0:00:02 > 0:00:06If you're seriously ill or critically injured up here,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08your life is in real danger.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Complaining of severe pain.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Mid 30s, been ejected from a vehicle.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Hospital's an hour away by road and speed is the only thing that can save you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Roger. Helimed 99's en route to you. Over.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly trained paramedics are scrambled 1,000 times a year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28"What's happened?"
0:00:28 > 0:00:31"A small child's been on the path. A wagon's ran over him."
0:00:31 > 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 > 0:00:44Welcome to the life-and-death world of the Helicopter Heroes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11A paraglider pilot crashes in the Dales.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15It's the impact with the wall that's done the damage.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17This patient doesn't want to be helped.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Get off now!
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Her head injury leaves the paramedics with a headache.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27A cliff-edge somersault leaves a climber needing the teams' help.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- I actually landed on my head. - That's all right, nothing important.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35- And the drivers who take on tough terrain and lose... - You don't feel cut in half, do you?
0:01:35 > 0:01:39..the off-roaders who take it too far.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46How's that for a view?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49The Yorkshire Dales are world famous for their beauty.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53So perhaps it's not surprising that some extreme-sports enthusiasts
0:01:53 > 0:01:55are happy to take big risks
0:01:55 > 0:01:59to enjoy a bird's-eye view of these valleys.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05When the weather's right, paraglider pilots flock to the Pennines.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10Leaping off a hill with what looks like a giant kite above you sounds dangerous.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11And it is.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16The updrafts that keep these pilots in the skies are unpredictable.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17And when there's an accident,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21they face the same forces as the victims of an air crash,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24with very little of the protection.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Reports are a little bit sketchy at the moment.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Apparently, a paraglider's come down
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and reports are that he's sustained quite a nasty fracture to his leg.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38A paraglider pilot has hit a dry stone wall at high speed.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Down to your left, James.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:02:45 > 0:02:47No crew on the scene.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Keep an eye on that chute.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53The crew know if there's been one paraglider in the air
0:02:53 > 0:02:54there are likely to be others.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59- Clear left.- Clear right rear.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The accident has happened in a remote part of Wharfedale.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Morning, gents.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08The air ambulance medics are the first to make it to the patient.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- What's happened?- I hit the wall at about 30 mile an hour. - No worries.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Just keep nice and still for us.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17There is a real possibility that Lee Gaffney
0:03:17 > 0:03:20might have injured his spinal chord.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22His damaged leg can wait.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Let's make sure you've not spanked anything else, bar your ankle. We can fix that.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Smashing. Any pain in your tummy? - No.- OK. Any pain down here?- No.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- So, it's just that left leg?- Yes.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37This wall has probably been standing for centuries.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41For a human body to knock it down, the force of the impact must've been huge.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45We were down there and we saw them paragliding,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50and the next thing we saw was him hitting the wall and then be dragged over it.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- His leg was definitely bent the wrong way.- Yes.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56With his patient's neck immobilised,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00James can now begin to examine Lee's leg. And it's bad.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04What we're going to do is, if we can just roll you onto your back.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- I can't move my foot. - You can't move your foot.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11My foot was overhanging itself.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16The break is so severe, the bone is sticking out of his leg.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21It's not the ankle! It's the bone in my leg. I can feel it cracking.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26It's going to be sore as we get this into a splint, but once it's in, it should feel a lot better.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- OK?- Can I have some morphine?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31It's not often a patient requests morphine,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35but paramedic James agrees that he is going to need it.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- You're not allergic to any medicines?- No.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Have you had any medicines this morning?- No.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- You get to fly with engines now. - Excellent.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49We're going to be going to Harrogate. We're going to take it nice and steady now.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54We'll roll you onto a board. We need to be careful to make sure nothing else is injured.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58It does look just like it's your ank... your leg.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It's going to be sore.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05A broken bone as bad as this can crush or even sever the arteries around it.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10If that happens, it can stop all circulation below the injury.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15And that could mean Lee would have to have his foot amputated.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32The skull is one of the hardest parts of your body. And it has to be.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Your whole personality is locked away in here
0:05:34 > 0:05:37in a few pounds of jelly we call the brain.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42And even a minor blow to your head can have bizarre effects on you,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45as the crew of Helimed 99 are about to find out.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49They've been called to an accident in one of north's most fashionable commuter towns,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52high in the Pennines.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The tightly-packed terrace houses of Hebden Bridge
0:05:56 > 0:05:58command high prices,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02thanks to a railway line that links them to Leeds and Manchester.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04RADIO COMMS
0:06:04 > 0:06:06But pilot Chris is lucky.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09The accident's happened near a sports field.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Hi, there. This is approximately 42-year-old Nicky.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18She's been knocked down by a motorcyclist that's come flying down the road.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21It's hit her about 35-40mph.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25The motorcycle's finished about 40 yards down there. He's fine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30She's quite agitated. I think she's probably got a closed head injury. She's got quite a swelling.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Whether there's a bit of hifema, as well, I think possibly.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Nicola Morris is badly hurt.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40She's showing the symptoms of a serious brain injury.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42It's called cerebral irritation.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- Can you open your eyes? - I want to get up now!
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- We need to look at -- Get off! - Can you open your eyes?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Get off me!- You're all right, Nicky. - Get off!
0:06:52 > 0:06:56She's been strapped to a spinal stretcher, designed to protect her neck.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It also helps restrain her.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Their patient has been lucky to survive
0:07:01 > 0:07:04a nasty road accident outside her home.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07This lady's run across from the houses
0:07:07 > 0:07:10as a motorcyclist has been coming along.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The motorcyclist has tried to swerve out of the way,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17possibly hit her with his shoulder,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and then he's lost control and gone into a telegraph pole
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and then he's fallen off his bike.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24You're going to be all right.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Nicola's behaviour is totally out of character.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The team know that it can often be followed by a sudden deterioration in her condition.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36- Get you off to hospital now. - I want to get off now!
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Although it's hard to ignore a patient who's shouting at you,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Dr Ben would much rather Nicola was like this, than quiet.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47It's a sign that whilst pressure may be building up inside her head,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49it's yet to reach a dangerous level.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- Try and relax, sweetheart. We know it's uncomfortable.- Get off.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- Get off! I want to get up now. - We know you do.- Get off!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Get off! Get off! Get off! - Nicky, relax for me.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Get off!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Doctor Ben knows surgeons may have to operate
0:08:05 > 0:08:08to release the pressure inside Nicola's skull.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10But for the moment, she's stable.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16She's quite agitated and needs to be in a trauma centre as soon as possible,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18which is why we called the air ambulance.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Our transfer time by road would be at least 40 minutes,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25whereas she'll be in LGI in probably seven minutes.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I can't get out!
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Nicky, we don't want you to get out. Can you remember what's happened?
0:08:33 > 0:08:37She is agitated, which is dangerous in the back of a helicopter.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41She's thrashing about. Obviously, she's injured
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and it's difficult for her to remain stable.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Ben's just spoken to the doctors at the hospital to see which we're going to go to.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55- We're thinking LGI because of the neuro place there. - NICKY: Please open it! Please!
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- We need to set off. We need you to be safe.- Open that.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04The sooner Nicola is flown to Leeds General Infirmary, the better.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16This countryside has been shaped by wind and rain over millions of years
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and it's the smoothness of the Pennine rockfaces
0:09:19 > 0:09:22that attracts climbers from all over the world.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Sadly, when they lose their grip,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28the consequences can be serious.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36For some people, their thrills come from hanging off rockfaces, dangling high above the ground.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Even though most are fully prepared with ropes, harnesses and helmets, sometimes things go wrong,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46and it's often down to the Helimed team to sort things out when they do.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Today, a 30-year-old climber has fallen off Stanage Edge,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53a huge gritstone cliff in the Peak District.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56He's somersaulted down the face, landing on his head,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and now he needs urgent help.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Helimed 98. Lifted from Sheffield. 98.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07"98. Roger."
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Flying from Sheffield,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14it'll take the crew less than five minutes to reach their patient.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16But also on board today, Doctor Steve Rowe,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21himself a climber and keen volunteer with the local Mountain Rescue team.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24You always worry about patients with head injuries.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Stanage, although not a very high cliff,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28it's high enough to cause injuries.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32We have, unfortunately, been to some fatal accidents on Stanage.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37Even when we get here, getting access to the patient can be difficult.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40You quite possibly have to hover the plane to get near the patient
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and then we rely quite heavily on Mountain Rescue
0:10:43 > 0:10:46to actually do the leg work really
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and get the patient to the aircraft.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53I'd like to try and find a place to land and get you off, if possible.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58- The top's the best.- Up at the top. - You'd rather be at the top?- Yes.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Do you want to hover the plane and meet at the top?
0:11:01 > 0:11:04No, no. For us to fly to the top and jump out.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- OK.- If you're happy with that? - I'm happy with that.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11They decide to land at the top of the crag,
0:11:11 > 0:11:16but with their climber having fallen to the bottom, now they need a way down.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- Whereabouts is the accident? - I've not heard anything.- No?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25We're just trying to weigh up or identify where the patient is,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29obviously at the bottom of the face.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32As we've landed, just disorientated a little bit,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35so just looking now for a way to get down.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But Steve soon recognises a rough path to the bottom.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Eventually they find James, dazed but conscious,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44at the bottom of the rockface.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50I've got a gash on the back of the head. I've got... neck is quite sore,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- sort of about between my shoulder blades.- Yes.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56But I can still wiggle my toes.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02As he's fallen so far, Steve wants to make sure he thoroughly checks James over.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- How's your chest? Is there any pain there?- Er, no. No appreciable pain.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Deep breaths for me.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13- Bit of bruising on my sternum.- OK. That's gone down to your abdomen.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18But it soon becomes clear which part of his body took the force of this fall.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24- I actually landed on my head. - That's all right, nothing important, then!
0:12:24 > 0:12:27He got halfway up, he was putting a bit of gear in
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and his foot slipped before he could clip it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35So he fell back to the ledge, halfway up,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and then the second bit of gear that he placed came out,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42so he's fallen again straight down to the floor.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45It all happened in such a quick flash
0:12:45 > 0:12:49by the time I realised he'd hit the deck, he was already there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52That helmet's the best £40 you've spent.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- It saved your life. - Tell me about it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58That's some significant damage to that helmet.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- It's going to get hung up on the wall.- Trophy!
0:13:01 > 0:13:06All right, James. 30-year-old conscious male climber. Head injury.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09After such a long fall, James needs to be checked out in hospital.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14But it's too steep to carry him back up the cliff to the helicopter,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18so it's now down to volunteers from the local Mountain Rescue team to carry him out.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22We're not going to rush at all because it's a little bit hazardous.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24We'll try and get you warmed up
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and these guys are experts at carrying you down.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31James, 30-year-old male climber's fallen about 25 foot.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Head injury. No loss of consciousness.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37So while Pete and Steve prepare James for his long trip to the roadside,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Pilot Jim relocates the helicopter.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Just down the bottom? - You know the car park down there?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I think that's going to be the best, easiest access.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55It'll make it far easier and safer to fly from here to hospital.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57We're going to be moving James shortly.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Pop a longboard underneath him, slide that up and get him secured
0:14:01 > 0:14:06to immobilise his neck and back, he's complained of neck pain.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10It'll be the Mountain Rescue guys coordinating getting him down to the aircraft.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12For the Edale Rescue Team,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15helping climbers like James is typical work.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20He's got a head injury, but no loss of consciousness. He's got central neck pain.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25This is bread and butter for us. I think this is job number 107.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29And quite a few if them have been on Stanage, so it's pretty routine.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And remarkably, James is already considering
0:14:32 > 0:14:35joining a mountain rescue team himself.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39You know the ironic thing? A couple of weeks ago,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44I was speaking to my friend who works for the local Mountain Rescue team.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49I hope to do mountain training and join the team.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- He said, "Come along. You can be a patient and see how it all works." - There you go!
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- I think I might - - You can report back now.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02As the delicate process to move James gets under way,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04his friend and climbing partner Ollie
0:15:04 > 0:15:07has to tell James' family the news.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13He's fine. He's up, he's awake, he's conscious, he's cracking his usual jokes.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- Bad ones.- They're very bad.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17He's like he normally is.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21He's just got a small kind of gash to the back of the head.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25And James' shocked family are already suggesting new hobbies for him to take up.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29According to your brother, you need to take up darts.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34- There's sharp ends on those things! - Maybe the soft, sticky Velcro ones, eh?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37OK. Ready, steady and move.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40If you can just relax.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45After such a long fall, James is exceptionally lucky to have only got the injuries he has.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49But that's been largely down to the equipment he was using.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53This is James' helmet. It's done the job it was designed to, which is absorb impact.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56You can see from the damage to the plastic here,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59that's where he struck the rock.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Fortunately, the helmet has absorbed the impact.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06The polystyrene foam inside has acted as a shock absorber.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08That's £40 well spent.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Ready, steady, lift.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Keep it level. I'm going to pass it to you, like that.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19He's taken it all very well. Obviously, he's potentially had a very serious fall.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Hopefully, he's got away with it without too much
0:16:23 > 0:16:25or too many serious injuries.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29He's got a laceration to his head, as we know, but he's very alert.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Him and his colleagues and friends
0:16:32 > 0:16:35have been having quite a laugh up there, so that's good.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And lower. That'll do.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Just before we started this climb, we both said we'd been climbing really well today
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and we both felt really good.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49We were both expecting to push it this afternoon.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53But, erm, obviously it's not to be!
0:16:53 > 0:16:55But I'm sure we'll be back another day.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I don't think it'll put him off too much.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06James is on his way to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Doctors there discover that as well as bumps and bruises,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11he has a fractured bone in his back.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14His trip in a helicopter didn't put him off climbing, though.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17He and his mates are already back out in the Peaks,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21and he has a new lifesaving climbing helmet.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Now, let's return to the rescue operation
0:17:35 > 0:17:39launched to save a paraglider pilot badly hurt in the hills.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41And it's not going to be easy.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47Lee Gaffney partially demolished this dry stone wall when he came down to earth.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50He hit it at 30 miles an hour.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54It might not have been as severe if he'd cleared the wall.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59It's the impact with the wall that's done the damage.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Unfortunately, that, erm, that's how it's gone
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and we've dealt with what we've found.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Paramedic James Vine is worried he may have a spinal injury,
0:18:09 > 0:18:14but they don't need an X-ray machine to see that he's broken his leg.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17He's got an open right-ankle fracture,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20which is obviously painful for him.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23We've given him 10 milligrams of morphine up to now.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We're going to give him a further amount,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29just to be able to make him comfortable.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Just keep this hand really still for me for a second. Sharp scratch coming up.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38James is worried the displaced bone may have crushed,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41or even severed, nearby arteries.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43It's vital he finds a pulse below the break.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47If he doesn't, Lee may lose his foot.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52It's good news and X marks the spot where the pulse is.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56He marks it so he can make sure it's still there later.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It'll be sore as we get this into a splint,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02but once it's in, it should feel a lot better. OK?
0:19:02 > 0:19:06We're going to give it a clean, because the bone's come through.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Then we'll get it into a splint, all right, pal?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Swear or grit your teeth as much as you like.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15All right, chief, on ten. Just try and keep really still for us, OK?
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Infection in an open wound is a real risk.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Everyone knows, despite the morphine, this is going to hurt.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24All right, bud. OK.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27The main thing is to get him comfortable
0:19:27 > 0:19:31and make sure he gets off to hospital and we get an X-ray done
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and all the...
0:19:33 > 0:19:37..all the nerves and everything are all fine.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41They are using a special spinal board that splits in two.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- Just hold that for me, buddy? - It's called a scoop.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It reduces the amount they have to move patients
0:19:46 > 0:19:49who may have a spinal injury to a minimum.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53There we go, mate. OK? Pop that right leg straight. That's excellent.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Just slot it at that end.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59That's it, we're in at that end.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02OK, just nice and steady down to the helicopter.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04How are you feeling there, mate?
0:20:04 > 0:20:10- Pain.- Pain. Score the pain out of ten, ten being the worst.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15- Eight.- What was it when we got here? - 12.- A 12.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Lee's passion for paragliding has got him into trouble before -
0:20:19 > 0:20:22with his wife, who told him it was dangerous.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27Right now, she's offering nothing but support for her injured husband.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- Does this have air conditioning?! - Unfortunately not, no!
0:20:31 > 0:20:35We don't even have a service of drinks and light refreshments.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The Yorkshire Dales is the playground of the region's big cities.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Paraglider Lee and his family, from Leeds,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45spend as many weekends as they can in their Dales caravan.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48But he's not going to be back here for a while.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53X-rays will determine whether he has any spinal damage.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58And Lee is already wondering whether his trip in Helimed 99
0:20:58 > 0:21:01was his last flight in the Dales.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Coming up... Surgery pioneered in Russia
0:21:09 > 0:21:11helps paraglider Lee grow missing bone.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14But will he ever get back in the air?
0:21:14 > 0:21:18It's been a lengthy process, but there's progress being made all the time.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29Remember the pedestrian knocked down outside her home in Hebden Bridge?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31The team are worried she may have a brain injury
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and its symptoms are making life hard for them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41High in the Pennines, Helimed 99's being prepared for take-off.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47Road-accident victim Nicola Morris has cerebral irritation,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50a condition that can be the sign of a severe brain injury.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Please can we get off?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Please? Please can we get off?
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Nicola's agitation is proving a problem for her rescuers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05This is typical when somebody's had a brain injury.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Not enough to make them unconscious, but what we call agitation.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15So she could have intracerebral bleeding, intracranial bleeding
0:22:15 > 0:22:18from being hit by the motorcycle.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Neck braces are uncomfortable
0:22:20 > 0:22:24but they're designed to protect patients from possible paralysis.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27There's no explaining that to Nicola.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30SHE SCREAMS
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Get off!
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The flight to Leeds takes just ten minutes,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40but for paramedic Tony and Dr Ben, it's felt much longer.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43They're much happier on the ground with an unstable patient.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Just get off, love! Get off me now!
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It's little wonder head-injury patients are often mistaken for drunks.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Friends say Nicola's a polite, placid woman. But not today.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01- Just get off me. Get off now. - You're doing really well. Just relax.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Her confusion is posing a real threat to her personal safety.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11This helipad's 150 foot above the centre of Leeds.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Doctor Ben's so worried by Nicola's behaviour, he's calling in an anaesthetist to assess her.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18If necessary, he can sedate her.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22She's taken all the straps off her spinal board.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26We're worried about the safety of her being on the helipad.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31They're keeping Helimed 99's doors shut for Nicola's safety.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- Hi. Thanks for coming. - That's all right.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It's such an awkward situation.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43She was confused, but it's becoming increasingly agitated.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45She's managed to undo the buckles.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49They're keeping her contained inside the aircraft for the moment.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51She seems to have calmed down a lot.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Everyone's relieved when Nicola is finally persuaded to sit in a wheelchair
0:23:56 > 0:23:58for the short ride into the hospital,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02where neurologists are waiting to examine her.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Over the next 24 hours at the LGI,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10tests on Nicola's brain reveal nothing serious, just severe concussion.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14But she does have a fractured cheekbone and a lacerated liver.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17A week later she's back in Hebden Bridge,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20baffled by her behaviour that day.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I'm trying to pull them wires out and everything.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- SHE TUTS - Outrageous!
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I can't believe how calm there are! They're so calm.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It must've been quite worrying for them,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39being so high up in the sky for one thing,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and then on the roof, actually at the hospital, must've been very worrying.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Thankfully, she's now recovered.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49She knows how lucky she was to survive a very serious accident.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54I'd literally gone out of the house and gone to cross over the road
0:24:54 > 0:24:58and the motorbike, unfortunately, tried to avoid me,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02but his shoulder hit me
0:25:02 > 0:25:06and his bike kind of went that way and I went that way.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11- We're going to get you off to hospital now.- I want to get off now!
0:25:11 > 0:25:16The Helimed team knew exactly what was causing Nicola to behave so strangely that day,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21but she had some explaining to do to the friends and neighbours who witnessed her rescue.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They were really worried for me
0:25:24 > 0:25:26because all they could see
0:25:26 > 0:25:31was me kind of looking like I was out of it completely.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Nicola's now fully recovered from her injuries
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- and she's training to be a teacher. - Good boy!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41DOG SNARLS
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- OK, Rav, here we go. - You're going to show me how to drive one of these things properly.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Off-roading is a popular hobby.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Today, it's my turn to have go.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07We're entering the course now.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Successful 4x4 driving is very much a matter of planning ahead.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15If your hobby is testing yourself in the terrain in one of these,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18it's best to have a bit of expert tuition.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21But even if you're an experienced off-roader,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25sometimes, it can all go wrong.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Officially, it's called off-road trialling,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Unofficially, this lot call themselves mud pluggers and bog hoppers.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The challenge is to beat the terrain,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and when you push gravity in a high-performance vehicle like this,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45occasionally gravity wins.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48He's up behind that roundabout where the plaque is.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51It's rolled on its roof, that vehicle, hasn't it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55It looks like the patient's near that other 4x4, mate.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57That's where the ambulance crew is.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04The driver has taken a massive blow to the head and back from the force of this impact.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08He's conscious, complaining of stiffness in his neck. We managed to get a collar on him.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13He's got tenderness to the left side of his back, but not into his central back.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17They got him out of vehicle before we arrived.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20He's complaining of right knee pain.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23The driver is Ian Bell from Durham.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Darren has is own unique way of asking his patient if he has any spinal damage.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32You don't feel cut in half in any way, do you? No?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- Like you can't feel your legs? - I can feel my legs.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- You can feel me touching you?- Yes.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This off-road club meets regularly
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and takes safety very seriously.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45But there is always a risk in motorsport.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It was a crash at speed, we've been told,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51so we've got to treat it as he's got a serious neck injury.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55But as he's in the back of the Range Rover,
0:27:55 > 0:28:01we may as well just drive him up, with somebody holding his head while they bring it up.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Keep the legs off this stretcher, lads, until we're all the way in.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Keep coming, keep coming.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And rest. That's lovely.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I'm going to take the casualty up to James Cook in Middlesbrough,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17which is about ten minutes to the north of our current location.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Right, Ian, we're going to be on our way. Two secs, all right?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26There's all sorts of different things going off at once.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28He's banged his head.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31He's banged it hard enough to crack his helmet,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34which is a significant impact.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38He has been unconscious. He's having lucid intervals where he's coming round
0:28:38 > 0:28:41and then he seems to be unconscious for a few seconds.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46It's only a short flight across the North York Moors from the farm to Middlesbrough,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48but Darren's patient is getting agitated.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52- Is he getting distressed? - He's agitated, mate.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- Cerebrally?- Yes.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57That's it. Keep still.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01In the confined space of a helicopter, it's dangerous.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Doors. Check yours. Check at the rear, please.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Safe-lock rear. Patient's trying to move around.
0:29:07 > 0:29:13I've got that crane. I'm going to put it on my left-hand side and swing round the hospital.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Ian's racing helmet also provides clues
0:29:16 > 0:29:19as to the nature of his injuries.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24The report says he's rolled over maybe more than once, so he's banged it in several places.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So it looks like his whole head's been like a rag doll.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32It's got polystyrene inside to further absorb any sort of impact.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36But even with all that, there's a good two inches of padding,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40even with all that, some of it will be transferred through to the head.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44He's kept in James Cook Hospital overnight for observation.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49His back is bruised, his tongue badly bitten and he has concussion.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56But a few months later, Ian's off-road club friends are back at the farm
0:29:56 > 0:29:59where the accident happened.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02As he took off, there's a big void here,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06so it made him drop further than he should've done.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11If he'd have been landing onto flat ground, he'd have probably driven away.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15He was just very unlucky with the circumstance and the way it happened.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19Ian's Land Rover's body shell was a total write-off
0:30:19 > 0:30:20but the engine survived,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and along with its driver, it's back on track.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Amazingly, he's choosing not to wear the helmet
0:30:27 > 0:30:29that probably saved his life.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44The accident was caused by the throttle sticking.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I remember that was a problem, for some reason.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Why I didn't react by knocking the engine off, I do not know.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55I can't answer that one and I find it very frustrating.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59The only thing I can remember is changing into second gear.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03I remember a tree going over the car upside down, which didn't make sense.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08I can remember falling out of the car upside down when the seat belt was loosened.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12Then I remember being in a helicopter, and that is it.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18The whole point of this sport is to take on the terrain in the middle of nowhere,
0:31:18 > 0:31:23and Ian recognises that having an air ambulance nearby was fortunate.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27I think I've been very lucky to be able to walk away from it.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29The air ambulance is the only way to do it.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32We've had difficulty getting into site today with cars.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35We've had to use these cars to pull other vehicles in,
0:31:35 > 0:31:40so the air ambulance is the answer to lots of things like this. It's invaluable.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45This is one of the latest generation of 4x4 vehicles
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and it can take on the steepest of hills.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52But plenty of petrolheads prefer to do their off-roading
0:31:52 > 0:31:55in something with a little more history.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Few motorists take greater pride in their wheels than Morgan owners,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and on the banks of the River Trent in Lincolnshire,
0:32:04 > 0:32:09enthusiasts have been putting their sports cars through their paces on an off-road track.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Enthusiast Martin was a passenger in a mate's car
0:32:13 > 0:32:16when it turned over and rolled over him.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19A local ambulance crew has called in Helimed 99.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22It's feared Martin may have damaged his spine.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27There's no other injuries, apart from midline...
0:32:28 > 0:32:32This classic three-wheeler sports car weighs half a ton
0:32:32 > 0:32:36and every pound has rolled over Martin's body.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38So, when you say he's had that effect,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- has that been outside of the car? - Yes, the car's gone over him.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44And it's whipped him out and then back in again.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46I think it's thrown him clear.
0:32:46 > 0:32:53The Morgan was built in an era where cars didn't have refinements like seatbelts.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Ready, steady, lift.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59All right, Martin? Everybody happy?
0:32:59 > 0:33:05He was sitting there. He got up, like that, and then he went over and the car went over.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09And then he was sort of trapped against this seat.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14But he was trying to get out. In theory, you're supposed to try and take the roll.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Richard's perfectly all right, the driver. That's the way it is.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21The Morgan three-wheeler is a motoring icon.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23First built in 1909,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Stirling Moss owned one,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29and in its heyday it could top 100 miles an hour.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31It's survived the crash relatively well,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33but Martin's now on his way to hospital.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36You've got to suspect quite a few injuries.
0:33:36 > 0:33:42The crew have assessed him and found that he's got some pain across his back,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44which, if that is the only injury,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47I think you've come out pretty well, actually.
0:33:47 > 0:33:54It'll take us a bit longer to get there, so...
0:33:56 > 0:34:01It will take Helimed 99 just 10 minutes to reach Hull Royal Infirmary,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05where doctors are waiting to examine Martin.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09With the force of the car rolling, it's bent him over the door
0:34:09 > 0:34:11and it's rolled onto him.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14But the car's carried on rolling down and rolled off him.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17There's potential there for serious injury,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20but the crew have done a full assessment
0:34:20 > 0:34:23and could only find the initial back problems
0:34:23 > 0:34:25that's giving him the pain at the moment.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29It turns out Martin's been very fortunate.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Despite bearing the full weight of the rolling car,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36his spine is undamaged and he's soon released from hospital.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And his mishap does nothing to dampen his enthusiasm
0:34:39 > 0:34:43for one of Britain's best-loved cars.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Keep that steering straight. Power on now. Power, power.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Power, power, power. More power.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57Meanwhile, I'm finding out exactly how tricky off-roading can be.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01- It made such a difference! - Well done!
0:35:02 > 0:35:04The challenges of this track are enough for me,
0:35:04 > 0:35:09but some off-roaders find the steepest of hills and just have to give it a go,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13sometimes with disastrous results.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17The sort of results the Helimed team are about to find
0:35:17 > 0:35:19in a quarry in West Yorkshire.
0:35:19 > 0:35:2398 overhead. Landing in the quarry. Over.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27A Land Rover has turned over and rolled down a steep slope.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31The 23-year-old driver, Damien, wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Hiya, chief. Big deep breaths in for me.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36And out.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39And again.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44I'll have the traction splint and board, please.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46And then we'll get him on.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51By all accounts, the vehicle tried to go up the hill and got to about halfway,
0:35:51 > 0:35:52where it's lost traction
0:35:52 > 0:35:56and tumbled down to its resting place now.
0:35:56 > 0:36:02I'd be surprised if it had ever got to the top, personally, but he had a good go.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Paramedic James Vine knows he's dealing with broken bones,
0:36:05 > 0:36:11but even with his patient's help, it's not easy to know exactly how many and which ones.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Keep really still. Don't try and help us at all.
0:36:14 > 0:36:20- My leg...- I know, but because your leg's hurting a lot, we need to be careful.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25You've rolled a Jeep a long way down a hill. OK?
0:36:27 > 0:36:32The loose-shale bank Damien attempted to get up is near vertical at the top.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35His body will have been severely battered on the way down.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39And now the police are taking an interest in what happened.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43The site's been recently closed due to the danger involved in it.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47We can see the danger involved, in causing serious injury to people.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Damien has broken his femur, the biggest bone in his body.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55He is going to need all the pain relief he can get
0:36:55 > 0:36:57as the crew straighten his leg with a traction splint.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00HE SCREAMS LOUDLY
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Even with the help of morphine, gas and air
0:37:03 > 0:37:05the pain is still immense.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10The traction splint will help stem potentially life-threatening blood loss into the break
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and it will reduce complications later.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17We'll approach the helicopter. When we get there, feet first.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22Mate? Shall I tell your lass you're going to the hospital?
0:37:24 > 0:37:30The forces involved to break that bone in your leg, your femur, are fairly significant.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34So he's got a fairly important distracting injury at the moment.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Presume the worst and hope for the best.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41Get him into LGI and let the doctors give him a head-to-toe examination.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Orthopaedic surgeons at the Leeds General Infirmary
0:37:45 > 0:37:49have been told to expect a patient with traumatic leg injuries
0:37:49 > 0:37:53and possibly other as yet unknown broken bones.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59During the next two days, Damien undergoes a couple of operations.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01As well as his leg, he has broken his pelvis.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07It was just one of those things. I thought it would be a good idea at the time. Obviously it wasn't.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12I remember the windscreen flying out. It didn't smash, it just come out full.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15The Jeep did roll over me, definite. I remember that.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20My head was near the petrol tank. The diesel was dripping on my head.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23So I'm lucky, to be fair.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Damien is very grateful that the air ambulance was on hand to help him out.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33I needed to be in hospital. If the air ambulance wasn't there, I wouldn't have got to an ambulance.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37How could I have got down there from the middle of a quarry?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42The metalwork that's helping mend his broken bones looks substantial.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44So is the list of injuries.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48I got operated on on my left femur.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Er, I've had my pelvis operated on. And I broke four of my ribs.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57I think I'm OK because my pelvis has been broke straight.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00It wasn't a bad break on my pelvis.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03So hopefully, it won't affect my walking or anything.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Damien and his mates are still keen 4x4 drivers
0:39:08 > 0:39:10and once his bones have fixed,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14he says he will be back off-roading.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21Now that was a lot harder than it looks. Trust me!
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And if you want to learn how to drive a 4X4 safely,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26there are plenty of centres like this.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Now, let's catch up on the case of the paraglider pilot,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32badly injured on a flight in the Pennines.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Helimed 99, alpha.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Lee Gaffney is taking a helicopter ride out of the Dales.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42His days of flying himself might be over
0:39:42 > 0:39:44after he came to earth,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47smashing into a solid Yorkshire dry stone wall.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Paramedic James Vine is worried he may have a spinal injury.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56With a bone sticking through his leg, it's clear it's badly broken.
0:39:56 > 0:40:02I was doing a bit of ground handling, practicing paragliding,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06and I was just jumping off a little...
0:40:06 > 0:40:10..five-foot ridge, well, a little hill,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13and then, er, a freak gust of wind got me.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17The pain score initially was 10 when we got on the scene, and was about nine.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20He's still in an awful lot of pain with that leg.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Doctors at Harrogate District Hospital X-ray Lee.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26His neck and spine have escaped major damage,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29but his leg is shattered.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Later, Lee is transferred to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Using a technique pioneered in Russia,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40surgeons remove fragments of broken bone
0:40:40 > 0:40:43and encourage his tibia to regrow.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Two months later and the long road to recovery is just beginning.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54I broke my leg in five places.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58There was some bad bone in my leg that had to be removed.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01So the loss of bone had to be regrown,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04and with the frame that's been put on,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07it's been a lengthy process,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10but there's progress being made all the time.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- What's your ankle managing to do? - Not a lot.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Show me. Can I?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18If I hold you and you move it...
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Surgeon Simon Royston has been putting Lee's leg back together.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26In the meanwhile, just carry on doing what you're doing.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Work at your walking, your physio, your range of movement, all those things.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35Lee's progress is good. He's going to have some of the cage around his leg taken off today
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and some of the wires running through his leg removed.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Time for some pain-killing gas and air.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I feel good. I feel like progress is being made.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Obviously, when you've just got a pot on, it's a different type of break.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55It's a long, drawn-out process with this frame
0:41:55 > 0:41:59due to the complexity of the breaks and various o0ther things.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Six months after Lee's crash, high in the Yorkshire Dales,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06it's the National Paragliding Championships.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09This morning, the weather is against us.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13As you'll notice, it's a tad drafty.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17At last, Lee's back on his feet. Despite all he's been through,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21he hasn't yet given up hope of getting back in the air.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26Sadly, Lee's still grounded by his leg. It's yet to fully heal.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32And the weather looks like keeping most of his fellow pilots out of the sky, too.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34What's the likelihood of it calming down?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37It's definitely too windy at the moment.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41We've got people out on the hills checking the actual wind speed,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44because it can just switch off and we've got to be there.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47I can't wait to get my hands back in it and...
0:42:47 > 0:42:50..be up there with the rest of you on that hill.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52There's no flying this weekend.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57But next year, Lee's determined to be here and taking to the skies.
0:42:58 > 0:43:04And I'm pleased to say Lee's already making plans to buy another paraglider.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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