0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're seriously ill, or critically injured up here,
0:00:05 > 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 > 0:00:16The 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 > 0:00:22Roger, Helimed 99's en route to you, over.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly trained paramedics are scrambled 1,000 times a year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Tell me exactly what's happened.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33A small child has been on a path. A wagon's cut the corner and ran over him.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40That's not a suitable landing site. This one here is.
0:00:40 > 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 > 0:01:10A teenager's fighting for his life after a bizarre road accident.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14You've got blood coming out of your ear, that's why you can't hear us.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18High in the hills, a camping trip ends in a fall that could leave the victim in a wheelchair.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I think he's hit a rock or tree stump.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The longest day lives up to its name.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29We're still not going to see the sun set by the time we get back.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And the team race the ton-up medic whose bike can outrun the chopper.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35There's not a lot I can't do when I get to the scene.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48When I was a copper, one of the hardest things I had to do
0:01:48 > 0:01:53was tell someone their son or daughter had been seriously injured in a road accident.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But imagine being a parent who comes across their son
0:01:56 > 0:02:00lying in the road just moments after the impact.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's every mum's worst nightmare.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Marie has just witnessed a serious crash
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and the critically injured patient is her own 16-year-old son.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13SCREAMING
0:02:14 > 0:02:19Just a few minutes ago, Drae Worth had bought this mini motorbike from a friend,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22but on the short ride home he's been hit by a car
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and now has a massive head injury.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28INAUDIBLE RADIO MESSAGE
0:02:28 > 0:02:31It's late in the afternoon and the crew of Helimed 99
0:02:31 > 0:02:35are racing out of Leeds/Bradford International Airport,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39squeezing their way between the holiday flights.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40900 feet above us...
0:02:40 > 0:02:44INAUDIBLE
0:02:47 > 0:02:51At times like this, the helicopter is flown at its fastest,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55and although these choppers are amongst the best maintained in the country,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57things can occasionally go wrong.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02- The main gear box is flickering again.- Yes, watch it.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06This is a warning no pilot ever wants to see.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10It shows there's a serious problem with the helicopter's gearbox.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14But they're just two minutes from where their patient is lying critically injured.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Pilot Andy Figg has to think fast.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Are we going to have to abort this mission?
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Stand by.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Just stand by, we've got a caption light on, so we're just dealing with that initially.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32The amber warning light has now turned red.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33The problem's getting worse.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36They need to get the helicopter on the ground.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Just coming back.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Right, we've got a red on the gearbox...
0:03:43 > 0:03:46They know, if the gearbox seizes,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Helimed 99 will fall out of the sky.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53We're going to the big field at 12 o'clock, all right?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- Yes, OK.- Got 60% on the gearbox now.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00The paramedics have just got through their own very real emergency.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03But there's no time for relief.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Now they have to get on with dealing with another life or death situation.
0:04:07 > 0:04:13Get Chris on line and tell him to get the police to the aircraft.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19It's a busy high street and this crash is attracting a lot of attention.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Already two off-duty paramedics have been helping Drae,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26who's just come round after being unconscious.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Let me go!
0:04:28 > 0:04:33- Hiya. Come out, sweetheart. - I need help. Help me, help me!
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Hello mate, all right, nice and steady, just relax.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Lift me up!- Just relax, just relax.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Tell me what's...
0:04:44 > 0:04:47He's out cold. Straight out cold. He wasn't moving anything.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- I thought he wasn't breathing. - I'm from air ambulance, OK?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We've just come to help you a minute. I just want to speak to you.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Can't I just get up? - You can't get up yet.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- I just want to check you over, right? Make sure things are all right. - I'm all right.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03You've had an accident, OK? Listen to me.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07You're not going anywhere, OK? You're not going anywhere.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12- Right, let's go fast. - You don't need to go anywhere, I want to help you.
0:05:12 > 0:05:1516-year-old Drae wasn't wearing a helmet.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17His head took the full force of the impact.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Fluid is leaking from his ear, a sign of a serious brain injury.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Let go! - We've got a collar on you Drae, OK?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The reason for that, is that you've had an accident, all right?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31You've got blood coming out your ear, that's why you can't hear us.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- You're hurting my ear. Let me go! - Just relax, mate.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Let me go because you're hurting my neck.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- Drae, you're not going anywhere. - You're hurting my neck!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43You're hurting my neck, let me go! You're hurting my neck, let me go!
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- It's pointless me arguing. - Excuse me, you're hurting my neck.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- You're not going to go anywhere. - You're hitting my neck. You're hurting me here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Please, just let me stand up. - Have you got any pain anywhere?
0:05:53 > 0:06:00He's distressed and confused, yet more indications of a serious injury to Drae's brain.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Please, please, please, please, excuse me,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09please, excuse me, please, excuse me!
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Excuse me! Excuse me!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Lee knows he needs to get Drae to hospital quickly.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18But with the helicopter out of action in the village park, they need a new plan.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Drae's confusion is getting worse.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26His brain is swelling inside his skull.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29If he doesn't get treatment soon, it could kill him.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43A camping trip seems a pretty safe way to get out in the great outdoors.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47But when you're in some of their UK's most rugged terrain,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50just moving around is fraught with danger.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56It's a hot afternoon on the North York Moors.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00But high on a steep hillside, there's been a serious accident.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05He's fallen half way down the cliff from the Captain Cook monument and can't walk.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08There's five people with him, so you'll see a group of six there.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15The Helimed team are on their way at 150 miles an hour.
0:07:23 > 0:07:2518-year-old Stephen Baxter is in agony
0:07:25 > 0:07:28after falling down this steep and isolated hillside.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33I think he's hit a rock or a tree stump or something.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37He was really panting, his back, he had all mud down his face.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41He must have scraped down and in a bad way.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Although they're in a remote spot,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48the crew of Helimed 99 have got a big landmark to aim for.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Right, there's the monument.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56But finding their badly injured patient is proving tricky.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01- Have you spotted the group of people with the patient? - No, have you?- No, not yet mate.
0:08:01 > 0:08:08- He's fallen down a cliff. - We have got some people down at 2 o'clock.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09We've got a white van.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Volunteers from the local mountain rescue team have also been summoned to help.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20The slope here's so steep, Steve has to land right at the top of the hill,
0:08:20 > 0:08:26leaving paramedic, Tony Wilkes, with a long and tricky descent.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Yeah, we've landed.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34We've identified where the patient is.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37About halfway down this hillside.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Local rescue team has just turned up as well.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43We'll get down, assess the patient
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and get a plan as to how we're going to get him off this hillside.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Stephen Baxter has tumbled around 20 metres down this hillside.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55It's so steep, even his rescuers are struggling to reach him.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Right, you've fallen from down there?
0:09:05 > 0:09:06What happened? Did you slip?
0:09:06 > 0:09:11I had my bag on my back and I just went down and couldn't stop.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- I just flipped over. - Where did you land? Did to land like this?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19'We were just camping and going back to the car.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:25He had a big massive camping rucksack, the big massive ones.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28He came down here and it's probably too heavy
0:09:28 > 0:09:34and he tripped on one of the logs behind and went down on his back.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Stuff in the rucksack's made this effect.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- Right Stephen, where's your pain now?- Down here.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Like you said to these chaps, you've got no pain in your neck?- No.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- No pain in your head?- No.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- Chest feels OK?- Yes, just tight.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Stephen hasn't been able to move since he fell
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and Tony suspects he could have a very serious injury to his back.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02He had a massive rucksack on.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I was walking ahead of him, I heard him tumble and shout.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08And I thought, "Oh, heck!"
0:10:08 > 0:10:12I laughed at first because I thought he only had a little tumble.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16I got up and he was like, "I'm really hurt."
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So we know how much pain you're in, if you were to score it out of 10,
0:10:20 > 0:10:230 being no pain, 10 being the worst.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- What are you?- Eight or nine. - About eight or nine.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Tony's going to give him morphine, the strongest painkiller he has.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32But Stephen still can't move.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36They're going to need a lot more help to be able to get him to hospital.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41'Your additional manpower has just left my location heading towards you, over.'
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Copy that.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50- Oh God!- All right, Stephen. Well done.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Tell me if it hurts Stephen. Yes or no. Does that hurt?- No.
0:10:53 > 0:10:59- That hurt?- Yes.- That?- Yes.- OK.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Tony knows his patient could have done serious damage to his back
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and urgently needs to be in hospital.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10But the hillside is far too steep to land a helicopter here, so Tony needs another plan.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Roger, Steve. The fell rescue guys would like to relocate
0:11:14 > 0:11:17towards the bottom of the hill, so they can carry down.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22'To the left, at the bottom of the hill, next to a dry stone wall,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'there's a fell rescue chap with a red top on.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28'He's going to indicate the best place he thinks you can land.'
0:11:28 > 0:11:32But Steve's not convinced about the choice of landing site.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37We'll just go where there's a little path by the wall.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- We'll try there initially.- OK.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44If he can't get the helicopter down here,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Stephen could face even longer on the hill.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Any little trees anywhere that might get in the way?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Whether he gets the flight to hospital he needs
0:11:52 > 0:11:55is now down to whether pilot, Steve, can safely land
0:11:55 > 0:11:59three tonnes of helicopter on this tiny patch of ground.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Horse riding's a risky business, even if you're an expert.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But if something spooks your horse, you're off
0:12:20 > 0:12:26and sometimes that can happen in the most unfortunate place, at the most inconvenient time.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30A horse rider has taken an unplanned bucking bronco ride.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35She was thrown ten feet into the air and then crashed to the ground.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- Where are we going?- Northallerton.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Helimed 98 is on its way from Sheffield
0:12:39 > 0:12:44in the south of the UK's biggest county, to Northallerton, in the north.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46The description that we've had with a neck problem
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and the fact that she's got loss of sensation in her legs,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53does point to the fact that she might have a spinal cord injury
0:12:53 > 0:12:55which can be catastrophic.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59You can become paraplegic or quadriplegic.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But it's not just the patient's injuries that are causing the crew concern.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Our challenge on this job is the fact that it's now 8.25 at night.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Although it is the longest day of the year,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19we need to have aircraft and pilot back on base.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Not only have we got to refuel at some stage, we've got to pick up the patient,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27hand them over, come back to the aircraft and do two flights.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30If we carry, we'll need a refuel.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34It only gives us about 10 minutes on the ground.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- OK, 10 minutes, I'll start my stopwatch.- We're done.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43She's landed on her left side, she's not heard a crack or anything. She's got central neck pain.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47The crew have identified the fact that you've got some pain in your neck.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Have you still got some numbness or is that starting to fade off?
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Steph Harrison's mum and dad have come to help,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55but all they can do now is worry.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I think the horse went up over backwards
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and she came off the back of it.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It reared and came over.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I'm not very good at hospitals, I don't go very often.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Good on you - me neither!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Wondering if we head off, fuel and time...
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Paramedic Lee thinks he's found a way to buy a few vital extra minutes -
0:14:15 > 0:14:17by heading for a hospital nearer fuel.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- Mum and Dad, are you happy with that?- Yeah.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It is only four minutes difference.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24When we're ready, on three. One, two, three.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27She trains horses, this is it, this is what she does.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32She schools youngsters and brings horses on for people.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34So it is risky.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37But this is our first incident in that sense.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40We've never needed medical help before.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42So it's good that everybody can get here, isn't it?
0:14:42 > 0:14:48Everything all right, Steph? We can give an ETA of 9 o'clock, mate.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53As Sammy keeps an eye on the patient, pilot Tim Taylor has his firmly on the clock.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I know, I know.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We'll just have to do our best.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Helimed 98 sets off with Steph and her mum, as the crew's deadline fast approaches.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Tim has to get his skids on the ground no more than 30 minutes after sunset.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The UK's air ambulances are among the world's safest
0:15:12 > 0:15:17and strict legal limitations on night flying help keep it that way.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Tim knows that as the shadows get longer, time is running out.
0:15:21 > 0:15:28We'll have to leave by ten past nine. Sorry to rush you, but the airport closes for fuel.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30I will do my ultimate best.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Safely on the ground in Harrogate, and mum Myra
0:15:33 > 0:15:36reveals she's a regular fundraiser for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39We were at the North Yorkshire County Show yesterday.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43And all the proceeds, I was a steward, helping steward,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47and all the proceeds from the schedule went to air ambulance.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51So there's a lot goes on in the horsy world for these guys.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55So like I say, we don't want to have to use them.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Seven minutes it is, I've got seven minutes to get down and back.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03As Steph is led away for treatment, Tim gets Helimed 98 ready for a quick getaway.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06We've come from Sheffield, right up to the top of Yorkshire
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and we've not got enough fuel to get back to Sheffield.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13So in that overtime we've got to factor in
0:16:13 > 0:16:16an extra flight to Leeds Airport
0:16:16 > 0:16:20for a re-fuel, which was lucky, because the airport closes at 10 o'clock,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22so we wouldn't be able to get fuel after that.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Sammy's back and feeling the heat in a padded uniform not made for sprinting.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I've had to run back from the job.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32This is the best air conditioning going!
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The sun begins to set as Helimed 98 prepares to set down at Leeds/Bradford Airport.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44The helicopter needs a fill-up for the last leg back to Sheffield.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Pilot Tim has an anxious wait as his tanks are topped up with the moon high in the sky.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It's an odd one really, I've never worked this late all year
0:16:54 > 0:16:56and it happens to be the longest day of the year,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00so we're still not going to see the sun set by the time we get back.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06The sky looks stunning, but Tim knows that twilight is the most dangerous time to fly a helicopter.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It's partly because of the pilot's fatigue at the end of a long day.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13But also because obstacles in the air and on the ground
0:17:13 > 0:17:16are harder to see in the fading light.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- We don't want to...- Straight up and out, mate.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:17:27 > 0:17:32All obstacles avoided, the crew beat the clock and get safely back on the ground in Sheffield.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38So this is how dark it can get when we actually put the aircraft away
0:17:38 > 0:17:40whilst the floodlights are on.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44The longest shift on the longest day is finally over.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Helimed 98 is put to bed and the crew won't be far behind.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Their patient spent the night in Harrogate Hospital,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58but she was soon allowed home and is now back in the saddle.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Now, on a busy road in South Yorkshire, the Helimed team are
0:18:07 > 0:18:10fighting to say the teenage rider of a miniature motorbike
0:18:10 > 0:18:15after a freak accident that's left him with a serious head injury.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It's a warm spring evening and teenager Drae Worth's first ride
0:18:21 > 0:18:24on the bike has ended in a terrible accident.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Please, please!
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Argh, me leg! Argh!
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Relax, everything's going to be all right.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Two off-duty paramedics were the first to get to him, and found Drae with a massive head injury.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I ran down the street,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44found a motorcyclist laid in the middle of the road
0:18:44 > 0:18:46with fairly serious injuries.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51It is difficult, because you have nothing to work with. It's just a case of until somebody
0:18:51 > 0:18:55turns up with a first aid kit, you make do with what you've got.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57There's just something triggers and you click into it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Everyone here is having to think on their feet.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07The air ambulance is grounded, after a gearbox warning light came on on the flight here.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10So a land ambulance has been called to carry Drae to hospital.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Did anybody see where all this has come from?- He's got his hand up.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- OK, you're going to be going to hospital.- Why?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Because you need to, because you're pouring blood out your ear.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20That's why you can't hear anything.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- Let me go, just let me stand up. - We're not going to let you go.- Why?
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Drae's confusion is a sure sign his head injury is getting worse.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- Let me stand up then. - You're not going to stand up.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Yeah, I just want to stand up.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Paramedic James Vine needs to tell the doctors at Doncaster Hospital what to expect.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42But also that they'll not be able to give him the life-saving flight he'd normally get.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's broken unfortunately so we're bringing a young man to you via ambulance.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48He is a 16-year-old male,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52car versus like an off-road motorbike.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55He's got bleeding from his right ear.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Obvious sort of head injury.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Police are with him at the moment and one of our paramedics,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03we should be with you in the next five minutes or so.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Drae's mum was there just seconds after the crash,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10but now she can do nothing but watch
0:20:10 > 0:20:14as her critically injured teenage son is loaded into the land ambulance
0:20:14 > 0:20:16for his life-saving journey to hospital.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18He's got a significant head injury.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20He's obviously not been wearing a helmet,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23he's been hit at significant speed by another vehicle.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26His head has come into collision with either the car or the pavement.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28So obviously it's still very serious.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Undo me all this stuff, please.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- You need to go to hospital. - Undo me all this stuff, please.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Drae's getting more and more confused.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- You've got to keep that on. - I don't want a hair cut!
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- No, you're not getting an haircut.- I want to go home, I want to go home.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- Listen to me...- I want to go home.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48His pupils are getting bigger and his speech is getting more garbled.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54This ten-mile trip to hospital needs to be over quickly for Drae to have the best chance of surviving.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Can you get off please?- No.- Why?
0:20:58 > 0:21:00DRAE SHOUTS
0:21:04 > 0:21:10Coming up - the team's patient arrives in hospital and his mum finds out the doctors' verdict.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14They just think they're invincible and nothing's going to happen.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15And it just proves that it does.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27Now, remember Stephen, the unlucky camper, who ended up falling down a steep hillside?
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Let's catch up on his rescue.
0:21:31 > 0:21:37It's a hot afternoon on the North York Moors, 18-year-old Stephen Baxter is in agony.
0:21:37 > 0:21:44He hasn't moved a muscle and he's been there, the same position all the way.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Pilot Steve Cobb is determined to save his patient
0:21:50 > 0:21:52from a long, painful walk down the hill.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56He's trying to land on a tiny patch of level grass
0:21:56 > 0:21:58surrounded by the stumps of trees.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03But Steve pulls it off.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07It's quite difficult to land around here, it's a very steep hillside,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09as has been shown by the lad falling down it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11There are very few places.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13The mountain rescue guys found somewhere for us,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16which is not ideal, but there's enough space to get on.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20If that had been not right, we'd have moved further forward where it's a bit flatter,
0:22:20 > 0:22:25but it looked to be OK and it proved to be... Yes, it didn't fall off!
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Prepare to lift. And...lift.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Well done, Stephen.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Paramedic Tony has serious concerns.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35So Stephen is being put in a special vacuum mattress.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40It will form a rigid splint, because he may have broken his back.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43He's fallen down the hillside, probably 40 feet, head over tail,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and he's probably hit his back on one of these logs as he's landed.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50So we've had to give him a bit of morphine for his pain relief.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Immobilised his spine, just in case he has done some damage.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00And we just left it for the rescue experts to get him down the hill and I'll try and catch them up.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05His friends hadn't just called 999 after the accident.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07They'd also phoned Stephen's mum,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09who's run nearly a mile up the hillside to see him.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12All right.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Well, your mam isn't, she needs some oxygen...
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Lift him up for me, guys. Just watch yourself on the doors and things.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24He's just had some morphine for pain relief and he's fully immobilised.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27So we're just going to be taking off in a couple of minutes,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30so we'll be with you in about 10 minutes or so.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40They're just minutes from James Cook Hospital, where Stephen will go straight for an X-ray.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This is Stephen.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Basically, he got a bit of speed up going down a steep hillside,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and then hasn't been able to stop.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Sort of down about 40 foot.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It must be sort of T1 through to 12.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I've had a look, nothing there that's obvious.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02He has been scoring 8 to 9 out of 10 initially.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Stephen goes straight into A&E for a series of tests.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11The next day, he's told the result.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14I've had some scans.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18They've told me I've broken a vertebra and I've fractured one.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20So I can't work for two months
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and I can't drive for up to three to four months,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26so obviously it's going to affect me quite a bit.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31So much so, Stephen will be in a wheelchair for the next few weeks.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36All because of the way he fell at the end of that summer camping trip.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I just started walking down and I was picking up my pace
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and then obviously, I lost me balance, fell,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43rolled down the hill and hit my back off the stump.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And then that's when everything just went...wrong!
0:24:48 > 0:24:50I couldn't really breathe or stand up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I tried to get back up, but I couldn't get up,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55so I knew something was wrong then.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58His friends did all they could to help
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and are still keeping him motivated.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04They told me to get well soon. I'm a bit sick of it actually,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07because I am not going to get well any sooner than that.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11So I just hope I do get well a lot faster, so...
0:25:11 > 0:25:12I hope everything's all right.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26In the Ambulance Service,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30only one thing approaches the Helimed choppers for speed.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32And in the remote valleys of the North York Moors,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36THIS is often a very welcome sight.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Out here, the local bike medic is a life-saver.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Jim Bryan is one of Yorkshire's two paramedic bikers.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51He's based on the edge of the North York Moors,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53one of the UK's most remote areas.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And when a 999 call comes in,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57it's his job to get to a casualty first
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and begin treatment immediately.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03His patch includes 55 square miles of forest
0:26:03 > 0:26:04around the hamlet of Dalby,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08where a mountain biker's had an accident.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Can I just get there, ducks? Thank you.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Just going to go a bit tight around your arm, OK?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Such a nice day and all for having an accident!
0:26:17 > 0:26:19The rider's dislocated his shoulder.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Jim's painkilling gas will help for now.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25I went over the jump, misjudged it,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27and then went flying over the handle bars
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and then landed on my head, my head hit the floor
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and then sort of rolled a bit.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Probably take him to Scarborough for X-ray
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and then they can make sure there's is no underlying damage
0:26:38 > 0:26:40to tendons and ligaments.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And then if everything's OK, they'll give him a bit of pain relief
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and put him back in and send him home.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Sunny Sunday afternoon in North Yorkshire, this is what you expect -
0:26:49 > 0:26:51loads and loads of traffic
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and loads of people out enjoying themselves.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Unfortunately this chap isn't!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58The rider's not badly hurt
0:26:58 > 0:27:03and Jim and his local colleagues can easily deal with this case alone.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But when there's a serious injury in his massive patch,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Jim relies on the rapid back-up
0:27:08 > 0:27:10he knows he can get from the Helimed team.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13We're off to a farm,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15to reports of a gentleman who's fallen
0:27:15 > 0:27:18about 20 to 30 feet from a ladder.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19That's a long ladder,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but even so, he's injured.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26We're en route, and I believe there's a paramedic on a motorbike also en route.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32On the twisting roads below, bike paramedic Jim is racing to the scene.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36When lives are in danger speed is a priority.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Both Helimed 99 and Jim's bike
0:27:39 > 0:27:43have potential top speeds in excess of 150mph.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- Beside the wood pile and the motorbike.- OK, just don't blow the motorbike over!
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Builder Richard Threlfall had a serious fall.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55He was working in a barn when his ladder gave way.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Hello.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Hiya, we figured it would be you.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02- Hello, sir.- How you are doing?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Stop still there for us for a second.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Just stay nice and still.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Bike paramedic Jim knows his patch well.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11His intimate knowledge of the area's back lanes
0:28:11 > 0:28:14allowed him to get to the patient ahead of the chopper.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Today's response time was unusually quick, even for Jim.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Three minutes. I was around the corner when I got the job.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23It has its advantages.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Richard has fallen a long way, but Jim and the ambulance paramedics
0:28:27 > 0:28:30have immobilised him to prevent further injury.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So he's got no neck pain, not had a head injury
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and he's not been knocked out at all.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38We've just made him comfortable more than anything.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42All the pain is sort of from there, down there.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44And on the other side.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47On your... Through your back. OK.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It soon becomes clear this isn't the first time he's hit the deck...hard.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- Have you ever hurt your back before? - Wrestling.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- Wrestling?!- Yeah.- Oh! All righty.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02'I were on the ladder doing some work, just put a bit of pipe up'
0:29:02 > 0:29:05and I was ready to come down myself,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and I don't know, the ladder seemed to give way,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11it just went sideways and just twisted.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14And obviously, I went round...
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I twisted with the ladder and I landed down...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Probably my legs and my back first,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22then my head went back and banged the wall,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24then the ladder landed on top of me, as usual.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26- Ain't that the way? - Ain't that the way?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Richard soon recovered from his injuries
0:29:30 > 0:29:33and returned to work a few weeks later.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37This is Helmsley, a mecca for bikers every weekend,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39but if you have an accident here,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42a trauma unit can be an hour away in any direction.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45But thanks to the medical skills of its rider
0:29:45 > 0:29:48and the life-saving equipment carried in its panniers,
0:29:48 > 0:29:54the medic bike can bring vital parts of A&E direct to the patient.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Jim, good morning.- Morning.- How do these wheels help you do your job?
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Being in such a rural area, it's a lot easier to manoeuvre around
0:30:01 > 0:30:05than use an RRV or an ambulance,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07cos of the size and weight of them.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11And some of the tracks I can get down the ambulance wouldn't be able to get down.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15So I can get to patients a lot quicker, and I can start off definitive treatment
0:30:15 > 0:30:17while we're waiting for the crew to arrive,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21or the helicopter, if it's too remote for the ambulance to get to.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24So your role is really to get there first and treat that patient
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- before the land or air ambulance comes and takes over?- Yeah.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And I carry virtually the same equipment
0:30:31 > 0:30:33that the paramedic or the ambulance would carry,
0:30:33 > 0:30:38so there's not a lot that I can't do when I get to the scene.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41The market towns and villages of Ryedale
0:30:41 > 0:30:44are a popular retirement area
0:30:44 > 0:30:49and Jim's bike is a particularly welcome sight for many families.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54This elderly lady in a care home has breathing difficulties.
0:30:54 > 0:31:00Three medics, including Jim, were on her case within five minutes of the 999 call.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03It just got progressively worse during my visit,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07so I got quite concerned, cos she obviously couldn't breathe very well
0:31:07 > 0:31:08and she was going blue.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Jim gets to know his rural patients. He's been here before.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I've been here a couple of times.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19It's quite a regular thing.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22With it being a residential home,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25you do tend to get a lot of calls here.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29When holiday traffic
0:31:29 > 0:31:32brings the summer jams to North Yorkshire's tourist routes,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34the medic bike gets through
0:31:34 > 0:31:37when conventional ambulances can be delayed.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44And today, the air ambulance crew
0:31:44 > 0:31:47are about to find out that Jim and his two wheels
0:31:47 > 0:31:49can beat their two jet engines.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56INAUDIBLE SPEECH
0:31:58 > 0:32:0268-year-old cyclist John Dunn was out for a ride with his friend
0:32:02 > 0:32:04when things went seriously wrong.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- 68 years of age.- Right. - Coming down a hill on a pushbike.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Lost control, no helmet.- OK.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17- He came down here.- Right. - Unconscious, two or three minutes.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Bike just gave way on him. I didn't know what to do.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Jim knows John's very badly hurt. His skull is fractured.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26His life's in real danger.
0:32:26 > 0:32:31He's got a depression, right side of the skull here.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- That's a puncture wound.- Right, OK.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37The accident happened on a lonely country lane,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40but John's cycling friend didn't have to go too far to find help.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Farm workers called 999 after the accident.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46We were moving cows, bringing them in down here.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48We were walking down here and so we found him,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52so we rang the ambulance - these lads did.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54So it was lucky that we decided to move them today.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58It looks like he's got a depressed skull fracture,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00so this is quite a significant wound.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But he's stable enough at the moment
0:33:02 > 0:33:05so we're just making sure he's fully immobilised before we move him.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07He's got some nasty injuries
0:33:07 > 0:33:09so we want him in hospital as soon as we can, really.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13One, two, three, lift.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16John has also lost a lot of blood.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19He'll be flown direct to the James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21where surgeons are waiting.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25In ten minutes' time, we'll be at the hospital, so don't worry, OK?
0:33:25 > 0:33:30Just try and relax, OK? We'll have you there in no time at all.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32John never expected his bike ride to end like this,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36but the paramedics have seen too many cyclists without helmets
0:33:36 > 0:33:38end up in the back of Helimed 99.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44It's no wonder the Helimed team
0:33:44 > 0:33:46often find themselves beaten to a patient,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48because in a straight line,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Jim's bike is faster than a £3 million chopper.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55But there are days when going the way the crow flies,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59leaves Jim struggling to keep up.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04'The car hit the caravan head-on.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08'Crew's nearly there,
0:34:08 > 0:34:12'but it should be towards Castle Howard. Over.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:18'Roger, Dave. I know where that is, so we'll keep a look-out.'
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Castle Howard is one of the grandest stately homes in Britain
0:34:22 > 0:34:24and, for tourists visiting Yorkshire,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26it's a "must-see" attraction.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29But on a road nearby, there's been a serious accident
0:34:29 > 0:34:32involving several vehicles, including a caravan.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37We've got to look at...weighing up who's the most seriously injured.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It's basically doing the most for the most.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And hopefully, your back-up land crews won't be far behind
0:34:44 > 0:34:45to give you a hand.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Helimed 99's nearly there,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51but Jim's been delayed by traffic and the winding local lanes.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Ouch! Looks like I've had a good smack.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56On the road below,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00a car has collided with a 4x4 towing a caravan.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I arrived literally seconds after it happened.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Everybody was still in the vehicles. Go around, check everybody's OK.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11It was basically in the 4X4,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14walking wounded,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16and an old man in this car.
0:35:16 > 0:35:17He's just trapped in the car,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19he's not physically trapped, just can't get out.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22And then just tried to block the road off,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25because something has spilled something on the road,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28which certainly hasn't helped in people maintaining control.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31What we got, mate? What about our guys in the other car?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Yeah, there's a lot of occupants of this vehicle here.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38We're talking mum, dad, three kids, one of them being a young baby.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40'Fortunately, there are no life-threatening injuries,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43'but the driver of the 4X4 towing the caravan
0:35:43 > 0:35:44'is clearly shocked.'
0:35:44 > 0:35:48We were just coming down the road,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51looking forward to going in to the caravan, first time.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Got to this point, car just came round the corner,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56on the opposite side of the road.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59All I can say, just having a nice caravanning weekend
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and unfortunately it's backfired.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Jim's still on the road
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and the Helimed team have already assessed all their patients.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- You've got five people in there. - I know. We can't take five. No way.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15No. How many do you want to take, Simes?
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Realistically, and we'll get you back up.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Paramedic Darren is a biker himself,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and he thinks he may have spotted the cause of the accident.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26It's really odd, this road.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30It looks like it's had a load of diesel tipped on it at some point,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33so it's extremely slippy and treacherous under foot.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37I don't know whether that's contributed to this accident or not,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41but you can imagine, this is a popular area with motorcyclists as well.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45If you come round here and you're not expecting this, you're coming off.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47You're going to come off, because it's awful.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50At last, Jim's bike catches up with the chopper.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54But with seven patients to examine, he's still welcome.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56You haven't got a dressing in your pocket, have you?
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Apparently, the bend is notorious.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03The locals are regularly disturbed by the sound of crunching metal and sirens.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Yeah, we got a letter from the council saying this road isn't dangerous, when it is.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Accidents happen here probably once a month.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Where's he hurting?
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Just where the seatbelt...
0:37:14 > 0:37:16His chest?
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Bike medic Jim's lucky he didn't join the casualty list.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21He stopped short of the diesel spill
0:37:21 > 0:37:25He's only come off once, and that was the fault of a drunk driver.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29It's like an ice rink, that.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31You could run over a patch of it
0:37:31 > 0:37:36and come off 100 metres up the road, because as soon as you turn your bike over...
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Given the fact it's quite a bendy road,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43but it's still quite a quick road...
0:37:43 > 0:37:47it looks like, you know, doing maybe about 30mph,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52impact, you know, which would be 60mph impact speed, with the combined speeds.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55And to get away with what they have got away with,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57they have been very, very lucky.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Plus, I was lucky the police were in front of me,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02otherwise I might have been on the diesel spill
0:38:02 > 0:38:04and following them off to hospital myself.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09You know, again, it's not my first day.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11I've done this once or twice in the past!
0:38:11 > 0:38:14With most of the injuries minor
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and ground paramedics transporting the patients to hospital,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21it's time for Helimed 99 and Jim to return to base.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Yorkshire's fastest life-savers, ready for another emergency.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30And I'm pleased to say all Jim's patients are now on the mend,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34but he won't be treating many more because he plans to retire soon.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Now let's catch up on the case of the teenage rider
0:38:37 > 0:38:41who crashed his new bike just minutes after buying it.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46It's been a long trip to hospital for 16-year-old Drae Worth.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- My ear's bleeding. - I know your ear's bleeding.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54That's why we need to get you took to hospital.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Flying paramedic Lee Davison has had to take his patient by road
0:38:58 > 0:38:59after the helicopter broke down.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02But Drae's massive head injury is getting worse.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Finally, the crew arrive at Doncaster Hospital,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12where a team of specialists have been called to treat Drae.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16This is Drae Worth. He's 16 years of age. Been hit by a car.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Witnesses have seen that he's gone over the bonnet twice.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22We've just been battling with him all the way in. OK?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24With Lee going off in the ambulance,
0:39:24 > 0:39:29James is left to work out what's going to happen with the faulty helicopter.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32We just need to see what we're doing with the helicopter.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36If not, I'll go to Doncaster and then we'll make our way back to Leeds from there.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Back on the local playing field, pilot Andy Figg
0:39:39 > 0:39:43has been told it's safe to fly, but with only him in it.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Once it's sorted out, if it's fixed or whatever, then we'll see.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- What do you think it is? - There's something -
0:39:50 > 0:39:53a bit of a leak on the left-hand side there.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55INAUDIBLE SPEECH
0:39:57 > 0:39:59The chopper needs urgent repairs to its gearbox
0:39:59 > 0:40:01at a base 20 miles away.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Pilot Andy knows it could fail at any time.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11This will be a tense flight for Andy.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Though the risk is small, he's the only one allowed to take it.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17For grounded paramedic James,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21it's the welfare of his patient that's uppermost in his mind.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Did they put him straight to sleep?
0:40:25 > 0:40:26But it's not sounding good.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29A team of doctors have anaesthetised Drae.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32They hope this will stop his brain swelling any more.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37But how he does tonight will determine the rest of his life.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41For Drae's mum it's been an ordeal.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43She was with him when he picked up the bike
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and was one of the first to find him lying in the road.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48You blame it on yourself.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51For days, I was blaming it on myself,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54thinking it was my fault. I should have been more persistent
0:40:54 > 0:40:57and told him to get back in the car and leave the bike where it was
0:40:57 > 0:40:59until we went home and got his helmet.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03They just think they're invincible and nothing's going to happen
0:41:03 > 0:41:05and it just proves that it does.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06After buying that bike,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Marie was following behind him
0:41:08 > 0:41:11on what should have been a short ride home.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15I could see a smashed car in the road
0:41:15 > 0:41:20and I just knew instantly it was to do with Drae.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23So I jumped out of the car...
0:41:23 > 0:41:25and it was just... It was horrible.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27It was awful.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29You want to run over to him,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31but I physically couldn't move
0:41:31 > 0:41:35and I probably was about six feet away from him.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I could see him and I was wanting to get to him,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41but my legs wouldn't move
0:41:41 > 0:41:43and I can just remember screaming.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47'He was just slipping in and out of consciousness.'
0:41:47 > 0:41:49HE SCREAMS
0:41:49 > 0:41:53'And I just thought he was going to die.'
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Marie spends the next two days at his bedside in hospital.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02And despite three fractures to his skull,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05less than a week later, he's back home.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10That's from Gareth, Michelle and kids. "Hope you get better soon".
0:42:10 > 0:42:13But it's left him with a thumping headache
0:42:13 > 0:42:18and no memories at all about the crash which so nearly killed him.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19I thought I was dreaming.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21It was weird.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25I couldn't remember what had happened, so I woke up,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and then I think it was my mam that was at the side of me...
0:42:28 > 0:42:32And it was just... It was weird. I don't know how to describe it.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35I've got three fractures to my skull
0:42:35 > 0:42:39and I think I've severed some blood vessels down my ear
0:42:39 > 0:42:43and I'm lucky to be alive, really.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46They just can't believe how lucky he is.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51They've said that not many people come out of hospital alive
0:42:51 > 0:42:53from having an accident like Drae's had.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57We could've been having a funeral this week.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58And you'll be pleased to hear
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Drae's now well enough to go back to college
0:43:00 > 0:43:03where he's learning to become a bricklayer.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:12 > 0:43:15E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk