0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're seriously ill or critically injured,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08up here, your life is in real danger.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Complaining of severe pain.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Mid-30s, been ejected from a vehicle.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16The hospital's an hour away by road,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19and speed is the only thing that can save you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Yeah, roger. Helimed 99's en route to you. Over.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The Yorkshire air ambulance and its highly trained paramedics
0:00:25 > 0:00:27are scrambled a thousand times a year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32- "Tell me exactly what's happened." - "A small child has been on the path. A wagon's ran over him."
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39That's not a suitable landing site. This one here is.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Welcome to the life-and-death world of the helicopter heroes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09a car careers into a house
0:01:09 > 0:01:12and a disabled teenager's trapped in his wrecked bedroom.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Could be some serious injuries, but till we can get him out, we can't assess him.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20There's a freak accident at a seaside funfair,
0:01:20 > 0:01:21and the victim's nervous.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25You're all right, chicken. Don't worry. Like a ride on a magic carpet.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27There's a dramatic rescue on the motorway.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Hoping there's someone not still trapped.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34And a man with a fan comes down to earth with a painful bump.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Ooh, that hurts! I must have been doing about 50 mile an hour.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48There's no place like home for making you feel safe and secure.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The doors are locked, you're behind four walls,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and you've got your family around you. What could go wrong?
0:01:54 > 0:01:57One day in South Yorkshire, a freak accident proved
0:01:57 > 0:02:01that even at home, you can be vulnerable.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Today in a small Yorkshire village,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09there's an incident so big it needs every emergency service.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13The police, ambulance service, doctors, fire brigade
0:02:13 > 0:02:15and technical rescue response team
0:02:15 > 0:02:19are all heading to where a car had collided with a house.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Low right, one o'clock.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Got quite a turn-up of emergency services here, guys.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31And despite what it looks like, this isn't a garage.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33It's a disabled teenager's bedroom,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and he's not been seen since this car left the road,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40demolished the wall and ended up on top of his bed.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Difficult to get a decent view.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It's clear this is serious,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50for the ambulance service's top doctor, Alison Walker,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54is already here, with a worrying update for Tony and Paul.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57He's trapped underneath the car.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00John tells me he's got a pulse of 154 and his sats are 74.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03So we've got to just keep him conscious, OK?
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- He's 13, is he? - 13 years old. Spina bifida.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Rhys Proud had been watching telly in his bedroom
0:03:10 > 0:03:13when the car came crashing through the wall.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16All we can see is his hand at the moment.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20He's in a wheelchair. He's got spina bifida.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Could be serious injuries, but till we can get him out,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25we can't assess him.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29The scene's so dangerous, paramedics still can't get to their patient.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31And with half the wall now missing,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35it's clear the building has become extremely unstable.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Everyone else, back over this lane. Get them back.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40This is a very serious incident
0:03:40 > 0:03:42where we have a child in a wheelchair
0:03:42 > 0:03:45trapped underneath the car currently.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47He is speaking to us, but he's got a very fast pulse rate,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and he's got a very low oxygen-saturation level.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54These teams have trained to rescue people from collapsed buildings
0:03:54 > 0:03:57after earthquakes and bomb attacks,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00but no-one ever thought they'd be needed
0:04:00 > 0:04:02after a runaway car on a housing estate.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Looks like the driver's lost control of the vehicle.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09We've been told it's a different transmission than he's used to.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13The elderly driver's already been taken to hospital,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16but Rhys has now been trapped for more than half an hour.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18For his mum, there's nothing she can do
0:04:18 > 0:04:21but wait and hope for the best.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I just saw it coming through. If I'd been in the kitchen
0:04:23 > 0:04:26with their door shut, I wouldn't have known the difference,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29because he just went... It were just one bang.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And it were quiet until I started screaming.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's obvious that rushing isn't an option.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Everyone can see that the lintel is already starting to crack.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42But the longer Rhys is trapped under the car,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45the worse his condition will become.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48But these firefighters know they will not be able to get to him
0:04:48 > 0:04:53without some serious risk to both them and to their young patient.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08The local air ambulance has become one of the UK's most popular charitable causes,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11right up there with famine relief and animal welfare.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15It costs seven grand a day to keep two choppers like this in the air -
0:05:15 > 0:05:19but the results can be priceless.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24It's the end of the summer, and the last bank holiday of the year
0:05:24 > 0:05:28in the seaside resort of Bridlington, but on the prom,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30there's been a terrible accident.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- "99 receiving."- What's your message?
0:05:32 > 0:05:36"Um, a very large ride on the seafront,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39believed to be a log flume,
0:05:39 > 0:05:45has ejected two people from a height into water."
0:05:45 > 0:05:48"I believe they're conscious, but with serious leg injuries."
0:05:48 > 0:05:55"RRV on scene is reporting one leg partially amputated."
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Helimed 99's leapfrogging the holiday traffic
0:05:58 > 0:06:02at 150 miles an hour. But it's not going to be easy
0:06:02 > 0:06:04landing near their patient.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Where are they expecting us to land?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I'll have a look, see where we can put her.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Brid attracts two million visitors a year,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and it looks like most of them are here today.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20I can drop you down literally where these people are on the front.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Yeah.- But I'm going to have to go, cos the water's coming up and over.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26OK, mate. No worries. I can do that.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29You want to open the door, mate, and just shift them,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and I'll see if I can put it on the green or somewhere else, mate.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"Air ambulance is looking for a good location to land."
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Where those people are moving away.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Pilot Chris is going to have to drop off paramedic Darren on the prom,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- but there's no room to land. - You got the short wall?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Yeah, I got the short wall.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51The crowd has cleared, but Helimed 99's rotor blades
0:06:51 > 0:06:54are still feet from brickwork. There's no time to waste.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56There you go, mate.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Waves are threatening to break over the sea wall.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Helimed 99 must move or be swamped.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10The log flume is one of the seaside funfair's busiest rides,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14but 58-year-old Ann Smallwood's badly hurt.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Her right leg, just below her groin,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- has a degloving injury.- Right.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23She's scoring her pain as being relatively minor.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- She's fearful of helicopters... - Oh, dear!- ..unfortunately.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- She is.- I am, as well, Ann. They're terrible things.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35You need to go to hospital and get your leg fixed properly, yeah?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38If we put you in a vehicle, it'll take you a long time.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- Can my husband come with me? - Probably not.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46There's enough room for me and you to be cosy,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and we'll get you to hospital really quick.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Trust us. I wouldn't get on it if it were a problem.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Where will my husband be, though? - He'll be put in a police car
0:07:54 > 0:07:55and he'll come down to you.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Ann's husband David can only watch and comfort his wife.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04She was riding the flume when she and Isabella, her grand-niece,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08were thrown out of their boat and into the water.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Ann was trapped, but all she's concerned about
0:08:10 > 0:08:13is her fellow passenger.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- David, is our Isabella all right? - Yeah. Yeah.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18She's fine.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20She's being looked after. She's fine.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22She's better than you are.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Isabella's safe in the local minor-injuries unit.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30But Darren's concerned that Ann's condition may deteriorate.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32He needs Helimed 99.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Yes, 99. Am I right in thinking they're clearing a spot for me?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44They're clearing the green spot above, where we looked at before.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Confirm again you want me to land on the green.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50They've cleared the roadway just in front of it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Yeah, roger. Whatever space is big enough for you to get into, mate, use that.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58But there's a problem. Despite the best efforts of the police
0:08:58 > 0:09:01and coastguard, holidaymakers are refusing to clear
0:09:01 > 0:09:03the only suitable landing site.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05There's people just walking straight across.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Yeah.- They're not far enough away.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13But pilot Chris is forced to abandon his landing.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Unless he can land, Ann may have to take her chances
0:09:17 > 0:09:22in the holiday jams on a 30-mile road journey to hospital.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Statistically, the UK's safest roads are motorways.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Despite the speed and the traffic,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38separating carriageways means there's fewer collisions.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41But paramedics know that, when there is a crash,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44they're likely to be dealing with very serious injuries.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48This is the longest road in the UK -
0:09:48 > 0:09:51over 410 miles.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54The A1 snakes its way up the backbone of Britain
0:09:54 > 0:09:57from London to Edinburgh.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's a route favoured by long-distance lorry drivers.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But today one of them is in serious trouble.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06At Helimed HQ, dispatcher Dave Gardner
0:10:06 > 0:10:10has spotted a large plume of smoke on the motorway cameras.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13It looks like a serious job.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Ah, it is. Wagon on fire, blocking two lanes.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So it could be... He's on fire, and possibly trapped as well.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The crew of Helimed 99 are just minutes away.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Jobs like these are usually fairly straightforward
0:10:27 > 0:10:28to spot from the air.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I've got smoke.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- OK.- Got that visual?
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Yeah, visual.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Just hoping there's someone not still trapped.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Kevin Pickford's lorry is now fully on fire,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and just seconds earlier, Kevin was trapped under it
0:10:44 > 0:10:47after being thrown through the windscreen.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But he was dragged out by five other drivers
0:10:50 > 0:10:52who risked their lives to save his.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I turned round my van, ran to the wagon where he was
0:10:55 > 0:10:57with about four other lads,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and then we had to, like, push the cab off him
0:11:00 > 0:11:04for another couple of lads to drag him out before it set itself alight.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06He'd came through the windscreen, hadn't he?
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I was trapped underneath it, and four guys pushed the cab up.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13They've done a sterling job. Sterling job.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Paramedic James Vine needs to fully assess Kevin's injuries.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19"Helimed 99, receiving."
