0:00:02 > 0:00:06If you're seriously ill or critically injured up here,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08your life is in real danger.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Complaining of severe pain.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Mid-thirties, been ejected from a vehicle.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Hospital's an hour away by road
0:00:17 > 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 1,000 times a year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- Tell me exactly what's happened. - A small child was on the path.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32A wagon's cut the corner and run over him.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39That's not a suitable landing site, this one here is.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Welcome to the life-and-death world of the Helicopter Heroes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'I'm in a field in a ditch. I've crashed through a hedge.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'I'm stuck in the cockpit of a glider.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:16A glider pilot crashes but the team can't find him.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18A boiling hot day so he'll be hot, let alone in pain.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21A young cyclist has a terrible accident.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24We've come down for a bit of fun and it's ended in a bit of tragedy.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26The Romans are back
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and there's a legion of problems for the Helimed team.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Four casualties at this time, over.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35And boys will be boys but paramedics have to pick up the pieces.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39He fell on a rock and I fell on top of him and squashed his chest.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47How's this for a thrill?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51We're soaring like a bird with no engine to keep us in the sky.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Gliding is as near as you can get to growing wings.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58We're soaring on invisible currents of warm air
0:01:58 > 0:02:01but this is a sport that has its dangers too,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03as one pilot found out this summer.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08The sky over the Vale of York
0:02:08 > 0:02:11is one of the UK's busiest pieces of airspace
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and today it's even more crowded than usual.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16The airfield at Sutton Bank is the venue
0:02:16 > 0:02:18for a national gliding competition
0:02:18 > 0:02:20but there's an emergency.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24It's a glider that's come down somewhere up near Stokesley.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Basic service, Helimed 98. I'll set 2,000 and fly when I'm clear.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Luckily, the Helimed team has a base at Bagby,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36in the shadow of Sutton Bank and its famous white horse.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Paramedics Tony Wilkes and Paul Kilner
0:02:38 > 0:02:42are on the way to search for the downed pilot.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44'Ambulance, what's the address of the emergency?'
0:02:44 > 0:02:46'I don't know. I'm in a field in a ditch.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50'I crashed through a hedge. I'm stuck in the cockpit of the glider.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56'The last I saw, I was 14km roughly north of Carlton.'
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Initially, we've got Carlton in Cleveland.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00We were given a grid for that.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03That's almost in Teesside Zone then, really.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05The glider pilot comes from Sussex
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and isn't familiar with the rolling Cleveland hills
0:03:08 > 0:03:10where he's come down.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Not a lot of information at the moment except the glider's come down,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17we think, in a field. Hopefully we'll get updated on the way
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and get more information sent through.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Because we are up very high and we might have gliders,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27everyone keep your eyes peeled for them.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'Have you got GPS in your glider?'
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- 'Yes, I have.'- 'You have got GPS.'
0:03:31 > 0:03:32'I can't reach it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34'Ah! I can't.'
0:03:34 > 0:03:36'You can't reach it.'
0:03:36 > 0:03:38He said there's a road north of him in the field
0:03:38 > 0:03:41so that could be the road.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Back at Helimed headquarters, flying paramedic Sammy Wills
0:03:44 > 0:03:47is trying to put herself mentally in his cockpit,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49working out where he may have landed.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54Initial reports from the patient was that he was trapped by his ankle
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and the way he described his instruments in the cockpit,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01they were smashed up around him and some had been thrown out of the cab.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It's a boiling hot day so just being trapped by the Perspex as well.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07He'll be hot, let alone in pain.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09'Are you actually on a farm?'
0:04:09 > 0:04:10'Yeah.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'So, is there...? How far are the buildings to you?'
0:04:13 > 0:04:15'I really don't know, I'm in a hedge.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18'I'm right beside a road, a bicycle just went past.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'Can you try and get their attention?'
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'No, I can't, because it's a very thick hedge.'
0:04:25 > 0:04:29On the ground, ambulance crews have joined the rescue operation.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Pilot Andy Lister used to fly for the police.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35He's used to searching from the air.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39A large, white glider shouldn't be too hard to find.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Right, I will suggest, even from now we should start
0:04:42 > 0:04:46peeling our eyes back and having a look for gliders in fields, really.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Finally, they spot a glider on the edge of the search area.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Ah, there he is!
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Well spotted, mate.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Yeah, one o'clock?- Yeah.- Got it.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Durham-Tees Radar, Helimed 98 now letting down.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03The puzzle is, this glider doesn't look damaged.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Perhaps the pilot has freed himself.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Doesn't look like there's anyone in it.- No, there isn't.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- You want me to go on have a look? - If you want, mate.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It's the wrong glider.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Somewhere in the 200 square miles of search area,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20an injured pilot is still awaiting rescue,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23trapped in his cockpit under a hot summer sun.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The Helimed team must find him.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43There are some symptoms which ring alarm bells with paramedics.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Among them, a back injury,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47when combined with loss of feeling in the legs,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49is probably the most worrying.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54It's a bright summer's day
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and the paramedics are en route to Conisbrough near Doncaster.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Joe Hamshaw has fallen
0:06:00 > 0:06:04while attempting a massive jump on his mountain bike.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05How you doing, Joe?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07We were out on our downhill bikes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11We've come down for a bit of fun and it's ended in a bit of tragedy.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15He hit that jump there, hit it a bit fast,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18gone a bit fast and fell off his bike.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Did you physically see him come off?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Yeah.- Right. What happened?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Went over a 20-foot jump and went over the handlebars.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Helimed paramedic Glen Powell finds Joe with a land ambulance crew
0:06:29 > 0:06:32in the valley bottom and it isn't looking good.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- What's his pain score now?- Four. - Right.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Lack of sensation in his plantar reflex.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- None?- None.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42No sensation, movement or anything?
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Joe's dad Steve has arrived.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49He got a phone call and rushed down to try to help his son.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Yeah, my ex-wife rung me and she says, "Can you get to him,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55"he's had an accident down at Steetley's."
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And I found him, like, with the ambulance team,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00who was doing a tremendous job.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Can I leave you guys to get him on board and everything, yeah?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Paramedic Glen is very worried.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Joe doesn't know it, but he may have severed his spinal cord.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The risk is that he may never walk again.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16He's come down quite a steep gradient, like a one in three or one in four.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Witnessed by some bystanders who've been cycling in these woods.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22He's flown past them at some speed, taken off on a jump,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26landed it and then gone down and accelerated further
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and gone over another jump.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31He landed wheel-first on his bike, flipped over the handlebars
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and landed flat on his back doing 30 miles an hour.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The team needs to get Joe out of the woods quickly
0:07:37 > 0:07:40but work carefully to ensure there is no further damage
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to the delicate spinal cord.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Right, Joe. We're going to move you in a second, buddy. All right, mate?
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Right.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49He's pretty experienced.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52He's been doing it a few years now.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55He's a sensible lad normally.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I think he was a little bit silly coming on his own.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04He's usually a sensible lad but he probably weren't thinking.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Probably thought it wouldn't happen to him and it has.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10If you got the fire brigade, there's a gate at the top.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14You can cut that open and get down here with an ambulance.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15But there's a problem.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Joe is deep in the woods,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20hundreds of metres from the nearest road or landing site.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Pilot Steve Cobb is moving Helimed 98 to get closer to their patient.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It's quite steep out left.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Is everybody happy going to the left?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Yes.- If anybody is not happy at any time, just say.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Joe's dad is showing the strain.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37He knows his son is very seriously injured.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It's a hot day and the physical exertion of the climb
0:08:40 > 0:08:43out of the woods is affecting him too.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Little steps. Everybody happy?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47He's beginning to lag behind.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49For now, all the attention is on his son.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52But that's about to change.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Got a second casualty. There's a guy collapsed!
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Few jobs have changed as much as those in the ambulance service.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11When many of the Helimed team first put on a uniform,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15they were simply expected to drive and give first aid.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Now they can inject drugs previously restricted to doctors
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and even perform surgical procedures.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25But if you really want to trace medical progress,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30you have to go back to the days of the UK's first trained medics.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35They conquered Britain nearly 2,000 years ago
0:09:35 > 0:09:38but now the Romans are back.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40CHEERS
0:09:40 > 0:09:43These make-believe Romans spend their weekends
0:09:43 > 0:09:47showing 21st-century Britons what life was like
0:09:47 > 0:09:50when we were just an outpost of a vast empire.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52These re-enactment groups pride themselves
0:09:52 > 0:09:56on always staying in character, no matter what happens.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59But today a group of visitors have been badly injured
0:09:59 > 0:10:01by a stampeding horse.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07It's the sort of accident that could have easily happened back in 55 BC,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11but the treatment is coming from a very modern flying machine.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Horses, eh? A big horse event.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Going to cause even more chaos, aren't we, if we're not careful.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20You wouldn't get me on the back of a horse for £1 million.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Incredibly dangerous things.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25It's clear this Roman camp has already been invaded
0:10:25 > 0:10:27by a fleet of modern ambulances.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Several spectators have been struck by the runaway horse.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Hiya. We've just got one lady here
0:10:33 > 0:10:36but there's three more over there who might be more injured.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Just making my way around four casualties at this time, over.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45These two guys, I've never seen him yet.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47This guy's...
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- Did you have your leg stood on, mate?- Stood on it, yeah.- Yeah.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53And this lady's got some hip pain.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Watch your arm, Jean, just going to put this round you.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59I saw this horse running up towards my kids so I tried to grab the rope.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- Right.- I managed to hold it for a little bit.- Oh, well done!
0:11:03 > 0:11:05It's jumped over my daughter's head.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And just pulled me and as I've landed,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10its back legs have landed on my...
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Query possible, one fractured leg and...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16a lady with minor, minor head injury
0:11:16 > 0:11:22and another query, very query dislocated hip and one low back pain.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27This bizarre accident happened when the legionnaire's horse
0:11:27 > 0:11:31came face-to-face with some very modern 21st-century fencing.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We were watching some Roman centurions
0:11:34 > 0:11:37being put through their drill in the field.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The horse, apparently someone was feeding it grass,
0:11:39 > 0:11:44and it leant over and touched the electric fence and panicked
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and cantered in a big circle all the way around,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51jumping people and pushchairs and tents.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55All the legionnaires and gladiators have come to help,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58including Richard Berry, who's been doing this re-enactment for years.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02It takes a lot for these groups to step out of character,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05but here everyone's now firmly back in 2011
0:12:05 > 0:12:08to help the modern-day medics.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14There don't appear to be any serious injuries at this horse event.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Two more ambulances have been requested.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22So we are back online available for further tasking.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24The patient I was dealing with says the horse
0:12:24 > 0:12:28jumped over his two children, a two and a four-year-old.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Could have been a very, very different story.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So as the Helimed teams soar back into the sky,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38the re-enactment continues.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41Good shot!
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Everything at these events is as it would have been
0:12:44 > 0:12:47when the legions first set up camp in Britain.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49So much better than the normal javelin.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55But today, the Helimed team aren't yet finished with the first century.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Funnily enough, we're going back to where we where earlier in the day.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It sounds like somebody at the same event is having a heart attack.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06So we're off back up there
0:13:06 > 0:13:10so that event will have two visits from us in a day,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13which is fairly intensive.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16They say all roads lead to Rome and pilot Andy Lister's
0:13:16 > 0:13:22landing back in exactly the same spot they were in just hours earlier.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25For paramedic Sammy Wills, things are very familiar.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I've been here before!
0:13:27 > 0:13:28You must have deja vu.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Yeah! What's he got now, pain-wise?
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Not good. He started off at five but I think he's actually getting worse.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Knock, Knock. You wouldn't happen to be Richard, would you?
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- Are we keeping him on the leads as we're going down?- We are, yeah.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Earlier in the day,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Richard had been in the arena, taking part in a mock battle.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Then he was helping those kicked by the horse.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Now he's needing urgent treatment for a heart attack.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- How are you feeling now, Richard? - Pretty rough.- Pretty rough.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00In fact, we'll just pop you back on to the monitor
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and then we'll take you down to the aircraft, all right?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Our plan, Rich, is to fly you.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07All right?
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Of course, in Roman times, Richard wouldn't have stood a chance.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13It's likely this would have quickly lead to death,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17so today he's happy to leave his centurion character behind
0:14:17 > 0:14:19for a flight in Helimed 99.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Yeah, just relocated the patient to the ambulance.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24We're going to drive down, I'll come down and meet with you.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27If you could have the defib and the pads on standby, over.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30AMBULANCE BEEPS
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The gentleman looks really uncomfortable.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35He's never actually had a heart attack beforehand
0:14:35 > 0:14:37but he does suffer from angina.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40He's had quite extensive cardiac surgery.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The pain's come on while he's been exerting
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and he's still quite uncomfortable.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47It's fair to say the Helimed paramedics
0:14:47 > 0:14:49have seen some sights in the back of their helicopter
0:14:49 > 0:14:53but it's not often you get someone dressed quite like this.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56This is not a dress, it's a tunic.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58You've been re-enacting, haven't you?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59I've been re-enacting.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So I overdid it in the heat and everything.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09In modern-day Britain, medical technology is on Richard's side
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and he's soon being flown to a specialist cardiac hospital,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16which'll be able to treat whatever is causing his heart to struggle.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22And while in Roman times, Richard might have been treated
0:15:22 > 0:15:24with wine, vinegar or a hot bath,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27in modern Britain he's able to take full advantage
0:15:27 > 0:15:30of the latest cardiac treatments.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I've had stents before in two coronary arteries.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38And they, for some reason, clotted, both at the same time,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40which is really quite rare.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43That's why it happened so quickly.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46They said it wasn't because of the exertions and things I was doing.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50They just really don't know and they're looking into it,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53why suddenly both of them clotted.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56So it was very touch and go.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I think I went into VF a couple of times and they shocked me back.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Although doctors aren't convinced the two emergencies were connected,
0:16:03 > 0:16:08dealing with a Roman stampede must have put a strain on Richard's heart.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12I heard behind me just people running, a lot of noise.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I turned and as I turned, I saw this horse running through the crowd.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Just then, the horse clipped one of the rope barriers
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and I saw it hit this lady on the side of the head.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27She went down very heavily.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32I just shot over there because I thought if the horse comes back,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35at least I've got some armour on and I can protect her head,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38and try to protect her that way.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42But no-one expected the helicopter's second visit to the same place.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47And he was certainly an unusual patient to be carried in Helimed 99.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50They've taken the Michael quite a bit.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Most of my armour was off and that was sent home
0:16:53 > 0:16:57but I did have my cingulum militare, which is the belt
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and one of the nurses was walking around
0:16:59 > 0:17:01with my dagger and my belt on, going, "Look at this."
0:17:01 > 0:17:04About five times too big for her.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Then they were taking the knife out and having a good look at that
0:17:08 > 0:17:10so we've had a laugh.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's all gone home now. It's all back home.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17For now, Richard will be just reading about,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20rather than recreating, the Roman Empire.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Now let's get back to the hunt for the glider pilot
0:17:40 > 0:17:43missing from this airfield in North Yorkshire
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and it's proving to be a frustrating time for the Helimed team.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52Injured and alone but unable to tell his rescuers where he is,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56all paramedics Tony Wilkes and Paul Kilner know
0:17:56 > 0:17:58is that their patient desperately needs them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01We're with a glider in a field at the moment
0:18:01 > 0:18:03but we've just been told it's not the glider we are seeking.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06So we're going to get airborne and search again.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Somewhere in 200 square miles, he's sitting in his wrecked glider.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13'Do you remember seeing the main A172?'
0:18:13 > 0:18:15'No.'
0:18:15 > 0:18:17'That's just west of Carlton.'
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- 'I wouldn't have recognised it, I'm afraid.'- 'You wouldn't.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'I'm a visitor up here. I know where I am on my map
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- 'but I don't do road numbers or things like that.'- 'OK.'
0:18:27 > 0:18:30But at last, they have a lead.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The RRB advises that police have eyeballed the patient
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and he's in Stokesley-Seamer area.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41OK, this location is just north north-west of Stokesley,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43about four miles.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- Is that the grid you just put in there?- Yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48He's still on his own in this field, apparently.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50There's cows in it, too, according to that tug aircraft.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53I don't know if we got that last time.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57He's been able to give as much information about what he can see
0:18:57 > 0:18:58and where he was
0:18:58 > 0:19:03and despite that, the incident's now 55 minutes old.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07We believe we'll be with him now in the next three or four.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09There it is, on the nose.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Hello there. What's your name, sir? - My name's Les Blows.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- Les?- Yeah.- Hi, Les, I'm Paul. Nice to meet you.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Pilot Les Blows has been trapped in his cockpit for more than an hour.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28No wonder he's pleased to see his rescuers.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Have you any pain anywhere, as you're sat there?
0:19:31 > 0:19:36I strongly suspect I've got a bone broken in my ankle.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- Right.- Just this one. I'm perfectly OK elsewhere.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41No other pain. Stay nice and still for us,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43just don't move your head. Any pain where I'm pressing?
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- No, my head is fine.- If you take a nice, big, deep breath for me?
0:19:47 > 0:19:48- How's that?- Yeah, it's OK.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Just pass me your arm for a moment, let's feel this hand.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55His leg is badly broken.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58The glider has hit a tree stump.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Let's have a feel of it. You've no pain in your hips?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- No pain in my hips. - Nothing in your tummy?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05No, typical aviator's accident.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06- Nothing on there?- No.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Nothing on there.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Glider pilots often have to land away from base
0:20:11 > 0:20:14but this field was harder and shorter than it looked.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16That's right. Just use it to elevate you onto the top.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18I'll support your ankle.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21With no brakes, Les ran out of runway.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Just let that left foot down.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I'm going to fall off.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- You're quite all right. - I am going to fall!
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Oh, ah! Argh!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33No, ow, ow, ow!
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- Where's most of your pain? - On the side of the shin.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39- There's a big swelling.- It's all right, I know. We've seen it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41What we're going to do is, just listen to us.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44You're not going to fall, I promise.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Paramedic Paul knows the long wait could have complicated Les's injury.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51One of the problems, I guess,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54when you find a location like this is everywhere looks the same.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57We were given two or three different grid references
0:20:57 > 0:21:01and eventually we managed to find this gentleman, which was good
0:21:01 > 0:21:03because, as you can see, it's quite an isolated place.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06He wouldn't want to be here too much longer,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08especially with night-time coming and what have you.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10So it was good to find him, yeah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Now that Les has been found,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15the scale of the search for him is obvious.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19I am impressed by the amount of emergency services that have turned out for this job.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I don't think I'm really cut out to be a glider pilot
0:21:22 > 0:21:27and I'm not sure after seeing an incident like this, it's really the pursuit I want to take up.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31The crash happened barely 50 feet above sea level
0:21:31 > 0:21:35but even mountain rescue have been called out.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37This isn't wild and inaccessible,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39but it could have been. You just don't know, do you?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42You don't know whether it's across a ditch
0:21:42 > 0:21:43or halfway up a tree.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48In those situations, the team's capabilities come into their own.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- Now I feel faint.- It's all right. Just try and relax.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Take some nice deep breaths. - Am I going to lie down?
0:21:54 > 0:21:55You're OK at the moment.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Les's condition is now beginning to concern his rescuers.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Is the time he spent trapped in his cockpit under the summer sun
0:22:03 > 0:22:05catching up with him?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Heatstroke is serious and potentially deadly.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Remember the young cyclist badly injured in an accident
0:22:24 > 0:22:25in South Yorkshire.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30It's a worrying case and it's taking its toll on the victim's father.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Five minutes ago, Steve Hamshaw was trying to help his son
0:22:35 > 0:22:38lying paralysed in the woods after a cycling accident.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42We've got a second casualty, there's a guy collapsed.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Now the Helimed team have two critical patients on their hands.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Back down the track, Steve has collapsed with a suspected heart attack.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Helimed crewman Glen Powell is desperate to get ground paramedics to his aid.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57He's collapsed down there.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I don't know whether that guy has something serious going on.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02He could be having an MI.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06That stretcher and a blue bag is for that guy down there
0:23:06 > 0:23:08just in case something's kicking off.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Can I leave land crew to deal with that? Yeah?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13There's a stretcher there and a blue bag.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16The team's priority has to be Joe.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18He's numb from the neck down.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Glen and Darren know his dad Steve's getting medical care.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25They want to get Joe to hospital as soon as possible.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29At this stage, the lad really does look like he's broke his back,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32with possible spinal cord compression,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34or worse than that, severance.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37He's quite a poorly lad.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Further on?
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Further on, guys.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44There we go.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48He can't feel anything below the diaphragm.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Joe, tell me when you stop feeling things. I'm just going to tickle you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57Joe is flown to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Surgeons are waiting to assess his injuries.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02The signs are worrying.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Joe still has no sensation in his lower body.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10A land ambulance is now taking Joe's dad, Steve, to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13His dad's life hangs in the balance
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and it's uncertain if Joe will ever walk again.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Significantly, he's got no feeling at all below his diaphragm.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22For the future,
0:24:22 > 0:24:27if that's a permanent situation that he's in, he may not be able to walk.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29He can move his arms OK,
0:24:29 > 0:24:30and he can breathe OK,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33but we're concerned that at the moment
0:24:33 > 0:24:36he has no feeling below his diaphragm.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42A few weeks later and there's good news for one of the patients.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Steve is recovering at home from what was a serious heart attack,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50probably brought on by the strain of his son's injury.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Got these chest pains, fortunately there was a paramedic there.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56She said you don't look very well.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I said I didn't feel it. She asked me what was the matter.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01I said I'd got chest pains.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I had this spray, which I use.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08She told me to use it and sit down and not move.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12The air ambulance people carried on with Joe
0:25:12 > 0:25:16to get him to hospital as quickly as they could.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Meanwhile, they sent for a stretcher for me
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and they took me to the ambulance they had parked on the roadside.
0:25:21 > 0:25:28They put me on the ECG machine and it must have been all over the place
0:25:28 > 0:25:30and they said, "You must go to hospital as well."
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Today in Sheffield's Northern General Hospital,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Steve is visiting Joe for the first time,
0:25:36 > 0:25:41a patient with a different but just as remarkable story of survival against the odds.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We'll be able to have some proper beer soon.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50He's out of intensive care, but still has no sensation in his legs.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55His future remains uncertain, but the memories of that tragic day in the woods are crystal clear.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Trying out a new jump I had done the day before.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03I was doing it successfully.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I did it on the day of the accident
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and I just went over the handlebars
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and I thought I was dead.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16For mum, Denise, it's been an unbelievably tough few weeks.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Following the accident, Joe's lungs collapsed
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and he spent much of his time under sedation.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I have been here every single day with him. I've been through everything with him.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I've cried a million tears and now we're just starting to laugh,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33thank God, because he's talking.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36He's being cheeky and is giving me orders now,
0:26:36 > 0:26:42so I know he's getting a bit better, telling me what I've got to buy!
0:26:42 > 0:26:49Three months later, and Joe is slowly working towards regaining his independence.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51He is now even allowed home for weekend visits.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55His family have been alongside him all the way.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00They've been keeping me soldiering on. When I've had down days, they've been here to support me.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Some days I have my happy days
0:27:04 > 0:27:08and I have my depressed days.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Physiotherapists are working to help Joe with his mobility.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16It's a slow process but progress is being made.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And relax... And down again.
0:27:20 > 0:27:27All they're basically saying, "Is left toe going down?" and they were doing it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Or else they were moving my knee as well to command.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34But it's a great feeling when I could do that.
0:27:34 > 0:27:40It was a day when by terrible coincidence, father and son could both have died.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45But for this family, survival alone is a reason to be optimistic.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Boys will be boys, that's what my mum used to say!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58But a teenage sense of adventure can certainly land you in trouble.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Often, it's the Helimed team who are expected to pick up the pieces.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08The lakes and reservoirs of the Dales make sure the taps never run dry in Yorkshire's big cities.
0:28:08 > 0:28:14They store the Pennine rain and release it when it's needed.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18But they're also a playground for the young and the adventurous.
0:28:18 > 0:28:25But when things go wrong, the Helimed team are often needed to rescue the casualties.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29We've got some people on the path. It's not them, no.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- Might be interesting. - It looks like it is, actually.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Could be down there.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Two o'clock or three now.
0:28:37 > 0:28:4114-year-old Samuel Barker has been thrown over his handlebars
0:28:41 > 0:28:47while cycling around a reservoir near Todmorden in West Yorkshire.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51OK, just opening the door.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54The reservoir is surrounded by steep embankments
0:28:54 > 0:28:59so pilot, Steve, is forced to land some way from the injured teenager.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03I tried bunny hopping over a puddle and my forks just came off.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Disappeared underneath you?
0:29:05 > 0:29:09- And I just face-landed. - Cool, did you have a helmet on?
0:29:09 > 0:29:13- Erm...no. - Next question is, why?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15- Er... - Let's have a proper look at you.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Samuel was cycling with friends when the accident happened.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23Fortunately, they were able to call for help and keep him warm until the chopper arrived.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28He gave me his phone and I rang his dad and he came as soon as he could.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32We've just sat with him and wrapped him up in jumpers.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35It's really important we keep your head and neck in the same position.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Samuel landed face first and is in a lot of pain.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42James is keen to minimise his discomfort with a shot of morphine.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Sam, however, has other ideas.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Do not inject me. Don't inject me.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I've not got anything in my hands. Let's talk about it first.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55- You're going to need one anyway. - No, I'm not having an injection.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59- OK, why's that?- I'm really scared of needles.- Are you? OK.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03A broken front fork was the cause of the accident.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05It happened in the middle of nowhere.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09But Samuel still had Dad to comfort him.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13He rode up on the family quad bike and is about to come in very useful.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15We are going to reposition.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Really steady, that's great.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Give us a smile, you're on the back of the bike.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24We're doing grand, actually.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29He is being remarkably chipper, considering he landed on his face.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32We just need to get his face looked at and, obviously,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36any head injury we need to observe for a period of time.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Another lesson of why to wear a helmet when you are on a pushbike.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Does that mean I am going to be in hospital for a day?
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Just an afternoon probably.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47He may be nervous about needles,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50but fortunately, he has no fear of flying.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55It turns out he is, in fact, a helicopter enthusiast who, one day, wants to become a chopper pilot.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Is it a Jet Ranger?
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Not a Jet Ranger, MD902 Explorer.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- Has it got a jet engine?- A what?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- Has it got a jet engine? - Two jet engines.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Samuel is about to take off for Leeds General Infirmary
0:31:09 > 0:31:13where doctors will X-ray and scan him.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18The wounds to his cheek and eye needed 13 stitches.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21He is now cycling again, but will always wear a helmet.
0:31:23 > 0:31:29Children are often hurt in strange ways and in the most unusual of circumstances.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36It's May, and the Helimed team are en route to Thorne near Doncaster.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40On the map, there is a mast just beyond the target.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Two young lads have injured themselves while riding a quad bike on farmland.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49Just an update. Two patients, one walking wounded.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53The other, a 14-year-old male is unconscious. Over.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57The boys were out enjoying themselves when they drove straight into a hidden hole,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59catapulting them from the quad.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Only one of them was wearing a helmet.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Land paramedics have managed to get to the injured boys on foot
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and a worried mum has arrived in a four-wheel-drive.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13No obvious injuries. There is nothing obvious that I can see.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17Collar's on, 100% oxygen and just been keeping an eye on him.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21With quad accidents, the rider is often thrown clear of the bike.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25It is then down to chance what they collide with.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28All right, mate.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Medic 2 to Medic 1.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Rear-seat passenger Todd has been unfortunate.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39When he was thrown forwards, he hit his head on the back of his friend Matt's helmet.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Let's get him.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- All right, Todd, good lad. - That's it, mate.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Paramedics Tony and Al are concerned.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Todd is drifting in and out of consciousness
0:32:51 > 0:32:52and has also been vomiting.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57These symptoms point towards the possibility of a serious head injury.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Open your eyes for us, Todd. Don't move for us, mate.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Ready, steady, move.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- Get his head up. That's smashing. - Ready, steady, move.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10That's it. Lovely.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Todd's mum is understandably terrified.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18She will travel in the chopper with her son to hospital.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23Todd's friend Matt is conscious, but will travel by land to Doncaster Royal Infirmary to be checked out.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Can you open your eyes for us, Todd?
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Ey-up, matey. All right?
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Can you talk to us?
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Leeds General Infirmary isn't the closest hospital,
0:33:32 > 0:33:37but with a specialist neurological ward, it is the right place to treat Todd's head injuries.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42It's Tony, the paramedic off the air ambulance.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45We're going to be bringing in a 14-year-old to you shortly.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48He's been on the rear seat of a quad bike.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50They've been thrown off the quad bike.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53He's gone through the air about 10 to 15 feet.
0:33:53 > 0:33:59With Mum on board, the chopper takes off for a 15-minute flight to the LGI.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Here, doctors will be waiting to examine Todd
0:34:01 > 0:34:06and a CAT scan will determine the extent of his head injuries.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09A few days later and Todd is still in the Leeds General Infirmary.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12For him, the accident is a hazy memory.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16For his mum however, it's a day she'll never forget.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18I got a mobile call from Matthew
0:34:18 > 0:34:23and he said that he had fallen off a bike and he couldn't wake Todd up.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25That he'd had an accident.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I actually asked him if he was joking.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29I thought he might just be kidding.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33But he said no and he told us where he was.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36So I jumped in the car and went down.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Matt was crying, he was really upset. Todd was just out cold on the floor.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43He was just laid there, just lifeless.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45It was really, really scary.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I just remember waking up in a bed
0:34:49 > 0:34:53down that corridor somewhere.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54That's all I can remember.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59Amazingly, both Matt and Todd escaped with no major injuries.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04But Todd came off worst and he learnt a big lesson that day.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07If I ever go riding again, I'll wear my helmet.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11If you're thinking of not wearing a helmet, wear it.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14If you don't wear a helmet, you could end up like me.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17He's lucky to be alive. I really do believe that.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Anthropologists reckon that learning to take risks is what helped
0:35:21 > 0:35:23humans conquer the Earth.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25You and me may see danger,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29but daredevil teenagers just see an opportunity for fun.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Even in today's world of games consoles, iPods
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and smartphones, some childhood favourites remain timeless.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39There are ways of having fun
0:35:39 > 0:35:44and hurting yourself which have been around for generations.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Did they say they were in the woods?
0:35:46 > 0:35:50It's a rope swing, so I would've thought it would be across a tree...
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Only a few miles from the Helimed air base, 13-year-old Callum Fisher has injured himself.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58His friends say he was unconscious for a few minutes
0:35:58 > 0:36:03and complaining just of the pain in his jaw from where his mouth hit...
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Callum was playing with his brother when things went wrong.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11I were on the swing and my brother Callum held onto my legs.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14As we swung, Callum let go and grabbed my ankles
0:36:14 > 0:36:16so my hands slipped off the tree.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19He fell on a rock and I fell on top of him.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20And I squashed his chest.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Luckily, Callum's brother is a first aider and he knew what to do.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Well, we put him in t'recovery position.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31He stood up, fell on t'floor, and then we went to go call for help.
0:36:31 > 0:36:37Rung ambulance and, fortunately, saw these guys over here who helped us.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Have you got any loose teeth at all?
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Yes, here...
0:36:41 > 0:36:43All knocked out, I think.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Right.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Try and get your head nice and still.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Now this might support your jaw a bit.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54And then it will actually help with the pain a bit.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56All right? There you go.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Do us a favour and just look at me.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Open your eyes and look at me.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Callum's dad is shocked, but not necessarily surprised.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07With a house full of kids, it seems it is not the first time
0:37:07 > 0:37:10they have got themselves into bother.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14We have four children, four boys and one girl...
0:37:14 > 0:37:15Three boys and one girl.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19He is the youngest of the boys and is a typical lad.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21What can I say?
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Nice and steady.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25We'll get you on here. OK?
0:37:25 > 0:37:30What we'll do first, keep you nice and still, bring that leg forward...
0:37:30 > 0:37:33OK. All right.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37With Callum immobilised in case of a spinal injury,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41he is transported out of the woods into the waiting chopper.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44RADIO CONVERSATION
0:37:50 > 0:37:54It turns out that Callum has broken his jaw which needs to be
0:37:54 > 0:37:59reconstructed with two titanium plates and eight screws.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04It's a good job younger patients like him also heal more quickly.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Boys being boys there and paying the price.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Let's return to the case of the glider pilot whose crash landing
0:38:13 > 0:38:17in North Yorkshire sparked a major rescue operation.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21An hour-long search for the missing aviator has finally ended in a farmer's field.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Les Blow's glider was badly damaged
0:38:25 > 0:38:28when he hit a tree stump after misjudging a landing run.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31At 6,000 feet...
0:38:31 > 0:38:36On the way here, we came across another glider, what are the chances of that?
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Apart from a broken leg, he seems uninjured,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43but paramedics Paul and Tony were concerned
0:38:43 > 0:38:47that his wait for help in the hot sun may have had other effects.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50But Les has improved now he has been given painkillers.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53I belong to Southdown Gliding Club in Sussex.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57I'm up here on a gliding competition,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59which has been loads of fun up until now.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02A car went past here to the farm and didn't see me.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04A horse box went by.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08The cows didn't care about me.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13It was a passing farmworker who finally discovered Les.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15They were going past in the tractor
0:39:15 > 0:39:19and the tractor is tall enough to see over the hedge.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22He was smart enough to think, "That doesn't look right".
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Luckily, he came and rescued me.
0:39:25 > 0:39:31Fortunately, he knew exactly where he was so, finally, we could tell you where I was.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34They're keeping a close eye on Les.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37But his wife's about to get a nasty shock.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42The helicopter had trouble finding me. Air ambulance...
0:39:42 > 0:39:47"Darling, I've crashed," isn't the sort of call she expected to receive.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51They got me out and then just given me some morphine for my ankle.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54And that's all I know really.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It's a hot day and Les is going to be cooler travelling in an air-conditioned ambulance
0:40:00 > 0:40:03rather than the overheated cabin of the helicopter.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Even the pluckiest pilot may be concerned about taking
0:40:06 > 0:40:09another flight on the same day as a crash.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12He had no chest or abdominal injuries,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14no pelvic or long bone injuries.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Most of his pain was in his left ankle.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Quite a swelling on there so it looked like, potentially,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23his fibula and his tibia may have dislocated and fractured.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27He had movement in there and had a pulse there.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29So we basically reduced it slightly to help with the pain
0:40:29 > 0:40:31and put that in a splint.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34As you can see, we're just transporting him
0:40:34 > 0:40:37into an ambulance down to James Cook Hospital.
0:40:37 > 0:40:43The next day, Les undergoes surgery on his leg.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Metal pins are put into his ankle.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49He should recover completely in time. But he's unlikely to forget that flight.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54It was the latest start of the day. I think it was about two o'clock when we departed.
0:40:54 > 0:41:02I flew from Sutton Bank east to a stupendous sea breeze front
0:41:02 > 0:41:05which is an amazing cloud formation coming in from the sea.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10Very exciting flying at about 6,000 feet, it was just wonderful.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I flew all the way north up that front.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20As I came back west along the south of Middlesbrough, I just got lower and lower
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and I couldn't find anywhere.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26And so, eventually, I just had to land.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Nothing was going to rescue me.
0:41:29 > 0:41:34I might have got away with it if there weren't a huge trunk of hawthorn in the hedge
0:41:34 > 0:41:37which then went and penetrated the front of my fuselage
0:41:37 > 0:41:43which is, of course, right where my feet are and did the injury to my leg.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Les has written books on gliding and he's pulled off many
0:41:47 > 0:41:50safe landings in farmers' fields.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52His accident was due to a freak misjudgment,
0:41:52 > 0:41:57but he knows injuries like his have ended many a flying career.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03Because I'm a senior instructor, I've noticed in others,
0:42:03 > 0:42:07the way they dealt with, or not, this kind of psychological trauma.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Some just walk away and say, "No thanks, I'm not doing that again."
0:42:10 > 0:42:15Others might bounce straight back the next day, get another glider
0:42:15 > 0:42:18and off they go as if they've not been touched.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21And I'm pleased to say he has no plans to give up flying.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24He reckons there is no thrill like soaring up here.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27And I can't say I blame him.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:42:37 > 0:42:40E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk