0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're seriously ill or critically injured up here,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08your life is in real danger.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Complaining of severe pain.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Mid-30s, been ejected from a vehicle.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Hospital's an hour away by road
0:00:16 > 0:00:19and speed is the only thing that can save you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Yeah, roger, Helimed 99 is en route to you, over.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly-trained paramedics
0:00:25 > 0:00:27are scrambled 1,000 times a year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Tell me exactly what's happened.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32A small child on the path, they've cut the corner and ran over him.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39That's not a suitable landing site. This one here is.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Welcome to the life and death world of the Helicopter Heroes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09a rambler's badly hurt after a bizarre attack
0:01:09 > 0:01:11by a herd of cows.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15One up and ran forward, put its nose underneath my wife's backside
0:01:15 > 0:01:16and flipped her into the air.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I don't think we're going to get down there.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22There's a major rescue operation high in the Peak District.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Where's the pain? Round the back of your head?
0:01:24 > 0:01:28A new life in the country leaves some newcomers seriously injured.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31One on a horse, one on a pushbike.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The horse basically jumped over the gentleman on the pushbike.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And why this woman owes this man her life.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Millions enjoy the right to roam the English countryside.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53They come to enjoy the peace, the quiet and the beauty.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55But behind these hedgerows lurks a danger
0:01:55 > 0:01:58few bother to give a second thought.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02The hillsides of the Yorkshire Dales
0:02:02 > 0:02:05are a vital part of a multi-million pound industry
0:02:05 > 0:02:08with a worldwide reputation.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10And this is the workforce.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Every day, thousands of cows produce hundreds of gallons of milk
0:02:15 > 0:02:18to make Wensleydale cheese.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20It's a major export business,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23making the market town of Hawes the cheese capital of the North.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29But today, one herd is at the centre of an unusual emergency.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33We've been called to an incident near Lofthouse up in North Yorkshire.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Apparently, somebody's been trampled on by some cows.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39We're not quite sure of the injuries as yet.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42We've had problems before where people have been trampled by cows.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45You can get quite substantial trauma injuries from it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Irene Pitham and her husband Mike
0:02:48 > 0:02:51were on a walking holiday in the Dales.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Now she's lying seriously injured in a field.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Local paramedics are already on the scene
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and farm workers are trying to keep the cows at bay.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01We were walking across the field
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and the cows with their calves came towards us.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08They seemed to ease back and then one of them ran forwards
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and just put its nose underneath my wife's backside
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and flipped her into the air.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17She went right over the top and then, thump, hit the ground
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and then didn't move. And I just feared the worst.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23She didn't seem to be breathing or anything.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Irene has a nasty head injury.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Cows are especially aggressive when they have calves.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34They're thought to have reacted to the Pithams' dog, Cassie.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I've got a chopper coming down.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41But now the cows are a problem for pilot Steve Cobb.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42If he's not careful,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46he could spook them into returning to the area where Irene is lying.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Just this side of it, there's a wall here.- Yeah.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Just this side of the building. - Yeah.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Steve's making sure he lands behind the team's patient
0:03:58 > 0:04:02so that if the chopper scares the cows, they'll run away from Irene.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Out walking their dog, by the looks of it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Are you going to hop out? - Yeah, mate, yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14It's less than 15 minutes since the 999 call.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Saves climbing over, like we normally have to do!
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And now Irene has four paramedics to take care of her,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24despite the fact they're in a remote area of Nidderdale.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Right, how we doing?- Hello.- Hiya.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30This is Irene. She's landed pretty much this position.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32She's managed to put her arm underneath her to hold herself up.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38A mature cow can weigh half a ton and, because muscle makes meat,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41they have been bred to have the strength to match their bulk.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Irene's taken the full force of it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Apparently the cow did
0:04:45 > 0:04:46toss her up into the air,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48so she's been thrown quite a distance,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52so there's potential for all sorts of other, internal injuries.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54How much pain are you in, Irene?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- It's just this shoulder. - Just this left shoulder.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00The Helimed team have been to fatal incidents like this.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04They know their patient's injuries could be life threatening.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- Just try and relax there.- OK, no pain in your hips at all?- No.- OK.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15The Pithams are experienced ramblers and knew cows could be dangerous
0:05:15 > 0:05:18but the attack took both of them by surprise.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21I don't think people realise,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but a good half-ton of angry beefburger can be pretty dangerous
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and lots of people get injured every year, and killed, by cows,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30especially when they've got their young with them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35And especially if you've got a dog with you. I think the advice
0:05:35 > 0:05:38is, if you're in that situation, that you're supposed to let your dog go.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41And the cows will chase your dog, not you.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44But obviously, people's reaction is to protect their pets
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and I think this is probably what's happened in this case.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Irene's lying where she fell,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52but Tony's concerned the impact with the ground
0:05:52 > 0:05:54could have damaged her back or neck.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57She's going to be carefully rolled onto a spinal board
0:05:57 > 0:05:58to protect her spine.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03What you need to do now is relax and let us move you, OK?
0:06:03 > 0:06:06On three. One, two, three.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09SHE GROANS
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- That's it.- OK, just relax. Just relax.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15The cows are still only yards away
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and the team know animals can return to trample injured victims.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22They want their patient and their colleagues
0:06:22 > 0:06:25out of the field as quickly as possible.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40This helicopter can deliver lifesaving care quickly,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43to places ordinary ambulances could never reach.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46But some patients are injured in places SO remote
0:06:46 > 0:06:50they are beyond the help even of the Helimed team.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54The Peak District has some of the most spectacular scenery
0:06:54 > 0:06:56in the country.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00And the most rugged terrain attracts the most adventurous people.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Today, a walker from Cornwall has fallen nearly 20 feet
0:07:03 > 0:07:05down a steep, rocky gully.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11On the land and in the air, help is on its way.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14We're on the way down to the Peak District.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16We think it's a climber that's fallen about 10 feet.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20We've since managed to get an update from Mountain Rescue in that area,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and it appears he may have sustained quite serious head injuries.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Kinder Scout is the highest mountain in the Peak District,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32a vast plateau covering more than 5,000 acres.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Finding someone stuck in a gully around here isn't an easy job.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- The right sort of area.- Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44We've got a Mountain Rescue vehicle coming up about five o'clock,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46by the looks of things.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Can't identify it, so you know, though there are two members
0:07:50 > 0:07:54of looks like Mountain Rescue walking up the path in this valley.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00I've directed them in towards where we believe the casualty site to be
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and they're hovering about now.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Dave Mason's gone up that way. We're definitely in the right area.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11More than a dozen Mountain Rescue volunteers have turned out,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but it's a long trek from the valley bottom.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20Yeah, I've got a reference, right at the bottom of the sheer terrain.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Meanwhile, the crew of Helimed 98
0:08:24 > 0:08:27think they've finally found where they need to be.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34Right now, they're below us, yeah. Bloke with the red top on.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37But now they need to work out how to get to their patient.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I don't think we're going to get down there.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Steve lands the helicopter at the top of the steep valley.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But the heather and moorland peat is causing problems.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Feel like it's sinking? - A little bit, yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57- Shall I just check the rear, Steve? - Yeah, if you would, mate.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Yeah, we're fine at that. It looks fine.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03It's stuck into the heather, but nothing other than that.
0:09:08 > 0:09:1398, we're looking at access where we are, up at the top of this ravine.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I don't think we're going to get anywhere near this patient,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19without going all the way back down.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22So I think it is going to require a winch out.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27As paramedics Pete and Darrell try to get to their patient from above,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31the Mountain Rescue team are arriving from below.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- Do you want the O2 on, gents? - Yes, please.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36We've got some oxygen here for you, Stefanie, OK?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39What we need to do is try and pop a needle in your hand as well.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42What we can do is we can give you some pain relief then, my love.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47Stefanie Helmle is badly injured and couldn't be in a trickier spot.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50She's right at the bottom of a rocky waterfall,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54having just fallen from where Pete and Darrell are now heading.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00'They've just managed to call me up here. From where you're going,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'from the aircraft, you're right above the patient
0:10:03 > 0:10:06'and they're a bit concerned you might dislodge some rock.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11'One of them's going to try and call you, actually, on your handset.'
0:10:11 > 0:10:14She's fallen about 18 feet, possibly landed on her head.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Not had a loss of consciousness, but we have had possibly some discharge
0:10:18 > 0:10:20from the left ear and the nose.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Stefanie is in agony.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Ow! Ow-ow!
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Luckily for her, one of the mountain rescue team is a trained paramedic.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- OK.- ..When she fell.- Where's the pain round the back of your head?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Can you feel me touching you there? - Where it's resting on the stone.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Where it's resting on the stone.- Yeah.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Stefanie bounced off several rocks as she fell, landing on her head.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It looks like she's fractured her skull,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and fluid's leaking from her ear.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- I'm just struggling to get down there.- Sorry?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54How's the patient?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58How's the patient?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00She's OK.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04We've got to a position where, if we needed to, in an extreme emergency,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I dare say we could get down to the patient,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10but it's quite a precarious drop down there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Mountain Rescue have got a couple of paramedics amongst their crew
0:11:14 > 0:11:17as well as a doctor. They're assessing the patient.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21They believe they've possibly got a serious back injury
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and potentially a head injury.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26At times like this, even the Helimed team need help.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30That sounds like a Sea King, that, doesn't it?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35So the RAF have arrived.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Their much bigger Sea King helicopter can winch patients
0:11:39 > 0:11:41without them needing to land.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45But even for them, this is going to be a tricky rescue.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Bit hard to hear. That's the military hovering over us at the moment.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52It will feel a little bit weird.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56It'll be noisy, but, really, trust them, they know what they're doing.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Before Stefanie can be hauled up, their winch man must come down.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07The high winds and steep gully make this a dangerous job.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09But with Stefanie's serious injuries,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11they need to get her to hospital quickly.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14And the only way out will be straight up.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Many people dream of retiring to a rural area,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32to a cottage with land and some animals.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34But for one family of city dwellers,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38that dream turned sour in a very unexpected way.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Rural North Yorkshire is a county
0:12:42 > 0:12:45where horses almost outnumber people.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49And today, Helimed 98 has been scrambled to a bizarre accident.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51A fall of a horse, onto a pushbike
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and the pushbike has got a head injury.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Got a horse on your right at two o'clock.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02On a country lane near the market town of Easingwold,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05a couple are lying injured. Paramedic Lee Davison's first task
0:13:05 > 0:13:09is to decide which patient is most seriously hurt.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Is it just one person involved? - No, two people.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15- Have you been knocked out?- No.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19OK, just sit tight, somebody else is coming to you, OK?
0:13:19 > 0:13:24- Hi.- Hiya.- Hello. Hello, sir.- Hello. - Hello, air ambulance, all right?
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- Hi. What's your first name?- Ian. - Ian? OK. Nice and steady.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Nicky Schofield was out riding her horse.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Her husband Ian was accompanying her on his mountain bike.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Then a passing car spooked Nicky's horse,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43which knocked Ian off his bike, and threw his wife.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46First of all, I'm just going to have a feel down your neck, OK?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49If you'll just give me a hand a second, just stand in front of him.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Ian was knocked out and he has a head injury
0:13:51 > 0:13:54but Lee's more concerned about his neck.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57holding it will prevent any further damage.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Any pain there? No?
0:14:00 > 0:14:03I was working in that field
0:14:03 > 0:14:08and witnessed a husband and wife coming along, one on a horse,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11one on a pushbike. A car came racing down the narrow road.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15The horse basically jumped over the gentleman on the pushbike,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19knocking him off the pushbike and presumably standing on it.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I wasn't much help with this on me hand!
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- What's happened?- It's my shoulder. - What's actually happened then?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30We were slowing down and then she was getting a bit jittery
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- but I managed to hold her. But this car shot...- Right behind you.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Paramedic James Vine's taking care of Nicky.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42She's obviously in severe pain. Her collar bone is fractured.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44You've fractured your clavicle, sweetheart.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48OK, so, let's just get you sorted, get you comfortable.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Take a deep breath for me.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51HE MOANS
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Is that painful, when I'm pressing to the right?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- (No, it's when I breathe in.) - When you breathe in, OK.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59You've got a little head injury, where you've banged your head.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01The gentleman thinks you have been knocked out.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I'll just pop this sling on, sweetheart.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06OK, I'm just coming under here, sweetheart.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Witnesses led Nicky's horse away...
0:15:11 > 0:15:14..but she's more concerned about her husband.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16We usually go together.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Lee's getting him all sorted, don't worry.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24- Your husband will probably come with us just as a precaution.- Yes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26We're very probably going to James.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31Nicky will be going to hospital by road, but Ian's more seriously hurt.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Deep breath for me, Ian.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37OK, good lad.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Lee is treating Ian as if he has an undiagnosed spinal injury,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45but he fears his patient may also have a collapsed lung.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Decreased breath sound. We're going to roll him towards you.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Everybody happy with that?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54One, two, three.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Nice and steady. OK. Where does that hurt?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Where's that hurting? Is there any pain there?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01No?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I can't see anything on his back either. Right, OK.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Back on three. One, two, three.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10OK.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- Let's have a quick look at this hip while we're here. - Nicky may have injured her pelvis.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20The accident has come as a terrible shock and she's worried about husband Ian.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24He recently retired early because of a heart condition.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29We're going to put a sling around your pelvis to make everything is fine with that before we move.
0:16:29 > 0:16:35OK? It's going to be sore. And then we'll get you onto a hardboard and into the ambulance. OK, sweetheart?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39They're taking Ian straight to Leeds General Infirmary.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44If his lung has collapsed, his ability to take in oxygen will be seriously affected.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49The last thing Lee wants is for that to be made worse by air sickness.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54A little bit noisy, but if you start to feel really sick, let me know -
0:16:54 > 0:16:57it's important that I know - by raising your hand up, OK?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Two patients - one will be transported by land.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It looks like the horserider has a fractured pelvis,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and certainly a fractured clavicle.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The gentleman that we've got is the cyclist whose wife has landed
0:17:10 > 0:17:13on his head and pushed him off the bike cos the car spooked the horse.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18We're going over to LGI to a neuro-centre and just let them do what they do best.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25But at 150mph, Leeds General Infirmary is just 15 minutes away
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and Ian will soon be undergoing tests on his back and lungs.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31One, two, three.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35All right, OK? We're on the helipad on top of the LGI now.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39We're going to A&E. There'll be a few doctors asking questions. I'll hand over.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44He's badly hurt, but he soon responds to treatment
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and two days later, is sitting up in bed.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50As I was looking over my shoulder, I noticed beyond my wife,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55just some distance behind her, a car approaching at some speed.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And then as I turned to look ahead,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03there was a kind of loud screeching noise and then I felt...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I could feel the horse in my back.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Well, I've got lacerations to my head and elbows and knees,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18which I think are consistent with going onto the road.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I also have some fractured ribs
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and a punctured lung.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Having several horses to look after means you can't afford to be ill for too long,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and within a few weeks, the Schofields are back in the paddock.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40It's really great to be back. It was difficult in the first couple of weeks because obviously
0:18:40 > 0:18:44we were still getting over the worst of our injuries, really.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49As the weeks have gone by, we've managed to more mobile and active,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52which means that we can work with the horses more than we did.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58The Schofields moved from the city to their new home in the country to get away from traffic
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and to indulge their love of animals.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05But they've just discovered the dangers of rural roads the hard way.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Ian was knocked unconscious. I remember when it happened,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11just lying at the side of the road
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and seeing Ian lying there and I didn't know what had happened to him
0:19:15 > 0:19:20so I just remember feeling really sore and sick, you know, injured.
0:19:20 > 0:19:26I was in Harrogate Hospital and I went into the resus room in A&E.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27They actually rang the LGI for me
0:19:27 > 0:19:30while I was in there to see how he was.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32That was a relief because I knew he was OK.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The accident's had one good result for the Schofields -
0:19:36 > 0:19:39the neighbours have rallied round to help the newcomers.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Everyone around here knows us! They say, "Oh, you're the one on the bike and the horse."
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Now let's return to the case of the ramblers attacked by a herd of cows in the Yorkshire Dales,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and one of them is lucky to be alive.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10In a field in Nidderdale, a rambler is being prepared
0:20:10 > 0:20:14for an emergency flight to hospital after a bizarre attack by a herd of cows.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- I got knocked out then. - You were for a bit, briefly.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- Not surprising, though. - Irene Pitham and her husband Mike were out for a walk
0:20:25 > 0:20:29when their dog apparently spooked the animals.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32We've always managed to anticipate what they were doing,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35but these, the cows just ran straight at us.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42They were obviously protecting their calves that they had,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45but this being a standard footpath...
0:20:45 > 0:20:48never thought that they would be that aggressive.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Irene's confused and showing the symptoms of a head injury.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- It looks like you came into close contact with a cow.- Oh, right.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02It looks like it's thrown you in the air and obviously you've landed.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06There's no major injuries.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09You might have been knocked out, that's our main concern.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11But you're coming round now, aren't you?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Your shoulder, we can't see any obvious fractures,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18but you never know until you X-ray quite often.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Paramedic Al is trying to keep her spirits up with some humour.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27When you get home tonight, Irene, get your own back by having a steak, love!
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- I bet you could do without idiots like me, though.- I don't think you did anything!
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Irene and her husband are on a break away from their home in Coventry.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42They're staying at a holiday cottage in Nidderdale.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Now Irene's about to take an unscheduled trip to A&E in Harrogate.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It's two minutes since Tony explained what happened.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- What happened? I'm so sorry. - Don't worry.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58But Irene's forgotten already.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01What's happened is you were walking across a field of cows
0:22:01 > 0:22:04with your dog and the cows had calves so I think
0:22:04 > 0:22:08they've taken a bit of exception to your dog and charged you.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12The flight to Harrogate will take just seven minutes.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15This is the kind of countryside in which helicopters come into their own.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21INDISTINCT RADIO COMMUNICATION
0:22:25 > 0:22:29'Taking a break en route to Harrogate. Requesting service, please...'
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The roads of the Dales are winding and crowded in the holiday season.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Helimed 99 can do 150 miles an hour, but it's not just speed that matters -
0:22:38 > 0:22:43the smoothness of the flight will also be much more comfortable for Irene.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51A trauma team is awaiting the chopper's arrival.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56They've been warned Irene could have serious but as yet undiagnosed injuries.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01She's been walking through a farmer's field with her husband and her dog.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05There were a herd of cows. She can't remember what happened.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09One of the cows headbutted her, threw her into the air, she's landed on the floor.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15Injury-wise, all she's complaining of is pain localised to her left shoulder.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18No obvious fracture or dislocation.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21She's in pain. Initially scoring six out of ten.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23You OK there, Irene? All right.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27It's just a bit bumpy while we get you down to the hospital, OK.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Over the next 24 hours,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33neurological tests will reveal the extent of Irene's injuries.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Back at their holiday cottage,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38it'll be an anxious night for her husband Mike.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Back in the Derbyshire Peak District, mountain rescue teams
0:23:52 > 0:23:55are trying to save a climber badly injured in a fall.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57The helimed team can't reach her.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00But the RAF are about to come to the rescue.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Neil?- Yeah?- There's some gauze in my bag.- Gauze?- Yeah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Stefanie Helmle needs to get to hospital fast.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13She's fallen nearly 20 feet down a rocky gully in one of the most
0:24:13 > 0:24:16remote parts of the Peak District.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21The crew of Helimed 98 can't get to her. They're now at the top of the waterfall she's just tumbled down,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26but their lifesaving kit could still make a difference.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Oxygen!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Yeah. We ain't going to get a cylinder down to him, are we?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35If we drop it, there's a risk of explosion.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Stefanie's condition is getting worse.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Fluid's leaking from her ear
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and it looks like she's fractured her skull in the fall.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58We'll put a pelvic sling around your pelvis. I know you've got no pain there,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00but because you've fallen,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04you've banged your head so we're going to suspect that as well.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09The paramedic from the mountain rescue team needs to stay with Stefanie on her trip to hospital.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13So James Stubbley is first to be winched into the RAF's Sea King helicopter.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24The downdraught created by the six-tonne helicopter is immense.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29There's a real risk of loose rocks falling onto the rescuers, and onto their patient.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36They need to get Stefanie out of the gully, and up to the helicopter.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44The skill required to keep a helicopter stable in a situation like this is incredible.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48But this is something the RAF continuously train for.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Carrying Stefanie out from this isolated mountainside could have
0:25:54 > 0:25:58seriously worsened her injuries and would have taken more than an hour.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03But, after this huge team effort, she'll be in hospital in minutes.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And Stefanie's no stranger to hospitals.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14She works as a doctor in Cornwall, but is now on the receiving end
0:26:14 > 0:26:16of treatment for a long list of injuries.
0:26:16 > 0:26:22It's been strange to have the experience of being a patient rather than a doctor.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I have two skull fractures, I have a bleed inside my brain,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I have three fractured vertebrae.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37I think I've also got six fractured ribs, and I've got a punctured lung.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43It had been a summer walking holiday that had brought her to the Peak District.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48And a moment's lapse in concentration that left her tumbling down the mountainside.
0:27:00 > 0:27:06Paramedics are trained to treat every injury as potentially fatal, but caution saves lives.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08And many patients are alive today
0:27:08 > 0:27:11thanks to paramedics and doctors who played it safe.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15On a moorland road high in the Pennines,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18ice has caused a serious accident.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21A midwife was driving to an early morning delivery
0:27:21 > 0:27:24when her 4x4 skidded and overturned several times.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Helimed 99's on the case.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39For the last half hour, off duty fireman Kelvin Steele has been holding Yasmin Smithson's head.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43He's a first aid instructor, and that's what he's been trained to do.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45It's in case she's hurt her spine.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Fortunately, we have a firefighter who's returning from duty
0:27:49 > 0:27:51to home and he happened to come across to see.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54He knows the procedures and protocols we follow
0:27:54 > 0:28:00which has meant that the casualty's received the best care from the outset.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05Paramedics Darren and Kate are also trained to treat every accident seriously,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09but all the signs are this one's minor.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11There's not any lower limb injuries.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Her legs are under the steering wheel.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- I don't think she's badly injured.- Just trapped?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Doesn't look as though there's too serious injuries.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21It's just the mechanisms.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Just trying to get her leg unstuck by the steering wheel.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Now Yasmin's neck is protected by a surgical collar,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31firelighter Kelvin can at last relax.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35He was driving home from a night shift when he came across the accident.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I'm a trained casualty care instructor so I thought,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40"Well, I'll do my bit." So I stepped in,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45and you can see the road conditions aren't fantastic.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48This is what can happen as a result of it.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51We don't have extra eyes so we can't see inside.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54We need to make sure that her care's done.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58It might look extreme, but we need to do that
0:28:58 > 0:29:00so nothing will catch us out later.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05Let us do it, Yasmin, I'm just going to get your trousers, sweetheart.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Paramedics Darren and Kate are beginning to be suspicious
0:29:08 > 0:29:11about what first seemed to be a minor injury.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Yasmin's in a lot of discomfort.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Hang on, darling, we'll just try and move you a little bit.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Ready, steady, slide.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Ahh! Ahh, ahh, ahh.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25If someone can pull her hips, I can free her leg.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31All right, guys. Can you help count, sweetheart?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34- Ready?- Yeah.- Nice and easy.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Every paramedic's first rule is to treat for the worst
0:29:36 > 0:29:39and hope for the best.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Yasmin's not going to be allowed to move her head until her neck
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and spine have been X-rayed.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46MUFFLED TALKING
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Does it feel like the pain goes into the back of your shoulder blade?
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Into your back? Just all down your arm, is it?
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Yeah.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06Yasmin's flown to hospital where she'll be scanned and X-rayed.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12It's here that doctors make a shocking discovery...
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Yasmin's neck is so badly broken, one move could have killed her.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Today, three months after the shunt, she's come to the fire station
0:30:22 > 0:30:26where Kelvin is based to see him rewarded for saving her life.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27APPLAUSE
0:30:27 > 0:30:30He's being given a commendation for putting into practice
0:30:30 > 0:30:34a first aid lesson that saved the local midwife.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38I realised that it was quite bad
0:30:38 > 0:30:43and when I tried to get out and I couldn't move,
0:30:43 > 0:30:49I propped myself up and then just waited. Kelvin eventually arrived.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I spoke to her and she told me that she was a midwife on her way
0:30:52 > 0:30:55to a delivery, which didn't help matters, really.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56Gave me a little bit of angst.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00And I said, "You'll understand why I'm maintaining this position."
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Which is where you put your hands on the neck so they don't move.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07I was probably a complete pain to him,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09telling him I was absolutely fine,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14but he insisted on just doing everything the correct way.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Yasmin's still recovering from the effects of her injury,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21but she's living proof that basic first aid skills
0:31:21 > 0:31:23can and do save lives.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28'The consultant said that it's the worst neck fracture he's ever seen.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30'If I'd have moved'
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and if Kelvin hadn't done everything that he did,
0:31:34 > 0:31:40I could've been paralysed from the neck down or I might have even died.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Yeah, so it literally saved my life.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Most sudden illnesses are minor.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50But sometimes, unremarkable symptoms are the sign
0:31:50 > 0:31:53of a deadly medical condition.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Golf is a game that's supposed to keep its players fit.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02A good walk, good company and a bit of gentle exercise.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07That's what Berkley Harrison was counting on, anyway.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Now, he's lying on the seventh green at Horsforth Golf Club in Leeds feeling unwell.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Did you actually lose consciousness? You did.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Flying doctor Jez Pinnell thinks Berkley may have heart trouble.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23- Is your tummy sore?- Yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26He was complaining about his kidneys at one stage, down the side.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Helimed 98 is only here
0:32:28 > 0:32:32because its patient collapsed less than a mile from its base.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36I thought he had backache, cos he's had a bit of trouble with his back.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39And then I came to see if it were all right
0:32:39 > 0:32:41and he just sort of keeled over.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46You've had some backache recently, have you?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Berkley's symptoms sound innocuous enough -
0:32:48 > 0:32:52mild backache, but Jez's medical instincts are good.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Just swing him round and point his feet into that big door.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Berkley's leaving the links behind for a flight to Leeds General Infirmary.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04It's just a precaution, but one that is to save his life.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10On arrival, doctors find Berkley is bleeding to death internally
0:33:10 > 0:33:13from a massive aortic aneurysm -
0:33:13 > 0:33:15a hole in the main artery leading to his heart.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Surgeons plug it just in time.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22When you arrive you always tell people that there's about a 50/50
0:33:22 > 0:33:25chance of surviving the surgery
0:33:25 > 0:33:27and that's because at that stage
0:33:27 > 0:33:29they've obviously got a low blood pressure
0:33:29 > 0:33:32so they're at risk of having heart attacks and they've also lost
0:33:32 > 0:33:36a huge amount of blood so they've lost all the normal clotting factors.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39So even if you're successful in putting the device in,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42they can... You're in a position where you can't stop the bleeding.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47And a few days later, Berkley is sitting up in bed,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50a man alive only because of his choice of golf course
0:33:50 > 0:33:52and the instincts of a doctor.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57I should have been dead. I think, from what I can gather...
0:33:57 > 0:34:00From what I can gather, I would have been dead.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04He was lucky in the fact that he had his rupture on a golf course
0:34:04 > 0:34:06very close to Leeds Bradford Airport,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09close to the ambulance, and he got into hospital
0:34:09 > 0:34:13and to a centre which can provide emergency endovascular repair.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16I'm only so grateful that I am, you know,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18I am still able to talk to you here.
0:34:18 > 0:34:26And the lads that flew the mission, thank them very much.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Few parts of the human body are more vulnerable in an accident
0:34:30 > 0:34:32than the brain.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35And even a relatively minor impact can have a devastating effect
0:34:35 > 0:34:36on your life.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40On the borders of Yorkshire and Lancashire,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42a biker's come off on a bend.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Paramedic Paul Bradbury knows this kind of accident
0:34:45 > 0:34:47can often be fatal.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Moorland roads are often narrow and lined by unyielding dry-stone walls.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56We've been tasked to a detail, Horton in Craven,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59it's on the outskirts of Skipton up in the Dales.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Got reports of an RTC involving a motorcycle and a car.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06It could be anything from, you know, serious head injury,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09spine injury and his chest, abdo injuries.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11So, depending on what sort of injuries we've got,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15then we'll ascertain which hospital he needs to go into.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Karl Bishop is 36.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20He was out for a ride with a mate,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23now, he's badly hurt. He wasn't wearing leathers
0:35:23 > 0:35:27and his jeans have provided little protection to his leg.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29It's badly damaged and so is his arm.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Howdie-doodie. How you going, you all right?
0:35:33 > 0:35:36This is Karl, he's just come off that motorbike up there,
0:35:36 > 0:35:37- as you can see.- Right, OK.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Now, main injuries he's complaining - his wrist
0:35:40 > 0:35:42but also pain in his groin as well.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44- OK.- He won't let anybody touch that leg.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47The good news is Karl is awake and answering questions,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49even if he is in a lot of pain.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Karl, I'm just going to have a feel round this leg, mate, tell me if it hurts.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55I know, I'm not going to squeeze it.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57He's been in and out of consciousness.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00- When we got here, he didn't know where he is. - Have you got his helmet?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Damage to a biker's helmet can provide vital clues
0:36:03 > 0:36:05to the force of the impact,
0:36:05 > 0:36:09and whether he's likely to have a head injury.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Karl's isn't too badly damaged. It's good news.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Can we straighten your leg at all, Karl?
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Eh?
0:36:18 > 0:36:22If I support it, Karl, I'll do it really slowly, tell me if it hurts.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24HE CRIES OUT IN PAIN
0:36:24 > 0:36:27The emergency services here are used to bikers being injured
0:36:27 > 0:36:30but this doesn't appear to be the worst case they've dealt with.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Can you feel me touching you? Lovely, good lad.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Karl, I'm going to put a splint on this arm, mate, cos you've broken it.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38All right.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Ahh!
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Sorry, Karl, I know it's hurting you, mate.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45It's time to get Karl to hospital,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49but first he's got to be strapped to a rigid spinal stretcher.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It's a routine precaution.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Put the arms across here, just there, and just be careful around there cos obviously he's...
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- All we're going to do is just roll him across.- Keep sucking.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01And back and roll, ready, brace, roll.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Karl, keep sucking that.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05As well as a badly damaged leg,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09paramedic Paul fears Karl has fractured his pelvis.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12That can lead to severe internal bleeding.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15But this strap should prevent further damage.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Let's get this on. Go on, some more deep breaths.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Yeah, it's clicked in.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Paul's assessed Karl's injuries using the Glasgow Coma Scale.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34The lower the number, the more serious the patient's condition.
0:37:34 > 0:37:3615 is fully alert.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40The gentleman's now got GCS between 14 and 15, he's quite vague.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Got a compound right wrist, could be a fractured femur,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48could be a fractured pelvis. His obs are reasonable at the moment.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Just going into the air craft, we'll lift in about 10-15 minutes,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53I just want to give everyone a heads up.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Karl, put that back in your mouth, mate. Suck on that.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02That's it, long, deep breaths.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Karl will be in hospital in ten minutes.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11His vital signs are good, even though his broken bones
0:38:11 > 0:38:13will take months to heal.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Obviously his wrist is giving him quite a lot of stick at the moment,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20so we'll keep topping him up on morphine and I think this craft
0:38:20 > 0:38:22should get him there without too much trouble.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27Obviously, the big injury he's got, is he's potentially got a pelvic injury and if he bleeds out
0:38:27 > 0:38:30from his pelvis, he could lose blood volume quite quickly.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Doctors at Blackburn Royal are waiting to assess Karl,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and it's just as well.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39His condition deteriorates
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and he's quickly transferred to intensive care.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45For three days, he's on life support.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49It's two weeks before he's well enough to return to a normal ward.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54Ten months later and he's come to see the Helimed team,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57the paramedics he credits with saving his life.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02- What did you do to the femur on that side?- I didn't break it, I've snapped all the ligaments in my knee.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04There's nothing holding my knee together.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07But there's another reason Karl's come.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Having all but returned from the brink of death,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12he has lost two weeks of his life.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15He has no memory of the day leading up to the accident
0:39:15 > 0:39:17or the smash itself.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20Now he's about to find out what he's missed.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22That hurts more than anything.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26To actually see my bike sat there on the floor,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30knowing how broken that was, and thinking how broken I still am.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34You know, I will get better eventually
0:39:34 > 0:39:37but this will affect me for the rest of my life.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Karl now faces further surgery,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43including a transplant to replace the damaged ligaments
0:39:43 > 0:39:44around his knee.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47But he still has a long road to recovery ahead.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49I'm just grateful to be here.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53I mean, the amount of injuries I had, it's unusual.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58And I did come close to leaving my family.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06The people who came back from the dead, against the odds.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10Now, let's return to the case of another patient whose injuries
0:40:10 > 0:40:12are life threatening.
0:40:14 > 0:40:1624 hours ago, Mike Pitham set off from this holiday cottage
0:40:16 > 0:40:19with his wife Irene and dog Cassie
0:40:19 > 0:40:21on a hike through the Yorkshire Dales.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23There's a good girl.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25But soon after they stopped to take souvenir snaps,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28the walk ended with Irene seriously injured,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32and her husband struggling to take in the reality of a rare,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35but potentially lethal attack, by a herd of cows.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39I think in some respects, I just kicked straight into automatic
0:40:39 > 0:40:42preservation mode, more than anything.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45My fear was they were going to trample on her, as well,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48because she was now lying on the floor and couldn't get away.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50And I was very calm right up until
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I got back here and then it was a case of...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Well, I suppose, emotion.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01The feeling I had was total panic that she'd actually died.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05I thought that they'd killed her because she went up so high
0:41:05 > 0:41:08and then hit the ground and then didn't move at all.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09Come on, Cassie, come on.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Today, Mike's off to Harrogate Hospital to visit Irene
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and find out the results of her medical tests.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18He knows she's suffered a dislocated shoulder.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22But it's feared she may also have a serious head injury.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- Hello.- Hello, how are you?
0:41:24 > 0:41:30- I'm all right. How's you? You all right?- Yes, are you?- No.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38I want all the gory details. Cos I don't remember a thing.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I don't even remember the cows.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46The good news is Irene has suffered little more than serious concussion.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48She's been very lucky.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52It was just such a blank, I just didn't know anything.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55You know, I just woke up in hospital and that was it.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59But we're walkers, so we are aware that, you know, this time of year,
0:41:59 > 0:42:04with calves and things, you know, that it can be dangerous
0:42:04 > 0:42:08but I think we were still on the Nidderdale Way, as far as I know.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11So, it's quite a well-walked path.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Obviously one of these cows just got a little bit upset.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And Irene thinks, in some ways, she's the lucky one of the couple.
0:42:18 > 0:42:24I think it will affect him more, because I have no recollection.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28but I think... I don't think Mike will go into a field of cows in future.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33I'll be a little bit more wary, especially if there's calves around.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36I might not want to take the dog in the field.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41And I'm pleased to say Irene's now well on the road to recovery
0:42:41 > 0:42:43and planning another stay in the Dales.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:57 > 0:43:01E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk