Episode 18 Helicopter Heroes

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

your life is in real danger.

Complaining of severe pain.

Mid-30s, been ejected from a vehicle.

Hospital is an hour away by road and speed is the only thing that can save you.

Roger. Helimed 99's en route. Over.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly trained paramedics are scrambled a thousand times a year.

-'What's happened?

-A wagon's run over a small child.'

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

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

Welcome to the life-and-death world of the Helicopter Heroes.

Today on Helicopter Heroes...

The team scramble to a hit-and-run accident.

I looked back and I saw carnage. They went down like dominoes.

-A girl is stranded in a dangerous river.

-I'm concerned she'll get swept away.

Pilot Tim invades a castle in the fight to save a boy knocked down by a runaway truck.

It just carried on and hit them. It were just a little boy pinned there.

And an Everest expedition ends barely a thousand feet up.

We're climbing to Everest base camp in a month's time.

Few people are more vulnerable on our roads than cyclists.

They share them with cars and lorries,

but when something goes wrong,

there's no seatbelts or airbags to save them

and their injuries can often be very serious.

The historic town of Richmond is home to a thriving cycling club.

And every weekend, its members head out into the lanes of the Yorkshire Dales.

But today, a Sunday spin has ended in serious injury.

'Helimed 98. A car versus a group of push bikes.

'We've got three patients, two with query pelvic

'and the third has been KO'd, just coming round.'

At times like this, paramedics know speed is critical.

It's a good job Pete Vallance is a keen runner.

It's clear a large group of cyclists are involved.

Casualties are strewn across the road.

We were overtaken by a cattle trailer and Land Rover.

There was an oncoming cyclist from the opposite direction.

It made him pull in too quickly and clipped the front group of riders which obviously ended in this result.

How are we doing?

-We've got pelvis.

-This guy?

-Yeah.

Pelvis, lower back, possible hips.

-He's got a numb feeling in his arms.

-OK.

Chris Snape took the full force of the impact.

It shattered his pelvis and he's going into shock.

-Guys, Chris...

-Controlled breaths.

-Deeper breaths. You're going to go dizzy with that, boss.

I was right at the very front, so I was kind of immune to all this,

but I saw one guy go down, I looked back and I saw basic carnage behind us. They went down like dominoes.

Initially, I thought it was guys at the front who were braking,

then I saw a bike actually just sort of topple over.

I just ran into the person in front, but the guys in front were cascading over each other.

And with so many riders injured in the crash, Pete needs to quickly assess all of his patients.

-We've got another guy who was knocked out on the floor as well.

-Right.

So could I just ask you a favour? You've been knocked out then, yeah?

-So they say.

-Do you mind just kneeling down behind here?

-Yeah.

-I know you've got no pain in your neck or your back.

-Yeah, no pain.

Just try and keep your head still. Would somebody mind keeping hold of his head?

With so many potential patients and so little time,

Pete's improvising a support for the rider's neck and back. He could have a spinal injury.

I chased after the vehicle to try and stop it, but it was long gone.

How are you doing there, sir?

Does somebody mind just taking this guy's head for us and just support him while he's laid down

until we can get more hands down to actually do anything about it?

It'll be the one that Simon's down with.

-We're just dealing with one of your colleagues. How are you feeling?

-It's my right hip.

-Yeah.

-That's taken the hit.

-OK.

-I've cracked my helmet, but I'm not...

Thankfully, you've got a helmet on.

The hip is the only thing that's hurting.

I'm just going to uncover you for two minutes.

OK, you've got obvious abrasions here on the outside and that's gone through your bottom, yeah?

So you've got pain actually into your groin as well.

Welcome reinforcements are arriving. It's the Great North Air Ambulance.

Is that helping you, Chris? Making you feel a bit better?

A fractured pelvis is a serious, life-threatening injury.

The pelvic bone protects many organs, bones and nerves,

so a high-impact injury like this could mean major internal damage.

But before Chris can be moved, his pelvis needs to be secured.

We've got a belt that's just going to go round the top of your hips.

The Helimed team carry a special pelvic splint.

It's like a giant corset to hold everything in place,

but for it to work, it needs to be tight.

Right, a bit more. That's about right, mate, for me.

Can I pull it through a bit? Just support him. Pull it through.

-And every click can be agonising.

-Agh!

Just bear with us, Chris. Deep breaths. Don't stop breathing. This is when you're going to need it.

Chris's pelvis is now stabilised,

but none of the team know the extent of the internal injuries this accident has caused.

He urgently needs hospital treatment, but that's 20 miles away.

Fast-flowing water is a killer.

Just two feet deep, it's enough to sweep a full-grown man off his feet.

So if someone's in trouble in a river, the emergency services take no chances.

It's the end of summer at Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire

and the day-trippers are cooling off by the waters of the River Wharfe.

This is a popular beauty spot, but the river here can be treacherous.

Bronte Polvani is less than 20 feet from the bank with her auntie only yards away,

but her life is in real danger.

If she slips, she'll be swept into a series of rapids and whirlpools

that have killed dozens of people over the years, as paramedic Lee Davison knows.

'It's somewhere that a lot of people visit.

'Some people go swimming in the river and it's claimed a few lives over the years.

'Very recently, I went to a young boy of eight years old that drowned there.

'So that's very recent and obviously it brings back the memories of that day.'

Bolton Abbey is an easy landmark to find,

but there's five miles of riverbank to search for the casualty.

-'There's an RV in the bottom corner. The fire brigade are there.

-There's somebody in the water.

-Yeah.'

She's been in there about 20 minutes. But I don't want her losing grip.

-No, we've had people go underneath before.

-We've had too many.

Bronte's auntie, Jill Wadsworth, has been doing a good job keeping up her niece's spirits,

but Bronte is getting tired and cold.

I'm concerned that she may grow weak, as she already is doing, and she's going to get swept away.

-Yeah.

-We're going to perform a rescue just because of the time period that she's been in there.

We have got a Water Rescue Unit coming from Bingley, but we're looking at probably 20 minutes away.

I'll just assess the situation and get back to you.

Ten-year-old Bronte was paddling in the shallows with her cousins when they were swept away.

Jill managed to rescue them, but she couldn't reach Bronte.

We asked them if they were OK and they said, "My sister's drowning," but they'd called help,

so we came to see if we could do anything.

No-one will be going into the water without a life jacket.

Everyone knows the river's grim reputation.

It's a bit of an accident spot.

We've had a couple of kids drown here quite recently,

so the worst thing that could happen

is she could lose her grip and end up downstream, but some firemen are ready to throw her a line.

We just need to get her out and obviously get her out of the cold water.

Water a few inches deep can sweep an adult off their feet.

Even the firefighters are struggling to stay upright.

At least Bronte now has a life jacket if she's swept away.

But she's not safe yet.

Imagine walking down the street and being hit by a runaway vehicle!

It's a terrifying thought, but one day in South Yorkshire,

that's exactly what happened to a young boy.

The battlements of ancient Conisbrough Castle have seen many dramatic events

in the nine centuries since they were built,

but today, Helimed 98 is about to add another chapter.

'98, we're over Conisbrough Castle now. Just looking at your map,

'could you point us in the right direction, north-east, south-west of the castle? Over.'

Pilot Tim Taylor is touching down in the grounds.

Just down the road from the castle walls, there's been a freak accident.

Hello, pal. How are we doing, Ben?

Ben Grainger was walking down the road with his mum Michelle and sister when he was hit

by this runaway truck. His leg is badly broken.

We're going to be transporting this patient. I'll just give you a quick heads-up.

He's an eight-year-old male, query isolated femur.

Ben was pinned against the wall until the driver arrived and reversed the truck away.

I were just driving up and that lorry there just came rolling down.

I thought somebody were acting about or they were taking a wide corner,

then it just carried on and hit them.

It were just a little boy that were pinned there.

Paramedic James fears he may have serious internal injuries.

Isolated femur, Sammy, by the looks of it.

Are you all right, kid?

The first paramedics on scene have done a good job beginning Ben's treatment.

When we arrived, by all accounts, the pick-up had been moved away

and he were just on the floor with his mum cradling him.

Helimed 98 was already in its hangar and the crew were about to head home when the call came in.

Now they're running out of daylight.

18 minutes. Lovely. We've got wires on here.

Ready on three. One, two, three, nice and steady.

Keep moving, keep moving. Stop. Lovely job.

Just lay back, mister. Good lad.

For an eight-year-old, Ben is very brave.

-Is that tummy sore?

-What?

-Does your tummy feel OK?

-Yeah.

