0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're seriously ill
0:00:05 > 0:00:11or critically injured, every second counts, especially if you're up high or off the beaten track.
0:00:11 > 0:00:17But thanks to these guys, the people of the UK's biggest county are never more
0:00:17 > 0:00:23than 10 minutes away from a hospital. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance can do 150mph
0:00:23 > 0:00:27and every day brings a new life or death emergency.
0:00:46 > 0:00:52Five million people depend on these yellow helicopters to bring lifesaving 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 shop-floor accident,
0:00:59 > 0:01:05the paramedics and pilots of the Helimed team are there to rescue the casualties.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Today on Helicopter Heroes:
0:01:07 > 0:01:11a family day out ends in a car crash and a passing mum turns medic.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14They asked if we had a First Aid kit.
0:01:14 > 0:01:20A man loses his fingers in a factory accident. Can Paramedic Sammy save them?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23You do get a lot of pain,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26so I'm drawing up a second dose.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28A cyclist is badly injured.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Just going to pop you off to sleep then off to hospital.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36And the swimmer who didn't look before he leapt.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49It takes three years of hard study to qualify as a paramedic,
0:01:49 > 0:01:56seven to become a doctor and more than 10 to build up the experience needed to be an Air Ambulance pilot.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59It's a lot of expensive expertise,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02but the results can be priceless.
0:02:02 > 0:02:09The steep hill that takes holiday traffic nearly 900 feet up Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire
0:02:09 > 0:02:13is among the UK's most accident-prone A roads.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19It's blocked twice a week on average, often by drivers underestimating its 1 in 4 incline.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And today it's closed again.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Helimed 99 was refuelling at an airfield just five miles away
0:02:27 > 0:02:30when the 999 call came in.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33This is Helimed 99.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Making our way to Sutton Bank. We'll be there very shortly.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The accident's just two minutes away.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46We don't know what's involved yet. We'll be on the scene pretty quick.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48There's your visual, yeah.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54Pilot Chris Atrill has spotted a mansion with a large garden set into the hillside.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The front lawn's about to become a helipad.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Got a visual of that, mate. Close to the house.
0:03:04 > 0:03:11- I'll put you on the corner of the lawn.- OK, just watch the tail, Chris. Have a look, mate.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- That's all right.- Cool.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- Just watch. A bit to the left. - No worries.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The smash has happened halfway up the hill.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29A family hatchback has been in a collision with a tractor.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34The car was carrying a family of five to a day out at an amusement park.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40Three children are injured. Helimed 99 are the first medics on scene, but they already have help.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45We need a couple of vehicles. Get two vehicles coming.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Mum-of-two Sarah Quinn was returning home after a camping break
0:03:50 > 0:03:53when she came across the accident.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57She's having trouble with her stomach.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Sarah's been cradling five-year-old Samia in her arms.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I think it's hurting inside. This gentleman's going to help you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11- There's no one else? Just the children?- These two people,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15two adults, four children... We pulled up after the crash.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Hello. I'm Simon.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Where does it hurt?
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Oh, there. Oh, dear.
0:04:24 > 0:04:31Samia's complaining that her tummy hurts. Children are particularly at risk from internal injuries.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's sore here? Are you OK?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Take a big breath like you're blowing a balloon up.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Oh, good girl. Well done.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'm not going to hurt. I just want a quick tickle of your tummy. OK?
0:04:45 > 0:04:52Sutton Bank is wet and slippery today. The weather's been a factor in the accident.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57We saw the tractor come round the bend, but we lost it, then it was seconds.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01We just jumped out and got the kids out of the car
0:05:01 > 0:05:06and just wrapped them up, just to keep them calm, really.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10We were about five cars behind and just saw the queue of traffic.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Somebody asked if we had a First Aid kit, so I went down.
0:05:14 > 0:05:21The children were bleeding, so I took hold of Samia and just cuddled her, really,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25talked to her, kept her off the wet floor. Horrible.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29The little girl's mum and dad are shocked and hurt themselves
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and have been caring for Samia's two sisters and their nephew.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Chest is hurting, abdo's all right, pelvis is fine,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40good movement of limbs.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46Flying doctor Simon Ward fears Samia nay have a serious internal injury.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Look what I've got here. Can I listen to your breakfast?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53OK? It doesn't hurt.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57OK? You're ever so good. It's a bit cold.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Big breath like a balloon. Good girl. And another one.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07Excellent. Now let's listen for that breakfast.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12The team must be sure to prioritise the most serious patients.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- We need another board, a collar. - Yep, for this one?
0:06:16 > 0:06:21- Yeah, she's pale. Spleen's gone. - Spleen?- I think so.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- They badly need extra help. - I wanted to get a board and collar.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36- Coming up: they get reinforcements as the first child heads to hospital.- The most serious patient.
0:06:36 > 0:06:43- A cyclist suffers serious head injuries.- It's a case of getting him to definitive care now at Leeds.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And a man seriously injured cooling off in the heatwave.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51There's a skin flap to his head and C-spine pain.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11For the Ambulance Service, time is critical and, in some cases,
0:07:11 > 0:07:18the speed these guys react can make the difference between a lifetime of disability and a good recovery.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Emergencies don't come much more urgent than today's.
0:07:23 > 0:07:29There's been a 999 call about an industrial accident at a factory near Pontefract.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34A gentleman apparently cut three of his fingers off.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36We'll see when we get there.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41We're hoping to take this patient to Leeds General Infirmary.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- If they're not able to accept him, Pinderfields is nearest.- OK.
0:07:45 > 0:07:52With modern surgical techniques, fingers can be reattached, but it's got to be done quickly.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54ETA 10 minutes.
0:07:54 > 0:08:00Pilot Chris Atrill grew up in Australia where they had a robust attitude to accidents.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- Somebody did that at school on the old metal lathe...- No!
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The chopper's touching down in a delivery yard.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Clear of the posts at the rear.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Stay right, rear.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- Good. Thank you very much. - Good to go.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Patient Chris Hewitt is already being treated by a ground ambulance.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Hello, chaps. How are we doing?
0:08:25 > 0:08:30This is Chris Hewitt, 40-year-old gentleman. He trapped his fingers.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Those three have gone. One's hanging on, we've got two on some ice.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Brilliant. - He's had some Tramadol.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- Let's show t'dog to t'rabbit. - Don't you look, sweetie.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51This gentleman, it looks like he has amputated some fingers.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55He's got quite a lot of pain. We're just cleaning him up
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and getting better pain relief. And then we'll take him.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05The time it takes to get him and his severed fingers to hospital is critical.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10Two have been cut clean off and his little finger is barely attached.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16- He's in pain and the first priority is to ease it.- Just confirm with me, morphine sulphate.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- In date, Feb '12. - Yeah, that's right.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Just going to give you some nice strong medicine now.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26That is morphine, 10mil.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Chris is remarkably calm and worried about his watch!
0:09:33 > 0:09:39- Your watch is going to have to come off, kid.- That's my favourite! - Is it your favourite?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- It's not your Rolex, though. - Not a Rolex?- No.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47James is alerting the micro-surgery team at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Their experts at treating injuries like this.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55He's a 40-year-old, stable and we'll be with you in approximately...
0:09:55 > 0:09:5915 minutes. ..Have we got the fingers to hand?
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Yes, in there.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06- They're in... - They're in a bag, are they?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Originally, they were just in a bag. I've put them in them.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- Decent lengths?- Yeah, they are.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Fingers and hands, there's so many nerve endings, you get lots of pain,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21so I'm drawing up a second dose should we need it in flight.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27We are only going to be minutes to loading him, but it's just belt and braces.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Left hand, three fingers.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I'm left-handed an' all.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37The advantage of going to Leeds is there's specialist surgeons there.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42What we want them to do is we've got the option of reattaching them
0:10:42 > 0:10:45because it's happening so quick.
0:10:45 > 0:10:5140-year-old Chris's workmates haven't panicked - they collected up his fingers,
0:10:51 > 0:10:57- wrapped them in plastic and put them in ice. - The little finger's hanging on.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00But the bone's all stuck out and everything.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03That's great. Thank you very much.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- The patient won't want to see that. - They've done a great job,
0:11:07 > 0:11:13but Sammy's worried they're too cold. Ice burns are a problem. They can kill healthy tissue.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18This is the gentleman's finger. I'll get rid of half of the ice.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26Then it won't fall out. At the moment, technically, it could receive an ice burn.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- Been in a helicopter before?- No. - It gets really noisy.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36Chris is in shock, but time is ticking by. James knows every lost minute reduces the chances
0:11:36 > 0:11:38of a successful graft.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Coming up: can doctors reattach Chris's severed fingers? He'll know in the next hour.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55Help arrives as the team are overwhelmed by the number of patients from a car crash.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57That's better.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01And the swimmer who didn't look before he leapt.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Helimed crews are all volunteers.
0:12:22 > 0:12:29Paramedics are paid by the NHS, but some of the flying doctors actually give their time for free.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Two wheels may be the greenest way to get around on the roads,
0:12:33 > 0:12:40but it's also among the most dangerous and Helimed 99 is going to an accident all paramedics dread.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Car versus cyclist.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46If the person is unconscious, it's generally a head injury.
0:12:46 > 0:12:5325-year-old Ben Walker was thrown from his bike and landed on his head. He looks like he may have
0:12:53 > 0:12:57a serious head injury, despite his helmet.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03On the crew today is Dr Jez Pinnell, a hospital anaesthetist. His skills are badly needed.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09He's been unconscious since he came off the bike. He went straight over the handlebars.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13He's reacting a bit more now to pain. He's quite agitated.
0:13:13 > 0:13:20Ben is refusing to co-operate with his rescuers. It's behaviour that is completely out of character.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- Ben?- The patient was out for a spin on his new bike.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29He was wearing all the right gear and that probably saved his life.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32His helmet shows the force of the impact.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37The guy was really agitated. He's sustained nasty head injuries.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Pupils equal and reactive at 5.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- Has he spoke to you at all?- No. - Ben? Ben?
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Open your eyes, mate. Ben, stick your tongue out for me.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54I need to know you can hear me. Stick your tongue out if you can.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02The ground paramedics were with Ben within minutes of his fall on a quiet road outside Sheffield.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06They began the battle to stabilise his condition.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11Now it's up to the Helimed team to get him to hospital.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15- He's agitated.- Right. We would put him off to sleep...
0:14:15 > 0:14:21Ben's showing all the signs of a brain injury. Patients with injuries like his can get agitated
0:14:21 > 0:14:25and difficult to control. In the air, that's dangerous.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Straighten this arm out for me, Ben.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33That's it, Ben.
0:14:33 > 0:14:39Dr Jez faces anaesthetising his patient where he lies.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44Just drawing up something to sedate him. He's quite agitated.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48We can't get him out of that position to lie him flat.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54We need him flat to pop him off to sleep, so we'll give him something to numb him up a bit
0:14:54 > 0:14:58to get him in position to anaesthetise him.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04- You're absolutely fine.- We need to take over his respiration.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08We get the lung so we do it instead of the patient.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Once Jez has anaesthetised him, all respiratory effort will stop.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15We have to breathe for him.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Now under sedation, Ben's about to be anaesthetised.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25He won't wake up until hospital doctors are satisfied his brain isn't damaged or has recovered.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And that could be days or weeks.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Ben?
0:15:31 > 0:15:36We're just going to pop you off to sleep and get you to hospital. OK?
0:15:37 > 0:15:43This is a procedure Dr Jez performs daily in hospital, but this is a long way from an operating theatre.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Luckily, Paramedics Glen and Tony are trained to assist.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Can you check his pupils?
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Just get this thing off his head.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59A breathing tube must be carefully slipped down Ben's windpipe.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It's a delicate operation.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07Tube.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11There's quite a lot of blood in his airways.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But they've done it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'It went quite smoothly for the side of a road.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Patient's now sedated. We can maintain an airway.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27The accident's happened a few miles from Sheffield's Northern General Hospital and its Trauma Unit,
0:16:27 > 0:16:34but sometimes the Helimed team bypass local hospitals to deliver patients to a specialist unit.
0:16:34 > 0:16:41Ben will instead be flown 40 miles to Leeds General Infirmary and its state-of-the-art neurological ward.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47It's a case of getting definitive care now at Leeds, which is where the Neuro ICU unit is.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Ultimately, that's the place he needs to be to have a look at his head.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57The decision's a medical one, but it's unlikely to upset pilot Steve.
0:16:57 > 0:17:03The LGI has a rooftop helipad. The Northern General's landing site, like many more in Yorkshire,
0:17:03 > 0:17:10requires a tricky landing in the middle of trees and a bumpy land ambulance ride for the patient.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16The worry with patients like this is bleeding in the brain. That can be taken out by an operation.
0:17:16 > 0:17:23The quicker you get that done, the better. Not having to have a secondary transfer from hospital
0:17:23 > 0:17:25is a really good thing.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31Ben's now minutes away from specialist care, but brain injuries are hard to diagnose
0:17:31 > 0:17:36and only time will reveal the seriousness of his condition.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42It's six months since the accident that nearly killed him
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and Ben meets Paramedic Tony Wilkes, one of the team who saved his life.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50My first real memories are really vague.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I remember phoning people up and then forgetting.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It took a long time for friends, family and doctors to convince me
0:17:58 > 0:18:00that anything was wrong with me.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I didn't see any cuts or bruises.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06It had been a long time. I didn't know what was going on.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12It was only when I couldn't walk I realised I wasn't doing so well.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Your reduced levels of consciousness suggested that you had a bad head injury.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21There's a big debate about whether cycle helmets are worth it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26I've been to so many where they've saved people.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30I've been lucky. I haven't needed a great deal of treatment.
0:18:30 > 0:18:36I've got a problem with my neck and back, but they operated on my face after the accident
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and for a couple of months I did a lot of work with psychologists
0:18:40 > 0:18:45and speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, et cetera.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51Medically, I was sort of declared brain dead at the scene of the accident.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58I believe people were phoned and told it was hit and miss whether I would make it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I think having the right team with the skills to do what they did,
0:19:03 > 0:19:10probably means I lasted longer than perhaps they thought I would and managed to make a recovery.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20Coming up: surgeons operate on a man who lost his fingers.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Can you talk to me?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26And a teenager is struck dumb after a bizarre canoeing accident.
0:19:32 > 0:19:40Now let's return to the scene of that serious accident on a steep hill in North Yorkshire.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42On the edge of the North York moors,
0:19:42 > 0:19:49the crew of Helimed 99 are caring for the casualties of a serious accident. A family of five
0:19:49 > 0:19:53have been badly injured in a crash with a tractor.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56She's injured her abdomen.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02I'm going to get her flat on the board, get some oxygen on, pain relief and off to hospital.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Now ground crews are arriving.
0:20:04 > 0:20:11Paramedic Pete Shaw is based 20 miles away, but he was just down the road when the 999 call came in.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- Now he's joining the rescue operation.- This car here.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18There's been side impact.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22All passengers were restrained, but not in paediatric seats.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27- Right.- The little girl looks like she has a spleen injury.- Right.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Lee's just assessing the other kids. They seem fine.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Dad's there and a little girl. They all seem fine.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Five-year-old Samia Udin is the most serious casualty.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45Into the bed now. Oh, you're doing ever so well. We'll get a blanket to keep you warm.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49I've got air. It's a special necklace that goes right round.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51OK...
0:20:53 > 0:20:58Holidaymaker Sarah Quinn has been looking after her.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00She's not really answered.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05Paramedic Pete is helping Lee care for six-year-old Sanjida.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Six.- Six?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Sorry, six.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14They're worried about this deep cut to her head.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Samia's dad Nizar was driving the family's car.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25I've had a good look at her and she's obviously wide awake...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Little Tia, who's just two, is also hurt.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34- When she's had the seatbelt on, it's just bruised her tummy, so we'll take her to hospital.- Right.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Because I want her to be seen by the doctors there quickly.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44- He's absolutely fine. He's just getting a check-over and giving all the details.- That'll do...
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Sanjida and Samia are now ready for a flight to hospital.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's time for Sarah to say goodbye to Samia.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Take care.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Her mum is now sheltering her from the rain, although she herself is hurt.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05We've got a second helicopter coming. It's just a case of landing sites at the moment.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11We're keeping ours. Ours is the most serious patient, so we want quick access once she's stabilised.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15The other helicopter will have to land a bit further down the road.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19The Great North Air Ambulance has been called in to fly Sanjida.
0:22:21 > 0:22:28Doctors at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough are already on standby to examine both girls.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Coming up, doctors assess Samia's condition
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and her rescuer waits for news.
0:22:39 > 0:22:46As a mother, it hit me how awful it was and how scared they were. She was absolutely petrified.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49And in the heatwave, a swim ends in agony.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52He came back up and had blood all over his face.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Imagine losing your fingers!
0:23:11 > 0:23:15It's the nightmare faced by one man after an accident at work
0:23:15 > 0:23:19and he's just about to find out if the doctors can graft them back on.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26Factory worker Chris Hewitt has severed three fingers while using an industrial saw.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30His little finger is only just attached to his hand
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and his ring and middle fingers have been cut clean off.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40What we've got at the moment is that little finger just in between your knuckle and your finger.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43That was a partial amputation and these two are just here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47The fingers that have come off look in good nick.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52This is where Helimed 98 comes into its own. Chris is minutes from surgery.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58But James is still pumping him for information. The smallest details can help the surgeons.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03- Is it like a saw or a circular, spinning...?- A circular saw.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- I thought it had gone back and I went to pull one forward.- Ouch!
0:24:07 > 0:24:09My hand's gone into the blade.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15The saw that removed his fingers made a clean cut. That's good.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20But the accident happened on a factory floor. Infection is a real risk and that's bad.
0:24:20 > 0:24:27There's going to be a lot of people here who are wanting to have a look at you. Just try and be patient.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Six floors below the Leeds General Infirmary helipad,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34an operating theatre is already being prepared for Chris.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Afternoon.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42Microsurgeons can now re-connect severed nerves and tiny blood vessels,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45but it's more art than science.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48You're just going in to see the doctors now.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52The team don't know whether Chris has seen the last of his fingers.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Nice and steady, pal. Just swing your legs across first. That's it.
0:24:56 > 0:25:02This is Christopher, 40-year-old male, been on a cross-cutter like a circular saw that cuts wood.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04He got his hand in between it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10He's got a full amputation proximal to his IPJ on his ring and middle finger
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and partial amputation on his little finger.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Fingers have both been on ice since amputation.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Within an hour of his arrival, Chris was being operated on.
0:25:20 > 0:25:27Surgeons devised a complex repair using what was left of his fingers and skin taken from his arm.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30And three days later, he's out of danger.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35If they hadn't got me here as fast as they did and my fingers,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38they probably wouldn't have got them back on.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42My middle finger and my ring finger were severed fully off.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I damaged that one there.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48So they had to do skin grafts, nerve and vein graft,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50on them two, I think.
0:25:50 > 0:25:56I got a skin graft off my arm and off the top of my leg and veins and nerves out of my feet.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02It could take up to 12 months to get my feeling back, but I'll never have full movement on it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:08I'll never be able to make a fist like that. She said I'll be able to do that at most, but not that,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11which I'm happy with. As long as my fingers are there.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I'd sooner have fingers there than none at all.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19But it'll get there eventually. I'll just keep persevering with it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Chris still remembers the moment he realised he'd lost his fingers.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I felt the pain, so I knew I'd done some damage.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So I've cut my hand, my left hand,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and I shouted to my friend.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Then I looked and I saw my finger on t'bench.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41I just said, "Get my finger and make sure it goes on some ice."
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It's still touch and go for Chris.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Re-attachment can fail.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48But three weeks after the accident,
0:26:48 > 0:26:53he's back at the LGI to have his hand examined by the doctors who saved it.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- How are things going?- Looking good.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00The fingers that Christopher brought in were in good condition.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03The little finger was still attached on,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05so we could fix that on with a wire.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09The middle and ring fingers had good bone structure.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And he had good blood vessels and tendons,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16so it was possible to put them back on and we were lucky that worked.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Sometimes it stings a little bit, but it's not something I can't cope with.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I've not had really any pain from it at all, from doing it.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29The downside is that some of his knuckles have been fused,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32so he'll lose a bit of movement with that.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Unfortunately, he had cut them off through the joint,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so we couldn't save the joint surface there.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43But he's done really well so far and it'll be over to rehabilitation
0:27:43 > 0:27:49with the physiotherapist and the occupational therapist to try and get as much movement as possible.
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Coming up, hospital doctors start work on the family whose day out ended in a terrible accident.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11Heat can take its toll on the fittest person if you fail to take sensible precautions
0:28:11 > 0:28:15like drinking plenty of water and seeking shelter from the sun.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18But those things are often easier said than done.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It's the beginning of the holiday season
0:28:21 > 0:28:26and thousands of tourists head for the sun from Leeds Bradford Airport.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31If they had known how hot it would be at home, they might have not bothered booking.
0:28:31 > 0:28:38It's approaching 30 degrees Celsius and across the runway, the Helimed team is feeling the heat too.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44'Police are advising the patient has a serious back injury and is also complaining of chest pain.'
0:28:45 > 0:28:49At least Helimed 99 is heading for the beach today.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53A policeman riding a quad bike has been badly hurt in an accident
0:28:53 > 0:28:56in the dunes at Formby beach in Lancashire.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Quad bikers can tend to come off
0:28:58 > 0:29:02because they tip their bikes over backwards,
0:29:02 > 0:29:07so they go up a hill that's too steep, lean back and pull the bike over on top of them.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12Helimed 99 to Coastguard Rescue Team. Are you receiving? Over.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17'This is the Coastguard down on the beach. If you'd like to spin your way round
0:29:17 > 0:29:23'and make your way north along the front of the beach, our units are on the beach.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27'There is two vehicles and a quad headed in your direction. Over.'
0:29:27 > 0:29:31These sands are very popular in hot weather
0:29:31 > 0:29:37and the cop was being trained to carry out summer patrols on the sand when the accident happened.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40His colleagues fear he's broken his back.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44The west coast has some of the UK's fastest rising tides,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48so pilot Andy's not shutting down the engines just in case.
0:29:49 > 0:29:55We have four quad bikes and a Land Rover to patrol the beach to reassure the public.
0:29:55 > 0:30:01Unfortunately, one of our officers has gone over the handlebars of his quad bike. I just hope he's OK.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06So while Al and Tony are working out how to treat their patient,
0:30:06 > 0:30:11Andy must keep a weather eye on the tide and the other on his instrument panel.
0:30:11 > 0:30:17We've got a male with a probable spinal injury. I'll get back with some specific details shortly.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22But we'll take this patient to Southport Hospital which has got a spinal unit.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27Luckily, the injured cop has been well cared for by local paramedics,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30so he'll soon be ready for his flight.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Doctors are already preparing to scan his spine.
0:30:33 > 0:30:39Whatever the outcome of those tests, he's unlikely to be patrolling the sands this summer.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43When the heat is on, it's tempting to cool off in water.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46But beware, that has its dangers too.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52The people of Yorkshire are choosing ever more unusual places to cool off.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57Now Helimed 98 is on the way to a nature reserve where there's been a nasty accident.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01One of the jobs suggested this morning was that we'd be going
0:31:01 > 0:31:03to one of the inland waterways
0:31:03 > 0:31:07for an incident with people trying to cool off in this very nice weather.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Flying doctor Ben Wyatt's skills could be badly needed.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15With any head injury, you have to suspect a spine injury.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17It's called the mechanism of injury
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and it's not uncommon with these diving incidents,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24so with the recovery, we have to be careful.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Ground paramedics fear 24-year-old Brett Roberts has broken his neck.
0:31:28 > 0:31:35They called in the chopper because moving him by road across uneven ground could worsen the injury.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Keep nice and still for us, mate.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Brett dived into a pool that's much more shallow than it looks.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45People here have said he's had about half a can of alcohol.
0:31:45 > 0:31:51He dived straight in and hit his head. He's got a 10, 15 centimetre laceration.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54We've only just come down. He just jumped over t'fence.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58He jumped in, then came back up and had blood all over his face.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Then he managed to swim out
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and we just all got to him.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Then we just phoned you straight away.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Fairburn Ings is a legacy of the local mining industry.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Now it's a bird reserve, but dozens of local people have come here to cool off.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22- So he jumped maybe two metres into the water?- Well, it used to be deep.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Ready, steady, roll.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Lovely.
0:32:26 > 0:32:33We all went to the corner and got him out, then we just rang you up to come and pick him up.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38We didn't know what else to do. We just laid him down and applied pressure to his cut.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43His symptoms are worrying. Tingling or numbness can be signs of spinal damage.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- Wiggle your feet for me.- The Helimed team isn't taking any chances.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52Brett will be flown direct to a spinal unit for X-rays and a scan.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55He's got quite a large scalp laceration.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59But that doesn't... That shouldn't be life-threatening.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03We're just more concerned about his cervical spine at this stage.
0:33:03 > 0:33:10He's had some tingling sensations in one hand, so we take all precautions until it's proved otherwise.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Paramedic Glen likes to keep his bedside manner cheerful,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17even when the injuries could be very serious.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21I'll shine a little torch in. Just keep looking at me. I know I'm ugly.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24You don't have to agree so readily!
0:33:24 > 0:33:30But paramedic Pete is spelling out symptoms that will ring alarm bells in A&E.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33He's complaining of C-spine pain
0:33:33 > 0:33:39and complaining of some sensory deficit in both arms.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44He's reacting to stimulation, but he says both arms feel heavy.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52In less than five minutes, their patient will be in expert hands.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57Pinderfields Hospital at Wakefield has its own spinal unit.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Your neck's really hurting? It won't help being on that board, but we'll get you straight in.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08- Can you still wiggle those feet for me? OK. Can you touch both your hands together?- Yeah.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13- Can you feel yourself doing that? - Yeah.- Have you got any pins and needles anywhere?
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- In my arms a little bit. - A little bit in your arms?
0:34:17 > 0:34:21The team knows one careless moment could alter Brett's life for ever.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25The next 24 hours will reveal the truth, but he's lucky.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30Apart from a very nasty cut to his head, his neck is just bruised.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37With the right precautions, water sports are a great way to cool off.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43And the heatwave has come at just the right time for the lucky schools enjoying adventure training
0:34:43 > 0:34:48at the Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52But there's one teenager wishing he'd never got into a canoe today
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and paramedic Kate Drye is on her way to meet him.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59We've just had a call to go to Rother Valley Country Park,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03which is really near where we're based in Sheffield, for a canoeist
0:35:03 > 0:35:07who has come out of his canoe and may be unconscious.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- It's where the water is? - That's the one, yeah.
0:35:10 > 0:35:1616-year-old Joel Hassan was knocked out when his canoe flipped up and hit him on the head.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Can I see a spinal board on that motor boat, Kate?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Uh...
0:35:22 > 0:35:25- Yeah, it looks like it, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Do you want to stick it somewhere down there, Andy, and we'll ask?
0:35:29 > 0:35:34It's going to be down there somewhere. It's whether he's in the water or not.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Teachers saw the bizarre accident happen.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43What he's done is he's capsized out of his canoe, banged his head.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48- He's been unconscious for about two minutes.- Is he still unconscious? - Not now, no.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52He's conscious. He's responding to me talking to him...
0:35:52 > 0:35:57Joel was lucky his accident was seen. He was on deep water when it happened.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03He was in the water floating about. We said, "Are you all right?" He said, "Yeah, I'm OK."
0:36:03 > 0:36:07He went quiet and that's not like Joel, so we knew something was wrong.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11You were out paddling and you were paddling along with your friend.
0:36:11 > 0:36:17- He slipped. It would seem he hit his head on the boat, rather than the paddle.- He hit his head on the boat.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- So he's not been under the water at all at any time?- Definitely not.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25But he did go out cold for maybe about a minute and a half.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29But Kate's worried about Joel's unwillingness to communicate.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It's out of character and an unusual symptom.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Joel, can you talk to me? Do you know whereabouts you are?
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Can you remember anything that's happened?
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- You can?- Joel, don't nod your head. Try and say yes or no.
0:36:44 > 0:36:50Try and keep it nice and still. Can you tell me where you are? Can you speak to me?
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Give it a go? What's your date of birth?
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Can you tell me how old you are?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Joel is still not talking.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- Has he spoken to you since...?- No.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Before all this happened, is he normally quite compos mentis?
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Yes. You're one of my brightest students, aren't you? On a good day!
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Keep your head still for us, Joel. Have you got any pain anywhere?
0:37:14 > 0:37:17But at last, Kate gets an answer.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Have you got any pain in your chest or your tummy?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Can you tell me where it's hurting?
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- In my head.- In your head?
0:37:27 > 0:37:33Can you just give Sheffield Children's a ring and see if they're happy to take a 16-year-old?
0:37:33 > 0:37:40Helimed 98 took less than three minutes to respond to the 999 call from instructors at the park.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43The speed of the team's response surprised everyone.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48We were just getting over to the side and we heard the helicopter.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53And you're thinking, "That can't be the helicopter yet." And it turned out it was.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Yeah, it's very speedy.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Less than 20 minutes after his accident, Joel is being examined by doctors.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05They'll diagnose concussion and little more.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10It was his first time canoeing, but he's keen to try it again.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14And a few weeks later, Joel is back at Rother Valley,
0:38:14 > 0:38:19recovered from the concussion that followed his accident, this time staying upright.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24He has few memories of the half hour following the blow to his head.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28I went to turn and I just tipped over in the canoe.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Cos I landed feet first, my head was still up
0:38:31 > 0:38:34and the canoe just landed on top of me.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36I don't remember anything else,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39apart from waking up in the helicopter.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43I'm grateful for everyone that was here
0:38:43 > 0:38:48and that gave it the time to help me and the helicopter people that came.
0:38:48 > 0:38:54I'm just glad that it all went the way it did cos it could have been a lot worse.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59I'm pleased to tell you all our patients have recovered from the heatwave.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Now let's catch up on the family caught up in a serious road accident on a day out.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08On a steep hill near the market town of Thirsk,
0:39:08 > 0:39:14the flying paramedics are preparing to take off with the young victim of a serious car crash.
0:39:14 > 0:39:21Holidaymaker Sarah Quinn has been looking after five-year-old Samia. Now she's on her way to hospital.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27The Great North Air Ambulance will take her six-year-old sister Sanjida to the same unit.
0:39:27 > 0:39:33You're doing ever so well. I know it's very noisy. That's the other helicopter for your sister, OK?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Mum's just coming in a minute, OK?
0:39:38 > 0:39:43Pilot Chris landed in a back garden of a house just off the busy A170.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45No-one was in.
0:39:45 > 0:39:51The dents three tonnes of chopper have left in the lawn may cause some confusion when they get home.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55We think she's got an abdominal injury.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Her tummy's been injured by the seatbelt, but she's stable.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02She's had strong pain relief and she seems much more settled.
0:40:02 > 0:40:09Samia could be very badly hurt. She's told flying doctor Simon Ward that her tummy's hurting.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12He fears she could have internal injuries.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16We're just getting her to one of the trauma centres as soon as possible,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19so that she can be further evaluated.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24The James Cook Hospital is home to one of the north's best trauma units.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29In a few minutes, Samia will be undergoing tests and scans on her tummy.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Normally, we'd land on the helipad.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35This time we've landed on the grass to make way for the other helicopter.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39We've left them on the scene with the second patient.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43They'll be able to land on the helipad. They're a wheeled aircraft
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and we've got skids, so it just allows us a bit more flexibility.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Her six-year-old sister Sanjida is just minutes behind her.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56Despite the huge forces involved in the crash, there's a happy ending.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Neither sister has more than cuts and bruises.
0:40:59 > 0:41:05And the family is soon reunited to the relief of holidaymaker Sarah Quinn
0:41:05 > 0:41:11whose reassuring presence helped all the victims in the first minutes after the crash.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16It was quite a shocking scene to see and they were so upset and all covered in blood.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19It was really, really horrible.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23The child that I went to was a very similar age to my son who's five.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26It was just harrowing to see how upset she was.
0:41:26 > 0:41:33As a mother, it just really hit me how awful it was and how scared they were.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35She was absolutely petrified.
0:41:35 > 0:41:42Her eyes kept lolling back in her head and I was really worried that something was seriously wrong.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46I was just holding this tiny child and she just seemed so fragile
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and so in pain and she was crying, she was hurting.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It was just...just awful.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56The accident has left Sarah with traumatic memories of the crash
0:41:56 > 0:41:59on one of Yorkshire's busiest holiday routes.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Our friends have invited us to go to the east coast in a couple of months.
0:42:03 > 0:42:09We're going to go, but we're going to take a different route. There's no way I'll go on Sutton Bank again.
0:42:09 > 0:42:16And Samia's family say they'll never forget the stranger who cared for their little girl.
0:42:16 > 0:42:22That's all from me for this series. I'll be back next year with more stories of real-life rescues,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26carried out by Yorkshire's Helicopter Heroes. Thanks for watching.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2010
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk