0:00:02 > 0:00:06If you're critically ill or seriously injured, seconds count.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11And in Britain's biggest county you can be a long way from help.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13'She's stuck under the car!'
0:00:13 > 0:00:20The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies at 150mph and thanks to its speed, hundreds of patients are alive now,
0:00:20 > 0:00:25saved by a highly-skilled team of doctors and paramedics.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Stand clear!
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It covers some of the UK's most rugged landscapes,
0:00:31 > 0:00:37- turning roadsides into operating theatres. - We'll pop him off to sleep.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39And town centres into helipads.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- On the left? - Just behind you, Tim.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47And every day the helimed team's skill, speed and courage is saving lives.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today on Helicopter Heroes.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Are you able to sit forward?
0:01:01 > 0:01:06A train driver collapses, but his passengers are nurses.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10It just came to a sudden halt. We flew forward in the seats.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13The mystery of the cyclist found lying in the road.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Prepare aircraft for a rapid transfer of a patient with severe head injury.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Flood waters hamper an emergency rescue.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It's like Yorkshire and Atlantis.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27And a hot air balloon ride ends in a crash landing.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30We just landed very, very heavily.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Train drivers are responsible for the safety of hundreds of passengers,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46but what happens when they are hit by a critical illness? The crew of Helimed 99 is about to find out.
0:01:46 > 0:01:4918 minutes en route, OK?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- 18 minutes.- Yeah.
0:01:52 > 0:01:58Between Scarborough and the market town of Malton, the driver of a Trans-Pennine Express
0:01:58 > 0:02:04- is fighting for his life. - The driver has stopped the train and raised the alarm.
0:02:04 > 0:02:11A train coming the opposite way has stopped and the driver has got out to be able to help him.
0:02:11 > 0:02:19'99, roger. I've spoken to Network Rail. They cannot confirm anything else will not be coming past.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25'I've appraised them that you will be landing in a field next to the train. Over.'
0:02:25 > 0:02:31Ground paramedics have already confirmed driver David Graham is suffering a heart attack,
0:02:31 > 0:02:36- but he's a long way from hospital. - They have a medical every year.
0:02:36 > 0:02:42Or every six months. They're very well looked after, I think now.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47All trains have failsafe brakes, the so-called "dead man's handle",
0:02:47 > 0:02:52and the 9.30 from Scarborough to Liverpool came to a halt safely.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- Hi, pal. How's it going? - We've got a 50-year-old male...
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Is it easier to get round the other side? I'll come up t'side here.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Driver David has reason to be glad for one group of ticket holders.
0:03:05 > 0:03:12A party of nurses returning from a mini-break quickly responded to appeals from the train's guard.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17The guard said was there any nurses, paramedics on the train.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22So about seven of us ran along the train!
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Hello, Dave. - He's 50. Driver of the train.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Sudden onset of central chest pain to his jaw and down his left arm.
0:03:31 > 0:03:37Paramedics are struggling to treat David on the floor of his cramped cab.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- He's in agony from crushing chest pains.- If he's scoring nine,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46get him a bit comfortable and then we'll work out how to get him there.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It's come out of the blue.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52He contacted the guard to let him know there was something wrong.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56That's how he found him like he was, so to speak.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Passengers are kept informed of the emergency in the cab.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05'We're taking the driver from the train and should be clear to move on.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10'Thank you very much for your patience and your understanding.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:16For his medical helpers, it was an unexpected end to a seaside trip.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The five of us were on a weekend away!
0:04:19 > 0:04:24So BP's all right, pulse rate is absolutely fine.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The team now faces a major problem - how to get David off the train.
0:04:28 > 0:04:34The doors are nearly two metres off the ground and the train's come to a halt on an embankment.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40They're going to need help to get their patient down to Helimed 99.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46It's difficult to get him off without any type of proper steps. We don't want to be walking him.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So we'll use this board to lay him on and bring him off on it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55We'll need help with some hands, so we've asked the Fire Service.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01- Have we got an aspirin? - An old-fashioned remedy is still vital for heart patients.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06Are you able to sit forward? I want to give you this aspirin to take.
0:05:06 > 0:05:13Aspirin will thin David's blood and reduce the risks of further clots in his heart.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Just chew it as best you can and then swallow. It's important.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22At last, a local fire crew arrives to help remove David.
0:05:22 > 0:05:29He'd just returned to work from holiday and has always passed his railway medical with flying colours.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Shall we just get him back? We'll just be a couple of minutes.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39These pads will allow the paramedics to shock David's heart back into a normal rhythm
0:05:39 > 0:05:42if he goes into cardiac arrest.
0:05:42 > 0:05:49- There's his jacket with all his personal belongings. - That's his ID.- And his mobile.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55For the off-duty nurses, there's relief their patient is almost ready for take off.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58OK, David, nearly ready to go.
0:05:58 > 0:06:05Dave, I'm one of the girls who was looking after you. Goodbye and take care, all right?
0:06:05 > 0:06:12- I hope everything's...- Thanks.- OK. I hope everything goes all right. - Thank you.- You're welcome, pet.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Going to slide to your right, all right?
0:06:16 > 0:06:20The patient's heart is under terrible strain.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25He's on his way to a cardiac unit 30 miles away in Hull,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30but the team knows David's survival is far from certain.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45One of the first things accident victims want to know is how their injury happened.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Usually there's a police officer or a witness they can ask,
0:06:49 > 0:06:56but in a hit and run crash, the patient often has to accept he will never know who was responsible.
0:06:58 > 0:07:04The village of Cawood in North Yorkshire is at the centre of a mystery. On the main road,
0:07:04 > 0:07:10- a man lies badly injured. - We think it's a cyclist that has come a cropper
0:07:10 > 0:07:16on one of the back roads out towards Cawood, which is a small village near Selby.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19We've got an RRV on the scene
0:07:19 > 0:07:22dealing with this patient.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26No one knows who the man is or how the accident happened.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It's only by chance a passer-by spotted him in the road.
0:07:30 > 0:07:36I came round the corner. The road was clear both ways. In the distance, I saw an obstruction in the road.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42By the time I got up to it, I could see he was distressed with the cycle on top of him.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47I flagged the car behind me and said to phone for an ambulance.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Then within what seemed to be seconds, people came running.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Ground crews are already on scene and working quickly
0:07:57 > 0:07:59to prepare the man for flight.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Their assessment suggests he'll be lucky to survive.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08The Glasgow Coma Scale is a measure of the level of consciousness on a patient
0:08:08 > 0:08:14with regards to his eye movement, motor skills and his verbal responses.
0:08:14 > 0:08:21The maximum score is 15. This guy's down at about a five, so he's got some mental deficit.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27- I'll go and have a look. - OK. You're clear round the back.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34Paramedics Darren and Graham know they must stabilise the patient and get him on Helimed 98 quickly.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Get him loaded and we'll get gone. 98, over.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45- 'Go ahead.'- Prepare aircraft for a rapid transfer onto the aircraft from where you are, please.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Patient with severe head injury.
0:08:48 > 0:08:54We don't know if he's just fallen, hit something in the road and it's catapulted him in some way.
0:08:54 > 0:09:01I wouldn't like to be able to say what had happened. His bike looks to be reasonably intact. I don't know.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04He looks a poorly man.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08He was unconscious when the first bystander got here. Airway occluded.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13When I got here, he was on his side. Equal chest movement and air entry.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- Which eye blown?- Right. - Right-side pupil blown.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Potentially also a neca femur...
0:09:19 > 0:09:24A blown pupil is an indication that he may have a bleed in his brain.
0:09:24 > 0:09:32A broken thigh bone suggests he's been hit by a car, so he may be the victim of a hit-and-run driver.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36I got out the car. I am a first aider.
0:09:36 > 0:09:42The guy was on the floor, but there was a pedal cycle. He was straddling his pedal cycle.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46And we just did what we could, put him in the recovery position.
0:09:46 > 0:09:54He was gurgling with the amount of blood there was. He was bleeding very heavily and we held him there
0:09:54 > 0:09:58until the first responder came and then did what he asked.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- OK, on lift then.- Two, three, lift.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Never is the need to act fast greater than with a patient with a low coma score
0:10:06 > 0:10:12- and with pressure building up inside the man's head, the injury could be fatal.- Keep going.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Keep feeding him forward.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Watch the oxygen.
0:10:19 > 0:10:27Flying a patient in this condition is risky as with a head injury they can quickly regain consciousness
0:10:27 > 0:10:34- and become aggressive.- He's fairly calm, but he may have a lucid period where he regains consciousness.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39And then he'll start to be combative and potentially throw himself around a bit.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45I hope he doesn't do that. We're going to fly him directly to the LGI
0:10:45 > 0:10:47where there's neuro facilities.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50As Helimed 98 comes in to land,
0:10:50 > 0:10:56surgeons below are preparing to operate. Little is known about the patient and the focus now is
0:10:56 > 0:11:00to give him the specialist care he urgently needs.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05That evening, police identify the man as John Fishley,
0:11:05 > 0:11:11a retired physics teacher who lives in Cawood. Now the hunt is on for the local motorist
0:11:11 > 0:11:16they suspect knocked him off his bike and left him in the road.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Cawood is quite a small village.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23There are implications that there is somebody out there with information
0:11:23 > 0:11:28who hasn't come forward. Perhaps they'd like to share it with us.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33John's head injury is so severe, he is in a coma for two weeks.
0:11:33 > 0:11:39It's a worrying time for his five children, who rally round him, visiting every day
0:11:39 > 0:11:43until finally he regains consciousness.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48The first thing that I woke up to see
0:11:48 > 0:11:52was some of my children. I couldn't tell you which ones they were,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56but one was my eldest son, older son.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02And...one of them was my older daughter, as I remember.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06And from then on I began to remember things.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11We all rushed up to Leeds General to find Dad in ICU,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15not breathing for himself, all tubes coming from everywhere,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18looking very frail, very old.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21And we spent two weeks with him in ICU.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27And then since then the progress has been absolutely amazing. Here we are, two months on,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and he is our dad again.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35John is expected to make a full recovery and it's hoped that for his peace of mind
0:12:35 > 0:12:39whoever did knock him off his bike does come forward.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43It's highly unlikely it was done on purpose, Dad is getting better,
0:12:43 > 0:12:49but just for...a happy ending, as such, for them as much as us,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53it would be great if they could come forward with information.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Flooding seems to be an almost monthly event somewhere in the UK.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Each time it takes its toll on the emergency services.
0:13:13 > 0:13:20While firefighters pump out property, the Ambulance Service struggles to reach its patients.
0:13:21 > 0:13:27The Helimed team has to be ready for anything and today the paramedics are undergoing training
0:13:27 > 0:13:32in how to work safely around white water.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38Make sure the straps are done up nice and tight. Through the plastic.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It sounds simple enough, but experts will tell you
0:13:43 > 0:13:47even shallow, fast-flowing water will knock you off your feet.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52I've already done a few jobs in quite dangerous water or working around it.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57It's nice to get this training so I feel more confident around it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:03I tended to keep my distance before. Hopefully, once we've done this I'll be able to get stuck in
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and have more impact when we get to these things.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12It will give us a bit more awareness about how water reacts, how dangerous it can be.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Once every couple of months we get jobs that involve water in some way.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It is more often than you'd think.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Flood waters can hold hidden dangers. Rescue workers have drowned after being trapped in debris
0:14:25 > 0:14:31or falling down hidden manholes and today their new skills could come in handy.
0:14:31 > 0:14:38Dozens of roads across North Yorkshire are blocked. Near a remote village, an ambulance with a patient
0:14:38 > 0:14:44is stuck in a ditch. The patient is suffering a stroke and this delay could be life-threatening.
0:14:44 > 0:14:51'The patient's condition is starting to deteriorate. They've had an active stroke now.'
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Roger, Martin. Two minutes to go.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Oh, look. The only gate is flooded, plus, plus.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06- We've got a load of cows coming our way.- Cows on your right side. - Overshooting.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- The guys are indicating the next field.- I suspect they're bulls.
0:15:11 > 0:15:18The surrounding fields are flooded, so pilot Chris Attrill is touching down alongside livestock.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Four bulls directly in front.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22Mush!
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Chris finds himself herding the reluctant bulls away from his landing site.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31They're squaring up to you, Chris.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- Oh, four.- Here we go. Five.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- Don't drown them now, OK? - No, I'm not.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43The ambulance slid into the verge after the road was undermined by flood water.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48- So the numbness is giving you concern. - I can see why the bank gave way.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Now firefighters fear the ambulance could slip further down the bank
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- unless the patient is unloaded very carefully.- It will go.- Topple.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- We want to keep as much weight on this side as possible.- OK.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06Slowly the man is removed from the ambulance,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11but it's not just this road that's been affected by the floods.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Bad flooding all the way up and down from Catterick to Thirsk.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Finally, the patient is on-board Helimed 99 and on the way to hospital.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27Speed is essential in treating strokes and the Helimed team has minimised what could have been
0:16:27 > 0:16:31a considerable delay for their patient.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The man is admitted to the Stroke Unit of the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39but despite his flight he dies some time later.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50The market town of Malton in North Yorkshire has been inundated by the River Derwent.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55For many local people, this has become an almost annual event,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59but last week's rainfall has left parts of this town cut off.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03In one street, Helimed 98 is desperately needed.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11Onboard, Graham Pemberton is preparing for another patient stranded by the flood water.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17We're going to a three-month-old with a hole in her heart. She's got difficulty breathing.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We've just been told she has been booked in for surgery.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27The crew had to turn around because of the flooding
0:17:27 > 0:17:32so they've still got a transit time to get to see her of 35 minutes. We'll be 5 minutes now.