Where I'm touching? Point with this hand where it's sore... Just here?

Right, let's go, let's go.

Sweetheart, do you want to come with us? Yeah?

Everything seems like a rush because we need to be up in the air in ten minutes.

James is commandeering a ground ambulance for a short drive back to the castle.

Ben's mother will travel with him.

He's been hit by that van at some significant speed, so we just need to be really careful with him.

He needs to go to the Children's and the quickest way is by air, but we must be in the air in five minutes,

otherwise he'll have to go in an ambulance.

Once we've got him in the cab, I'll explain everything and we'll slow everything down.

Are you all right, Benny boy? Stick your tongue out for me... Good lad.

We'll just take it off on the spinal board, I think.

The castle is just ten minutes' flying time from Sheffield Children's Hospital,

but there's no time to waste.

Legally, Helimed 98 must be on the ground half an hour after sunset.

Hi, it's James on Helimed 98.

Can I have Resus, please, assessment of an eight-year-old male?

Been hit by a large sort of van, pinned for approximately two to three minutes.

For the paramedics, there's relief that Ben will soon be receiving the treatment he needs.

Looking after a child with trauma is among the most difficult tasks an ambulance crew can face.

With children, they can very quickly deteriorate.

We were quite happy with him. He was a brave lad. He's got quite a high pain threshold as well.

By the time Helimed 98 reaches Sheffield Children's Hospital, darkness is falling.

But the important thing is Ben is now only minutes from treatment.

Grab a bit. Thank you. Ready, one, two, three.

It's the beginning of a long night for Ben and his mum as he is scanned and X-rayed.

Despite being crushed by a three-tonne truck, his injuries turn out to be relatively minor.

But summer has given way to winter before he's well enough to come and thank his rescuers.

I was walking with my daughter Scarlett and Ben was behind us.

We just heard a bang, so we turned round and I just saw this van and wondered what was happening.

Then I realised that Ben was in front of the van and it was pinning him to the wall.

The Air Ambulance people were fantastic. James was just fantastic.

It's a bit surreal to come back.

It just feels really strange thinking about it again,

but it's fantastic to meet James and the rest of them

and to say thank you to him, to meet him and speak to him and for Ben to see him as well.

-It's been really good. Have you enjoyed seeing James again?

-Yeah.

Let's return to the rescue operation in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

The Helimed team are struggling to deal with the casualties of a serious road accident.

The cycling club outing had barely started when this happened.

Three riders are seriously injured after a collision involving a car and trailer.

At least two people were knocked off,

then the process of them being knocked off caused several other people to go down.

You don't think about it because it's happening so quickly.

You're thinking tons of thoughts all at once.

First, you're trying to not fall off yourself, then you don't want to run into anyone else.

Once you start seeing debris on the road, you want to go and help them.

It's pretty horrific.

Me and another guy chased off after the guy who knocked us off and we were trying to flag him down,

but obviously, we couldn't catch him and he's gone and we can't find him.

But he left behind three seriously injured patients.

Chris Snape has now had his fractured pelvis secured,

but paramedic Ben Anderson is worried about another cyclist who was knocked out in the crash.

-I think it's this side of his head.

-No problem.

-This is where the crack is. At the back.

-You keep that hand...

-Yeah.

-Just lightly at it.

Ben fears his neck may be broken.

Lovely. Now clamp that hand back on without holding the strap.

If so, the slightest movement could be fatal.

Your helmet's coming off, champ.

Although his helmet took the force of the impact, this injury could still have damaged his brain.

Let's have a quick feel of your head.

A doctor and paramedic from the Great North Air Ambulance have now arrived

and they'll be flying him for an urgent scan in hospital.

This guy here has been KO'd. He has been fully conscious, GCS 15 since we got there.

Not complaining of any particular pain, but we've not had a chance to collar and board him.

The guy up here was complaining of right hip pain which they were querying pelvis.

He's got a nice road rash round the right hip.

This guy we think has got a pelvic. We've just put a pelvic splint on.

Just dosing him up with morphine and then we'll be off.

So with the other cyclists now being taken care of, Pete and Ben now concentrate on Chris

whose pain is getting worse.

-GROANS Chris, where's that pain?

-My hip.

Still your hip? Which side?

That right side?

OK, guys, ready, steady and lift.

Basically, we've tried to take who we think is the most seriously injured.

Our patient here, we're suspecting he's got a possible pelvic fracture.

We'll take ours to James Cook.

I'm almost certain that the Great North Air Ambulance

will come to James Cook as well, so we'll make a hasty landing and move.

They'll follow us up in ten minutes.

Nearly there, Chris. Doing well, Chris. Ben! How much morph have we had? 10?

CHRIS GROANS Draw us another 10 up!

The strongest painkiller paramedics can give is morphine

and Chris has now been given 20 milligrams, the maximum dose,

yet he's still in agony.

It's almost certainly a pelvic injury.

It's taken quite a bit of pain relief to get on top of his issues,

so it'll just be a case of getting him flown straight in to James Cook,

getting him to a trauma centre and get them to X-ray him and find out the extent of his injuries.

-Give us your arm, champ.

-Pop that on there.

Right, just bring your arm round for me. I'm just going to top you up with some more.

I'm cutting your coat, all right? It's knackered.

-Are you happy for me to cut your top?

-He's already cut my arm.

This small Yorkshire Dales field has now become a makeshift helipad

and soon both of these air ambulances will be heading to the same hospital.

The closest hospital is James Cook, so we'll both go there.

Coming up - the hospital is under pressure as the first victims of the crash arrive

and doctors begin their treatment.

He'll have some X-rays as soon as we get into A&E.

Remember the girl who was trapped in the chilly waters of the River Wharfe during a family day out?

Let's catch up on her case.

Ten-year-old Bronte Polvani was paddling with her cousins on a day by the river

when a lost ball led her into deep water.

Now she's at the centre of a tricky rescue operation to prevent her being swept downstream

into lethal whirlpools.

-That ledge, Phil, that you can see running out to her...

-Yeah.

-It drops off into a deep pool.

-Right.

So the best bet is to go out and grab her and just...

I don't think we can cinch her from there.

A specialist fire brigade rescue team has just arrived at the scene of Bronte's accident,

a beauty spot on the River Wharfe near Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire.

We come here quite often for people that get injured in this river

or they get stuck or they unfortunately end up as a fatality.

It seems to claim a few lives over the years.

-Put a line on my back, Andy. I'll go out and grab her and pull her in.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah.

Stick that handle through there.

Fast-flowing water is lethal.

The firefighters' precautions may look excessive, but this is a dangerous place.

Eventually, one of the rescuers makes a grab for Bronte.

And she's safe. She's been in the water for almost an hour.

Now the Helimed team takes over.

They're worried she may have hypothermia after her ordeal.

-Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you stripped off and dried out. What's your name?

-Bronte.

-Bronte.

Bronte, I'm Kate.

It seems to lure people in, but with any stream or river or anything like that,

you've got to be so careful with the undercurrents. It can be tragic if you don't.

Let's get these shoes off.

How many knots have you got in these shoes then?

-One or two.

-Are you all right?

How did you end up in there, sweetheart?

I tried to get across.

Oh, dear. Right, my love. Just slip your feet out of these.

Right, what I'm going to do is put this blanket up in front of you

and get your clothes off, sweetie. Just take your t-shirt.

For the passers-by who raised the alarm, it's a moment of relief.

People don't realise how dangerous it is and they come down, go for a swim, go in on the grass,

and there's so many people have been drowned now.

Bronte's mum could only stand and watch the drama from the other side,

but her sister Jill played a vital role making sure she did not give up her grip on the rock

that saved her life.

I tried to get her out, but I couldn't because of the current.

I just wanted to stay with her until...until the help came.

But me and my son had already been in the river. They tried to cross and got stuck downstream.

Pretty straightforward as water rescues go. We grabbed the young lady from behind, under her arms,

and then just got her to the side.

Bronte's going to hospital by road for a routine check-up,

but everyone's relieved she survived a river that has claimed many lives like hers in the past.

They took her to hospital in the ambulance,

checked her over and she was fine.

She made a quick recovery. We were all just a bit in shock.

Bronte especially. It's an awful thing to have happened, but we're just so thankful

that it came out the way it did.

This is the first time the family's returned to the River Wharfe.

Bronte's none the worse for her narrow escape, but she was overwhelmed

by the scale of the response to her plight.

I felt quite embarrassed because I only needed a rope to pull me out

and then all this thing came,

but when they came, it took a while for them to set up and stuff.

But they did help me.

But her mother's keen for others to know the dangers of this unpredictable river.

Further downstream, there's the stepping stones where they are in and out of the water quite safely,

just a couple of hundred metres upstream. But that's just one part of the river.

There had been heavy rainfall so the current was really strong and it took your foot away.

You just can't predict and it does make you so much more cautious.

It's the most dramatic parts of the British landscape that tend to attract the most adventurous people.

The Three Peaks in Yorkshire are a magnet for hardcore walkers, cavers and climbers.

And the really tough ones are here to tackle a gruelling marathon in the sky.

The Three Peaks Walk leaves the average walker weak at the knees -

25 miles across rough terrain, including a climb up three fells that totals 7,000 feet.

We're just having to sign in at the cafe here, which gives us a start time for the walk.

Today Helimed pilot Steve Cobb and paramedic Lee Davison are taking it on for charity.

I've had problem with a knee in training, so I hope I get round. I'll probably do two of them.

I've placed my car halfway round so I can jump in that and walk back.

Bye!

Steve's more used to seeing the peaks from this angle and this is a familiar landscape.

The combination of rugged terrain, thousands of visitors and long distances to the nearest hospitals

mean the choppers are often called here.

These hills are carved out of limestone. It makes for a terrain that is unforgiving on your feet

and treacherous if you lose balance, as the Helimed team know only too well.

Many a Three Peaks trek has ended in a 999 call

and today's case follows a familiar pattern.

Quite often you get people who get into bother because it's a thing people do as a challenge.

-It'll be the hardest thing they've done.

-It's quite off the beaten track from the nearest road

that a land ambulance could get to.

The accident is close to the summit of Ingleborough, second-highest mountain in Yorkshire.

Helimed 99, we've got an ETA of about 2 minutes. Over.

'Roger that. We should have smoke onsite for you, over.'

Yeah, there's smoke.

It can get extremely windy up here, but pilot Steve Cobb manages to land just a short walk away

from the Cave Rescue Team.

You all right? Trouble?

Hello. You're on CrimeWatch UK again.

-I was with the dogs up there.

-Were you?

-Tony, this is Sue.

-Sue.

-Sue's been walking out here, she's tripped up where this dips.

I think she's tripped here, gone over and hit her sternum and her chest on this corner.

If we just have a quick look...

Many people attempting to take on these intimidating peaks are not full prepared,

but for Sue Manley and partner Ian, today wasn't out of the ordinary.

In locations like this, even the most experienced hillwalker is only one misplaced step from disaster.

We'd climbed Ingleborough and were coming down this side, come down the waterfall,

got to the flagstones. I was a little bit in front.

And I heard Sue cry out and she'd tripped over one of the flagstones

and she'd banged all her face and possible damage to her sternum.

Obviously very shaken up.

-Have you been in a helicopter before?

-Only on a sightseeing tour.

Well, there's some nice scenery for you here. OK?

Sue hit the stone with some force. She's knocked out a tooth.

One of the rangers was out and he heard the commotion, so we've had brilliant assistance

-from everybody, really.

-Despite being a sunny day, shock and wind chill are taking hold of Sue.

Without the air ambulance, hospital care would still be over an hour away.

Just lift her up, feed it on.

The flight to Blackburn Hospital will take around 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, Sue is laying flat on her back, so she'll miss an aerial view of breathtaking scenery.

It looks like you've had a thump on your chest as you've gone down.

Doctors at Blackburn Hospital examine Sue - no broken bones, but she damaged nerves in her face.

It'll be an excellent Christmas video, though!

Back on the charity walk, the Helimed team ramblers are already wishing for an airlift!

The forbidding slopes of Pen-Y-Ghent are more than half a mile high.

I'm glad that I'm doing it. I know what people are going through when they're aching and exhausted

or have an injury. I can tell why they've sustained that. It's so easy to do.

Even if you're well equipped like these guys, you can easily fall victim to an accident up here.

Yorkshire's hills are home to hundreds of the UK's best climbers.

Men and women who have conquered K2 and Everest learnt their skills right here.

But many a training trek has ended in disaster.

In winter it gets pretty bleak around here, so you've got to have good reason to take to these hills.

The high land as we get closer goes as high as 2,277.

-That's quite a big hill.

-Yeah.

-I suspect we'll be going round it.

-It's February.

Walker Lindsey Ducker has fallen while attempting to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.

-What are these people waving at?

-Where are we looking?

-In there.

-Yeah.

The Three Peaks trek is often used by hikers training for even bigger challenges

-and Lindsey is training for the biggest of them all.

-Hello, hi.

-Right ankle.

-OK, no problem. Stay still, you're OK.

Just explain what's happened.

-Lindsey and I are climbing to Everest Base Camp in a month.

-Assuming she's OK.

-Yeah!

It was part of our training.

You'll be coming with us to come off the hill. All right?

I saw her knee jerk in a weird way, which made me quite scared.

Ankles are one thing, but knees are another.

Just keep going on it, OK?

Just keep your foot still.

It looks like her ankle may be fractured. If this is the case,

it's unlikely she'll be able to even attempt the Everest Base Camp trek.

It may not just be today's adventure which is cut short.

Lindsey is flown to Lancaster Hospital. Her ankle was X-rayed and, although there were no fractures,

damaged tendons meant it was impossible for her to take on the trek to Everest base Camp.

A week later and Lindsey is back at home. For now her dream is out of reach,

but she has vowed that she'll complete the trek.

There's only two windows every year that you can actually do the climb,

when it's safest and the weather is as settled as it is.

So this window will be gone now. The next one will be later in the year or the year after.

The Ribble Head viaduct is the Three Peaks' biggest man-made landmark

and a welcome sight for the Helimed charity walkers.

They've reached the halfway mark.

From this point it's OK for me. The knee's fine.

Getting down will be interesting, but I've got a zig-zag technique.

-It may take me a bit longer, but I'll do it.

-Still going strong!

Built by the Victorians, this was the first high-speed route through the north's most rugged landscape.

Few counties are as well divided as Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Only one motorway crosses the Pennines and many roads follow the winding routes through the Peaks

that were first beaten out by pack horses many centuries ago.

They present serious problems to local paramedics.

Getting anywhere around here in a hurry is hard work,

but some people love these twisting lanes. For bikers, a sunny day on these roads is as good as it gets,

but when things go wrong, the Helimed team are called in to pick up the pieces.

Today, 48-year-old biker Michael Chamley has been involved in a spectacular accident.

-Hello, chief.

-Michael skidded on a bridge and catapulted over a wall

before landing in a stream.

Now then, boss, what's that breathing like?

Getting better, but it's hurting.

-Have you had a listen at his chest?

-Hardly any air entry at all.

-Hardly any at all?

He's got pain in his left shoulder.

-He was out with a group of friends when it happened.

-I came round the corner and saw his bike in the road.

And found Cham over the wall.

Take a deep breath for me.

Michael has broken ribs. He's struggling to breath.

Paramedics are trained to look at an accident scene and assess the forces involved.

With a landing like this, the possibility of spinal damage is huge.

Michael has removed his helmet and is sitting upright. He must be immobilised as quickly as possible.

You've got a neck like a stovepipe.

Michael has been a biker for over 30 years, but even experienced riders can get caught out.

-No pain at all in your back?

-No.

-Just pain in your arms and legs?

-And his side.

-Which side?

On your shoulder?

-Yeah.

-That's where you landed, mate. So we've found out what you landed on.

Getting Michael to the helicopter needs a team effort.

I'd like a lift back, lads.

With the help of passing bikers and local police officers, he's loaded into Helimed 99.

Keep spinning.

Well done, guys.

As the chopper takes off, it's the second time today Michael's been airborne.

Thanks to pilot Steve Cobb, his next landing will be somewhat gentler at Blackburn Hospital.

A week later and Michael is still in hospital. A full recovery is a long way away.

Michael has been left with a broken collarbone and nine broken ribs.

The back tyre skidded as I went towards the bridge. I lost control and scraped down the bridge

and next thing I know I remember flying through the air and landing. I couldn't breathe.

Within a few minutes, they were coming.

Steve and Lee are more than halfway through their charity trek.

Several people have fallen by the wayside, but they are made of sterner stuff.

We're up now. Just a two and a half hour stroll back down again.

Legs feel like lead.

25 miles is enough for most people, but the Three Peaks are also on the route of a mountain bike challenge,

the Coast To Coast route. Coming off your bike on terrain like this can be very serious.

65-year-old David Ballard was just coming to the end of the first day of his Coast To coast challenge

when he lost control of his bike, crashing headfirst into a dry stone wall.

-Is he a cyclist?

-It came in as a cyclist, yeah.

OK, get the far side of that and we'll be pretty close, I think.

OK, yeah.

By road, the nearest hospital could be almost an hour away, so the helicopter is critical

in places like this. But to get to his patient, Pete Vallance first faces his own dales challenge.

He's been coming downhill, no helmet, peripheral vision.

He's not seen a rock in the road. He's hit the rock and he's come off his bike

and hit a stone wall.

His front wheel hit quite a big stone and he fell off.

And he said that his left shoulder hit the wall,

but when the driver who gave me a lift got to him,

he was crawling about on the road with blood pouring out of his head.

David wasn't wearing a helmet, so crashing at high speed into the wall could cause a serious head injury.

Ready, steady, roll.

Just ease it down now, yeah? Ease it down like that.

The wall David crashed into is still causing him problems.

It's now in the way between him and the helicopter, so Steve Cobb makes one of his shortest flights.

We were in the field next to the incident, but there was no access apart from climbing over the wall,

which is not the best, really, so I relocated onto the road

with the help of Dave to check out that the police closed the road.

Ready, steady, up.

-I only weigh 75 kilos.

-Yeah, we'd be leaving you down there if you were too heavy!

The guy's been doing coast-to-coast bike riding.

He's got about 40 miles in today. He wasn't wearing a helmet and he's come off at speed.

In minutes, David's landed at Blackburn Hospital and, amazingly,

it seems he's avoided any serious injury.

-Have you always been adventurous?

-Yeah.

-It's not recent?

-No, no.

-I've got a trip planned to Tibet in six weeks.

-And he's determined to have another go at this challenge,

only next time he says he will be wearing a helmet.

At last, the Helimed fundraisers are on the home straight.

More than eight hours after setting off, they approach the end.

Ten hours plus. Very tired. That last bit was hard, going downhill.

But I did it. Got my certificate.

It's been a great day, enjoyable.

And all for a good cause.

The irresistible challenge of the Three Peaks. I'm pleased to say all our patients are recovering well.

Now let's get back to the case of the cyclists badly injured in that serious accident in Richmond.

A serious crash in the Dales has left three cyclists badly injured.

Two helicopters and an ambulance are now on their way to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Tim's landed right on the edge of the helipad. He knows his won't be the only helicopter here.

Nice and steady. Those deep breaths are good, but too quick and you'll go really dizzy.

That's it.

With Chris, injury-wise, he looks to have an isolated injury around his pelvis.

He's in a great deal of pain. He's had a full 20ml of morphine along with Entonox.

He's still in considerable pain, so we'll be able to get him sorted shortly and find the cause of it.

But this is about to become a very busy A&E department.

One of the other cyclists is also now arriving by air,

squeezing onto the same helipad as Helimed 98.

He'll now be joining Chris in A&E,

along with a third cyclist who's arriving here by road.

Clearly, it's been a massive job for all these emergency teams.

It could have been a lot worse. We've seen incidents before

where people get knocked off their bikes. Luckily, they all had the right gear on, protective equipment,

so hopefully they won't be too bad.

It's a bit alarming when you get on scene and see that many people sprayed across the road.

For Chris, it's been a painful few weeks. After several operations,

his pelvis is now being supported by a special weighted splint

and the accident is still a vivid memory.

I just ended up with two bikes and Geoff in front of me. "How do I get out of this?"

I just ended up suddenly being vertically up in the air.

I was still attached to my bike and I remember looking down, thinking, "This'll hurt when I hit the ground."

And, sure enough, it did.

But his friends have helped his recovery, especially these two.

Dave and Geoff were the other cyclists hurt in the crash, but now they're well on the mend.

-How are you?

-Not so bad.

'As I slid down the road, I could see behind me Chris'

and it was Mike Boyd heading towards my bike.

I thought, "That'll bring somebody down."

And then in the next period of time I somehow spun round and could see the pick-up truck and trailer

disappearing round the corner.

First thing I heard was Chris screaming. It was not very nice to hear that.

I looked up the road and saw Geoff facing me.

'Looking round, it was chaos.'

And it's a crash that has brought them closer together.

-There's something in the genes about cyclists.

-Geoff's had a few crashes.

It's a habit, isn't it?

I'm pleased to say they haven't let the accident put them off their sport.

They're determined to be back in the saddle by next spring.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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