0:11:19 > 0:11:22My legs were trapped underneath.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Do you remember what's happened with the actual crash, then?
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- What... - The traffic was starting to pile up,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32so I slowed down, but obviously, because it's wet,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34there was no traction.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38One casualty, one land ambulance required,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41with chest injuries. We do require the fire brigade.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The cab is still on fire.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47A burning lorry is a huge hazard,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and although the back of the truck was empty,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54there are still things in there that could cause a serious risk of explosion.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Anything in the, er, in the cab at all?
0:11:56 > 0:12:02Just little, um...Calor Gas bottles, you know, for the little cooker.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I know what you mean, yeah. Have you heard them pop yet?
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Just to update the fire brigade, there is Calor Gas cylinders
0:12:09 > 0:12:13in the actual cab, in the actual driving cab.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I don't know if I'll be able to get to talk to them
0:12:16 > 0:12:20when they arrive. They'll probably arrive the other side of the fire.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Those gas canisters can go off like bombs,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28so pilot Chris decides to move the helicopter
0:12:28 > 0:12:31to a safer spot, away from the burning lorry.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Everyone knows that until the flames are out,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36there's a serious risk from the tyres,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39the fuel tank and the canisters inside.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Just walk with me. You all right, there, Sammy?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44He might be a little bit...
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Anything's better than nowt, isn't it, at the moment.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- SHE SPEAKS OFF-MIC - No. I'd rather just put him down.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- SIREN WAILING - If that's an ambulance, mate,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55will you make sure there's someone on the other side of the road
0:12:55 > 0:12:58so it don't go any further down?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01This ambulance was actually heading to another 999 call,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04but James will now be using it for his patient.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Can I have your board, then? - Yeah, no problem.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It's a wagon overturned. He's been trapped.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Lads have dragged him out, but as you can see,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- it's a bit of a mess. - Flippin' 'eck!- I know.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17His chest's banged. He's bust all his ribs, I think.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21They need to perform what they call a rapid takedown,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25an ingenious way of transferring a standing patient
0:13:25 > 0:13:28onto a spinal stretcher without risking further back injury.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Mate, this feels really strange, but you really have got to trust us.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36OK? What I want you to do is just relax back.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- OK. Ready, steady, lower. - Just you relax. Go floppy, mate.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- It'll be painful. Move your leg down.- Move his feet.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- That's fine.- OK. Yeah.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48All right, pal. And we'll just go up the board.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52James suspects Kevin may have serious chest injuries.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It'll take too long to relocate the helicopter
0:13:55 > 0:13:58back to the motorway, so Kevin is going to travel
0:13:58 > 0:14:01in the diverted land ambulance to the local hospital
0:14:01 > 0:14:05while the firefighters start work to put out the fire
0:14:05 > 0:14:07that could so easily have killed him.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Kevin spends several days undergoing treatment and tests
0:14:12 > 0:14:16at Harrogate Hospital. But, for a man catapulted through the screen
0:14:16 > 0:14:20of a moving lorry, his injuries are relatively minor.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24So, it looks like the cab's actually sheared off completely
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and on its side.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Yeah. A bit scary looking at that now, isn't it?
0:14:32 > 0:14:36This is the first time Kevin has seen what happened to his truck.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40His last memory was when he was trapped under the cab,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42surrounded by flames.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I just remember everything sort of disintegrating round me,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and seeing flames, and there seemed to be a second impact,
0:14:50 > 0:14:55and that's what's eventually thrown me out through the screen.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58As far as I can remember, I rolled over a couple of times...
0:14:59 > 0:15:01..basically ended up on my side,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and looking up and seeing the cab come down on top of me.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And I was trying to look up, obviously,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but I remember seeing bits of falling...
0:15:10 > 0:15:14It must have been cloth on the interior of the cab falling down.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I remember seeing someone's foot stamping them out
0:15:17 > 0:15:21because it was round me, sort of thing, and I just felt...
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Someone just grabbed my shoulders, sort of thing,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and once they'd pushed the cab up, he just dragged me out
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and got me as far away as possible,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32cos it was taking over quite a bit by then.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37And Kevin knows he owes his life to those total strangers
0:15:37 > 0:15:41whose quick thinking quite simply saved his life.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44If they hadn't got me out from underneath the cab,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I wouldn't be here now, definitely.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So it was either that or barbecue time.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I'm glad they did.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56I just can't thank them enough.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Now, let's return to South Yorkshire,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11where the battle to free young Rhys Proud from his wrecked bedroom
0:16:11 > 0:16:13is nearing its climax.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18He's trapped, badly injured, and no-one can get to him.
0:16:18 > 0:16:2213-year-old Rhys Proud had been watching telly in his bedroom
0:16:22 > 0:16:25when a car came crashing through the wall,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28knocking him out of his wheelchair.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30We can't get to him to start treating him,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33so we're only observing what he's like at this moment in time,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and that is, he's got an airway and he's breathing.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39We need to get him out fast, get a better assessment of him,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41and then take it from there, really,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44get him to hospital as quickly as possible.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47The driver of that vehicle there is not used to the vehicle's controls.
0:16:47 > 0:16:53He's come down the road, hit the accelerator instead of the brake,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and you can see the aftermath here.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00So far, paramedics have only been able to get to Rhys's outstretched hand.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03But as more bits of his bedroom are carefully removed,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07eventually a specialist medic from the technical response team
0:17:07 > 0:17:09is able to squeeze in next to him.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11It's a confined space.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16It's an unstable building. I've seen cracks in the joists
0:17:16 > 0:17:19actually holding the roof up at one point,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and the wall's gone in, so it's quite precarious.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26We're relying on these guys so we can get him assessed and treated.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30But this is all about planning ahead.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They're bringing Helimed 99 closer to the house
0:17:33 > 0:17:36so there's no delay in getting their patient to hospital.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- What do you want to put him in? - We've got our green scoop.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- Shall we get that?- As time passes, concern for Rhys grows.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47This is one of the most complicated incidents
0:17:47 > 0:17:49the emergency services around here have ever faced.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52We have had other patients. We've got the driver of the car.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55There were other children and family in the house,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59and they've all had to be assessed by paramedics and technicians.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01So the plan at the moment is that we are going to,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05with fire and rescue, and the police Urban Search and Rescue team,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09lift the car, and move him out.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We will do a reassessment of him out here,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15see if there's any lifesaving interventions he requires,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and taking him to the helicopter and flying him
0:18:17 > 0:18:21where they've already been alerted that there's a child coming in
0:18:21 > 0:18:22with significant trauma.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Eventually, after an anxious and very nervous hour,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Rhys is pulled free.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Right. Spin him, Ewan, then head-first.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Incredibly, he's able to talk to the medics,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38including an A&E consultant who's driven from the local hospital
0:18:38 > 0:18:40to bring emergency care to the roadside.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Rhys's disability makes checking his injuries even more difficult.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51He doesn't normally have any sensation below his waist,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56so assessing if he's damaged his legs or pelvis is extremely hard.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Can you feel your hips? - They know the only way to be certain
0:19:00 > 0:19:03is an emergency X-ray in hospital.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07His mum is just glad to see her son alive.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Very tight compartment, but the guys have slowly moved things out the way
0:19:11 > 0:19:15to make sure that he's fine. No further dangers placed upon him.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18He's done really well. He's been really calm.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21He's been an excellent patient. But he's been moved out
0:19:21 > 0:19:24on the air ambulance, so we'll take him in and do a full assessment.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Rhys, when we set off, it'll be a bit noisy.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It's not deafening, but we can't really hear you speaking.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32If you feel like you're going to be sick -
0:19:32 > 0:19:35we'll only be flying for five minutes, so hopefully not -
0:19:35 > 0:19:38just stick your hand up in the air. We'll get you sorted out.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Just chill. You'll be fine once you're in hospital.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Let's flip this glass out. Keep your eye closed.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46There's glass round his eye.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49While emergency teams continue their work
0:19:49 > 0:19:52at this most bizarre crash site, Rhys is now on his way
0:19:52 > 0:19:55to the specialist children's hospital in Sheffield.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Many thought it unlikely he'd even come out of this alive.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But it's only when he arrives at the trauma centre
0:20:05 > 0:20:08that the true extent of his injuries can be discovered.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Gravity is one of the biggest enemies of the Helimed team.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Every day, the pilots have to make sure
0:20:26 > 0:20:29the combined weight of the fuel, crew and passengers
0:20:29 > 0:20:33doesn't exceed the ability of this helicopter's two engines
0:20:33 > 0:20:36to get them all off the ground.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40But there's one factor pilots can't calculate,
0:20:40 > 0:20:41and that's human behaviour.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It's bank holiday, and the east-coast resorts
0:20:44 > 0:20:46are flooded with day-trippers -
0:20:46 > 0:20:49so many that police trying to clear a landing site
0:20:49 > 0:20:53for Helimed 99 on Bridlington seafront can't cope.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57"99, the people are too close in, mate. Sorry."
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Yeah. Roger, Chris. I've alerted the police.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03They're going to deal with it now.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- I bet you weren't expecting that, were you?- I want to go.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08I can't...
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Ann Smallwood desperately needs a flight to hospital.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Her leg was almost severed in a freak accident on the log flume,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and paramedic Darren needs the help of his colleague Darrel quickly.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We need Darrel to bring the combi board over.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24200 feet above the crowd,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27pilot Chris can only wait for the trippers to move away.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31"99, there's too many tourists sat close in,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34all thinking it's a good laugh."
0:21:34 > 0:21:37"You still got people blindly walking straight across the area."
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Finally a patch of prom is cleared, and Chris makes his move.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45All clear, mate.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48OK. Brilliant, Chris.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Ann was staying in a holiday caravan nearby
0:21:51 > 0:21:55when an outing ended in a freak accident.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Privately, they're concerned that her wound may have been infected
0:21:58 > 0:22:00by the water.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I've found a degloving injury,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06which is where the skin and soft tissues are torn away
0:22:06 > 0:22:09from the back of her right leg. There appear to be no bone injuries,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11though we can't completely exclude that.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Right. You've got pain, and it's about six out of ten, yeah?
0:22:14 > 0:22:18We're not going to give you a great big dose of morphine
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and make you feel like you're going tripping somewhere.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24We'll just give you a little bit, just to take the pain off the edge,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28cos we have to move you and put you onto a stretcher.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Despite the pain, Ann has other things on her mind.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I've got to go back to see to my dog, George.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Listen, your dog's sorted.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Everybody's sorted out except you.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40All right.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Up on the prom, pilot Chris is recovering from his landing.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I suppose you could call it fairly tight.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It's not the tightest, but it's challenging enough,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52with the winds, and the public getting in the way.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55The police and coastguard helped to move them away.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Soon he knows he'll have to do it all over again in reverse.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01All right. Shut your eyes, Ann. Don't look.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Ann's unwittingly become a tourist attraction,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09but she doesn't want the same thing happening to anyone else.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13David, I need to see the police.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I need to, because that's not safe. I don't want nobody to get -
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Nobody else is going on it, love. It's not going anywhere. Just relax.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Nobody else is going on it. It's shut down.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27An investigation into the accident's already started.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29They got stuck at the top of the float.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Someone went up to clear the way...
0:23:33 > 0:23:35..and then, when it went,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38it hit the bottom, and there weren't enough water in it,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41so it hit the side instead of hitting water,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and threw them clear of the ride completely.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49They were trapped in between the two outside walls, apparently.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52They'll not do anything with it until they've spoken to you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- Ann is understandably frightened. - I don't want to have my leg off.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59You won't. Now, listen to me. We're going to go now.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- It'll be a bit noisy. - Will you come with me?
0:24:02 > 0:24:03I'm not leaving you.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06But the Helimed team's banter appears to have helped her forget
0:24:06 > 0:24:10her fear of helicopters. She's about to lift off for hospital in Hull.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- Oh, dear!- You're all right, chicken. Don't worry.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20It's like a ride on a magic carpet, only you don't have to pay.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24On a sunny day, the drive from Bridlington to Hull
0:24:24 > 0:24:27can take an hour or more. But just ten minutes later,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Ann's on final approach to the Royal Infirmary,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34where doctors have been warned she may need urgent plastic surgery.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40That night, Ann undergoes a major operation,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42but she wakes up to another nasty surprise.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Her accident's headline news.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47We got to the highest point,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52and it just went down so fast, and just came off the bottom.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I can remember it looked awful.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58It looked like a shark had had hold of my leg.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02And, if laughter's the best medicine,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Ann reckons paramedic Darren is the man with the right prescription.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They were cracking jokes, and he said...
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I kept saying to him, "Have I got to have my leg off?"
0:25:11 > 0:25:15And he kept saying, "No, because we only take legs off on Sundays."
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And he went, "Oh, it IS Sunday." They were fantastic.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Absolutely first-class. They were absolutely brilliant.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24'I can't thank them enough.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Ann's just relieved her great-niece escaped almost unhurt,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33but she won't be joining her at the seaside funfair next time.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Even the most innocent pastime can land you in a freak accident.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You may think taking a walk in a park's pretty safe.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Think again.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Children are often a factor in the most bizarre incidents
0:25:54 > 0:25:56the Helimed team have to deal with,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and even a simple playground swing isn't without risk.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Today at a park in South Yorkshire,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Helimed 98's touching down to rescue a pensioner
0:26:09 > 0:26:12who's been involved in a mid-air collision with a youngster.
0:26:13 > 0:26:19We tied it up. The swing's come round with somebody on it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- Right.- It went into the small of her back, right-hand side,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26and off the floor. Definite fracture, right clavicle.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Got central mid-C spine pain as well.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Right. OK.- Ten out of ten initially.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Patricia Sullivan was doing voluntary work,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39keeping the playground near her home tidy, when the accident happened.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43She gardens and that every day,
0:26:43 > 0:26:48plants...plants all down there, tidies up and all that.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51She were just picking rubbish off on that play area there,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and some kids were on the swing,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56and they've gone round and knocked her off her feet,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and she's landed on her collarbone.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01On three. Two, three, hup!
0:27:01 > 0:27:03She's in a lot of pain, and local paramedics fear
0:27:03 > 0:27:07she may have injured her spine as well as broken her collarbone.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10So, she's had five morphine now, hasn't she?
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Patricia's friends are keeping her spirits up.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16No-one blames the kids. They were doing what kids do.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19But paramedics Darrel Cullen and James Vine know
0:27:19 > 0:27:23their patient needs X-rays to rule out a serious injury.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- Is it just digging a little bit? - Yeah.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30I'll just take your... Might be just your shirt catching at the back.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34She's taking off for Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37where doctors discover her broken collarbone
0:27:37 > 0:27:41is her most serious injury. She's soon back at work,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44but is now keeping her distance from the swings.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Air-ambulance crews are often first to the scene of accidents,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and that means they have to be pretty self-sufficient,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and when your patient's a bird-man strapped to a parachute
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and a propeller, you have to be prepared to improvise.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05This is paramotoring, the cheapest form of powered flight,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09taking off with just a parachute and a petrol-powered fan
0:28:09 > 0:28:11strapped to your back.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's not everyone's idea of luxury travel.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18When things go wrong, there's very little to stop a rough landing
0:28:18 > 0:28:20turning into a serious accident.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24In a North Yorkshire cornfield,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Mick Burniston has crashed at around 50 miles an hour,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and he's badly injured.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32RADIO CHATTER
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Now it's down to some fellow aviators to come to his rescue.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43"We've got a paraglider, and a gas tank is attached to his back."
0:28:44 > 0:28:48"They're going to try and disconnect it. Over."
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Mick's blue canopy is easy to spot from the air.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Yeah. We're just above him now.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Received. Overhead scene. Landing shortly. Over.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Two passing walkers have come to his rescue,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05but he'd already been stuck here, facedown in the field,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08for more than a quarter of an hour before anyone found him.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13- We're going to create our own crop circle.- We certainly are!
0:29:15 > 0:29:19I think he's broke his collarbone, and he's definitely broke his ankle
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- just above his boot down there. - OK. Which leg?
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Bottom leg. - It were all that side impact?
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- What's his name, sir? - Mike Burniston.- Hiya, Mike.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31I haven't been able to remove that bottom strap.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35He could have serious injuries. He's broken his shoulder blade
0:29:35 > 0:29:38and has an open fracture to his ankle.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42But crashing so hard at such speed with a heavy engine on your back
0:29:42 > 0:29:45means he could have done even more damage.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48I couldn't get into the wind cos I were going that quick.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51I must have been doing about 50 mile an hour.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Have you got any pain round your neck or your back?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56No, just my shoulder and my leg.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58You want to just come top-side here for me?
0:29:58 > 0:30:01What I'm going to ask this guy to do, while we're moving round,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05if you come round here... All I want you to do is support his head.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08All right. What I don't want to do is for him to move back,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12cos he's injured elsewhere. We don't want to risk
0:30:12 > 0:30:15that that might be covering up him having back or neck pain.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I saw him flying around earlier this morning,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and then it's Tim, who's on leave from the army,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25that was having a walk with Emma, and luckily saw the parachute
0:30:25 > 0:30:28coming up above the corn, otherwise...
0:30:28 > 0:30:32If the parachute hadn't billowed, I don't think they would've seen him.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35I think he's got... There's some bleeding there,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38so I'm assuming he's got an open fracture of some sort there.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42But despite his serious injuries, there's a far more urgent problem.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- Does it unzip, Mike, on the back? - What?
0:30:45 > 0:30:48There's a zip across the back. Does it unzip from there?
0:30:48 > 0:30:51The distinctive smell of leaking petrol is a huge worry
0:30:51 > 0:30:53for paramedic Pete Vallance.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57The engine's fuel pipe ruptured when Mick crashed,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and this leaking motor is still hot,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and still firmly attached to his back.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06We saw his parachute. He was lying underneath it.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Luckily he was conscious as he was there.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Just talked to him, phoned the ambulance service,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and within five minutes, you guys arrived.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17At last they've worked out how to separate Mick from his fuel tank,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20to the relief of everyone.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Mick's wife has heard about the crash and has rushed to help.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28It's paramotoring. It's something he's done for a few years.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Um, he's never crashed before.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Um, it's basically a parachute-type thing,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and a motor on your back, and it allows you to take off
0:31:39 > 0:31:42from a flat surface, as opposed to off the top of a hill.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46It's something he enjoys doing and does quite often.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48We're just going to take your boots off, Mick.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52All right. Yeah. OK, here we go.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Mick's ankle is badly broken.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59The bone's sticking out, and he's losing a lot of blood.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Get his sock off, and we'll have a look at that foot.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05I think we've got to control this.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It looks like he's certainly got an open fracture to his ankle,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and he's also complaining of pain to his shoulder,
0:32:12 > 0:32:17so we're querying whether or not that's actually fractured as well.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20But we're controlling his pain well with morphine,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- so we'll be bobbing him off to Harrogate shortly.- Ready, steady...
0:32:24 > 0:32:26And roll.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- OK?- Wonderful. Stay as we are.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34He's quite a big fella, really. When we lifted him over,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37it took six of us to get him into the aircraft.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40It's not my idea of fun. It seems a little bit too dangerous,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43in much the same way that climbing rocks, riding horses
0:32:43 > 0:32:45and riding motorbikes is.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Up and left, and if we can carry on in...
0:32:48 > 0:32:51He was lying for 15 minutes when we'd seen him.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53He could have been lying there for a lot longer,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56so it was lucky to come over and see what it was in the field.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00It's now nearly an hour since Mick came crashing down into the field.
0:33:00 > 0:33:0399 lifting from scene to Harrogate.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And now he's taking to the sky again,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09this time heading to the local hospital for checks
0:33:09 > 0:33:12to work out exactly what damage he's done.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14OK, everyone?
0:33:14 > 0:33:16And move.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21A week here in Harrogate leaves plenty of time
0:33:21 > 0:33:25for his injuries to be treated, but also for him to think back through
0:33:25 > 0:33:28why his flight went so badly wrong.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33I were lining her up into the wind, cos you've got to land into wind,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35slow the machine up.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40And I just hit something, and I come down awfully quick,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43without losing a lot of speed.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47So therefore I crashed into the ground, basically.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51It's, er... It's only a one-in-a-million chance
0:33:51 > 0:33:53of it happening.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57I mean, I've been doing it for over three years now,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01and nothing has ever remotely come close.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04We're going to cover you up with a sleeping bag,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07get you across to the aircraft, then do a few obs on you
0:34:07 > 0:34:09and get you through to hospital.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12'To be perfectly honest, I've always wanted to go in a helicopter,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15'but the only trouble is, I never saw much of it,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19'cos they put a thing round my neck to support my neck
0:34:19 > 0:34:22'in case of any injury, and all I could see
0:34:22 > 0:34:25'were the roof of the helicopter and a little bit of the sky.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28'I couldn't ask for a better flight.'
0:34:28 > 0:34:33But despite his trip in the twin-jet-engine Helimed 99,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37he can't wait to get back in his much simpler flying machine.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40'It hasn't put me off in the slightest.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'I just love the freedom,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46'the space, the nothing there,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49'up with the clouds and the birds, just flying along.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52'It just chills me out. It's my chill-out zone,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55'and I just want that freedom back again.'
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Anyone can have a freak accident, and that includes the Helimed team.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Today, pilot Tim Taylor's waiting to take off
0:35:07 > 0:35:11on another emergency, when something very unexpected happens.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14CLICKING SOUND
0:35:14 > 0:35:16The landing skid of Helimed 98 has collapsed.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20"Helimed 98, after the landing Ryanair just touching down now,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23runway three-two, clear lift."
0:35:23 > 0:35:25"Set course across the runway, on track."
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Roger. Helimed 98. We're just shutting down.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31We've got a technical problem.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33If this had happened on rough terrain,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36it could have resulted in serious injuries or death.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Luckily the only harm it did was to Tim's heart-rate.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Another helicopter will rescue the patient.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Just thankful, really, it happened here.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48We were just on our way to an incident in the middle of nowhere,
0:35:48 > 0:35:53so if it had happened there, it would have been a lot more difficult to retrieve.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57But it will be weeks before 98's ready to rescue anyone else.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Corrosion inside the skid is blamed, but it'll mean a major repair -
0:36:01 > 0:36:04something no-one could have predicted.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Animals do the funniest things.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12But if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15they can also land you in A&E.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20They're cute, cuddly, and could hardly be described
0:36:20 > 0:36:24as dangerous creatures. But what happens if you cross one of these
0:36:24 > 0:36:27with one of these?
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Left leg, possible pelvis. - Oh, we'll take him in.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Today on a road high up on the West Yorkshire moors,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38a biker has just been dragged out of a ditch
0:36:38 > 0:36:41after coming off at speed -
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and, yes, he says a rabbit was to blame.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I found a young man facedown in a ditch
0:36:45 > 0:36:48with his motorbike about ten yards away from him.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51The story was, he'd been doing about 50 miles an hour,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55swerved to avoid a rabbit, and gone over straight into the ditch.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Deep breath, buddy.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59OK.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Anthony Watkins was left facedown in here,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06with serious and very painful injuries.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08OK, buddy? HE GROANS
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Relax, relax.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13We'll go over to the aircraft, mate. We'll have him onto the aircraft
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and sort him out on there. All right. OK.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19But that aircraft is a new one for the Helimed team.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22While theirs is off for repair, they're in a hire vehicle -
0:37:22 > 0:37:27a spare air ambulance that's come just at the right time for Anthony.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Everybody just reshuffle, OK?
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Ready? One, two, three.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34There he goes. Keep going. Keep going.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37- Agh! Shoulder!- All right, bud.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39We're going to get you some pain relief.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Helping people who've come off their motorbikes
0:37:42 > 0:37:45is an almost-daily duty for these paramedics.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49But the cause of today's crash is certainly more unusual.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- How long was you in the ditch for? Can you remember?- No.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- 20 minutes, maybe. OK.- All right.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Can you remember what's happened?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Er, I was doing 50, about 50 miles an hour.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05- Right.- Came round the bend. Rabbit or something jumped out at me.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Went into the ditch.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10His story is, he's swerved to avoid a rabbit in the road
0:38:10 > 0:38:14and ended up in a ditch, and been facedown for quite a time
0:38:14 > 0:38:16prior to anyone finding him.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20So, er, from initial observations,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23there's no major injuries we can see,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26but that sort of mechanism and history,
0:38:26 > 0:38:30we'll obviously be very cautious and take him through to LGI,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32and he'll have a full trauma scan there
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and determine what injuries he's got.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- And is that painful when I feel there?- No.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41No? Good lad. All right. OK. Can you bend this left knee?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- What about in there?- That's OK.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- Painful there?- No.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48- And there?- No.- No?
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Anthony is soon heading off to hospital,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54where it's discovered he has several collapsed vertebrae
0:38:54 > 0:38:55and a dislocated shoulder.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Quite a price to pay after swerving to avoid a bunny!
0:39:02 > 0:39:06The bizarre cases that make up the Helimed team's workload,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and I'm pleased to say all our victims are on the road to recovery.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Now let's return to the rescue of Rhys Proud,
0:39:12 > 0:39:17the disabled teenager trapped when a car careered into his home.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Trapped for more than an hour, 13-year-old Rhys Proud
0:39:23 > 0:39:25has been caught up in a bizarre crash.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29He'd been in his wheelchair, using his laptop,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32when this car shot off the road into his bedroom,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35trapping him underneath.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Medics have been predicting he's got serious traumatic injuries,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42and he's been taken to the specialist children's hospital in Sheffield.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Well done. All right? First flight in a helicopter?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47It's a place he knows well,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49as it's also the base for the specialists
0:39:49 > 0:39:52who care for his spina bifida.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But now they'll be joined by trauma doctors
0:39:54 > 0:39:57to find out exactly what damage has been done.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Because of Rhys's disability,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06assessing his condition takes longer than usual.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09He has little feeling below the waist.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Meanwhile, back at Royston near Barnsley,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Rhys's mum is having to start rebuilding their family home.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20That were the window, and it were that size.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23But all down here got ripped out.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27There were no brickwork at all here. It's all just come out.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31When I first come up here to start sorting it out,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34my legs were just knocking together even when I walked in,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36and I'm an adult.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39But despite the devastation to the bricks and mortar,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43incredibly, Rhys, it seems, has been much more resilient,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and less than a week later, he's back to see the damage,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50with just a broken leg to show for a crash
0:40:50 > 0:40:53few thought he'd survive.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55How does it feel now, coming back?
0:40:55 > 0:41:00Um, quite strange, but I suppose I'll get used to it.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04'It is quite shocking to see all that it's done to my room and that,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08'and that I got out quite well to say what happened.'
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I were just on my laptop. I didn't have any chance to think about it.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16All I know is, one minute I were there, the next minute over there.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21The first initial bang, I just thought, "What they broke?"
0:41:21 > 0:41:25But as soon as it continued, I knew summat weren't right,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27and that's why I went running through.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32But not on my life did I think I were going to see summat like that.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36My face were, like, smack next to the inside of the wheel,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39and the only part that were poking out of the car were my hand.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It were awful, cos I thought he were going to die.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I thought he only had seconds left. I couldn't see him.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49I didn't know what state he were in. All I could see were his arm.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52But, as he was knocked over as the car came through,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55medics think it could actually have been his wheelchair
0:41:55 > 0:41:59that took the force of the impact and saved Rhys.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Well, I did shout for my mum,
0:42:01 > 0:42:05but because all the weight were on my chest, my voice were very deep,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08so it took my mum a while to realise it were me in there.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10None of us knew what state he were in at all.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14They had to lift the car to actually see what state he were in.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18But I thought he only had seconds to live.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21They thought he were in a really, really bad way,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24but everything were trashed in that room.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26That car were totally in that room.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30I don't think any of them thought he had a chance at all.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35But now he's home and back to his usual teenage ways.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39But this is certainly an image the emergency crews of Yorkshire,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42and Rhys, will never forget.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Real lucky! I could've got out a lot worse, or not got out at all.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52I'm pleased to say Rhys has now been given a new bedroom and furniture
0:42:52 > 0:42:55to replace the bed and wardrobe smashed to pieces in the crash.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57His mum's moved into his old room,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00so her son can sleep more soundly from now on.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:09 > 0:43:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:13 > 0:43:14.