0:17:32 > 0:17:39- You can see it all out there.- Yeah, it's nice and wet. It's a combination of Yorkshire and Atlantis.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Yeah.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44With ground crew struggling to get through to Malton,
0:17:44 > 0:17:51Helimed 98 will get to the patient first. Ahead is Poppy Ellison, a three-month-old baby girl
0:17:51 > 0:17:57with a heart condition. She's been very sick and her parents are worried.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02That's that circled bit below us. We're over the college. We're looking at one o'clock.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08- See a large building, pink roof? - Yeah.- That's pretty much the centre of the area.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12It's one of these roads literally next to that.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Finding residential streets by air is not easy,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20so paramedic Sam resorts to using the A to Z.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26- Want me to have a look as well? - Yeah, pass it back to Graham for a moment, mate.
0:18:26 > 0:18:33- I'm just trying to think where we can land.- Pilot Chris manages to touch down in a local playing field.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Now at last they can get to Poppy.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42Very difficult to transport her from here. You can't get down to see the roadsides.
0:18:42 > 0:18:48Trying to orientate it correctly is quite difficult. You're always moving around. An unfamiliar town.
0:18:48 > 0:18:55It's taken us the best part of 5 or 6 minutes whereas normally you're straight in.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02At the address, both Poppy's parents are very concerned about her condition.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- Hello. Waiting for an ambulance? - Yes.- How are you doing?
0:19:05 > 0:19:11Poppy was born with two holes in her heart so when she is sick it is very worrying.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14POPPY CRIES
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Oh, dear.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Do you want to see if there's a monitor in there?
0:19:24 > 0:19:31Poppy is due for heart surgery at the end of the month and her parents were told to monitor her closely.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35She was getting really breathless when she was getting upset.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37She's got two holes in her heart,
0:19:37 > 0:19:42one large and one small. And there's a lot of fluid round her lungs
0:19:42 > 0:19:44so they just want to close the holes.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50They are actually trying to close, but there's too much pressure on her lungs still.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55- What exactly is concerning you today?- It's just the coughing.
0:19:55 > 0:20:01- Every time she has her bottle or her medicine, she's bringing them up. - She's being sick?- Yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07- How soon after taking her medicine is she sick?- About 20 minutes, sometimes half an hour.
0:20:07 > 0:20:14- Sometimes up to an hour. - Not straight away, then? Within seconds or a minute or two?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- No.- No.- Right, OK.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21- So she's retaining food and fluids and her medicine.- Yeah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25If it's 20 minutes after she's eaten, it's going through
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and then she throws up a little bit.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33Every parent knows how quickly a baby's symptoms can appear and disappear,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37but with Poppy's heart problems, keeping a close eye on her
0:20:37 > 0:20:41and making sure she absorbs her medication is essential.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46- Her breathing sounds OK. - I mean, they checked her yesterday.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- They did what you've just done. - And her temperature was fine. Yeah?
0:20:50 > 0:20:56So it all seemed within the normal parameters you'd expect for a baby of her age.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- Just with bringing up her medicine... - I don't think she will.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04If she's keeping it down for 20 minutes, it will be absorbed...
0:21:04 > 0:21:11Yeah? See what I'm saying? If she was bringing it up within a minute or so of ingesting it,
0:21:11 > 0:21:16that's a different matter. But if she keeps it down for 20 minutes...
0:21:16 > 0:21:23Unless a patient's condition is life-threatening, it's unlikely they'll transport them to hospital.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27It's decided it's safe for Poppy to stay at home.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Through the weekend or even tonight, if you want to speak to a doctor,
0:21:31 > 0:21:37ring your doctor's surgery and it will automatically put you through
0:21:37 > 0:21:43- or give you a phone number to ring. But there's always a doctor available, 24/7.- I'm all right now.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- Yeah?- Now I know she's OK.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49For now, the best place for Poppy is at home with Mum and Dad,
0:21:49 > 0:21:54but she will need to be monitored closely over the next few hours.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04Flooding is costing insurers millions and it's not just your home at risk when the waters rise.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11Modern cars rely on complex electronics which make them vulnerable to even a foot of water.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18The rain may have stopped, but water levels in many areas are still rising,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- catching many people out.- Can we land in that field with the sheep?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- Down at three o'clock now. - I'll give it the once over.
0:22:25 > 0:22:31It's early morning and an elderly couple have become stuck in their car in rising water,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35but the floods mean landing somewhere safe will be difficult.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41I'll try to put you on this path here. How does that look on your side?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- It looks fine. - Good at the back, mate?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Good to the right and the rear.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53The Fire Service has been able to get through the floods and reach the couple.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57They were stranded for some time in a car full of icy water.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03- Morning.- Hiya. I'm the local police inspector. Are you aware of what's happened?
0:23:03 > 0:23:08A couple of elderly people trying to get through the flood water.
0:23:08 > 0:23:15The flood waters may look calm, but they can be very dangerous, even for the professionals.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19All the air crew are trained swift water first responders,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23so we can work in and around water safely.
0:23:23 > 0:23:30The courses make you aware that even standing water like this, it's easy to catch you out.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36That's what's happened to these guys. Even a very small movement in the water can make it very difficult
0:23:36 > 0:23:41to stand up. So you do have to be very aware when you deal with water.
0:23:41 > 0:23:49Luckily, the fire crews got the couple out of the car. They're now drying out in the ambulance.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55We got a call to an elderly couple who were stuck in a vehicle with an electronic handbrake.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59The water's affected the electrics and they were unable to move the vehicle,
0:23:59 > 0:24:05so we had to walk them out of the water. We've administered first aid. They're both suffering from cold.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11The ground ambulance crew think they can find a clear route to hospital,
0:24:11 > 0:24:17so they'll transport the couple themselves, freeing up the Helimed team.
0:24:17 > 0:24:23They probably thought they could do it. The water level's going up still. They've had an electrical cut-out.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27They've been driving through it and the electrics have just gone.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31It's going to be a busy day. Police want people to stay at home.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37There are reports of signs being moved and thrown into hedges, which we're looking into.
0:24:37 > 0:24:44If you see flood signs, don't try to go through the water. This flood water here's still rising.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50Whilst the rain has stopped, we're on scene and the water is still continuing to rise.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Please use extreme caution.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05It's in the dales and moors that affection for the air ambulance is at its strongest,
0:25:05 > 0:25:10especially from people that live on remote hill farms.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16In the hills of the Yorkshire Dales, farming is a family business.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20It's not uncommon for three generations to work together,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and many children grow up treating the farmyard as a playground.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29But agriculture is a dangerous industry and today on a farm
0:25:29 > 0:25:32a little girl is seriously hurt.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Just give us the inbound track, please.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Yeah, 2-7-0.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41We're just going off to a detail which is a five-year-old child
0:25:41 > 0:25:46that's had a gate that's fallen we believe onto the child's leg.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50The query is that the child has a fractured femur.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52In kiddies,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56it's quite nasty. They've got quite flexible bones at that age.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It takes quite a high impact to actually break.
0:26:00 > 0:26:07Five-year-old Chloe Middleton was out with her dad when she was crushed. Her thighbone is broken.
0:26:07 > 0:26:13It's hard to establish pain. She's quite content, in a sense, now she's on the table.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- She was sat across the lad's knee. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23Chloe's parents and grandparents are by her side. The dining table has become her stretcher.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Initially, she was lying across the lap of the two gents.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33She was probably a bit bent, really, so we said while you've got her on your lap,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37we'll get her on the table and nicely in line.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43A fractured femur can be agonising and the only pain relief Chloe's been given is paracetamol.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47She didn't fancy the Entonox. She's not taken it very well.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52- But she's not too distressed.- No, that's cool.- She's pretty chilled.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57- We looked at morphine, but it's up to you.- Yeah, OK.
0:26:57 > 0:27:03We mobilised the limb as best we could. She's got power and sensation to her toes and her foot.
0:27:03 > 0:27:09Lee knows the key to caring for children is to earn their trust first.
0:27:09 > 0:27:16- Chloe's not keen on flying in Helimed 98.- We're just going to be going off to hospital. OK?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20You're all right. We're going to be going up in the helicopter.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- But she soon comes round to the idea.- All right?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27You're going to be safe, OK? You'll be safe.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33The team's concerned the broken bone could be disrupting bloodflow to Chloe's foot.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It's potentially serious.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Obviously, their circulation is limited,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43but they're also robust, children, and they do recover well.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48The family farm is on the edge of the Dales. Instead of a bumpy ride down the farm track
0:27:48 > 0:27:55and along the local lanes, Chloe's being flown smoothly to hospital in Middlesbrough, 30 miles away.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Great. There we go, look. Eh?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00How good's that?
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Pop your little seatbelt on. Mum's going to be sat behind you.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06All right? You happy with that?
0:28:06 > 0:28:14Dales farmers are renowned for shrugging off pain and discomfort. Chloe's a chip off the old block.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Lee is impressed by his patient's courage.
0:28:18 > 0:28:24There's barely a murmur, even when she's unloaded at James Cook Hospital.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30So it's no surprise that within a few days she's back home a Roomer Farm.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34No, forwards. Or is it back here? Here.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And then we're doing this one.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42'She never made a drama, she never screamed the place down.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46'She was fantastic. She did everything the doctors wanted.'
0:28:46 > 0:28:52She took her medicine, she had all sorts, needles, and as long as we held her hand
0:28:52 > 0:28:54'she was just wonderful.'
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- This page.- This page, right.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Then that top goes on her.
0:28:59 > 0:29:06'The air ambulance was brilliant. It was to the farm in eight minutes. We must have been'
0:29:06 > 0:29:12another five, ten minutes getting her into the helicopter and then they were gone.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17'They said they'd be straight up to Middlesbrough. It was brilliant.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21'12 minutes and she was up there. And when I went up in the car,'
0:29:21 > 0:29:26it took me an hour and a half, so it was just fantastic.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29No, keep going. Keep going.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35Now it's just a recovery process, which will be slow,
0:29:35 > 0:29:40but it's a bone and it's been fixed and it could have been a lot worse.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51Now back to the rescue of train driver Dave Graham, struck down by a heart attack
0:29:51 > 0:29:53on his Trans-Pennine Express.
0:29:56 > 0:30:03On the main line from York to Scarborough, Dave's heart attack has brought chaos to a busy route.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Helimed 99, just to let you know we're airborne
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and we have 1-5 minutes to run.
0:30:12 > 0:30:19An hour ago, he was at the controls of his train. Now he's a passenger on board Helimed 99.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21OK, David?
0:30:21 > 0:30:22No.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26David has a major blockage in an artery supplying his heart.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- He's in terrible pain. - Is it coming back a bit?
0:30:30 > 0:30:37- Yeah.- What are you scoring out of 10? Zero being no pain and 10 being the worst pain ever.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43- Where would you put it at?- Six.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45About a six. OK.
0:30:45 > 0:30:51Paramedic Darryl Cullen is concerned his patient's condition may be worsening.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56- How long have we got to run, Lee? - 12 minutes, mate.- 12, OK.- Yeah.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02Cardiologists at Castle Hill Hospital near Hull are on standby to give the best treatment available
0:31:02 > 0:31:04to heart patients.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11In a procedure known as angioplasty, the blockage will be removed
0:31:11 > 0:31:17and the blood vessel permanently opened up using a tiny spring called a stent.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19The operation goes well.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22Hello.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26And barely 24 hours after his heart attack,
0:31:26 > 0:31:33David's ready for his first visitors and his family have travelled from Liverpool to see him.
0:31:34 > 0:31:42The doctor mentioned about coming home today, but the nurse said she'd rather I come home tomorrow.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Each day, you know, is a better day.
0:31:46 > 0:31:52The first thing I thought about was the passengers, rather than myself at the time.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Obviously, you've got to think about their safety.
0:31:56 > 0:32:02'Thank you very much for your patience and your understanding.'
0:32:02 > 0:32:08When I started feeling dizzy, I obviously thought, "This train has got to come to a stand."
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Just in case I don't wake up again.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13You gave me those ECGs back?
0:32:13 > 0:32:17'I ended up falling forward onto the dashboard,
0:32:17 > 0:32:22'whereby my head fell onto the horn. As soon as I woke up, I panicked.
0:32:22 > 0:32:29'I heard the horn going off. Once I got my head together, I was OK. I realised what had happened.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31'It's upsetting.'
0:32:31 > 0:32:35I'm holding it back. I don't realise how lucky I am.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40- That's his ID stuff. - And his mobile.- Slot that in there.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45And the luckiest factor of all was the nursing care he received.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Six months later, Dave is back at work,
0:32:51 > 0:32:56but not yet back on the trains. His heart attack has changed his life.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02He has lost a stone in weight, stopped smoking and now takes regular exercise.
0:33:02 > 0:33:08He believes if it wasn't for the nurses on the train, he would have died that day.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12'They were my guardian angels. Without them, I wouldn't be here now.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16'I can't thank them enough for what they've done.'
0:33:16 > 0:33:24I feel absolutely marvellous. 100% better, you know? Since I've had the stent fitted.
0:33:27 > 0:33:34Today is a special day. It's been arranged for Dave to meet the nurses who were on that train.
0:33:38 > 0:33:45The six workmates - Amy, Hilary, Natalie, Lisa, Kathryn and Lindsay - are on their way
0:33:45 > 0:33:50to see him at Manchester's Piccadilly station.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53We'd been on holiday to Scarborough.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55We were on the train on the way home.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Because we all work together, it helped because
0:33:59 > 0:34:04we just instantly got him to the floor, into the recovery position,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08then I left a couple of people there and I called 999.
0:34:10 > 0:34:17I've been looking forward to this for quite a while. I want to know what they done for me on the day.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22'If you are leaving the train, please take all your personal belongings.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Hello!
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- Hello, girls.- You're looking better!
0:34:29 > 0:34:35- You all right?- Nice to meet you all again under better circumstances. - How are you?- Fine, thank you.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Shall we sit down here?
0:34:38 > 0:34:42I'm very, very lucky, I really am,
0:34:42 > 0:34:47because... I'm starting to get a bit emotional here. I'm sorry.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Six lovely nurses here that looked after me!
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Over the moon, girls. I really am. I can't thank you enough.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00Did you go to Liverpool? Sorry I couldn't get you there.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04- See, I don't remember anything. - Do you not?
0:35:04 > 0:35:12We were sat nearer to you and could see you leaning over in the cabin. We knew there was summat wrong.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14I just remembered feeling dizzy.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19I had pains down my arms, across my shoulder, in my jaw.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23The next thing, I just blacked out. I woke up, my head was on the horn.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26You'd a lot of pain in your jaw.
0:35:26 > 0:35:33- Is that a normal thing?- Yeah.- When somebody's having a heart attack? - It's usually across the shoulders.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36I got it in both arms and my jaw.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- Yeah.- I felt like I'd done a few rounds with Mike Tyson!- I bet.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45We just made you comfortable, got you into the recovery position.
0:35:45 > 0:35:52Lisa had a pillow with her cos we'd been on holiday, so we gave you a pillow under your head.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57Before that, you had Amy's cardigan so your head wasn't on the floor.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01You just kept swinging in and out of consciousness, really.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05I've really been looking forward to this day, meeting you all.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10At the end of the day, you're all my guardian angels.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15You do a fantastic job and... God only knows what would have happened
0:36:15 > 0:36:18had it not been for you girls.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32And the good news is Dave will be back in the driving seat soon.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Now hot air ballooning is meant to be the gentlest way to fly,
0:36:36 > 0:36:41but bad weather can make this form of flight extremely dangerous.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49There's been a crash landing on moorland, high on the Pennines,
0:36:49 > 0:36:55and now the low cloud that was a factor in the accident is making life difficult for Helimed 99
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- and pilot Andy Lister. - There's quite a lot of cloud around.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02You need it fairly unbroken for hot air ballooning.
0:37:02 > 0:37:09I suspect the last thing you want when you're in a balloon is to be above the clouds.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14To be fair to their community, they do take their sport very seriously indeed
0:37:14 > 0:37:19and have the same system of licensing that any other commercial pilot does.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24There is a special hot air ballooning licence you need.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Looks like it's right on the side of a steep hillside.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34My understanding is that they usually follow them with four-wheel drives to try to retrieve them.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39To say it's an access problem does sound a wee bit peculiar but we'll see.
0:37:39 > 0:37:46Paramedics Dave Appleby and Tony Wilkes arrive to find debris scattered across the hillside.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51- The passengers are relieved and unscathed.- You had a bump?
0:37:51 > 0:37:57We came in about 20mph and it's just very rough ground. I still can't feel anything wrong,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01but apparently there's bruises on my face and things.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05We had an attempted landing five minutes before this one
0:38:05 > 0:38:11and we came down a bit hard at about 400 feet per minute, maybe a bit less.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15A bit of a knock. So we missed it and popped back up.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20As we came in towards the moors, there was quite a lot of cloud
0:38:20 > 0:38:23and there were pylons ahead.
0:38:23 > 0:38:29So Roy, rightfully, brought the balloon high to ensure we wouldn't hit the pylons.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34We'd lost visibility. He slowly brought it back down.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38It wasn't a bad place to land so we came in for it.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40And we just came in a bit fast.
0:38:40 > 0:38:46It was an incredibly lucky escape. Pilot Roy Battersby was trying to bring the balloon down
0:38:46 > 0:38:53due to the low cloud, but after one failed landing, he had to lift the balloon quickly to clear pylons.
0:38:53 > 0:38:59We got nicely over the pylons, came down a bit and could see the road through the cloud.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04And we just landed very, very heavily. I gather at about 20mph.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09And what happened was that the pilot must have suffered some concussion.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16There were five passengers onboard. Pilot Roy is the only one who's hurt.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22- We finally came to a stop. And all I could hear was... - SHE GROANS
0:39:22 > 0:39:26And it was Roy, who is absolutely always in control.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Always sharp as a tack. Nothing fazes him.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33And he wasn't well at all.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37We bounced along for quite a long time. It was quite desperate.
0:39:37 > 0:39:44The balloon did not want to stop. I don't know how far that is. It's quite a distance we travelled.
0:39:44 > 0:39:50Roy doesn't appear to have any serious injuries. He and his passengers had a lucky escape.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54You hit on the ground and then pop up a bit. There's a bounce.
0:39:54 > 0:40:00Roy was pulling on the parachute line as best he could, which is why he got injured.
0:40:00 > 0:40:06He was in control, taking the hot air out of the balloon so we wouldn't pop up again.
0:40:06 > 0:40:12Roy has been flying balloons for over a decade and this is the first time he's had an accident.
0:40:12 > 0:40:18- I'll sit you in here for a few minutes, as much to warm you up as anything.- I'm not too cold.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24But you feel cold when I touch your hands. Plus I'm the softest Geordie you'll ever meet. It keeps me warm.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29- This pain, where would you say it is?- More of a dull ache.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- Do you think it's a muscle thing? - I think so. I really do.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38- Did you have it beforehand?- No. - And whereabouts is it, you'd say?
0:40:38 > 0:40:43- Sort of here. I think my body's been pulled this way and that.- Right.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46You can tell it's a muscle pain.
0:40:46 > 0:40:52He's had a really nasty shake-up. He's been very concerned about the other occupants of the balloon.
0:40:52 > 0:40:58He's more concerned that they could have been injured than anything else really.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04Yeah, everybody's walked away so that's always a good landing.
0:41:04 > 0:41:10- Roy may look a bit battered and bruised, but it's time to go home, this time by car.- Thank you.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- Safe ballooning.- Most kind! Thank you for your help.
0:41:14 > 0:41:21Paramedic Dave gives Roy the all-clear. He is keen to get back to his team.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24'Yorkshire Air Ambulance were terrific,'
0:41:24 > 0:41:29particularly the gentleman behind. He was very good.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32But right now I want to go home and have a hot bath.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37The Pennines are well known for their wild and windy winters.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41It will probably be spring before Roy can fly again.
0:41:41 > 0:41:47The good news is his cuts have healed and his balloon is ready for take-off.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52I sent out the usual email and several people responded.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57I checked the ballooning weather forecast because it's crucial.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02It was giving a gentle wind that day, between 5 and 8 miles an hour,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04which is absolutely splendid.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09Almost straight away, the wind started to pick up and pick up.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11And it simply got faster.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16It's difficult to know exactly, but I think we landed at over 20mph,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19which really is too fast.
0:42:19 > 0:42:25As we came in to land, I briefed the other passengers for the last time to hold on.
0:42:25 > 0:42:31As soon as we hit, it was even faster than I thought. The basket tips over
0:42:31 > 0:42:35and then proceeded to drag for what seemed like an eternity.
0:42:35 > 0:42:41I shall be looking for slightly lower winds in future, but you can never guarantee the English weather.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47Roy has made a full recovery and is now back in the basket.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52He's still keeping a weather eye out, but is a little more sceptical about the forecast.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd