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-30s, been ejected from a vehicle.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Hospital is an hour away by road and speed is the only thing that can save you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Roger. Helimed 99's en route. Over.
0:00:22 > 0:00:28The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and its highly trained paramedics are scrambled a thousand times a year.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- 'What happened?- A wagon has run over a small child.'
0:00:31 > 0:00:36Many of its ex-military pilots flew the SAS into action.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'That's not a suitable landing site. This is.'
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Welcome to the life-and-death world of the Helicopter Heroes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09A teenage worker is badly injured.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Can flying doctor Anil save him from life in a wheelchair?
0:01:13 > 0:01:19I want to look at how big and how heavy the forks were. If some sort of load impacted on his shoulders...
0:01:19 > 0:01:24The Helimed team travel back in time to rescue a wounded GI.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- It's gone over his abdomen.- Dragged under the wheels of the gun carriage.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32A teenage holiday-maker is lucky to be alive after he plunges 30 feet.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He is a bit, um...adventurous.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And paramedic Al tackles the language barrier.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Bonjour, Rene. Ca va?
0:01:44 > 0:01:50No-one forgets their first job, even if the best thing about it was the wage cheque.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53But younger workers are at greater risk of having an accident,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56especially if they're working with machinery.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01A whole industry is carved out of Yorkshire's stone quarries
0:02:01 > 0:02:07and working with heavy machines like this is all in a day's work for thousands of people,
0:02:07 > 0:02:13but when accidents happen, the injuries, like the consequences, can be devastating.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Today, paramedic Sammy Wills and flying doctor Anil Hormis are on their way
0:02:18 > 0:02:21to a stone-breaking yard in West Yorkshire.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23A worker has been injured,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27but this is no ordinary industrial accident.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33The teenage employee's symptoms could not be more serious.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38He's got some pain in his neck. This is where the forklift came down on to him.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40- I'm Anil, one of the doctors.- Right.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- You can remember what happened? You weren't knocked out?- No.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Chris Syme is 18. His job is physical and demanding.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53He's strong and fit, but from the chest down, he has little or no feeling.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Can you wiggle your toes? - No.- No?
0:02:57 > 0:03:03Chris was working near this forklift tractor when the accident happened.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Are your legs hurting?
0:03:06 > 0:03:11- Chris, are your legs hurting? - I can't feel them. - You can't feel them, OK.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13I can't breathe with it.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18- You can't breathe with what? With the pain?- No, that neck thing.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23He was putting a bag on to it to strap it on and it just collapsed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:29His legs are warm, his veins are bulging and he's breathing low in his abdomen,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32all signs of a serious spinal injury.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It looks like Chris has broken his back.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Any movement could worsen his injury.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43But they must strap him down to a spinal board to protect his back.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48He's surrounded by boulders that will make the job harder. They'll have to be moved.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Chris, we're trying to work out how to get you off all this rock,
0:03:52 > 0:03:57so we've got this hard board that will come in from your left side.
0:03:57 > 0:04:03We're going to need to roll you a little bit, slide this hard board under you, then get you on to it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Right, Chris, just bear with us.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Chris, tell me if it hurts when I'm pressing on here, OK?
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Yeah? Call out a bit, Chris, so the doc can hear you.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- That's hurting there, is it?- Yeah.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24Chris took the full weight of the steel forks on his shoulder, then he fell on to rocks.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Dr Anil must painstakingly piece together the sequence of events that led to the injury.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33You can get a lot of information from what caused the accident.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I want to look at how big and heavy the forks were.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42If some sort of load impacted on his shoulders, he may have a spinal injury,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46so we're just having a look to see if there's any other damage to it.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51I've got what I need from that now, so we'll get him into the helicopter and get him to Leeds.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Chris is lying less than 100 metres from Helimed 98,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01but getting him to the chopper will be difficult and dangerous.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16There is something about wearing a uniform that makes you feel good.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22Maybe that's why I signed up to wear two of them in my time, but I can't imagine wearing one as a hobby.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27The British Army recruits one in ten of its soldiers from Yorkshire
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and this is certainly where I did my square-bashing.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37Today, the north's love affair with all things military is going to keep Helimed 99 busy.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'217925.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:41EXCHANGE OF RADIO MESSAGES
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It's been scrambled to the victim of an unusual accident.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54At a wartime theme weekend, a man's been crushed by a field gun.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It all depends where he's crushed.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00If he's crushed one of his limbs, it's one set of problems.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05If he's crushed his torso, it's something different, none of it good.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09This is the area where the Hollywood film Yanks was shot.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It's a long time since Richard Gere left town,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17but he's left behind a band of enthusiasts who love to dress up as GIs.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20He's conscious. Lovely.
0:06:20 > 0:06:2459-year-old Michael Andrews is badly injured.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29The field gun, weighing three-quarters of a ton, has run right over him.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Ground paramedics fear he has serious internal injuries.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- The gun barrel caught him in the back.- Yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41- It dragged him under and the whole of that...- Went over him. - Rolled over his left side.- OK.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Plus the head injury as well.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49Michael and his mates were on their way to a war weekend in Huddersfield when the accident happened.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55The vehicle came to a stop, so we both got off, me and Peter, to get the ladder down.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59We put the ladder down and the vehicle started to move again.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Basically, it was just positioning for parking
0:07:02 > 0:07:09and unfortunately, as the truck moved off again, he got dragged underneath the wheels of the gun carriage.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13In the position he's in, no pain, but when we start to move him...
0:07:13 > 0:07:19- Chest sounds are clear.- It's gone over his abdomen.- As he's lying, it's gone over him.- Right.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Is there any reason we can't move this now?
0:07:22 > 0:07:28Weekend GIs pride themselves on the authenticity of their uniforms and equipment.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And today, Michael is showing some wartime grit despite his injuries.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Is your arm giving you any pain?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- It's a bit achy. - That sounds all right to me.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42- How's that collar? Not bad, is it? - No.- So we were in that position...
0:07:42 > 0:07:48Paramedic Kate Coughlin knows that it will take a body scan to fully identify Michael's injuries.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Until then, she's playing it safe.
0:07:50 > 0:07:56- Is that still hurting? - Yeah, that hurts.- All right. We'll have a listen in a minute.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Michael's girlfriend Angela Goddard saw the accident happen.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04They might keep me in and it means you're going to have to get back.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Pete said he'd pick me up.- Right.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10He's more worried about her than he is about himself.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I don't want you standing at the hospital.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- Right, shall we have a steady... - We'll worry about you first.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Michael's body took the full weight of the massive gun and he remembers it all.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27I was putting the ladder on the back of the truck to get people out of the truck.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33The driver didn't see me. He carried on going and the barrel of the gun hit me in the back,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36knocked me down and then it's gone over me.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41When it went over my head, the tyre went over my head... I didn't like that.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The possibility is he's perhaps fractured some ribs,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49which, when you take a deep breath in, can be very painful.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53We've just given him some morphine to take the edge off.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- 'OK?- Yeah, clear.'
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Badly injured in action, Michael is leaving his GI buddies behind.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04His partner Angela is at least getting a flight to hospital.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'5.9 miles. Zero-six-two.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:13With unknown and unseen crush injuries,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18it could be a long time before this weekend soldier will be back on parade.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The UK is full of great places to visit,
0:09:29 > 0:09:35but the National Trust doesn't have many attractions that visitors are allowed to climb.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Formed in the Ice Age and a top tourist attraction today,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Brimham Rocks in Nidderdale is one of nature's adventure playgrounds.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50Thousands of holidaymakers visit every year for the magnificent views and the opportunity
0:09:50 > 0:09:54for the children to explore the weird rock formations.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58We've got a reported fall from about 20 feet at Brimham Rocks.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02It's quite a substantial fall.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07There's no land crew on the scene at the moment, but we've taken the decision
0:10:07 > 0:10:12to get there as soon as we can as there will be a land access problem.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14OK, good luck, everybody.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19The trouble is, everyone is now running towards the helicopter.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25For the visitors at Brimham, Helimed 99's arrival is about to become the main event of the day.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30The rain on the windscreen is a clue as to how this accident could have happened.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Basically, he fell from the top of that right down there.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37What's your name?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Michael Beadle.- All right, Michael.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45- Can you remember it all happening? - Yeah.- Whereabouts did you come from, would you say?
0:10:45 > 0:10:50- About 30 feet up. - About 30 feet up. So you weren't knocked out at all?- No.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Amazingly, Michael has no visible injuries,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but paramedic Lee is worried about the invisible ones.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Michael, it will be uncomfortable, but this is the idea with these things.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- They keep you really nice and still. OK, mate?- Right.- Good man.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12- Did you just lose your footing, Michael?- No, I tried to jump from one bit to another.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- OK.- Big mistake.- Nice and still.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Michael's family are from Essex
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and were visiting Brimham as part of their summer holiday in Yorkshire.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Nice, deep breath in and out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Good man. And again.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- Good man. No pain down here, Michael?- No, not at all.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Nothing at all?- No.- Good, good.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37His dad was enjoying the views nearby when his son fell.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39We didn't even know.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43We were sitting over the other side while he was exploring,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45then we saw a lot of activity
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and realised somebody had fallen and...
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Yeah, and guessed it was him.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52We just guessed.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57Paramedic Lee is worried Michael could have a spinal injury.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01What we're going to do in a minute is roll you on to one side,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04then we slide that awkward board in underneath you,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09roll you back, then you're nice and flat on that board and we can carry you down.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Working in such a confined space is proving a problem though.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19- So what do you reckon the plan is? Just we ease him up as the board eases in?- Yeah.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21OK, ready, steady, move.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23OK...
0:12:25 > 0:12:31- That's fine.- Relax them legs for me, Michael. Are you high enough up?
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Just remember, Michael, nice and relaxed. Let yourself go floppy.
0:12:36 > 0:12:42The accident is pulling the crowds and the spectacular rocks make for a good viewing platform.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Bit awkward now, but don't worry. We'll just go nice and slow.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52He doesn't fall very often, but he is a bit, um...adventurous.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Michael's mother has been watching on anxiously.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01She didn't expect their family day out to end with a trip in a helicopter.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07He's been really lucky. He's got an injury at the back of his head, but we can't find anything else.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11We're going to fly him to Harrogate because of how high he's fallen.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15He's really alert, orientated, so don't worry yourselves, all right?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Are you up from London?- Yeah.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Yeah.- Welcome to Yorkshire! - It's a lovely place.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29The short flight to Harrogate Hospital from Brimham Rocks will take minutes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35Michael will spend far longer in A&E being examined top to toe for injuries.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Back in Essex and Michael and his mother have had words.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Do you remember me taking this photo, Mike?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53This is when I allowed you to go up to the top. I wish I hadn't.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So you went up there. I took a photo.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Life was good then. No problems.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03He fell from the top of that rock down there.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08I thought it's Michael and he's dead because you couldn't possibly think
0:14:08 > 0:14:12that he'll be all right, having fallen that distance.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Michael had been very lucky.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19His 30-foot tumble ended with nothing more than bad bruising.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Nice, deep breath in and out.
0:14:21 > 0:14:27His fall was broken by him bouncing from side to side on the way down the gap in the rocks.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33I just fell backwards and forwards between the two rock faces,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36then landed in a sandy bit in the middle.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42It could have been a lot worse, but I'm just really surprised that I didn't get injured.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Now I know what to do in future.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48I'm not going to jump any more crevices between rocks,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50especially not 30-foot ones.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Let's return to the case of the teenage labourer,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11badly injured in a terrible accident at the stone yard where he worked.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18A freak accident involving a forklift tractor
0:15:18 > 0:15:22has left teenage labourer Chris Syme seriously injured.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28He's told flying doctor Anil Hormis that he's lost feeling in his legs and abdomen.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Chris, it's Anil, the doctor again.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Can you try and move your left foot for me?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- OK, all right. Are you trying? - Yeah.- OK, fine.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Anil fears Chris has fractured his spine.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44By finding out what his patient can feel and what he can't,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48he can pin down the position where the injury has occurred.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53How does it feel when I touch you here? Does it feel the same as your face?
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- Yeah?- Yeah.- What about here?
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- Does it feel less or more? - Less.- Less.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05The higher up the back, the worse the injury and the more serious its effects.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Again, does that feel normal? - Yeah.- Yeah, OK.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11- And does that feel normal?- No.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- It feels less, does it?- Yeah. - OK, fine.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- How does your tummy feel?- I can feel my arm.- OK. What about your tummy?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Anil completes his examination.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Chris can't feel anything below his chest.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Right, Chris, you look like you've got a bit of an injury to your spine,
0:16:30 > 0:16:36so we'll need to take you to the hospital in Leeds to get you looked at by the doctors there.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39We're going to get ready and get off in the helicopter.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The team has decided to bypass the local hospital
0:16:42 > 0:16:47and fly Chris direct to the trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:16:47 > 0:16:54- Chris, are you hurting anywhere? - He has no motor or sensory sensation in his legs or from lower chest.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Surgeons there may be able to save Chris from a life in a wheelchair.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02He's got a lack of sensation in the lower extremities,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05so he has no sensation or movement in his legs.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Sometimes that's due to pressure from swelling around the spinal cord.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14In the worst scenario, he's actually got a fracture there.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21Helimed 98 Alpha, we've just lifted south of Dewsbury, heading to the LGI.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23'Helimed 98 Alpha, understood.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:27'Continue above 1,500 feet.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'QNH 1012.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:35Anil and paramedic Sammy are clinging to the hope that Chris has a condition called spinal shock.
0:17:35 > 0:17:42It has similar symptoms to a facture, but unlike a broken back, it can cure itself in time.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46'Helimed 98 Alpha now landing at LGI.'
0:17:46 > 0:17:52A team of consultants have already been called to the Resus Room at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Less than an hour after the accident,
0:17:54 > 0:17:59doctors are already working out how best to minimise its effects on Chris.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02We didn't spend too much time at the scene.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07We knew this was a serious injury and wanted to get him here as quickly as possible.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13- We suspect he's got a spinal injury and probably a collapsed lung on the right side.- Hi.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17In this hospital, they're used to dealing with the most serious cases
0:18:17 > 0:18:21that happen in a county of five million people. This morning,
0:18:21 > 0:18:26all the LGI's experience and knowledge is focused on one 18-year-old patient.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Unable to move his legs. He's been able to move his hands as normal.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Injuries from top to toe. He's got some abrasions on his left shoulder.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40In the next hour, Chris and his family will know if he is likely to walk out of this hospital
0:18:40 > 0:18:44or face the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Coming up... X-rays reveal the full extent of Chris's injury.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54And his family discovers it's even worse than feared.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00- They talked about switching off his life support machine. - The fight is on to save their son.
0:19:05 > 0:19:11The Helimed team don't just care for their patients. They like to ease the trauma for their relatives too,
0:19:11 > 0:19:18as the partner of a man injured in a bizarre accident is finding out today 2,000 feet above the Pennines.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25OK at the back, Angela? We're doing about 130 miles an hour.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Oh, brilliant. I could do this again!
0:19:29 > 0:19:34Helimed 99's passenger is trying to enjoy the flight to Huddersfield Hospital.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Her partner Michael Andrews just wants to get to A&E.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43He's been hit by the barrel of a field gun and crushed by its wheel.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Clear of the goalposts.- Clear. - Nothing blowing around. No wires.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52The gun that ran Michael over weighs the best part of one ton.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Up to chest height if you can, just to take the weight off.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Off we go.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01He was laughing and trying to get off the truck.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05He put the ladder on the truck, the truck moved forward
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and the gun just hit him and he went down.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14I've never seen that before with anyone, but to be my partner is just...horrendous.
0:20:14 > 0:20:20Wartime enthusiasts Michael and Angela will be spending this '40s style weekend in a hospital.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26Only a body scan will determine whether he will make it back on parade any time soon.
0:20:26 > 0:20:33That's what he lives for. He's spent a fortune on the clothes and the equipment. He loves it. We all do.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40For several days, Michael gets the very best a modern hospital can offer.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Sadly, his vintage uniform is a casualty of the accident.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Nurses have to cut it off.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53A few weeks later and this is the big parade.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Every year in the North Yorkshire market town of Pickering,
0:20:58 > 0:21:04up to 15,000 people come to pay their respects and remember the war years.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13For those who love all things '40s, it's an occasion to be seen at.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Michael and Angela have made it too.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Basically, it's a good excuse for a dance,
0:21:22 > 0:21:28meet up with your friends, dress up if you like that kind of thing. It's fantastic.
0:21:31 > 0:21:38And the last time Michael saw a gun like this, it was a bit too close for comfort
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- and left him with significant battle scars.- I could hear the crunching.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45It was scary. It did scare me.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52It damaged the ligaments in my leg. That was totally bruised, the full leg.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58Also three broken ribs to the left side and my broken radial, I think they call it, radial arm bone.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03That was broke. And lacerations to my face as it was a gravel surface.
0:22:03 > 0:22:10When I was at the hospital, they said another inch over and I'd not have walked again. That frightened me.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15# The blushing bride She looks divine The bridegroom, he is doing fine
0:22:15 > 0:22:20# I'd rather have his job than mine When I'm cleaning windows... #
0:22:20 > 0:22:26When we got in the helicopter and they were going through safety checks, I was in so much pain.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30"Let's hope we don't have an accident in this!" They got me there quickly.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Michael and his GI brigade have said they want to raise funds for the Air Ambulance.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45This even is the highlight of their year and Michael's very grateful he's here to see it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:52My grandson said to me, "Stay away from big guns!" That was his advice.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Of course I'm going. Nothing would stop me.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I'm sure they went through more during WWII than I did.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02# When I'm cleaning windows! #
0:23:17 > 0:23:24Every day, thousands of people walk, drive or fly into Yorkshire's busy ports or airports.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Some are on holiday, others on business, but for an unlucky few
0:23:29 > 0:23:34they find themselves ill or injured a long way from home.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43It's a summer's morning on the Humber and the North Sea ferries are in. Today's shipload of visitors
0:23:43 > 0:23:49are getting used to driving on the left and translating an unfamiliar language
0:23:49 > 0:23:56to find their destination. Within a few hours of leaving the dock, one biker's holiday is in ruins.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01There's an ambulance crew on scene. They suspect a spinal injury.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05As they've got an ambulance here, I'll put it in the right-hand field.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10- There's a gate to the right-hand side.- Yeah.- Top left corner.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- That do for us?- Yeah.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17- How are we doing? - This is Rene, 55-year-old male...
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Rene Barquet has come off his bike after a collision with a car.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26It's certainly a mess and its rider doesn't speak English.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32He got trapped between car and kerb, came off the bike and has hit the kerb, we're estimating,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34at 40 miles an hour.
0:24:35 > 0:24:42Rene's only been in the UK for three hours. He's one of a party of 60 bikers on an organised holiday.
0:24:42 > 0:24:49I'm from Belgium and we go to Dumfries in Scotland to... make a bike trip.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52We like very much the English roads.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56They are made for motorcycles.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's a little crash with one bike.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02He go out off the road
0:25:02 > 0:25:06and he have pain on his back.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Al's a highly-qualified paramedic, but his French isn't up to much.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Bonjour, Rene. Ca va?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16HE MURMURS
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Nous avons coupe votre blouson.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23There's more pain for Rene.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27As any biker will tell you, a good set of leathers hurt your wallet
0:25:27 > 0:25:32and watching them being cut off is agony itself.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Can you ask him how much it hurts?
0:25:34 > 0:25:41- Luckily, one of the Belgian bikers does speak English. - SPEAKS FRENCH
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Is it very, very painful? TRANSLATED
0:25:46 > 0:25:48When he stay like that, it's OK.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51But when he move, he have pain.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56He's stable. He's been immobilised. He's got pain in his back and flanks.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01He's relatively comfortable. We'll pop him off to Scarborough.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06The accident's happened barely 30 miles from Hull's ferry terminal.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Now Rene's adding an unexpected destination to his itinerary.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Scarborough's nice, but perhaps no substitute for Scotland.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19We're just about managing to communicate, I think.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26It's surprising how much you can get across with just a few little pigeon phrases,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28when necessary.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33We have access to a translation service.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37If we really need specific information, we can use that.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43But generally you can get the message across with most... most of the time, you know.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48In a few minutes, Rene will undergo X-rays on his back.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The good news is he's not seriously injured,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55but sadly he's in too much pain to continue with his holiday.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01Most overseas visitors enjoy the same free treatment on the NHS as the rest of us
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and usually it doesn't matter how they have hurt themselves.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11A million foreign tourists come to Yorkshire every year
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The Peak District's a top attraction for people looking for adventure.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Today it's a climber from France who needs help from the air.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25He's a climber that's fallen. He's got back and head injuries.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30From here to Sheffield there's quite a lot of good climbing areas.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36With the mild weather we're having, people like to get out. They're making the most of it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42- Anyone know the French for "tight"? - Axel Denier is a French student studying in Sheffield.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46He's fallen around 12 feet and is being treated by Mountain Rescue.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50His only way to hospital will be by helicopter.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55- First, pilot Andy Lister needs somewhere to land.- Over here, Andy.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57He thinks I can land it over there?
0:27:57 > 0:28:03- The local Mountain Rescue team are trained to identify landing sites. - Left-hand side of it.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09- That's not a suitable landing site. - But pilot Andy reckons something's been lost in translation.
0:28:10 > 0:28:17People quite often have an optimistic idea of where you can and cannot land a helicopter.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Unfortunately, in this circumstance, there's too many rocks around
0:28:22 > 0:28:26to get very near the casualty. But when you've got MRT there,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30it's not too much of an issue to bring him to the helicopter.
0:28:31 > 0:28:37But Andy's choice of parking space means a very long walk up the hill for Pete and Paul.
0:28:37 > 0:28:43We're just having a walk up to the crag where the patient's fallen.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Quite a distance away because of the hillside,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52So we're joining the sheep up here.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Also joining in is a familiar face.
0:28:56 > 0:29:02Flying Doctor Steve Rowe today is volunteering with the rescue team.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06He's a French student at Sheffield. He's fallen off there
0:29:06 > 0:29:11and landed on an ankle that was previously injured. It hurts again now.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16- OK.- It's not open. There's some swelling. It's in a box splint.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20I was climbing in this way and I fall the last move.
0:29:20 > 0:29:26I didn't feel good, so...I fall down. And it is no good for my ankle.
0:29:26 > 0:29:33Axel and his friend Nathan have both come to the UK to improve their English
0:29:33 > 0:29:37as well as their climbing. Both are learning new terms today.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39SPEAKS FRENCH
0:29:42 > 0:29:45- OK now?- Yeah.- 'He jump.'
0:29:45 > 0:29:51And he fell on his ankle and his ankle was a little bit weak because he has already broke it.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56So it just crack like that and it's finished for him.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02More than a dozen Mountain Rescue volunteers have come out to help.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07They've now got the tricky job of carrying Axel down the steep slope.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12He's got fairly minor injuries. MRT are taking him to the aircraft.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Then it's Sheffield Northern General.
0:30:14 > 0:30:20He was in good humour. He's fallen about 6-8 foot and he's injured his ankle
0:30:20 > 0:30:25which he's injured previously. He wasn't complaining of any neck or back pain.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30I was able to examine his neck and clear that on scene,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33so he can be carried off in a sitting position.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Prepare to lower...and lower.
0:30:36 > 0:30:43Climbers are very protective of their equipment, but Pete's not convinced about Axel's rucksack.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48It's a little bit large for hand luggage. It might go in the hold!
0:30:55 > 0:30:59It takes just four minutes to fly Axel to hospital,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04but his broken ankle means it's four months before he's back climbing.
0:31:06 > 0:31:12Our roads are among the busiest in Europe and these guys are about to drive straight onto them.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18For them, everything's changed. Sitting on the left-hand side of their truck,
0:31:18 > 0:31:23driving on the left-hand side of the road. It's not easy.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29Every year, more than 9,000 accidents on UK roads involve foreign-registered lorries
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and 30 people are killed in them.
0:31:32 > 0:31:39- Often the visiting drivers are not to blame. - We're slightly left of track.
0:31:40 > 0:31:47Today Helimed 99 has been scrambled to an accident that's depressingly familiar to Lee Davison.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49He's trapped by his lower legs.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Paramedic's just asked for some morphine. I'm going to get some
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and see if we need to transport.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02The Bulgarian driver of a Spanish truck has collided head-on with a van near Selby.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06The van driver's trapped and badly injured.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10- Can we get anything to help you? - Just get me out.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13We'll get you out in a minute.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Geoff Crossley is trapped by his legs. He has a nasty head wound,
0:32:18 > 0:32:24but he's lucky to be alive. His van took the full force of the impact with the 38-tonne truck.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26The blue van was coming down the A19.
0:32:26 > 0:32:33Er, the wagon just... started turning into the road and smashed straight into him.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38- Its driver is under arrest. - He speaks Spanish. We've not got much yet.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42He was unhurt, but Geoff's in a bad way.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Deep breath for me.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Deep breath. Is that hurting on your right? Where my right hand is?
0:32:52 > 0:32:58He's so badly trapped, fire fighters decide they must remove him through the back of his van.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04The front is so distorted by the collision, taking him out through his door is impossible.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10We put two relief cuts in the side and lift the dashboard off him, to remove him to the back.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14We'll look after you, OK? Don't panic, all right?
0:33:14 > 0:33:18There'll be a little bit of inconvenience while we get you out.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23Research has shown that having to drive on what for them is the wrong side of the road
0:33:23 > 0:33:27makes foreign drivers slower to react to emergencies.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32Geoff is finding out what a simple error of judgment can lead to.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Relax that leg down for me, Geoff.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Geoff, just put this leg down for me. Good lad. That's it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:46He's got multiple injuries concurrent with the accident - head injury from the steering wheel,
0:33:46 > 0:33:53and his chest where the door's encroached into his chest. I'm worried about his liver there.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58He's complaining round about his pelvis, but when we got him out,
0:33:58 > 0:34:05both lower legs had submarined under the steering wheel. He's got nasty lacerations there.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Their patient is being flown to hospital in York.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12He'll need emergency surgery.
0:34:13 > 0:34:19The Bulgarian trucker faces a night in the cells before an appearance before magistrates in Selby.
0:34:19 > 0:34:2324 hours after the crash, he pleads guilty to a driving offence
0:34:23 > 0:34:27and is banned from driving in the UK for a year.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32But what happens if foreign visitors find themselves in a medical emergency?
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Here in the UK, you can now dial 112, the European equivalent of 999,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and still get an emergency operator.
0:34:40 > 0:34:46Yorkshire's vast number of tourist attractions brings in visitors from around the world,
0:34:46 > 0:34:51all here to experience the history and the scenery.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56But when faced with an emergency, where you come from is irrelevant.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59It's all about what you can do to help.
0:34:59 > 0:35:06There's something in his back pants. Maybe he has got a wallet? You might want to check it.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10Today, two overseas visitors - a German doctor and an American tourist -
0:35:10 > 0:35:16find themselves fighting to save the life of an elderly cyclist in the grounds of Bolton Abbey.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21Just hang on for me a minute. Hold on, buddy.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Helimed 9, southbound for Bolton Abbey.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29RADIO RESPONSE
0:35:31 > 0:35:36A 70-year-old has come off his bike. Initial reports were he was unconscious,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40but they believe he's injured his eye and it may be out of the socket.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45That's it. In-between the wood and the water.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49The grounds of Bolton Abbey cover more than 30,000 acres.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52They know he is somewhere on a back road below them,
0:35:52 > 0:35:59- but on a sunny Sunday afternoon it can be difficult to spot. - That's an ice cream van.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06There's cars down here.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10There we are. Just down at my ten o'clock.
0:36:16 > 0:36:23This gentleman's an MD from Germany. He was assisting me, wanting an IV and to put some fluids in.
0:36:23 > 0:36:30The 78-year-old cyclist is being well looked after. The first to find him was an American tourist
0:36:30 > 0:36:33on his first trip to Yorkshire.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39We just happened upon this gentleman. He'd had a bicycle accident.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43We just tried to comfort him until we could get some help here.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48He had some level of head injury, but was moving all his extremities.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54As well as the American tourist, there's Tim Nebelsiek, a German doctor,
0:36:54 > 0:37:00meaning there's an international team giving him the best possible chance of survival.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06We don't know how long he's been lying here. We think it's about 20 minutes he's been lying here,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08so I don't know.
0:37:08 > 0:37:14The head injury is making him agitated and he's becoming less responsive.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19- You've taken the oxygen off as well? - Yeah, he's fighting everything.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22OK, ready, steady, go.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28He needs to be more awake than he is now.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Coming from abroad, the team on the road were in good position to help.
0:37:32 > 0:37:38In America, first aid is taught in primary schools and many European countries, including Germany,
0:37:38 > 0:37:44are known for having much higher levels of emergency medical knowledge than here in the UK.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48We have a 78-year-old male, cycling without a helmet.
0:37:48 > 0:37:54Found in the middle of the road. Believed to have been unconscious. He's now agitated.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59He might have had some serious head injury. You can't really tell.
0:37:59 > 0:38:05He needs a CAT scan and then might need to intubate him to keep his head pressure down.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10The good news is he was breathing on his own, somewhat laboured,
0:38:10 > 0:38:15but I think with proper medical attention, we'll pray good things.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17We'll be about ten minutes.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24It's a nervous flight to hospital for Paramedics Pete and Kay.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30Unusually, both made the journey in the back as their patient's condition is deteriorating.
0:38:31 > 0:38:38Despite the great work of the team who stopped to help, the outlook doesn't look good.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Sadly, cyclist Dennis Peace doesn't recover,
0:38:43 > 0:38:51but he was given the best possible chance by the actions of an American tourist and a German doctor,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55a truly international team who did all they possibly could to help.
0:38:55 > 0:39:01The overseas visitors who received first-hand experience of the NHS.
0:39:01 > 0:39:07Now let's return to a patient who was critically injured just a few miles from his home.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Teenager Chris Syme is fighting for his life.
0:39:12 > 0:39:19Chris was lucky to survive a freak accident involving a forklift tractor at the stonebreaking yard.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25But within hours of arriving at Leeds General Infirmary with serious back injuries,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27his condition deteriorates.
0:39:27 > 0:39:33An X-ray confirms his spine is broken and his lungs have been badly damaged.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36He's put on a life support machine.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39When people have problems with ventilation
0:39:39 > 0:39:42as a result of a spinal chord injury,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46they develop other organ system failures.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50That was close to being fatal for him.
0:39:52 > 0:39:58For several days, Chris responds to treatment, but then his condition deteriorates again.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01He's fighting for his life.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03He was in a coma and...
0:40:03 > 0:40:07he had...paralysis.
0:40:07 > 0:40:13It just seemed...you'd think it couldn't get any worse and it kept getting worse and worse.
0:40:13 > 0:40:19Three weeks in, they talked to us about switching off his life support machine
0:40:19 > 0:40:24and that was when it really sunk in that that was it.
0:40:25 > 0:40:31'It's never an easy conversation to have and it requires a lot of time and patience.
0:40:31 > 0:40:38'We had to have quite an open and frank discussion with Chris's family, next of kin,'
0:40:38 > 0:40:42to explain what was happening to him.
0:40:42 > 0:40:48And explain that the likely outcome was that Chris was very unlikely to ever be able to walk
0:40:48 > 0:40:53after he recovered from this, if he was able to recover from it.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58One of the consultants said, "We're not prepared to give up on Chris
0:40:58 > 0:41:04"and we're going to give him another 48 hours, but it's up to Chris. We've done all that we can do."
0:41:05 > 0:41:11But Chris is young and fit. After four months in the LGI's High Dependency Unit,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13he finally pulls through.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18People talk about miracles and talk about people fighting,
0:41:18 > 0:41:24but it's true. It sounds like a cliche, but it happens and that's what Chris did.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29The doctors said it was up to Chris and he did it.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Chris is transferred to a specialist spinal unit nearer his home.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39His fractured spine is now held together with titanium.
0:41:39 > 0:41:45Although now forced to use a wheelchair, he's determined that one day he will walk again.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49I don't think my lifestyle will change. It won't be as easy,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53but I'll still give it a good go, driving machines and what have you.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Everything can be adapted nowadays.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02For his family, Chris has all but come back from the dead.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07His mum knows few people recover from injuries as serious as her son's.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11When the doctors did discuss switching Chris off,
0:42:11 > 0:42:17I did actually say that I...I'd had enough of watching him suffer.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23And I didn't want it to keep going if it wasn't going to get him any better.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28I'd resigned myself to the fact that he was going to die and that was it.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34The fact that we've still got him, I just... He's alive.
0:42:34 > 0:42:42He's doing remarkably well from what we learn, that he's able to use his arms.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46And is able to function in a wheelchair.
0:42:46 > 0:42:52It's a delight to see him surviving through what he's been through.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58I'm pleased to say Chris is now back at home and learning to drive.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02He says he's determined to live life to the full.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk