0:00:03 > 0:00:07If you're critically ill or seriously injured, seconds count.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11And in Britain's biggest county, you can be a long way from help.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Where's the patient?
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Stuck under the car!
0:00:13 > 0:00:18The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies at 150 mph, and thanks to its speed,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21hundreds of patients are alive today,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25saved by a highly-skilled team of doctors and paramedics.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- Stand clear, everybody. - Keep going, mate!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It covers some of the UK's most rugged landscapes,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34turning roadsides into operating theatres...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37We're going to give an emergency anaesthetic, OK?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..and town centres into helipads.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Just behind you, Tim.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And every day, the Helimed team's skill,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47speed and courage is saving lives.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Today on Helicopter Heroes, a motor race on the M1 ends
0:01:00 > 0:01:04in a terrible crash and a passenger is fighting for his life.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I was concerned he was going to die while I was waiting for them to get here.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11High in the Dales, a pet proves he is man's best friend.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15I heard the dog barking like crazy, thinking, "What's happened?"
0:01:15 > 0:01:17It was the dog telling me he'd fallen.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21The team meets the pilot who carried out this unhappy landing.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25We lost our power, and smoke started coming out.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And winter puts the skids under a moorland farmer.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The road just turned into just sheet glass.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41It's a fact that Britain's fastest roads are actually the safest.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Statistically,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46you're far less likely to have an accident on a motorway than
0:01:46 > 0:01:52any other road and if you do, you're less likely to be seriously hurt.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53But on some routes,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58there's a secret menace few motorists ever come across -
0:01:58 > 0:02:00illegal road-racing.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03And today, the crew of Helimed 99 is about to come
0:02:03 > 0:02:06face to face with its consequences.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Two casualties, one of which has been reported as having
0:02:09 > 0:02:11decreased level of consciousness.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14And so obviously, there'll be concerns about how quickly
0:02:14 > 0:02:18we can get that casualty out and get them on their way to hospital.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21It's a car, mate. That's it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25- Yeah, I wouldn't like to be in that position.- No, it's not good, is it?
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Trapped inside the wreckage of this car are two young men.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37One is critically injured but his friend is also trapped
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and preventing emergency services reaching him.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43If we get a casualty sheet under him and try and slide him,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47it's just that guy's underneath him. What's this guy like on top?
0:02:47 > 0:02:49He's conscious. We could do with getting him out.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52If we can get that sheet in, we can get him moved.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Are you happy with the head there?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57The accident happened on a busy stretch of the M1 towards
0:02:57 > 0:02:59the end of rush hour.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Witnesses have told police that the car was one of a group
0:03:02 > 0:03:07driving at very high speed and apparently racing with each other.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The victims have been lucky.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14They've had medical help from just seconds after the impact.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17This is Dave Smith, who is a doctor. He was passing by.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22One of the team's patients is aggressive,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24but his friend is unconscious
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and attention is now focused on a desperate race to free him.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31This is going to be ours.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35We've not had a chance to look at anything else.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39This guy's got to come out quicker to get to ours.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43A clearer picture of the accident is now emerging.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45The crash involved a group of friends,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48most in high-powered hire cars.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51A passing doctor almost certainly saved the life of the man
0:03:51 > 0:03:55in this car by holding his head and keeping his airway open.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00Can somebody just help Jane there, so that's not going to impact on her?
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Now, at last, he can leave his patient to the paramedics.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07We'll get that safe when we go.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I saw a nurse who was tending to the first victim who
0:04:11 > 0:04:14was on top of the victim underneath, and I went into the car just
0:04:14 > 0:04:19to support his airway and just to make him...breathing OK.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Well, I was concerned he was going to die while I was waiting for them to get here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Flying doctor Andy Pountney has been scrambled to help treat the casualties.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The one that Pete's looking at is the priority one.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- OK.- And then there's another one on the side.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39This one's a problem. Won't tolerate an airway but has taken a nasal.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41He's the worst one.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Dr Andy often flies with the Helimed team and today
0:04:45 > 0:04:50he intends turning the fast lane of the M1 into an operating theatre.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54He wants to anaesthetise the most serious patient.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57But first, both casualties must be removed from the car.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Right, move!
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Oh.
0:05:01 > 0:05:07They finally free the first patient, but the second man is still trapped.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12They'll be losing that.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14He's breathing now,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18he's got a nasal airway in but his breathing is becoming more laboured.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Come on.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22We can't collar in the position he's in.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24We'll get him out and we'll look at it then.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The man has a serious head injury,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and pressure is building up inside his skull.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35If it's not released, it will kill him.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37By knocking him out,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Andy will vastly increase his chance of survival.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Just confirm that it will remain available to us, over.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Paramedic Darren Axe has helped with this procedure before,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but it's never routine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53We'll talk through what we're going to do.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57We're going to put him off to sleep with an emergency anaesthetic, OK?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59It's a potentially dangerous procedure,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02so we need a bit of quiet while we try and do it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04What we'll do in a second, I'll allocate some roles.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07We'll then give the drugs. When the drugs start working,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09he'll start twitching, he'll then stop twitching.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12When he stops twitching, we'll have a look at his airway
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and see what we can do. Once we're in, keep your inline stabilisation... Is everybody happy?
