...
0:21:40 > 0:21:45and he'd come on this holiday just to...do some walking,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50and how can anybody have gone through all of that...and I thought he was going to die...in that water.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55A sheet of foil may look a poor substitute for a warm coat
0:21:55 > 0:21:58but its heat-keeping properties are amazing
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and the team's determined to prevent Tony getting hypothermia.
0:22:02 > 0:22:08I think the plan, lads, is get him out of this spot, into a bit of open valley,
0:22:08 > 0:22:13where they could actually see what's going off and they'll drop a basket in for that.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Local ground paramedics have had to walk three miles from the nearest road.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21This area is as remote as the Dales get.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24We've got Search and Rescue coming, they'll be here in about ten minutes,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and Mountain Rescue have just arrived on scene
0:22:28 > 0:22:33and we're moving the casualty to a clear area, where he'll be visible to the Search and Rescue helicopter,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and they're going to winch him off the hillside for us, hopefully.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Tony's going to be strapped to a spinal board for his rescue flight
0:22:41 > 0:22:44but first volunteers from the local cave rescue team
0:22:44 > 0:22:47will carry him down the stream into which he's fallen.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It'll be a risky operation.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's slippy. Yeah, it's just really, really greasy.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57It's been one of them days where it's drizzled and rained on and off
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and made all this limestone ground very, very slippy.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It's just an unfortunate accident, really.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Coming up - Tony's on his way to hospital at last.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14He was extremely wet, because he obviously had been in the water, and probably had been unconscious.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18And the patient who's under observation...and arrest.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Thanks to an awful lot of luck,
0:23:27 > 0:23:33one biker looks like he's had a very narrow escape after an accident in North Yorkshire,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38but paramedics Tony and Sammy are very worried by their patient's symptoms.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44A road accident outside one of the UK's most secure military bases
0:23:44 > 0:23:45has left a biker badly injured.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- You say your pain's about six out of ten?- Yeah.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- Has it reduced since we've pulled you out from underneath?- A little.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55For 20 minutes, David Skeet was pinned under a Jeep
0:23:55 > 0:23:59driven by an American employee driving into the Menwith Hill base.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02At the moment he's just got pain in his left leg
0:24:02 > 0:24:06so clearly injuries to that, but no obvious fractures.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Now he's been freed, thanks to the base's firefighting team
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and paramedics Sammy Wills and Tony Wilkes.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18All we've found up to now is that you might have broken your leg, OK, your ankle, I think,
0:24:18 > 0:24:23- but because of where you've been, and the potential, we're going to fly you to Harrogate District.- OK.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Have you ever been there before? - I've not been in hospital for years.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29That's a good thing, then, isn't it?
0:24:29 > 0:24:35We're now flying POB, from Menwith Hill to Harrogate Hospital. We'll call when there.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40At 150mph, the flight from the hills of Nidderdale to the centre of Harrogate
0:24:40 > 0:24:43will take just five minutes.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Paramedic Sammy thinks her patient has escaped certain death by inches.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It sounds like, from the witness, that he went between the wheels,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and it might be just his ankle that's been run over.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59If there is the complication of maybe internal bleeding or chest injury,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01we've not found any of that,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05although his blood pressure has been a bit low, so we're just preparing.
0:25:05 > 0:25:12David's about to undergo a series of tests designed to identify internal injuries.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18Only then will doctors be able to tell whether his lucky escape is quite as fortunate as it appears.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23But witnesses said he's hit the floor before and gone between the wheels.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27On my arrival it's just his legs that are sticking out from underneath.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Against all the odds, it turns out he's only suffered minor concussion,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37and less than 24 hours after the accident that could have killed him
0:25:37 > 0:25:39David's back on his feet.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Well, one of them, at least.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45His memories of his brush with death are still hazy.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The only clear bit I remember is opening my eyes
0:25:48 > 0:25:53and seeing the underneath of a vehicle very close to me
0:25:53 > 0:25:59but no actual feelings of that, of any pain or...surrounding, where I was, or anything.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It was just...literally opened my eyes,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06recognised the underneath of a vehicle, and then out again.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11And then the next one was where the vehicle was being jacked up.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital, erm...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and I was in Accident and Emergency on the stretcher
0:26:19 > 0:26:24and my wife and eldest daughter was there. Erm...
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It was quite surreal because I was just in full conversation with them
0:26:28 > 0:26:30but couldn't quite understand how I was there.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Just three days after his crash,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37David's fit enough to walk out of Harrogate Hospital.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And two weeks after that he's visiting the helimed team with his wife and son.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44He's here to find out what happened that day.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46He still can't remember his flight.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51What do you remember of the incident? Do you remember us turning up?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Not at all, no. The only things that I can remember was leaving work
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and then a few other bits that had to be confirmed,
0:26:58 > 0:27:03and the main one was when I was in hospital, with my wife and daughter there,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07so I don't remember any of the flight or you guys turning up or anything.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Coming up... The rescue in the Dales reaches its climax.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Some people fall victim to freak accidents when they least expect it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Others increase their chances of becoming a casualty
0:27:32 > 0:27:37by taking risks. The helimed team treats them all the same.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Responding to 999 calls isn't cheap.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46It costs seven grand a day to keep the helimed choppers in the air,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service alone has an annual budget of £200.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56No-one worries about the money, of course, unless the expense could have so easily been avoided.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01On the A1 in North Yorkshire, there are reports of a major accident.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The cars will have just come out of a 50-mile-an-hour zone
0:28:04 > 0:28:06and they're up to 70 to where they are.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09This is what's probably caused the crash.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Helimed 98 is on the case.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Two cars are wrecked and several people are hurt.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22There are currently two vehicles and seven casualties.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Something in the field here. You see the red building?
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- Oh, yeah. I can see everyone with DayGlo jackets.- Yup.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36We've had you down and we're going to sit you up.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- If you kick off again, you're going back on the floor, yeah?- OK.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Police are looking after one of the patients.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43But not in the usual way.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48- Has he self-extricated from the vehicle? Was he out the vehicle when you got here?- Yeah.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53- He's been up and walking about? He's not been cooperative to any sort of treatment at this stage?- No.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57This was the driver of one of the cars.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Officers have used their CS spray to subdue him,
0:29:00 > 0:29:02while medics deal with his passengers
0:29:02 > 0:29:06and the people in the other car involved in the accident.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11Passenger in this green car here, it's just him that's got the head injury.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15This is the worst one if you want to transport.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19The green car overtook us just weaving from side to side.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23And then when we... I said, "There's something not right there."
0:29:23 > 0:29:28As we came round the corner, we just saw all the dust and smoke.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33I said, "That's the green car." We didn't realise they'd taken off the Megane as well.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37I'm just going to have a quick listen to your chest. Couple of deep breaths in.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40In and out.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45Just be wary around him.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Dealing with difficult patients is all in a day's work for paramedics,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53but it is particularly difficult when your ambulance flies at 1,500 feet.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Most of the casualties are stable.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00They'll be going to hospital for precautionary check-ups.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03But it's still involved the emergency services,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07about four ambulances, three fire engines and numerous police units.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12It's been a real stretch on the emergency services up this neck of the woods.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17The fact he has no licence may explain the erratic driving.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19I don't know, actually. Really.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I looked up and everything was fine, I looked down - that was it.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24I don't know.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Is there pain in your jaw?
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Luckily, the injured passenger from the car is placid
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and his mate is just concerned.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Is this guy green Punto?
0:30:36 > 0:30:42- Yeah. Passenger.- So the one that was showing off, he was driving, and that other kid was in the back.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Yeah. Yeah, basically.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47HE MURMURS
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- They've CS gassed him. - Have they?- Yeah.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Just what you want(!)
0:30:57 > 0:31:02The passenger is flown to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough for treatment.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07All three people in the hatchback later had a chat with my former colleagues.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Driving when you've had a drink is illegal
0:31:12 > 0:31:16and for very good reasons. Your judgement is seriously impaired.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20The flying paramedics have seen the effects far too often.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Pilot Tim Taylor is used to landing in tight spots.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31But today's landing in a suburb of Sheffield is going to be especially difficult.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36A people carrier has crashed into a wall at high speed.
0:31:36 > 0:31:37Three people are hurt.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Helimed 98 now making a landing. Over.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Luckily, Tim's got an eye for a helipad
0:31:44 > 0:31:48and he's spotted a patch of waste ground 100 metres from the crash.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Looks a little bit on a slope as well.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Yeah. He likes a challenge.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I'm just going to take my turn for the right.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01- Clear my side.- That looks good.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- The slope is going to take us down. - Yeah.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08It was good for me.
0:32:08 > 0:32:15Paramedic Sammy Wills has been beaten to the scene by a local ambulance crew.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- She says the other one is minor injury.- All right.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19- The wall impact.- Yeah.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Neil is just assessing that one. I'm just going to go round the other side.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Just relax. I'm one of the doctors. I'm going to have a quick listen on your lungs.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29We're going to listen to your chest.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34The female driver of the car is badly hurt. Police believe she has been drinking.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39All right.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41She's resisting her rescuers,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and firefighters are finding it difficult to free her.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Flying doctor Anil Hormis fears she may have a head injury.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Just open your eyes for me.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01The circumstances of the accident are confused.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04I've just found a third casualty. He's climbed out himself.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Can we just get another crew?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08The car is badly damaged,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11but the driver's condition is concerning Anil.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15We need to get her out quickly cos she's in and out of consciousness.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19- So you want her straight out? - We'll get her onto a board and anaesthetise her.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24So get this door out the way, get this back door, fold it to the floor. Happy with space?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26We've got to pop this door first.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Keep your eyes open for me, pet. Keep your eyes open.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33That's it. Well done. The door is just coming off now, OK?
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Sammy to Tim, could you bring our D-fib?
0:33:37 > 0:33:41We're going to RSI her and take control of her airway.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Bit more humane, as well as the fact she's fighting as well.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52- All right, darling.- Ready, steady, slide.- There we go.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57The team will anaesthetise the patient before they fly her.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01This is a difficult process, even in a hospital,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04but Dr Anil has done it many times before.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08I'm going to put on this mask. Take some deep breaths.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12The woman is now asleep and the team is breathing for her,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16pumping air into her lungs manually.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19She's been in a fairly horrendous car crash, as you can probably see.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23She looks like she sustained quite a significant head injury.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26We've anaesthetised her as soon as we got her out the car,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29and we'll fly her to Northern General so the trauma team can look.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32I'm just worried she's got a bleed into her brain,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35which is why we're in a bit of a rush to get her out of here.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40She's flown to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44where she is treated for what turns out to be relatively minor injuries.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49She is later arrested and charged with drink driving.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Pilot Tim gets more than his fair share of difficult patients,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and today is no exception.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59One car is down there and one car is here.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01There's the one in the field.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04On a country road,
0:35:04 > 0:35:09firefighters are trying to free the victims of a two-car crash.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Helimed 98 has been called to take one of the patients.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19It's two casualties - one's going to Worksop, one's going to Kingsmill.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20Take your pick.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Injury's to his sternum...
0:35:23 > 0:35:28A little bit of nausea on the top right side from the seatbelt area.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30It's just been pandemonium.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Try to stay still.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Open your eyes, right. Tell me where you're hurting.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37He's clearly in pain.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38Or is he?
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Paramedic Paul Bradbury has treated hundreds of people
0:35:42 > 0:35:46injured in car smashes, but this time something is different.
0:35:46 > 0:35:47What's hurting you?
0:35:47 > 0:35:49Your lower back? Right. Anywhere else?
0:35:49 > 0:35:51- MAN GROANS - Your legs hurting?
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Just say yes or no.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54- Legs? - GROANING CONTINUES
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- No. Right. Chest? - GROANING CONTINUES
0:35:57 > 0:35:59- No.- Put your legs flat, sunshine, OK.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03His patient's cries don't follow the usual pattern.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Where's that hurting?
0:36:04 > 0:36:07They can't find any injuries.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10And he appears to be concealing something in his jeans.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I'll take that bag.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15They can see part of a plastic bag.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17What's that there? MAN GROANS
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Listen, open your eyes for me. Have you taken anything?
0:36:20 > 0:36:21HE GROANS Hey?
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Honestly?
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- GROANING INTENSIFIES - The police are clearly curious, too.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29Do you see where his hands are now?
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- He's shoved them down the front of his trousers. - HE GROANS
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Does that hurt?
0:36:34 > 0:36:35No.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Let's just feel down here. Move over to your side.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Despite their suspicions, the team must treat the man
0:36:43 > 0:36:46as if he has a genuine injury. His car is certainly a mess.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Quite a horrific accident, caused by speed as well.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Have to go nice and high, guys. Right up.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59But once he's loaded on board Helimed 98,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02they decide to find out what's in his waistband.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04It could have a bearing on his condition.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06MAN GROANS
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Sure enough, there's a bag of powder.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15A few minutes ago, this was a routine car crash.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Now the police are taking a greater interest.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23Drugs can make people behave just as unpredictably as booze.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26The team is getting a police escort to hospital in Sheffield.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29- We're going to have to take one of the coppers.- Yeah.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33If you want, we'll take one of you guys with us.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35I'm just thinking if he kicks off...
0:37:35 > 0:37:38We're taking a police officer with us because we don't want
0:37:38 > 0:37:40the gentleman to kick off on their route to the hospital.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43That's just for our safety just in case he does.
0:37:44 > 0:37:51The gentleman has also got pinpoint pupils which obviously indicates some sort of drug-type overdose.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57On arrival, the man was found to have minor injuries
0:37:57 > 0:37:59and he was soon given a private room...
0:37:59 > 0:38:04in the local nick where he was charged with possession of drugs.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I'm pleased to say all our patients are now on the mend,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14although my former colleagues in the force may still have a few questions.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Now, being a flying paramedic is never easy
0:38:17 > 0:38:19as the teams found out today.
0:38:20 > 0:38:26High in Wharfedale, a major rescue operation is under way to rescue walker Tony Robinson who slipped
0:38:26 > 0:38:30and fell 40 feet down a ravine, injuring his head.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Paramedic Darren Axe has called in the military,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37a Sea King chopper with a winch on its way.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40We've completely mobilised him, obviously, with assistance
0:38:40 > 0:38:44from Cave Rescue and we're going to try and take him down that section
0:38:44 > 0:38:46of waterfall, get him into some open ground
0:38:46 > 0:38:50for when the RAF Search and Rescue team turn up from...
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Leconfield, we think, to move him from where he is now.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55One, two, three...
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Lift!
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Cave Rescue volunteers must now carry Tony down the stream
0:39:03 > 0:39:04into which he fell.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07It's a journey that's fraught with danger -
0:39:07 > 0:39:11overhanging trees mean even the RAF can't winch him up from where he fell.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16We got a call saying that the RAF were on their way as well
0:39:16 > 0:39:19so we just had to bring him down this short section
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and get him ready for the RAF.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25The Sea King helicopter from RAF Leconfield,
0:39:25 > 0:39:2970 miles away, weighs six tonnes and has a downwash to match.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34But this is still far from routine.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Winds from the surrounding hills are buffeting the chopper.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42Its pilots are having to hover in the 100 feet or so of clear air
0:39:42 > 0:39:45below the clouds and above the unforgiving rocks
0:39:45 > 0:39:47that almost killed Tony.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51But thanks to the skill of the Sea King's crew,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Tony's finally on his way to the hospital treatment
0:39:53 > 0:39:56he desperately needs.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00This gentleman has fallen 20 feet plus down this steep embankment.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03He's landed face down. He has sustained a head injury.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06He's also complaining of a lot of pain in his right hip,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08but he has had a previous hip replacement.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12We managed to get to him and stabilise him somewhat.
0:40:12 > 0:40:18He was extremely wet because he'd been in the water and probably been unconscious, but we're not sure.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24If he was any higher in this valley, we might not have been able to get to him because as you can see,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27the clouds are onto the tops of the fells
0:40:27 > 0:40:29so we were fortunate.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Within 20 minutes, 64-year-old Tony is arriving at Harrogate Hospital.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38He'd been determined to go on a walking holiday in the Dales,
0:40:38 > 0:40:43staying in his brother's caravan. But he didn't expect it to end like this.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Because of the weather, we aborted the trip were were planning
0:40:46 > 0:40:51and decided to walk down to the valley floor by the most direct route.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53It was quite steep.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59The bends were quite serious, but...
0:40:59 > 0:41:01the underfoot conditions were safe.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08Well, I thought they were safe until the point where they became distinctly unsafe for me.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12At that point, apparently I went over a rock face
0:41:12 > 0:41:14and apparently
0:41:14 > 0:41:16went over the edge and into the water.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Tony's a Yorkshireman living in Cambridge.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24He's an experienced walker who made a simple mistake.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I feel lucky. I feel stupid.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Over the year, we've warned children
0:41:32 > 0:41:34to be very careful about where they put their feet.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38And then, clumsy clot, I go and do exactly what they're not supposed to do.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42So I feel...lucky there.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44Stupid though!
0:41:44 > 0:41:45But also...
0:41:46 > 0:41:48immensely fortunate...
0:41:50 > 0:41:51..that Terry...
0:41:52 > 0:41:56..and the other people who were involved were so prompt
0:41:56 > 0:41:57with their actions.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00They're skilled at what they do.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05When Helicopter Heroes comes back...
0:42:05 > 0:42:09a truck overturns and its driver may be paralysed.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Certainly some pelvis injury, I'm sure.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Down in the woods, there's a difficult rescue for the team.
0:42:14 > 0:42:20- We're going to need assistance from the fire service.- Paramedic Glen finds the patient's a neighbour.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- I didn't know you mountain-biked! - Yeah!- And pilot Chris
0:42:22 > 0:42:26battles appalling weather to reach his patient.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28This is getting a big dodgy. Yeah.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:46 > 0:42:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk