Episode 15 Helicopter Heroes


Episode 15

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Transcript


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If you're seriously ill or critically injured up here,

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your life is in real danger.

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Complaining of severe pain.

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Mid-30s. Been ejected from a vehicle.

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Hospital's an hour away by road.

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Speed is the only thing that can save you.

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Roger. Helimed 99 is en-route to you. Over.

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The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly-trained paramedics are scrambled 1,000 times a year.

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-What's happened?

-A small child has been on a path. A wagon's run over it.

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Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.

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That's not a suitable landing site. This one here is.

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Welcome to the life and death world of the Helicopter Heroes!

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Today on Helicopter Heroes:

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a lumberjack is badly injured by a falling tree.

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Paramedic Darren has to call in reinforcements.

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Call in the RAF and winch him out.

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The Helimed team deal with the casualties

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after a veteran motorist goes for a spin in a high-powered car.

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-Nothing digging in your back?

-No.

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There's a serious accident on the shop floor and a worker is in agony.

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Trapped by his fingers and hands.

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And a winter sportsman's accident is caught on camera.

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Couldn't tell what was wrong. Not a happy bunny!

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Thanks to helicopters, sophisticated emergency vehicles and satellite tracking,

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when you dial 999 today,

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you can expect help far faster than was the case a few years ago.

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But there are still some places technology can't reach.

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Then it's down to the ingenuity of the paramedics sent to save you.

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Yorkshire's two air ambulances save lives

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by getting to places vehicles struggle to reach.

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But today the crew of Helimed 99 are about to be beaten

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by the same problem as their colleagues on the ground.

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'It's in some woods. Looks like there's a clearing.

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'It's just north of the village of Grewelthorpe, which is south of Masham.'

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Tree surgeon Kevin Ward was felling elms with a chainsaw

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when a falling branch hit his lower leg, shattering his tibia and fibula.

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Workmates dialled 999.

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He was cutting a branch and he got to the forked bit

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and made a cut. He thought he was out of the way of it.

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He cut into the thing and it broke back and caught his foot.

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Ground paramedic Paula Etherington and a colleague have hiked to the scene.

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But they need help to get Kevin out of the woods.

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How close can we land to the patient?

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'Sounds like he's been down for an hour.

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'If you get there and you need more assistance, I'll get Fell Rescue or someone.'

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99 Roger. We need to know where the patient is.

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We can see a guy in the field. We need to know where the patient is in relation to that.

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The tree cover is dense and there's no hope of finding a helipad on the steep sides of the ravine

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where the patient lies.

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-There's a building there.

-It's not that far up.

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It's down to our right somewhere.

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If you just track directly left, turn left.

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We can bring it onto my side.

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Yeah, I can see them.

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Right, Chris, do you see this strip of white that runs up?

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-I've got them. Yeah. Visual.

-Wearing a blue top.

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Got them, yeah.

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Pilot Chris knows this case is hopeless.

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If his medics are to reach their patient,

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they're going to have to walk a long way!

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It's not just a mile distance. It's the terrain that they're in. An awkward position.

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He's broken his leg just above his ankle. I guess both bones, the way his foot is sat.

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-OK.

-He's getting cold.

-He needs to be out of there. That's not in dispute.

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He needs to be out of there as quick as he can.

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Daz knows their patient's only hope may be an RAF rescue chopper

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with a winch.

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What I'm thinking, the terrain that you're in,

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it'll be difficult to carry him out.

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And we'll have a wait for Fell Rescue.

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Is it going to be easier for us to carry him out or easier for him to be winched out?

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Just go steady, Ian. It's icy.

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The path down to their patient is steep and slippery.

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Carrying a stretcher up here would be lethal.

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All right? You can pick your spot, can't you?

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Kevin is a mile from the nearest road.

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But he urgently needs hospital treatment.

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-How was the ankle?

-It was kind of banana-shaped when we got here.

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We've straightened it out and his pain has reduced.

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-Closed?

-Closed, yes. Just a couple of grazes on the inside.

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Right, sweetheart.

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Kevin's not only badly hurt,

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but he's very cold.

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It's an hour since the accident and it's minus three Celsius.

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He must be kept warm or his condition could worsen.

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Well done, Kev. Brilliant.

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That's it.

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And again.

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Let me get out of the road then we'll move that leg.

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This super-insulated sleeping bag is called the Flectalon.

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But it's more often known by the Helimed crew as the pizza bag!

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All right, my love? There you go.

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Just a wee wait till the helicopter comes. Try and keep you warm.

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Kevin's out of the cold, but there's a problem.

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The RAF chopper can winch casualties in all weathers,

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but it can't cope with tree cover.

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If the winchman decides these woods are too dense,

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Kevin could be stranded with darkness fast approaching.

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They should be able to get in, but they're the experts.

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They'll be able to tell us straightaway where they want it to be.

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A helicopter like this costs three million pounds -

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second-hand!

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There's only two of them to cover five million people round here.

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But sometimes, there's an incident so serious

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both of them are needed.

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Down there by those trees. The red roofs.

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I think that's it, mate.

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On a country road just south of York, there's been a high-speed collision.

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-How many are in here?

-Just one.

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Two cars, head-on. The force of the impact immense.

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During the 999 call from the driver of this red Honda,

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he says he thinks his passenger, his wife, is dead.

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In this car, he's got chest pains. The woman in the other car is in an awful mess.

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Thankfully, he's wrong.

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Katherine Robinson is alive, but very badly injured.

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-CAR HORN BLARES OUT Hello, love.

-Hi.

-Can you keep really still for me?

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Take a deep breath for me.

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-I can't.

-You can't?

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She's trapped in a cage of crushed metal.

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Please, can you disconnect that battery for me?

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Just to turn it off.

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The other car involved is a Subaru Impreza,

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a car with a top speed of 150 miles per hour.

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Its driver is 82 years old!

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He, too, is trapped in the bent metal of his car.

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Two vehicles were in a traffic collision. Two persons trapped.

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Prioritised the casualties. The red one was the main priority.

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The first crew in attendance took that one. And we took the one with the elderly man.

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With both patients needing to be cut free from wrecked cars,

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a decision is made to call in another helicopter.

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Well trapped is what we've been told.

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So it'll take a while to get them out of the vehicle.

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It may well be

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depending on their injuries that they need an anaesthetic

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once they're out of the car to stabilise them.

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-You've had a little bang.

-We'll get you out, don't worry.

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Colin knows his patient has potentially life-threatening injuries.

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Put your arm in there. It'll keep it more comfortable for you.

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-I've got pins and needles.

-Where's the pins and needles?

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She's had three of morphine so far.

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The motorist who came across the crash first

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has been helping support Katherine's neck.

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I just wanted to make sure she was kept as well as possible until the paramedics came.

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She had trouble with her breathing

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and it looks like she's got trouble with her legs.

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This collar is temporary until we get her in a better position.

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She was concerned about her husband, and he was just behind me

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so I was just reassuring both of them

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that they were both talking and were both in the best possible health.

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Oh, that is nasty.

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When Helimed 98 arrives,

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Dr Jez Pinnell has to quickly assess which of the two patients

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is most critically injured.

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Can't remember what's happened.

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Normally fit and well.

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Generalised chest pain.

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INDISTINCT

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Pelvis seems fine, legs seem fine.

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This lady has had 20mg of morphine. Heart rate 95.

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INDISTINCT

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This lady has got a chest injury, possibly some abdominal injury.

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Definitely got a left femoral fracture and may have a right femoral fracture.

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It's quite serious, having two big broken bones like that.

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Bilateral femoral fractures can be life-threatening. It means a lot of blood.

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At the moment she's relatively stable and talking.

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It looks to be almost a head-on collision.

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Both cars have a lot of damage to their front end.

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A lot of intrusion into the passenger compartment.

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So her knees are both forced up and the dashboard is wrapped around them.

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The fire brigade have cut away some of the car and put a ram in to force the dashboard forward.

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But we need to get a bit more space if we can to get her out.

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Keep taking deep breaths, Katherine.

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As much room as you can on that dash, please, Dave!

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The fire brigade's pneumatic rams are stretching the Honda apart

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in an attempt to free Katherine's broken legs.

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It's a slow process

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and as each minute goes by, Katherine could be losing more blood.

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The crew working on the Subaru are making quicker progress

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in getting their patient out.

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-One in each helicopter?

-Yes, both helicopters will be transporting.

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While Helimed 99 takes the first patient to hospital,

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police accident investigators are making enquiries

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as to how the high-speed crash happened.

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Their initial evidence points to the Subaru being on the wrong side of the road when it hit the Honda.

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Which still has a critically-injured patient still trapped in the wreckage.

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Thanks to modern health and safety laws,

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employers and unions are constantly trying to make life safer

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for their workers.

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But despite all the precautions,

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sometimes something goes wrong.

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Helimed 98 Yorkshire airborne for Beverley.

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ETA 17.22. Over.

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The crew of Helimed 98 are often called in to help with one of the most vital jobs a paramedic can do.

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Reduce a patient's pain.

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We're on our way to Beverley, just north of Hull,

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where we have reports of a man who's got his hand trapped in some machinery.

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We've been requested to back up the land crew who are already on scene,

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and also the basics doctor. We have our own medic with us today.

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He's got hopefully some appropriate drugs to make the patient feel a lot more comfortable.

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Flying doctor Steve Rowe and his bag of painkilling drugs

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are crossing the Humber Estuary

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to touch down in a town with an unusual claim to fame.

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Helimed 98 preparing to land. Thank you.

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Beverley is the capital of the UK's caravan industry.

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Sounds like his hand was forced into some machinery

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so it sounds like we'll need the assistance of the fire service and cutting equipment

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or technical knowledge to disassemble the machine.

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At a plant turning out mobile homes, there's been a serious accident.

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-Have you got morphine with you?

-Yes, we do.

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I've got all sorts with me!

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Paul Marshall has been trapped for more than an hour in a machine he was using.

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-Hi, I'm Steve, a doctor with the air ambulance.

-Hello.

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I've got a bag full of drugs so we'll sort you out, OK?

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Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable while you wait?

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-Nothing digging in your back?

-No.

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Paul's right hand has been crushed and in trying to free it,

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his left hand has been trapped, too.

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He's trapped literally by his fingers and hands.

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Which is good because he's not deep inside the bowels of some machine.

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I'm drawing up some ketamine which is a strong painkiller

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that will help us get him out of the pickle he's in.

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Without strong pain relief,

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Paul will not be able to withstand the agony the fire-fighters will cause

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when they dismantle the machine.

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You'll feel a bit disorientated, but it's a really good painkiller.

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Then we'll get you out of here, run you up to the Royal and get you sorted. OK.

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I'm about to give him the medicine.

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Two local doctors have been caring for Paul, but they don't have access to the drugs Steve has.

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He's a hospital anaesthetist.

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Two of midazolam and 50 of ketamine.

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Leave that a minute to work.

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Ketamine was developed as a horse tranquilliser.

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It's very powerful. But Paul needs more.

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PAUL GROANS

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Still as sore as it was? I've got plenty more where that came from.

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Not only does ketamine dull pain, it also gives patients temporary amnesia.

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Paul won't remember much about his ordeal.

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It can be used as anaesthetic, but we're just giving a painkilling dose.

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He was a bit sore initially. We gave him some more. He's nice and comfy now.

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Paul, we're going to have a go at removing the rollers, OK?

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Sing out if it's sore.

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OK, then, chaps. Let's have a little go.

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If he says it's sore, we'll stop. Then we can give him some more.

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It's time for the fire-fighters to start cutting.

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The force of the machine spun Paul around after he became trapped

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and he's in a very uncomfortable position.

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At last, Paul's free.

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But several of his fingers have been severed.

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He'll need reconstructive surgery.

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Managed to release his fingers from the roller, take the roller out,

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get him backed and we'll run him up to Hull Royal Infirmary

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and let the surgeons see his fingers.

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Paul is an experienced factory worker. He relies on his hands to make a living.

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Now he must wait to find out how much dexterity he'll retain.

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He's been trapped for an hour. He's lost several digits on both hands.

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Has bilateral forearm fractures.

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At Hull Royal Infirmary,

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surgeons are already scrubbing up

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in preparation for their incoming patient.

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It'll be a long and complex operation.

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GCS was 15 before he had the ketamine.

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He's more relaxed now. But he's maintaining his airway.

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He's looking a bit confused. I'm sure he'll be 15 when he gets to you.

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Okey-dokey?

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Paul ended up having several operations on his broken bones and mangled hands.

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Two months later, with his girlfriend's help,

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he's back for a check-up.

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I've got both my arms plated up.

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I've smashed my knuckles in my right hand.

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I've broken two fingers in my right hand.

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The middle one had to be reattached.

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My ring finger rotated 180 degrees round.

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And I've lost the last fingers on my left hand.

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I have flashbacks every now and again

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of my hands being wrapped around this wheel and hearing my bones breaking.

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It wakes me up every time.

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Paul is a fan of Helicopter Heroes. But he never thought he would need their help himself.

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But when they did come, he was very relieved!

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I remember two of the paramedics from watching the show previously.

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Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?

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Sammy's voice rang a bell with me. That made me feel more reassured.

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A couple more faces I could remember.

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But there's one thing that Paul can't cope with yet.

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I haven't looked at the injury yet. I have to do it sooner or later.

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It is a bit scary, knowing that you've had part of your body taken away from you.

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It's just coming to terms with it.

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Morning. Come in, please. Have a seat.

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The time's come for Paul's check-up.

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And that means having to have the bandages off

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and face up to his injuries.

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Try and make a fist for me. Make your fingers do that.

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Yes, it's at least...

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His hand's getting much better, but he still can't look at it.

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An accidental glance proves too much.

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-I can get it about as far as there.

-Right.

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I think that you have to recover mentally,

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to accept that it's happened.

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So I would say it's a bad accident,

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but still there's something there to build on

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to give you more function for your future life.

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So mentally, you have to be stronger to deal with it.

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The sooner you start looking at your hand, doing a bit of exercising,

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that will help, OK?

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Paul is making good progress. His remaining fingers are in working order.

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And his other hand should make a full recovery.

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Once we tell you how worse it could have been,

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then you realise at least we've got something to go on.

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I'm not surprised at all that you don't feel like looking at it.

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It's normal. It takes time to recover from it.

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-You'll get there.

-OK, then. Thanks a lot.

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Thank you.

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'I want to be back at work as soon as possible.

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'Back doing normal things as soon as possible.

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'They say time is a healer.

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'I want my independence back.'

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Let's return to the woods in North Yorkshire

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where paramedics Darren and Kate are working hard to rescue an injured woodsman.

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Tree surgeon Kevin Ward has been awaiting rescue

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for an hour and a half.

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I was just doing my job.

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It was just pressure on the tree.

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As I was cutting it, it just snapped and flew at me.

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He was working for the Woodland Trust charity, clearing trees around a Victorian folly near Ripon

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when he was hit by a falling branch.

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Some wood's hit you.

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Yes, I felt this streak and it was the pressure of the branch

0:20:330:20:38

on that end.

0:20:380:20:40

You'll be able to go out drinking on this one for years!

0:20:400:20:43

Ah, you don't know my mates!

0:20:430:20:44

I'll buy my own beer as normal!

0:20:440:20:47

You'll be getting mileage out of it.

0:20:470:20:49

Paramedic Darren Axe has called in an RAF helicopter

0:20:490:20:53

to winch Kevin out of the ravine in which the accident happened.

0:20:530:20:58

Before we move him anywhere, we'll let them come

0:20:580:21:01

-to where he wants to be and then we'll move to them.

-OK.

0:21:010:21:04

The tree cover may make the rescue difficult, if not impossible.

0:21:040:21:09

'Daz, the crew should be with you in a few minutes.'

0:21:090:21:13

Yeah. Roger.

0:21:130:21:16

Darren's using a flashing beacon to help the RAF crew see them.

0:21:160:21:20

I'm trying to make us a bit more conspicuous than these orange suits(!)

0:21:200:21:24

When we came in, we couldn't see Paula waving an orange banner.

0:21:250:21:31

Hopefully, they'll see this a bit better.

0:21:310:21:34

-We'll just give you the rest of the morphine.

-OK.

0:21:340:21:37

We're about on scene, so you'll hear a lot of noise, shortly.

0:21:370:21:42

Two hours after Kevin's accident, more help finally arrives.

0:21:440:21:49

The down-draught from the Sea King's rotors is creating an Arctic gale

0:21:490:21:54

in the clearing

0:21:540:21:56

as it's pilot works out how to rescue Kevin.

0:21:560:21:59

This Sea King chopper weighs in at six tonnes,

0:22:010:22:05

but its crew are trained to hover inch perfectly.

0:22:050:22:08

They'll need to lower their winchman 150 feet through a narrow gap

0:22:080:22:13

in the tree canopy.

0:22:130:22:15

This is a dangerous operation. He knows that if he becomes entangled,

0:22:150:22:20

his crew mates may have no alternative

0:22:200:22:23

but to sever the winch cable in order to save the aircraft.

0:22:230:22:27

But at last he's down.

0:22:270:22:30

-How are you doing?

-How are you?

0:22:300:22:32

This guy has been logging, using a chainsaw,

0:22:320:22:36

it's sprung, snapped his lower leg. We need to get him out of here.

0:22:360:22:40

Once we get the stretcher down, we'll move him into the stretcher up here

0:22:450:22:50

and whoever's coming with us can make their way to the top of the hill,

0:22:500:22:54

near to the helicopter...

0:22:540:22:56

SEA KING DROWNS SPEECH

0:22:560:23:00

Because Kevin's been given morphine,

0:23:020:23:04

a paramedic must accompany him to hospital.

0:23:040:23:07

But it's too dangerous to winch them too.

0:23:070:23:10

-How long will it take you to walk to the top?

-Not too long.

0:23:100:23:13

-Because it's exposing you to undue risk.

-As you wish.

0:23:130:23:17

-Are you happy with these guys here if you leg it to the helicopter?

-No.

0:23:170:23:21

Does it have to be one of us, or can the other paramedic go?

0:23:210:23:24

The other one can go if she's... I'm not qualified to give morphine.

0:23:240:23:28

Take her. So if she makes her way up to the top...

0:23:280:23:31

If she legs it up, we'll pick her up at the top. And we'll do the winch here.

0:23:310:23:35

Daz to Chris. Paula's on her way up to you.

0:23:350:23:38

Once they've taken this lad out on the stretcher, they'll come up, put down where you are

0:23:380:23:44

and Paula's going to get in.

0:23:440:23:46

They're just getting the stretcher ready for you.

0:23:460:23:49

We'll move you up into that clear ground.

0:23:490:23:53

Two, three, lift.

0:23:560:23:57

Sorry, mate. It's not easy.

0:24:000:24:02

Go steady on your footing.

0:24:040:24:06

At last, the RAF are ready to winch Kevin out of the woods.

0:24:070:24:11

But the clearing is tiny and he'll be feet from the trees.

0:24:110:24:15

It will be a hair-raising ride for him and his rescuers.

0:24:150:24:19

Kevin, are you nice and secure in there?

0:24:270:24:30

Coming up: Kevin's not out of the woods yet. The RAF hit a problem.

0:24:300:24:36

On a rural road in North Yorkshire,

0:24:440:24:46

both Helimed choppers have been sent to rescue the victims of a bizarre road accident.

0:24:460:24:51

The police are investigating the cause of a head-on crash

0:24:520:24:56

between this Subaru Impreza and a red Honda.

0:24:560:24:59

Both cars are now just mangled wrecks.

0:24:590:25:02

The passenger side took the full force of the impact.

0:25:020:25:05

Flying doctor Jez Pinnell is concerned about Katherine Robinson who's trapped.

0:25:050:25:10

We don't want to hang round any longer. We need to get to hospital.

0:25:100:25:14

She's been trapped for an hour plus, so she'll be getting cold

0:25:140:25:19

and she needs to be in hospital.

0:25:190:25:21

Helimed 99 has already taken the 82-year-old Subaru driver to hospital in York.

0:25:210:25:27

His injuries aren't serious. But Dr Jez's patient is in trouble.

0:25:270:25:32

Katherine, before we move you, we're debating whether to give you more pain relief.

0:25:320:25:37

As we move you out of the car, your left leg is going to be quite sore.

0:25:370:25:42

We can give you a quite strong painkiller, called ketamine.

0:25:420:25:47

It'll help your pain, but may make you feel quite strange.

0:25:470:25:51

Katherine, can you open your eyes for me?

0:25:510:25:54

Katherine?

0:25:540:25:56

Oo-oo!

0:25:560:25:58

OK. She's quite drowsy now.

0:25:580:26:01

She's quite drowsy.

0:26:010:26:03

With her pain under control, the fire-fighters set about freeing Katherine from her car.

0:26:030:26:08

As soon as you're ready for us to create more space, let us know.

0:26:090:26:14

Its safety cage saved her life.

0:26:140:26:17

Now the fire crew are using pneumatic rams to stretch it apart.

0:26:170:26:21

Modern vehicles now are really well constructed.

0:26:210:26:24

Up to a point, it protects you, but after that,

0:26:240:26:27

it can work against you. That's a difficulty.

0:26:270:26:29

It's a case of the really tight space we're working in.

0:26:290:26:33

Getting the right sized rams. We're putting a small ram in, creating space,

0:26:330:26:37

getting a bigger ram in, get more space.

0:26:370:26:39

Then we can get her out with as little movement as possible

0:26:390:26:44

so we don't aggravate her injuries.

0:26:440:26:46

Lifting with the board. Keep going, keep going!

0:26:460:26:49

Keep going. That's it.

0:26:490:26:51

After being trapped for over an hour, Katherine's out.

0:26:540:26:58

Dr Jez has time to take a photo of the wrecked car.

0:26:580:27:02

There is a good reason.

0:27:020:27:05

A picture tells a thousand words. If you can tell the doctors in A&E what exactly has happened,

0:27:050:27:12

they get a much better idea of the severity of possible injuries.

0:27:120:27:16

She's a bit sleepy at the moment because of the drugs we've given her.

0:27:160:27:21

We're concerned she's broken both legs

0:27:210:27:23

although they're straight at the moment and maybe she's damaged her hip joint to the left.

0:27:230:27:29

The best place for her really is a major trauma centre.

0:27:290:27:34

The closest one to here is Leeds, less than ten minutes' flying time.

0:27:340:27:38

Katherine's broken legs could mean that she is losing massive amounts of blood internally.

0:27:390:27:44

The helicopter's onboard monitoring system will alert the crew to any problems.

0:27:440:27:50

When a patient is severely injured,

0:27:500:27:52

if they were to lose a lot of blood, the heart rate will increase

0:27:520:27:57

in rate to compensate for this.

0:27:570:27:59

Their blood pressure may well drop.

0:27:590:28:02

If we see those changes appear on the monitor,

0:28:020:28:05

that would alert us to the patient losing blood

0:28:050:28:10

and we'd have to try and correct that to maintain stability.

0:28:100:28:13

It's been nearly two hours since the crash happened.

0:28:150:28:18

The flight from roadside scene to hospital has taken ten minutes

0:28:180:28:22

and the trauma team set to work straightaway,

0:28:220:28:25

assessing Katherine's extensive injuries.

0:28:250:28:28

In the few days that followed, Katherine spent 30 hours in the operating theatre.

0:28:310:28:36

She spent the next seven weeks in hospital. But finally,

0:28:360:28:40

she's allowed home.

0:28:400:28:42

I had two broken femurs.

0:28:420:28:45

The knees were both smashed.

0:28:450:28:49

The tibia.

0:28:490:28:51

An open fracture to my left arm,

0:28:510:28:53

a fracture to my right thumb,

0:28:530:28:56

four broken ribs, a broken sternum,

0:28:560:29:00

perforated ear drum.

0:29:000:29:02

-And a vertebra.

-A vertebra.

0:29:020:29:05

-And your left foot.

-Oh, and my left foot.

0:29:050:29:08

Even now, every time we get in the car,

0:29:080:29:10

I've got to make sure my phone's in my pocket.

0:29:100:29:12

Katherine's husband Philip got out of the car virtually unhurt.

0:29:120:29:16

For him, the pain is from the memory of what could have been.

0:29:160:29:19

My first reaction, I thought she was actually dead.

0:29:190:29:22

I thought she'd been killed in the accident.

0:29:220:29:25

So when I heard her actually speak, and say she couldn't breathe, it was the best words ever!

0:29:260:29:32

Katherine still has a long way to go. It's slow progress.

0:29:320:29:37

But she is very grateful to everyone who has helped her get back on her feet.

0:29:370:29:42

'Without the air ambulance, I think it would be a different story.

0:29:420:29:46

The trauma team at the LGI were absolutely amazing.

0:29:460:29:50

They put me back together, basically.

0:29:500:29:53

She's a tough one!

0:29:530:29:55

When snow comes to our towns and cities, it always makes life difficult.

0:30:040:30:09

But up here in the hills, it can endanger your life.

0:30:090:30:12

Suddenly, the landscape goes from this...

0:30:120:30:15

to this.

0:30:150:30:17

It's November, and the worst early snow for decades is blanketing North Yorkshire.

0:30:210:30:26

1,000 feet above the drifts, Helimed 99 is on a mission

0:30:260:30:30

to rescue the crew of a ground ambulance stranded in the middle of a 999 call-out.

0:30:300:30:35

We've just got a request from a crew who have become stuck in snow.

0:30:360:30:41

The vehicle has now been hit by an HGV while parked up

0:30:410:30:45

so the vehicle's not driveable, they've got a patient on board.

0:30:450:30:50

So we're going to render assistance

0:30:500:30:53

and get the patient off to hospital.

0:30:530:30:55

Landing in the snow is dangerous.

0:30:550:30:58

The chopper's down-wash blinds the pilot.

0:30:580:31:00

Chris Attrill must focus on an object and land quickly

0:31:010:31:04

if he's not to become disorientated.

0:31:040:31:07

It's been a difficult morning for the Helimed team's colleagues.

0:31:070:31:11

Bit bad out here!

0:31:120:31:14

We've had a bus come down sideways, a wagon's gouged the side of us, and it's "Oooh!"

0:31:140:31:19

Driving on these roads is treacherous.

0:31:200:31:22

The crew have obviously made it to here but were unable to get further.

0:31:220:31:27

It's been hit by a lorry coming down

0:31:270:31:30

on the opposite side of the vehicle.

0:31:300:31:33

The lady on board has got multiple sclerosis.

0:31:330:31:37

A very degenerative condition.

0:31:370:31:42

It's taken the use of her limbs and things.

0:31:420:31:45

So she's not mobilising very well at all.

0:31:450:31:48

They've had a lucky escape.

0:31:500:31:52

Coming sideways down the hill, he managed to stop

0:31:520:31:55

and caught his back end on our back end!

0:31:550:31:57

So quite an eventful morning!

0:31:570:32:00

One, two, three, lift.

0:32:000:32:02

Thanks to the chopper, the ambulance's patient is just ten minutes from the hospital treatment

0:32:020:32:08

she desperately needs.

0:32:080:32:10

It's not just those of us who work in the countryside who get a keen sense of the passing seasons.

0:32:110:32:17

NHS workers are acutely aware of a cold winter.

0:32:170:32:20

It can double their workload. And there's one injury that outnumbers them all.

0:32:200:32:25

'Message, please.'

0:32:280:32:30

'Roger. I'm going to give you a job. It's just south-east of Pocklington.'

0:32:300:32:36

An elderly man is badly hurt after falling on ice.

0:32:360:32:40

It tends to be the older people that suffer from this, in the main.

0:32:400:32:45

They go down. Their hips are not as strong as they were and they end up breaking them.

0:32:450:32:49

Breaking the bone at the top of the leg.

0:32:490:32:51

The village of Burnby looks like a Christmas card,

0:32:510:32:55

but the locals are already fed up with the first snow of winter.

0:32:550:32:58

Helimed 99 isn't often sent to cases like this.

0:33:010:33:04

But all the local ambulances are busy.

0:33:040:33:07

A lone paramedic has been dealing with the casualty.

0:33:070:33:10

-Complaining of pain in his left hip.

-Right.

0:33:100:33:13

75-year-old Albert Smith is a former paratrooper who's fit for his age.

0:33:130:33:19

Now he's suffered one of the most common injuries among older people.

0:33:190:33:23

Right, Albert. How are we doing? Feeling better?

0:33:230:33:27

No, you don't?

0:33:270:33:29

I've had a smack on the hip.

0:33:290:33:32

-You landed on your hip?

-I think I've broken it.

0:33:320:33:35

-On your side?

-Yes.

-And you've knelt up to that position?

0:33:350:33:38

Yes. There's no weight at all on that leg. It's all on the right leg.

0:33:380:33:44

-And I can't get up.

-I should think not!

0:33:440:33:46

Albert was walking to the post box when he went over on the ice.

0:33:460:33:50

Now he's in agony.

0:33:500:33:52

Albert, this pain you have in your hip.

0:33:520:33:55

-It's just dead, mate.

-Just dead.

0:33:550:33:57

So it's not really painful, just numb?

0:33:570:34:01

The village streets are covered in frozen, hard-packed snow.

0:34:010:34:06

No wonder Albert fell.

0:34:060:34:07

Absolutely dreadful. We've been like this since the snow started.

0:34:070:34:12

They've not gritted. Not done anything.

0:34:120:34:15

But I suppose their priority is the main roads. But these accidents happen, don't they?

0:34:150:34:21

-All right, my love?

-Roll over, then.

0:34:210:34:24

We'll start rolling you.

0:34:240:34:25

-Can you hold on to my hand?

-I've got you.

0:34:250:34:28

-Got you.

-We're going over.

-Got you.

0:34:280:34:30

That's it. Well done.

0:34:300:34:33

Paramedic Darren has seen many cases like this before

0:34:330:34:36

and he knows they can be very serious.

0:34:360:34:38

But now a road ambulance has been found, Albert will be more comfortable going by road.

0:34:380:34:44

He's fairly stable. We'll get him into the warmth of the ambulance.

0:34:450:34:50

We'll see where we are then.

0:34:500:34:52

Albert is on his way to hospital in York

0:34:520:34:55

where a special ward has been opened just for patients with hip injuries.

0:34:550:34:59

He faces a long road to recovery.

0:34:590:35:02

Sadly, he has to spend Christmas in bed.

0:35:040:35:07

Normally, I'm quite agile, but that ice was taking young people as well as me.

0:35:070:35:12

I went up there and I came down like that.

0:35:150:35:19

And I didn't bounce!

0:35:190:35:21

-Ready?

-Yeah.

0:35:210:35:23

Ready, steady, go!

0:35:230:35:25

Winter's great if you're under ten.

0:35:250:35:28

But snow brings out the kid in all of us.

0:35:280:35:31

When it comes to sledging, any slope will do.

0:35:310:35:34

Mums and dads have an excuse.

0:35:360:35:38

20 and 30-somethings are among the most enthusiastic winter sports fans.

0:35:380:35:43

People like Lee Pittendry, who's determined to capture his daredevil descent on his camera phone.

0:35:430:35:49

These two mad people. We're going to go break a leg!

0:35:490:35:52

We're going down a big steep hill down to the bottom.

0:35:520:35:55

It seems that Lee is able to predict the future.

0:35:550:35:59

Oh, God, I can't believe we're doing this again!

0:35:590:36:02

Aghh!

0:36:050:36:07

The next thing he'll need his phone for is the 999 call.

0:36:070:36:11

Chest injury. To the west of Otley itself.

0:36:110:36:14

Lee's accident happened just five miles from Helimed headquarters.

0:36:180:36:22

Paramedics Kate Coughlan and Darren Axe

0:36:220:36:25

are soon circling the hillside where Lee is lying.

0:36:250:36:28

COMMUNICATIONS INDISTINCT

0:36:280:36:31

If he's got chest injuries, you'd think he'd hit a tree or something.

0:36:310:36:35

What's at the bottom there, Chris?

0:36:350:36:38

-That's what I'm looking at.

-A sledge. Watch the chimney.

0:36:380:36:41

-Is that somebody laid down there?

-That's it, I think.

0:36:410:36:45

Darren knows the chopper's rotor blades could create more casualties as more sledges head downhill.

0:36:450:36:51

Stay there. Stay up there.

0:36:510:36:54

-Thank you.

-Go back up the hill!

0:36:540:36:57

-What's happened?

-Came down there, a little lump there.

0:36:570:37:00

Landed really wrong.

0:37:000:37:02

-You've landed on your right side.

-I landed on my bum, but at an angle.

0:37:020:37:06

At an angle. So the pain's in your bum, then?

0:37:060:37:08

No, it's just my ribs.

0:37:080:37:11

-Let me establish. You've come down that hill.

-Yep.

0:37:110:37:14

You hit that bump and you were sitting on the sledge.

0:37:140:37:17

-So the pain shot up from your backside into your ribs.

-Mmm.

0:37:170:37:20

-You've got pain in your ribs.

-Yes.

-Not in your backside or chest?

0:37:200:37:24

Just your ribs. OK.

0:37:240:37:25

Darren knows sledges can cause spinal injuries

0:37:250:37:29

but the more he hears about Lee,

0:37:290:37:31

the less serious this case sounds.

0:37:310:37:33

It doesn't hurt when you take a deep breath?

0:37:330:37:36

Pain here? Yes?

0:37:360:37:38

No pain on the other side, no?

0:37:380:37:40

-No.

-No pain.

0:37:400:37:42

It started out as a bit of fun.

0:37:420:37:45

But now Lee's in agony.

0:37:450:37:47

His partner never imagined their downhill race

0:37:470:37:50

would end like this.

0:37:500:37:52

As we landed, he started shouting cos it hurt.

0:37:520:37:55

Before we'd even managed to stop.

0:37:550:37:57

I turned round and he was on the floor. Couldn't speak or tell me what was wrong.

0:37:570:38:03

He couldn't say anything, really. Not a happy bunny!

0:38:030:38:08

Air ambulances are reserved for serious injuries.

0:38:080:38:11

But bad weather changes the rules.

0:38:110:38:14

The grown-up casualties from the local snow slopes aren't helping.

0:38:150:38:20

He's meant to be at work this afternoon. I doubt he'll go!

0:38:200:38:23

The accident has happened a long way from the nearest road.

0:38:230:38:27

Darren and Kate will airlift Lee to Leeds Bradford airport

0:38:270:38:30

where a road ambulance will pick him up.

0:38:300:38:32

-I was hesitantly going down it.

-You weren't aiming for that bump?

0:38:320:38:36

No!

0:38:360:38:38

We watched the kids go down and I was hesitant, but Sarah jumped on.

0:38:380:38:43

She said, "We'll be fine." Off we went.

0:38:430:38:45

The Yorkshire ambulance service is so busy today,

0:38:450:38:48

the Helimed team have had to call in a road crew based 20 miles away

0:38:480:38:53

to pick up Lee.

0:38:530:38:54

The ambulance service is maxxed out.

0:38:540:38:57

The nearest crew have come from Sherburn-in-Elmet, whereas it's normally a Leeds crew.

0:38:570:39:02

But it's so busy, this is the nearest one they could send.

0:39:020:39:05

Lee is going to Leeds General Infirmary to be checked over.

0:39:060:39:10

As Darren suspected,

0:39:100:39:12

he's broken a rib but is otherwise unhurt apart from a bruise or two.

0:39:120:39:16

They'll soon fade, but he has a permanent reminder of his accident

0:39:160:39:20

thanks to his phone.

0:39:200:39:22

He wasn't getting a lot of sympathy from his girlfriend, who thought it was funny

0:39:240:39:28

that he'd sustained an injury.

0:39:280:39:30

Not a good thing, really, is it?

0:39:340:39:36

They're laughing at you and you're in pain.

0:39:360:39:38

The casualties of an early winter.

0:39:390:39:42

Thankfully, all our patients are now on the mend.

0:39:420:39:45

Now let's catch up on the tense rescue operation launched to save a man

0:39:450:39:49

trapped in the woods in North Yorkshire.

0:39:490:39:51

The crew of an RAF helicopter are using all their skills

0:39:540:39:57

to prepare for a tricky rescue in remote woods.

0:39:570:40:00

Tree surgeon Kevin Ward is being carried to the only clearing big enough to winch him to safety

0:40:000:40:06

and on to hospital treatment for a broken leg.

0:40:060:40:09

Well done, Kevin.

0:40:100:40:12

That's the worst bit, sweetheart.

0:40:120:40:14

It's going to be cold and draughty.

0:40:170:40:20

You'll have to keep your head straight.

0:40:200:40:22

Is that as tight as it goes?

0:40:220:40:24

You want to see, don't you, Kev?

0:40:240:40:27

Kevin is strapped into a steel basket stretcher

0:40:270:40:29

designed to protect him in case it swings into overhanging branches.

0:40:290:40:34

But this will still be a dangerous operation.

0:40:340:40:37

How's that, Kevin? Feel nice and secure in there?

0:40:370:40:40

Yes?

0:40:400:40:42

Right, Kev.

0:40:430:40:44

You're with the pros now. We'll leave you be.

0:40:440:40:47

-All the best.

-Nice to meet you. Take care.

0:40:470:40:50

Paramedic Darren Axe is one of the beefiest members of the Helimed team.

0:40:500:40:54

Which is just as well. His strength will be critical to Kevin's rescue.

0:40:540:40:59

This rope should stop patient and winchman

0:40:590:41:02

spinning uncontrollably in the chopper's powerful downwash.

0:41:020:41:06

Darren's an ex-miner with muscles to match.

0:41:060:41:09

But he's got his work cut out!

0:41:090:41:11

I'm trying to stop the stretcher from spinning.

0:41:110:41:14

If it does, it's obviously dangerous for the winchman.

0:41:140:41:17

Thanks to the RAF's skill and Darren's strength,

0:41:190:41:22

Kevin finally reaches the safety of the Sea King's cabin.

0:41:220:41:27

Within ten minutes, he's on the final approach to Harrogate Hospital.

0:41:270:41:31

It turns out his leg is so badly broken, it needs surgery.

0:41:310:41:35

It'll be months before he's fit to chop down trees again.

0:41:350:41:39

But he knows he's lucky.

0:41:390:41:41

The Air Ambulance has always been my favourite charity.

0:41:410:41:44

On the assumption I might need it.

0:41:440:41:47

But I never really expected to need it.

0:41:470:41:50

Then when the RAF turned up as well, that was something amazing.

0:41:500:41:54

The man out of the helicopter came down first.

0:41:540:41:59

Then they sent the cradle down, got me snugged up into that.

0:41:590:42:04

Then me and the man went back up.

0:42:040:42:07

It was a bit scary, to tell the truth!

0:42:070:42:09

Especially going through the branches.

0:42:090:42:13

It was amazing, really.

0:42:130:42:15

I'm pleased to say Kevin is now back at work

0:42:150:42:17

after what was his first injury in 40 years of working in the woods.

0:42:170:42:22

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:42:370:42:39

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