0:06:17 > 0:06:20OK, it's 19:37. Let's give some drugs, please.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Once the man is unconscious,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26the vital airway to his lungs will be replaced by a tube.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Drugs will stop him breathing
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and his rescuers will take this over for him.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Happy with that? Do you want the time?- Yes, please. What's the time?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37OK, if we're happy, shall we start moving towards the aircraft?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Pilot Tim has only 20 minutes of daylight left.
0:06:40 > 0:06:46After that, Helimed 99 must be on the ground by law.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- All right in the back? - Yeah, sorry, mate.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And I'm locked in tight.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Agreed. Engine control switches and we are clear.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01HELICOPTER RADIO
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Lifesaving drugs are being dripped into the man's
0:07:06 > 0:07:08bloodstream in midair.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11OK, chaps. We've got four minutes to run.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15The Helimed team is still trying to understand the events that
0:07:15 > 0:07:16led to the collision.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19So what happened to the other car? Were they fine?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- What? The black Astra?- Yeah.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- Walked away, mate.- Everyone's fine, apart from this lad.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Is he the driver?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31No, passenger.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Five minutes after lifting off from the M1,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38their patient is moments away from specialist treatment.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Helimed 99, Yorkshire, approaching LGI.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Received, thank you.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48That night, surgeons at the Leeds General Infirmary operate.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51But the man later succumbed to his injuries.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57It's a year later that the full story of the 90 mph race that
0:07:57 > 0:08:01killed him is finally told in court,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04thanks to a painstaking police investigation.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06There were actually five cars.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10They started off in Sheffield intending to celebrate Eid.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12The vehicles had been racing,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16taking different directions of the lanes, inside, outside.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20The tragic end to the celebration that they set off on that day
0:08:20 > 0:08:25cannot be underestimated, undertaking and overtaking innocent members of
0:08:25 > 0:08:27the public, thinking that it's a game
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and has just resulted in the death of one of their friends.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Three men are jailed for up to four years for causing
0:08:35 > 0:08:37death by dangerous driving.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41And four more receive lesser penalties on more minor charges.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Tourism's big business in the Yorkshire Dales, but making a living
0:08:53 > 0:08:58from holidaymakers isn't easy, so keeping costs down is vital,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02which means DIY is a way of life for many businesses.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Helimed 99's heading up to the Three Peaks where Yorkshire's fells
0:09:09 > 0:09:12soar to well over 2,000 feet.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Nine million visitors a year come to the Yorkshire Dales.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And the team's heading for one of hundreds of farmhouse B&Bs
0:09:20 > 0:09:24catering for holidaymakers.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26We'd finished breakfast and he had to get out and come
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and paint the garage before the rain comes down.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30And I was cleaning the showers
0:09:30 > 0:09:34when I heard the dog barking like crazy, thinking, "What's happened?"
0:09:34 > 0:09:36It was the dog telling me he'd fallen.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38DOG BARKS
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Thanks to the family Jack Russell, John Elphinstone is in good hands.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Local paramedics were by his side within minutes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- What does his pelvis look like? - His pelvis, I think, is OK.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52It's just above his knee and around that area.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55We could try and get a splint off, but what we've done is
0:09:55 > 0:09:58because he's got his knee quite bent and he's wanting to hold it,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00we've not been able to get it flat, so we've kept
0:10:00 > 0:10:03it in a comfortable position, but he's had 15 of morphine so far.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Right.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09John was painting the garage when he slipped and fell 15 feet,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13shattering his thigh bone. He's in severe pain.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15He's complaining of some pain in his ankle,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17but I can't find anything obvious.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21But he's had previous ankle injuries in the past, but I think it's
0:10:21 > 0:10:25possibly he's landed on his feet and then gone over.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- John?- There we go.- Yeah.- I just want to have another look at your leg.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I know they've packed it all like this.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33We've left it so you can see it actually.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- If we just unravel, we can see. - Oh, it's this leg.- Yes.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- You can see where it's very... - Just above the knee.- Yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I don't feel anything, the ankle doesn't feel as if...
0:10:44 > 0:10:47That feels better, now we've moved you.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Paramedic Graham Pemberton knows straightening John's leg is vital.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55It reduces the risk of further bleeding inside his leg.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57We've got a traction splint which will pull it
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and keep it straight and keep it under traction.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Whilst we do it, it'll probably sting a bit and hurt, OK?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07But once we've got it straight, the pain will ease.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10The other thing is that whilst you're like this, it'll be bleeding inside
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and the muscles will go into spasm, which will make it a lot worse.
0:11:14 > 0:11:1863-year-old John fell onto unforgiving cobbles.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21His wife Diane is a radiographer.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25She doesn't need an X-ray to know her husband's badly hurt.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Keep it still. You're OK. Well done.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- HE GROANS - Just keep it still. Well done.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34It looks like he's got a right mid-shaft femur fracture.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Obviously, he didn't want to bend the leg, but for long-term benefit,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41the idea is to use a traction splint to straighten that leg.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It also helps massively with pain relief, as well.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- Well done.- That's the worst of it...he says.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- He says.- He says.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53With a smile on his face.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54- Yeah. OK?- Yeah.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You see it all day, I suppose.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59John, does that feel better now it's a bit straighter?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01HE GROANS
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Less painful?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It's...sort of...a bit of an ache.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- A bit of an ache?- Well, it will.- OK.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09The couple's home is remote.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13That's what makes it so popular with tourists.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Diane faces a long drive to the nearest trauma unit in Preston.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19John will be going by air.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Turn. OK, come on then.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26As well as his dog, John has good reason
0:12:26 > 0:12:28to be grateful to the local paramedics
0:12:28 > 0:12:31who arrived at his remote home so quickly.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36999 responses are not always so speedy in the Three Peaks.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39How are you doing? Good? Good lad.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41You've been a marvellous patient.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43We move crews about and up and down the valley.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I tend to move up and down the valley as well in a response car.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49So usually we can be on the scene pretty quickly.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51But there are times when we do need help.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54We do our best. We're a long way from nowhere sometimes,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56but you guys come in handy.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- Very handy.- Very handy. - Yeah, definitely.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Paramedic Graham will be carefully monitoring his patient's condition.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08John's simply frustrated
0:13:08 > 0:13:12he's missing the aerial views of the Three Peaks.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14The trouble with this is...
0:13:14 > 0:13:16I won't be able to see the view.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18No, you won't.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27How did you end up in not-sunny Preston?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Now, a world away from the Dales
0:13:30 > 0:13:34in the centre of one of Lancashire's biggest towns,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38John is about to find out the extent of the damage to his leg.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Doctors at Preston Royal X-ray and scan his leg.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44The news isn't good.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50It's a broken thigh bone just above the knee.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53in six pieces.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58The surgeon did say that I might have to have a replacement knee
0:13:58 > 0:14:00in a few years' time.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03But...we'll see.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11Back home at the B&B, Diane's left to handle the catering alone
0:14:11 > 0:14:14with the hero of the hour, Jack.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17John was painting the garage, he was getting the undercoat on
0:14:17 > 0:14:20ready to put the topcoat on in the rest of the day
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and I was actually not just cleaning the showers, redoing the grouting.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I couldn't hear John shouting for me
0:14:29 > 0:14:31because of the extractor fan in the shower.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34HE BARKS
0:14:34 > 0:14:36It was only when I kept hearing Jack barking and I thought,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39"I bet John's not on that ladder. I bet he's on the computer."
0:14:39 > 0:14:41HE BARKS
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I looked out of the window and my heart just sank
0:14:44 > 0:14:46when I saw him lying on the ground.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And came downstairs to the kitchen where Jack was going mad
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and trying to tell me to get out and find John.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Sadly, despite surgery to rebuild his knee,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58it's going to be some time before John is fit enough
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to take Jack for a long walk again.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04But this dog really is his owner's best friend.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Jack's a lovely dog.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12He's got a lovely, easy, friendly personality.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15He is our guard dog.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19He barks at everybody, but he's got absolutely no bite.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23And his one interest in life is rabbits.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Every year, nine million people visit the Yorkshire Dales.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Some come for a scenic drive and to visit a tearoom,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42others are looking for a more strenuous day out.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46But some parts of the National Park are strictly off limits
0:15:46 > 0:15:48to all but the brave or the foolish.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Yorkshire's rock faces are a playground for climbers.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00They're difficult and not to be taken lightly.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03DISPATCHER: "Yorkshire Air to Helimed 99."
0:16:03 > 0:16:06"The patient is partway down the face of a rock."
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Today, Helimed 99 has been scrambled
0:16:09 > 0:16:12to a rocky hillside near Skipton in the Dales.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Someone has fallen near two follies called the Salt and Pepper Pots.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Darren Axe knows it's going to be a difficult rescue.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Can you just confirm that the fell rescue's been alerted to this?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29We've been to this area before and it's at the bottom of the cliff.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31The ground is so steep that runs away from it,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35we've absolutely no chance of getting anywhere near it, over.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37DISPATCHER: "Wharfedale Mountain Rescue
0:16:37 > 0:16:40"have already been contacted and are en route."
0:16:40 > 0:16:44The casualty is halfway down the rock face.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's a tricky landing for pilot Mark Griffiths,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50but there's a ledge that's just wide enough.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- Over there, look, about two o'clock?- Yeah.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- Close to the top.- I've got the ambulance.- Ambulance is there, yeah.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Can you get onto where that is?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Um...it doesn't look too bad, does it?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02There's somebody in the way at the moment.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- Yeah.- I think she's moving them now.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Good?- Clear left. Clear right rear, clear left.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15All clear right.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Six inches, my side. Good.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- OK.- Lovely.- Great stuff.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Local paramedics were astonished
0:17:23 > 0:17:25to find the latest victim of the rock face
0:17:25 > 0:17:29was not a climber, but a young mum in trainers.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Has she got any climbing gear or is she just...?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- No.- I'm all right.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37But the faller is no mountaineer.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Carer Sophie Hodgkinson was climbing down the rocks with her friend
0:17:40 > 0:17:44and two-year-old daughter when she slipped.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Her ankle is broken.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- Need anything?- You what, mate? - Need help?- No.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51She's taking Entonox and seems quite happy and giggly.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I'm going to be on TV, pal!
0:17:54 > 0:17:56There's no easy way down.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Darren and colleague Daryl Cullen must improvise.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- I've got you. Right, wait, wait, wait.- Wait there.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's clear taking a shortcut down the rock face
0:18:07 > 0:18:11rather than descending by the steps at the end of the cliff
0:18:11 > 0:18:13was risky, to say the least.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- It's all right. - I don't think it was very wise.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Not in trainers and no climbing gear whatsoever
0:18:20 > 0:18:22and a young child with them, as well.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24It seems rather foolhardy, I would say.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- I've got some big strong men, I'll be fine.- And again.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30The painkilling gas is making Sophie giddy.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33SOPHIE LAUGHS
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Right, keep coming.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- Good job I've had some gas and air, innit?- Yep. Keep coming.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Sliding down on me bum!
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Hang on a second.- I'm all right, monkey. Your mum's a toughie.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Sophie's little daughter can only watch the rescue
0:18:45 > 0:18:48from the arms of her mum's friend, Cassie Francis.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53So we'll get her up onto her feet and we'll hop along. Yeah?
0:18:53 > 0:18:55That's what I was saying!
0:18:55 > 0:18:59By hook or crook, we managed to slide her down on her backside.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01So we've stood Mountain Rescue down.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And she's going to make her way up with a ground vehicle
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to Airedale General, which is a couple of miles down the road.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Give me a cuddle, then, quick.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Give me a kiss. Auntie Emma's going to come and get you.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Yeah. You're going to be with Auntie Emma.- Yeah.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20We were coming down to the bench down there to have a quick fag
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and she ended up slipping and obviously hurting her foot.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28A number of people in the party, one child under four,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33coming down a rock face which is approximately 70 feet top to bottom.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35I don't really know the words I can use
0:19:35 > 0:19:38to describe why you wouldn't do that.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Her broken ankle turns out to be more serious than first appeared.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49She needs surgery. And, two months later, is still in pain.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53It's a shortcut she's unlikely to take again.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It was a choice of either go down the steps
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and take an extra five minutes to have a fag
0:19:58 > 0:20:00or climb down the cliff.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So me and Cassie climbed down the cliff, which is when I fell.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07All you heard was like a big snap.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09It was like a tree had snapped in half.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I thought I'd landed on one. My bum was a bit sore,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13so I was like, "I think I've just broke a tree."
0:20:13 > 0:20:16And then as I went to stand up, my leg just sort of went like that
0:20:16 > 0:20:18and I just fell to the floor,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21which is when I realised I'd broke my ankle.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26I had two articular fractures to both sides of my ankle.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29A piece of bone came away.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I had a slight separation between my foot bone and my leg bone.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It doesn't hurt all the time now,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38but I think I've got some nerve damage or something
0:20:38 > 0:20:40because I can't feel my foot half of the time.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I don't think it'll happen again.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I'm not going to be that stupid to take a shortcut, anyway.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03You need stamina to live in some parts of Yorkshire.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It has 40 hills higher than 2,000 feet.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And a hilly landscape presents some serious problems
0:21:10 > 0:21:12for those who live there.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Hill farming is a tough job.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Out in all weathers and exposed to all the risks
0:21:19 > 0:21:22of dealing with machinery and livestock.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27For Mavis Dent, life revolves around her dairy herd
0:21:27 > 0:21:30at Swainsdy Farm high on the Moors.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Few farmers up here have pensions,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36and at 73, Mavis is still going strong.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But one day, the remoteness of her hilltop home
0:21:39 > 0:21:41almost cost her her life.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- What is it? Someone's been squished by a cow?- Yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- The killer cow.- Killer cow. - Struck again.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Pilot Chris Attrill is heading for Mavis's farm.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57There's been a serious accident in the cowshed. She's been crushed.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00All looking clear.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03By the time Helimed 98's crew arrives,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07the cows, which can weigh half a ton each, are locked away.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09It's safe for paramedic Pete Vallance to go in.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11- Hello.- Hello, sir.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Whereabouts are they?
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Ground crews have already prepared Mavis for take off.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21It's feared she has a serious head injury.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23One, two, three.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Mavis was in the cow pen
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and she was basically just ushering the cows on
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and I think a couple of them turned around and charged.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35So she took a step back and tripped over
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and banged her head on the gate behind her.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40She got to her feet and then she collapsed.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42She's complaining of neck pain
0:22:42 > 0:22:45so we've called the air ambulance to get her off to James Cook.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Concussion can cause dizziness or even memory loss.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50It can take months to recover.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Have you been in a helicopter before, Mavis?
0:22:53 > 0:22:54But the symptoms are similar
0:22:54 > 0:22:57to those of a much more serious brain bleed.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I think I might want to be sick.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05OK. Let's just get you there so we can move you if need be.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Though she is only around 20 miles from hospital,
0:23:09 > 0:23:10the journey by land ambulance
0:23:10 > 0:23:13could take half an hour on the winding Moors' roads.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17The Helimed chopper will get there in well under ten minutes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Mavis? Just take some deep breaths for me, sweetheart.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23All right?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Nice and steady.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28INDISTINCT RADIO
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Mavis will spend several hours
0:23:33 > 0:23:36in hospital in Middlesbrough undergoing tests.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41But hill farmers are tough and she's soon sent home to Swainsdy Farm.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45I was at James Cook and they were very good.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48They brought me painkillers, etcetera.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53And then...I was there for six hours,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and I had a scan and everything.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And after I'd had the scan, they said I could go home.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I hadn't actually damaged anything,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06but there was a lot of bruising and that sort of damage.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Mavis remembers little of her flight,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11but hill farmers count every penny,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and one part of her treatment sticks in her mind.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19What I do remember is when the ambulance men come, they said,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21could they cut me clothes?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23SHE LAUGHS
0:24:23 > 0:24:25And I said, "Yes."
0:24:25 > 0:24:30But when I come to, it was two of me favourite jumpers that they'd cut.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35I'm fine now and I'm sure it's thanks to those helicopter lads.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I could've been a lot, lot worse.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Hills don't come much steeper than Chimney Bank
0:24:48 > 0:24:50in picturesque Rosedale.
0:24:50 > 0:24:5333% is one-in-three in old money.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56No wonder many cars struggle to get up.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But when there's ice, this moorland road is lethal.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Helimed 99's been scrambled to a road accident
0:25:03 > 0:25:05at the top of the bank.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08DISPATCHER: "We are mobile, over."
0:25:08 > 0:25:10"We're going to be the first on the scene, over."
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Not surprisingly, ground vehicles can't reach it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20We don't know any injuries yet. There's no resources on scene.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Very early, frosty cold morning.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25So they'll be cold as well as injured.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Paramedic Paul Kilner spots an ambulance below,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32but it's stuck on the icy roads, unable to get up the hill.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36"I've just spoken to the dispatcher. They can't get up the banks.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38"They're really struggling with the ice."
0:25:38 > 0:25:39They can't get up here.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Firefighters have been called,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46but they, too, are having difficulty getting to the scene.
0:25:46 > 0:25:5098, just checking, we'll need the fire brigade on this detail,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52recovering the car.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Approach with caution and probably from the north side
0:25:55 > 0:25:57because the police and the ambulance service
0:25:57 > 0:26:01have failed to come up the road from the south, over.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06A passing motorist was first on scene and made the emergency call.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08- His name's Jim.- Hello.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You're doing a fantastic job. Thank you very much.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14He's in extreme pain, pain in his right hip,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16which he's had replaced.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19He's had a hip replacement.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- And right wrist and lower back pain. - That's fantastic.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Thank you very much for everything you're doing.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- And his name's Jim? - His name's Jim, yeah.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Jim?
0:26:30 > 0:26:32James Gwatkin can't move.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36He's tightly wedged in the front of the Land Rover and in great pain.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39So, Jim, apart from having had a hip replacement,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41are you hurting anywhere else?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- Me wrist.- Yeah. Your hip.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Yeah, me hip.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50What I'm probably going to do is come in from behind you, all right?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I need you to carry on looking straight
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and keep your neck and back in a straight line.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56All right, you stay still.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57The Land Rover rolled over
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and landed precariously balanced on its side.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03The fire brigade is needed urgently to stabilise the vehicle,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06but the priority is keeping the patient warm.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I'll be going inside in a bit,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12but until I've got my hard hat, I just can't scramble in.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16You're in a bit of a predicament.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Just a bit.- Just a bit. Just a bit of a pickle, eh?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23No bother. It's what we specialise in.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26With the rain we've had overnight and the drop in temperatures,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28the road has just turned to sheet glass.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30We're struggling like the devil
0:27:30 > 0:27:33to get up and down the roads at the moment.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34It's highly treacherous.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38We're trying to get the gritters up here. The fire service are coming.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- Have you got plenty of layers on in there?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:27:41 > 0:27:43It's still well below freezing
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and there's a real risk that James could get hypothermia.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50But there's a delay. The fire brigade cannot get near the scene.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53The policeman reckons the fire service aren't going to be
0:27:53 > 0:27:55able to make it up the hill, which I agree,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57knowing that the ambulance is stuck at the bottom.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59But they're going to have to approach from above.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01The cab is cramped
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and makes treating James very difficult for paramedic Sammy.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05They can't get him out.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08This has to be the smallest little windscreen I've ever seen.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- Is it normally that size?- Yeah.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Oh, I thought you'd squashed it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Well, I don't know.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Had this accident happened half an hour earlier,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18it could've been far worse.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22James is on the school run and had only just dropped off his children.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25He's overturned on the road here. We've got a little dyke behind us.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28The concern is the vehicle's not fully stable.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30We can gain entry into the back, I've had a look there,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32so we potentially will be taking him out of there.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35We need the fire service here to stabilise the vehicle.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37So at the moment, Sammy's assessed him
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and we're trying to make him nice and secure at this moment in time.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44With the fire engine still stuck on the ice, a team of firefighters
0:28:44 > 0:28:47has hitched a lift with flying doctor Nick Morton.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50We nearly lost it on the bend. I was able to get through with my 4x4,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53whereas the ambulance couldn't get through. I brought a fireman up.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57It's going to be painful to move James without more painkillers,
0:28:57 > 0:29:02so Doctor Morton gives him ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05And while that takes effect, more equipment is called for.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08He's probably got a lower hip injury.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11He needs sufficient painkillers.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14We're waiting for the cutting gear
0:29:14 > 0:29:16so we can start to remove the seat
0:29:16 > 0:29:18and slide him out on the spinal board.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23Firefighters are experts at getting people out of twisted wreckage.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25The idea is once we get a few more people here,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28we're going to try and take him out of the back door.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31These seats would need to be moved to some degree.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34I don't know if his airbag's gone off. We might need something covering that.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Extra manpower arrives with the cutting equipment.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It makes easy work of removing the rear seats.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44- And now James is ready to be carefully moved out.- That's it.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46He's got to come up onto this board.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- All right.- Ready, steady, slide.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Close left, close left.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- Right.- Oh!- All right, fella, all right.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58There's real concern his artificial hip has been damaged
0:29:58 > 0:30:00and he could have neck injuries.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Bring his head right up to the top up here.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05He's secure on here, it's all right.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming.- Keep coming, keep coming.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Hang on. He's right up to the top.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13James is feeling the effects of the ketamine.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16As well as having anaesthetic properties,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18it can also have a euphoric effect.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- It's good stuff, isn't it? - I can hear noises and voices and...
0:30:22 > 0:30:24But you're not really with us. It's great, isn't it?
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Fantastic. You might just feel this getting tight on your arm.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- How's your pain feeling now? - About eight.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Eight out of ten. OK.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- Everybody happy?- Clear left.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39- Clear right.- Thank you.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Doctor Morton will travel with James to monitor him
0:30:42 > 0:30:44during the flight to hospital.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48"98 en route to James Cook, over."
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Even from this remote location high in the hills,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56getting James to Middlesbrough will take just ten minutes.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00His only pain is in his pelvis and side,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03so there's real concern he has damaged his replacement hip.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08A few weeks later, though, James is back on his feet.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12And apart from cuts and bruises, he's made a good recovery.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15As I set off that morning, the sun was shining,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17there wasn't a hint of frost.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22It were a cold morning, but it wasn't frosty or icy or snowy.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25I come over a slight brow at the hill going down
0:31:25 > 0:31:28and there were black ice, which caught me out.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31The vehicle started skidding, I tried to steer into it.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34And, er...it went one too far.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39It went over, it rolled all the way round, back onto its wheels.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43And I thought, "I'm going to be able to drive this off."
0:31:43 > 0:31:47At that point, it started going over again and I thought, "No, I'm not."
0:31:47 > 0:31:49And I was hoping and praying
0:31:49 > 0:31:51it was going to actually get back onto its wheels again.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Frightening moment really.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56James is still grateful the children weren't in the car.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00And if it wasn't for a passer-by, he could've been stuck there for hours.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I were worried about nobody finding me for a long time.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Obviously, being trapped in the vehicle, it were cold weather.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Luckily, the person that did find me,
0:32:11 > 0:32:12he said he wasn't going to stop
0:32:12 > 0:32:15because he thought it was an accident that happened at night
0:32:15 > 0:32:18and the police hadn't recovered the vehicle yet.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20But he stopped just to check.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23And, er...thankfully he did.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29I've been lucky to walk away as I have, definitely. Um...
0:32:29 > 0:32:31I can't say any more.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34I'd just love to thank the people that all helped out.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Plunging descents and energy-sapping inclines
0:32:37 > 0:32:42make the roads of the Yorkshire Dales a real test for cyclists.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45No wonder next year's Tour de France will begin here,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48despite the area's reputation for wet weather.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Helimed 99 is on its way to Keld in Swaledale.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57A cyclist has been found lying in the road with head injuries.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01But today, the weather is not on pilot Steve Cobb's side.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04This incident's quite high up in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07It's quite high hills with steep hills around.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10At the moment, we're just on the bottom of the cloud at about 1800,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13so it's a bit touch and go if we can get there or not.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17More information is radioed through about the injured cyclist.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21DISPATCHER: "99 crew on scene.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23"The patient has a substantial head injury.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25"Not sure if he's been knocked off his bike
0:33:25 > 0:33:28"and left laying in the road."
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Roger, all received. Received, over.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38If we carry on over there, we should be over to Wensleydale, shouldn't we?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Pilot Steve is forced to take a different route
0:33:41 > 0:33:43as cloud cover is far too low.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Go into Wensleydale and we should be able to get there, I'd imagine.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50A mile from the scene and finally, the clouds part just in time
0:33:50 > 0:33:53for Darren to spot the accident site.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Oh, there it is, blue light. Super.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57We like it.
0:33:59 > 0:34:00Definitely been knocked out.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04When we first got here, no short-term, long-term memory recall.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- He's very combative.- Is he?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Can't do C-spine. He's refusing obs.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- Right.- So we're suspecting he's got...- Cool.
0:34:12 > 0:34:1668-year-old cyclist Leonard Shepherd was riding down the hill
0:34:16 > 0:34:18when he hit this wall.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19He was not wearing a helmet.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21He was just lying on the floor.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24It looked to me like it had only just happened
0:34:24 > 0:34:27because he was still attached to the bike and he was in a nasty way.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30There was blood all over the floor, all over his head and that.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33I just stopped and went back that way and called for an ambulance.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Len is onboard the ambulance, dazed and confused.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40He was very dazed. He was trying to get up off the road.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42He didn't know who he was, where he was.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Didn't know how he'd got on the road. Um...
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Hi, Len. How are we doing, chief? I'm James.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- I'm with the ambulance service. - Can I...?- Of course we can.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- What I want to do, Len, is that arm sore at the moment?- Sorry?
0:34:56 > 0:35:00- Is your arm sore?- It's about...it's hurting a bit there.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04We'll give you some nice strong painkillers for it.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- OK?- Before we... - I'm listening. Go on.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09You keep talking and I'll keep working.
0:35:09 > 0:35:14- I'm just talking about me... - About what, sir?
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Len won't allow paramedics to protect his neck
0:35:17 > 0:35:20with a surgical collar or immobilise him.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- Are you allergic to anything, Len? - Sorry?
0:35:24 > 0:35:28- Are you allergic to any medicines? - Er...
0:35:28 > 0:35:30- Yes.- What are they?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Do you know the name of them?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40When faced with a badly-injured patient,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44paramedics need to establish exactly what has happened.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46The police are also trying to work out
0:35:46 > 0:35:48whether Len was knocked off his bike.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I'm looking to see if there's any evidence of other vehicles
0:35:51 > 0:35:55that have been involved or any other people that have been involved.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57There's some damage to a wall and there are some marks on the road,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01but, er...our collision investigation unit team
0:36:01 > 0:36:03will come and have a look and we'll hopefully be able
0:36:03 > 0:36:06to speak to the gentleman soon and get some details from him.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11But at the moment, even Len doesn't know how the accident happened.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14I'm still trying to work out what happened.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17You've fallen off your bike or been knocked off your bike.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19I could've been knocked off.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22- Do you think you've been knocked off, do you?- I don't know. Yes.- OK.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25Len is confused, but prepared for flight
0:36:25 > 0:36:29and ready to be transported to hospital.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Just going outside, chief.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33That's it, Len.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Just get you up to the helicopter, matey.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Slowly.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Just lift this up to about nipple-height
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and just keep passing it until he says stop.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46He's a poorly lad.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49He's come off his bike at a decent hill, considerable speed.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51He's got a significant head injury,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54being altered with the ambulance crew.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56He's still a bit combative and confused,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58so they'll get him up to James Cook,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00get him in the scanner and see what's going on.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02The nearest hospital for head injuries
0:37:02 > 0:37:04is James Cook in Middlesbrough.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08It's feared his head injury could be serious.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12He was not wearing a cycling helmet, he was wearing a woolly hat.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16The last I heard, they don't make them with armour plating inside.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19So his head injury is substantially worse
0:37:19 > 0:37:21because he's had no protection.
0:37:24 > 0:37:2699 airlift.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28"99, go ahead."
0:37:28 > 0:37:30We've lifted. Just for your information,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32we're en route to James Cook.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36In the crash, Len's brain had been shaken badly inside his skull,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39bruising it and causing severe concussion.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42But luckily for him, after two brain scans,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46it was clear the damage and memory loss would not last long.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48He also had a list of other injuries.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50He fractured his right shoulder
0:37:50 > 0:37:53and badly damaged his left hand where he hit the wall.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Within two days, he was out of hospital,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00but it's six months before he's fully recovered.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Well, I had planned to do some photography at the top of Swaledale
0:38:06 > 0:38:10and the weather was awful when I got there, but never mind that.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Started to come back, hit a pothole on a smooth stretch of road,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17hit the wall two or three times and the next thing I knew,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21I was being loaded into the air ambulance about two hours later.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25- I'm just talking about me... - About what, sir?
0:38:25 > 0:38:29I had a nasty hand injury where I hit the wall first time.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33I had a minor head injury.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36The main problem was I'd rotated three times in midair
0:38:36 > 0:38:40and that is probably what caused the brain confusion.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44I also came to a complete full stop against that right shoulder,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46which was where the main injuries were.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Len is now back on his bike in his woolly hat
0:38:49 > 0:38:52and keen to forget about his accident.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55I've cycled since I was five-years-old.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01I've raced on the Continent for many years and I kept it going.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05But I also have a very keen interest in photography.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07A bicycle is a marvellous aid because
0:39:07 > 0:39:12you're cycling along, your head's higher than in a car, you see more.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And if you see something good, you put the bike in the ditch,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17get your camera out and take the photo.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20If you're in a car, by the time you find somewhere safe to park
0:39:20 > 0:39:23and walk back, it's gone.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25You can have a marvellous day out.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29And if you're moderately fit, it's not that difficult, cycling...
0:39:29 > 0:39:31downhill!
0:39:34 > 0:39:38Now, air ambulance crews practise emergency procedures every day,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41but many complete their careers without experiencing
0:39:41 > 0:39:44a critical in-flight failure for real.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47How pilots handle those vital few seconds in the air
0:39:47 > 0:39:50after something goes wrong can make the difference
0:39:50 > 0:39:54between a safe landing and a lethal crash.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56And you don't get a second chance.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02In a light aircraft, losing an engine is always serious.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Especially when it's the only one you have.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07That's a first for me, this, aircraft.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- You got your morphine, mate? - Yeah. Phone.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Got us radios, got us mobile?- Yeah.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We're being flight-followed, so...
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Paramedic Andy Armitage knows
0:40:17 > 0:40:21that unless the pilot has been very lucky or very skilled,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23serious injuries are likely.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Helimed 99, we're en route to this incident.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Any further details or a stand-down, please let us know via the airwaves.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38DISPATCHER: "Helimed 99, that's all received that you're airborne.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40"Do you have an ETA, please? Over."
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Ten.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45"Yeah, ETA ten minutes."
0:40:45 > 0:40:47The crash has happened at an airstrip
0:40:47 > 0:40:50near the market town of Selby.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52On a colliery spoil heap,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55the wreckage of a light plane litters the ground.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59But the two men in the aircraft have been very lucky.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Hi, there. You all OK?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- How you doing, gentlemen? Just you two in the aircraft?- Yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Do you know what happened, guys?
0:41:07 > 0:41:11We were just coming down and we lost our power.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13And suddenly, smoke started coming out
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and we struggled because we tried to glide in.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Have you hurt yourselves, guys?
0:41:18 > 0:41:20My head banged here.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23But you've both walked out of the aircraft as you've come down.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- No neck pains anywhere?- No, no.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Paramedic Leon Baranowski is suspicious of the pilot's miracle escape.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32He fears he may have a neck injury from the impact.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- Whereabouts were you sat in the...? - I was in P2. The right seat.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38OK, the right seat.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41The Piper Arrow was only minutes from landing
0:41:41 > 0:41:43when the engine cut out.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Saplings on the heap slowed it down safely.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Mature trees would've torn it to pieces.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53We were supposed to land here, have a cup of coffee
0:41:53 > 0:41:55and then fly back to the field.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00We're going to do your observations
0:42:00 > 0:42:03and get you checked over, make sure everything else is all right.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05But I think most importantly, we'll get you off the hill,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08get you over to a land ambulance at the airport
0:42:08 > 0:42:11and we'll fly you over in the helicopter
0:42:11 > 0:42:13because of the access issues.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Despite a crash which wrecked their plane, both men are unhurt.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23They'll go to hospital for a checkup just to be sure.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25And they're well enough to want a souvenir snap
0:42:25 > 0:42:27of their unhappy landing.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Two very lucky fliers there.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38And if I'm ever in a plane with engine failure,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41I hope that guy's at the controls.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd