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 > 0:00:14- Where's the patient? - She's stuck under the car!
0:00:14 > 0:00:18The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies at 150 miles an hour,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and thanks to its speed, hundreds of patients are alive today,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24saved 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 pop him off to sleep with emergency anaesthetic, OK?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39And town centres into helipads.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- Still good on the left? - Just behind you, Tim.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And every day, the Helimed team's skill, speed,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and courage is saving lives.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Today on Helicopter Heroes -
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Repairs to historic York leave a quarry worker fighting for his life.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Bah, lad, you've picked a mucky site, haven't you?
0:01:06 > 0:01:08The biker who did this to a van
0:01:08 > 0:01:11gets some advice from paramedic Darren.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15If you'd have had some gear on, you might not have got badly injured.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18A gardener is hurt by a branch he felled himself.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22The branch went, hit the ladders, took him out of the tree.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And a rugby tackle goes horribly wrong.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I heard a massive, like, crunchy noise,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and then pain before I had even hit the floor.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Some of Britain's most famous landmarks have been carved
0:01:40 > 0:01:42out of Yorkshire's landscape.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45From the Houses of Parliament to our finest cathedrals,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Yorkstone is highly prized.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But quarrying it is a risky business.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58Since medieval stonemasons started work on York's spectacular minster
0:01:58 > 0:02:021,000 years ago, nature has been slowly dissolving it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Rain, frost, and pollution, all eat into Yorkstone buildings,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10which means skilled craftsmen are still at work replacing
0:02:10 > 0:02:14worn-out walls, crumbling mouldings, and eroded statues.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Much of it comes from this quarry, where today,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19there has been a serious accident.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Right, guys. He's fallen a long way there.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- Where is he?- On the right. Can you see the... Have you got him?- Yeah.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31At the bottom of the quarry, a man is critically injured
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and pilot Chris Attrill must land in it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36This could be a case of putting us down on the right
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- as we look at the quarry. - Look at that scoop, mate.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- Put you down alongside... See the scoop to the right?- Yeah.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43I'll put you to the right of that.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Just be aware, guys, you're going to have water right underneath you.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Helimed 98's rotor blades are feet from the sides of the quarry.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58The downwash from the chopper is making it very hard to control.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- It's good there.- IFR.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02And we're down. Fabulous.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07But Chris wants reassurance that the skids are on firm ground.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12Stay connected. Just have a quick look underneath for us please, mate.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- You all right, mate?- Yep. You're clear underneath.- OK, good.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Close it down.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It's not just the crew that's relieved Helimed 98 is down.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Just need to give you a once over,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27make sure you've not done anything too serious, all right?
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- You've come from down there, have you?- Shortcut.- All right, mate.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Quarryman David Dutson was standing on a ledge
0:03:34 > 0:03:37when he lost his footing and fell 30 feet.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Part of the face has given way, which has caused him to slip
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and fall over the edge.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45How's your breathing feel?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Paramedic Graham Pemberton can see he has broken his arm and leg.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53It's the injuries he can't see that are worrying him.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- You've been conscious throughout, have you?- Yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- Can you remember falling down?- Yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Did you slip?- Yeah.- You didn't feel dizzy or anything first?- No.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- Is his arm all right? - No, no it's not.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Pilot Chris is already trying to work out
0:04:08 > 0:04:11how to get David to hospital. Landing here was hard enough.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13It was interesting, to say the least,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15but hopefully we'll be able to get
0:04:15 > 0:04:18him off and taken to hospital very shortly.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20OK. We've got an open humerus this side.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- Bah, lad, you've picked a mucky site haven't you?- I know.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29That blood there, Dave, has come from this arm round down there, OK?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- Does that feel OK?- Leg's fine. My knee hurts- That side.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- So it's just this side here?- Mmm.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39In there, yeah, and this arm.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42What about round there? No bruising or anything?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48He's got an open fracture in his left arm, which has bled fairly heavily.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50We think he may have damaged his pelvis,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54possibly done his left femur, and he's broken his left ankle.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58And possibly his right foot, as well. So, he's got a number of injuries,
0:04:58 > 0:05:04one or two of which could be quite serious if he starts to deteriorate.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08David's in agony, despite a cocktail of painkillers.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Now he's also being given Entonox gas.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13We're going to have to move you,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and that's almost certainly going to be painful.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17We've given you is much morphine as we can.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20There's not a lot else we can give you.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23But, if they Entonox is going to knock you out, what we can do
0:05:23 > 0:05:26is dose you up on the Entonox so you become really drowsy and we can
0:05:26 > 0:05:28move you whilst you're drowsy,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and you won't remember any of it, hopefully. OK?
0:05:31 > 0:05:35This is a dangerous site for the emergency services.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Recent heavy rain means the rock face is unsafe.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42We have somebody at the top of the drop to make sure that
0:05:42 > 0:05:44nobody else comes and knocks any debris over,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47because obviously these emergency services now are very exposed
0:05:47 > 0:05:50to any falling debris and we don't want anybody else to get injured.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52We've got a cordon round the top,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55we're restricting the amount of people that we need to
0:05:55 > 0:05:58put in at the bottom to make sure that if anything does happen,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01we've got it as safe as we possibly can have.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05But it's started to rain again, and there's no time to waste.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08David's colleagues are understandably concerned about him.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Can you tell me anything about his injuries...?
0:06:11 > 0:06:12He's broke his arm, he's broke his leg,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- and he may have broke his pelvis.- Right.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17All right? But we don't know for certain.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Go right down to the bottom, yeah?- Right.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21If he'd fallen headfirst, I think
0:06:21 > 0:06:24we'd have been looking at a completely different outcome.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26So, a very lucky man, in the fact that he survived it,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30obviously very unlucky that he's fallen so far.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Now Chris must get the team, and its patient, out of the quarry.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37He knew this would be a difficult takeoff, but not this difficult.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Getting downdraughts off the top there, guys.- Yeah.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- Let's have a look around. - Can we move right?
0:06:45 > 0:06:51- A downdraught is pushing 98 back to the ground. - 20 seconds.- OK, mate.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Chris is using all the power of two jet engines,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58but the chopper won't climb.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01It's time for another tactic, and this time,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Chris manages to climb away safely.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09David is airborne for Leeds General Infirmary.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17A trauma team is waiting to carry out a thorough
0:07:17 > 0:07:19assessment of his injuries.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Without their patient and his workmates,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Yorkshire's ancient monuments would not now be in such good shape.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31But today, David is badly in need of repair.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33And it's going to be a long battle.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38X-rays and scans reveal a catalogue of serious injuries that
0:07:38 > 0:07:41require a series of operations.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48Smashed both heels and left ankle smashed, and broke lower left leg.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55I fractured my hip, fractured my pelvis,
0:07:55 > 0:08:01and also shattered my elbow and I do believe I have some small
0:08:01 > 0:08:06fractures in my spine, which they say should mend themselves.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11I've been given a second chance. You don't get too many of those.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13So, I've got to just do as they tell me,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15really, take each day as it comes.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I know there's going to be hard days,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21there's going to be better days, but I've got some good
0:08:21 > 0:08:24family around me who can support me, help me to do that.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It's 12 weeks before David is fit enough to climb the stairs
0:08:30 > 0:08:33to his first-floor flat.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The specialist said I could have it anywhere between six months
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and two years.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43The frame could be on until it's, you know, fixed, basically.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49And it looks like he's clocked on at the quarry for the last time.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53They have said I might have to think about a different career,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57as they don't think I'll be able to work in the quarry,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02where I work, due to the ground and the harsh environment.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17One of the frustrations paramedics frequently cite is when
0:09:17 > 0:09:20accidents could have been avoided by taking simple safety precautions.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Helimed 99 is heading south to the former Yorkshire coalfield.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We're en route to Moorthorpe, which is a little village between
0:09:32 > 0:09:37South Kirkby and South Elmsall, for a guy that'd run into a van on a moped.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It sounds like the driver's gone into the windscreen of the vehicle,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and he's not been wearing his leathers,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48putting himself at even more risk.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Paramedic Darren lives near here,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and he'd old friends with the crew caring for the rider.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Ey up, kiddy, you all right? - All right, ey up.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- Now, then.- Right, this is Tony.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Tony says he was travelling approximately 30 miles an hour,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03the van approximately the same.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- No loss of consciousness at all, can remember it all.- Yep. Okey-dokey.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09So, we'll bring our Combi Board, pop him onto that,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- we'll flip it over, and just do a log roll.- Sounds all right.
0:10:13 > 0:10:1725-year-old Tony Busk was on his way to work at a care home
0:10:17 > 0:10:19when the accident happened.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22His head did this to the van.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Right, Tony. Going to roll you over onto this good leg, yeah?- Yes.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- And we're going to put you on to this board.- Right.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I'll tell you straight out, mate, it's not going to be comfortable.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- Yes.- But, looking at what's happened to you, we need you not to
0:10:35 > 0:10:38move from that position, straight up and straight down, do you understand?
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Yes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Everything we're doing is a precautionary measure, do you get it?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It'll be uncomfortable, but it won't be long.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48We don't want you to do anything. We're going to do it.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- Do you understand?- Right.- Super.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Tony's got a very serious leg injury.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57He'll need a skin graft, but he's lucky to be alive.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01His helmet was the only protective equipment he was wearing.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04When we roll you over, my mate's going to dust your back down, yeah?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Yeah.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Darren fears Tony may also have a back injury.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13A manoeuvre called the log roll will safeguard his spinal cord.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Ready, steady, roll...
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- That's fine. All debris clear. - Board him, then.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24You'll feel the board going behind your back now.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Tony's dedicated to his job as a carer. As he lay in the road,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31he rang colleagues to tell them he'd be late.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33He rang work up, yeah!
0:11:33 > 0:11:36We were both on shift this afternoon at half past one.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38And, he got that.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41So we slammed down on the West Bus to see what was happening.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Ready, steady, roll.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Brilliant. Well done, Tony.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The patient's mum and dad have arrived at the scene.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53We just got a phone call and jumped out of the house.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56That's I'm why like this and jumped into the car.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Rushed down here to see, to see him.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So, so on the way here we got told that they were
0:12:02 > 0:12:04waiting for the air ambulance.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Tony's going to be flown to Leeds General Infirmary.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Short trip, that's all. We're going to LGI. Best place to take you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- Right.- Need to get your leg fixed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15- Do you understand?- Yes.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Nowt to worry about, if you've got a problem, lift your hand up
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- and indicate to me.- All right.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Darren is a keen biker, and he hates to see avoidable injuries
0:12:24 > 0:12:27to riders who fail to wear the right gear.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33Tony! I've been riding a motorbike, mate, for 30 years, yeah?
0:12:33 > 0:12:3730 years I've been on a bike and I've never, ever gone out without my kit.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40If you come off and you slide down the road, you don't
0:12:40 > 0:12:43hit anything, you'll get up and walk away.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45I guarantee you, if you'd have had some gear on,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48you might not have got badly injured.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49- Yeah.- All right?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I feel a right tool for it now.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Well, you've learned a lesson, mate, and you'll get a second chance.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57OK, then, lift up.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The helmet's done its job, but his right leg, all the way down,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06he's got some severe lacerations, he's got some skin that's been removed
0:13:06 > 0:13:11that we can't actually find, and his lower leg is potentially fractured.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15He'll live to tell this tale, and hopefully the next time he goes
0:13:15 > 0:13:18out on another moped, he'll wear the gear that he should be wearing.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It'll be a long road to recovery for Tony.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27The LGI's plastic surgeons will have to rebuild part of his leg,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30where muscle tissue has been torn away.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38A few days later, he's still counting the cost of biking
0:13:38 > 0:13:40in shorts and a T-shirt.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I've got some small fractures in the bottom of my spine,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47some lacerations and I've opened my knee up.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I've had stitches to my right leg and that,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54and various cuts and bruises, and a nice pretty eye.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55This arm's OK, yeah?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Put it up onto your chest and then hold them together.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Tony's phone call to work astonished his bosses,
0:14:00 > 0:14:05but as he lay in the road, it seemed the right thing to do.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08I didn't think it was bad at all.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12I'd taken my helmet off and phoned work.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I know we're meant to phone work an hour before we start shift
0:14:15 > 0:14:16if we can't make it in but...
0:14:18 > 0:14:22They were the closest numbers in my phone book to get to,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24so I had to ring, and I knew somebody would answer.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Tony knows he should have been wearing protective gear.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Paramedic Darren told him that.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But this 25-year-old was more nervous about someone else's advice.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I was scared of my mam coming.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42She's always drummed into me about having protective gear on,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46which I should have done, so, petrified of her coming.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Asking the police to protect me from her!
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- Ey up! How we doing?- Not too bad.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59And mum still knows best. Six months after the accident,
0:14:59 > 0:15:04she has persuaded Tony to give up biking and take up driving.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06So what you're doing is moulding your car with the kerb,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08following the road to the right.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19A stroke can hit suddenly and without warning.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Its effects can be devastating, and if proper treatment
0:15:23 > 0:15:26isn't given quickly, the consequences can be lifelong.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37- What heading are we coming on, Pete? - Uh... 340.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 1,000 square miles,
0:15:40 > 0:15:46but on average, each one of them is home to just 19 people.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Its remoteness means that in an emergency,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52the journey to hospital can be long and slow.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57We're off to a hamlet in North Yorkshire called Gammersgill.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Given where they are, location-wise, it's quicker for us to fly
0:16:01 > 0:16:05this patient to an acute stroke centre for treatment.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09A stroke is where blood to the brain is cut off or reduced.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13This leads to brain damage and loss of bodily functions.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Reduced movement in your limbs, arms, you might get some facial droop,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20slurred speech, all signs of a positive stroke.
0:16:24 > 0:16:2984-year-old hill farmer Joe Bostock is conscious, but confused.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The patient is alert and what he's reported himself is
0:16:32 > 0:16:36he's got no use of his arms or limbs. Potentially quite serious.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40We've got a 4-6 hour window usually to get these
0:16:40 > 0:16:43patients into hospital for treatment.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Nice spot this, isn't it? - Beautiful, yeah.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- It looks lovely in the sunshine. - Yep, all looking clear. Left.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56I'm going to come round a little bit more.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Yep, all those bags are staying secure.- On a slope, then.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Mum found my dad on the bathroom floor and he'd fallen
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and wasn't able to get up.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08He said his right arm and leg felt really weak
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and he wasn't able to raise himself.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16He's feeling numbness on his right side,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19he's aware of everything that's going on, he is aware of his
0:17:19 > 0:17:22slurred speech, which is quite bad,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24the right arm is the weakness, not so much legs.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28We can't really gauge the legs because he's unstable on his legs
0:17:28 > 0:17:31when he walks around with two sticks.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33But again, fully aware of everything is going on,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36fully aware of what's happening, suddenly collapsed in the bathroom.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- No history?- No history.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- My colleague's just told me what's been happening, OK?- Yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Some weakness in this arm, isn't it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The land crew recognised his symptoms as having a stroke.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52They realised that there's now a push to get these
0:17:52 > 0:17:56people into hospital quickly, assess what type of stroke they're having,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and whether it can be thrombolysed, so that they will be given
0:17:59 > 0:18:02a blood thinning agent that actually
0:18:02 > 0:18:06breaks the clot up if it's caused by a thrombus.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09And that means they've got a far better chance of recovering
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and getting back to the sort of lifestyle that they were
0:18:12 > 0:18:14experiencing before the attack.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Say bye, granddad.- Bye, granddad.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Joe has lived and worked on this farm for over 50 years,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26even though now he is semi-retired.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It may be some time before he can come home.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32This is the first time he's ever flown, he said,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35so, I suppose it's never too late, is it?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37We'll come down and see you later.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- I'm all right, I'm all right. - They're going a trip out.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45- Sunny Teesside, to see you. - I wanted to ride your helicopter.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Helimed 99 Yorkshire airlift, we've lifted en route to James Cook.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54ETA 15 minutes.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58A specialist stroke care team is already on standby at
0:18:58 > 0:19:00James Cook in Middlesbrough.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03In stroke cases, speed really counts,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08and the NHS has nothing faster than Helimed 99.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- When you fell, did you hurt yourself at all?- No, no, I'm all right.- No?
0:19:12 > 0:19:20- My head.- You just felt unusual?- My speech is a bit...- Yeah. Not normal.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25The sooner tests are carried out, the better,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27because some treatment is only effective
0:19:27 > 0:19:31if given within a short period of time after the stroke.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Paramedics are confident he will make a good recovery.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Typical sort of Yorkshire hill farmer, very tough and rugged.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43If ever you do go out for these guys,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47they won't call for an ambulance or any assistance unless they really
0:19:47 > 0:19:51need to, and obviously in this case, this gentleman needed to do that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Still jolly, still very positive, so hopefully,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59by coming to James Cook, he can get the treatment that can get him
0:19:59 > 0:20:02back doing the sort of thing he obviously loves to do.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Joe spends some time in hospital
0:20:06 > 0:20:10and winter's arrived at the family farm in the Dales by the time
0:20:10 > 0:20:14he is finally feeling well enough to be up and about.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Hello! What do you want for dinner?
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- Whatever's on the go. Is there anything good?- Yes, Shepherd's Pie.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22That'll do me.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26The stroke's affected his speech and his mobility,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30but with regular physio, he's hoping to be out of his wheelchair soon.
0:20:31 > 0:20:37I remember to walk and... And hadn't much movement in this right hand.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42The left hand was better, it still is. And...
0:20:44 > 0:20:49..I have to check a bit on my memory. I can't always trust that.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Come on, then. Come, Bonnie. Good girl.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Fetch him on!
0:20:56 > 0:21:01It's a frustrating time for a man who has worked outside all his life.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Before his stroke, Joe worked every day helping his son with the sheep.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07The day before the accident,
0:21:07 > 0:21:13he was out gathering in sheep on the moor on his quad-bike with his dogs.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Since the stroke, he's not actually been out and about.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20His legs are still pretty bad.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24He's hopefully going to get out and about in the spring.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Thanks to his high-speed flight to hospital,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and prompt treatment, doctors say that Joe's outlook is good
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and the family is hopeful he'll be once again fit enough to
0:21:35 > 0:21:37ride the fells on his quad-bike.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40This landscape, you know, it just wouldn't be the same without him.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43This is where he belongs.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48I think I was beyond... What's the name for it?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Beyond repair.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02We are a nation of tree lovers. Believe it or not, there is
0:22:02 > 0:22:07more woodland in the UK today than there was 90 years ago.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09And a lucky few earn their living out here.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Forestry is recognised as one of the most dangerous
0:22:14 > 0:22:16professions in the world.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20A combination of working at height, heavy machinery,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and cutting equipment makes a hazardous cocktail.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26We're currently flying out to East Yorkshire, we've just had a
0:22:26 > 0:22:30report that a branch has fallen from a tree and hit someone on the head.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I believe the patient was initially unconscious,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36and although now they've recovered consciousness,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41they're not as alert as they should be.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Forestry worker Nick Scaife is unable to move
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and is showing all the signs of a head injury.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Helimed 98 is close by.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52On board are paramedics Pete Valance and Al Day.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- The gamekeeper's house, it's not the best for marshalling.- Exactly!
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Nick is lucky to be alive.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02The branch that hit him is large enough to have killed him.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Right, what's the gent's name again?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Medics fear he has broken his neck.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10One wrong move and he could be paralysed for life.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13You appreciate what's happened, yeah? So, you had your helmet on?
0:23:13 > 0:23:15So, there is some damage to that.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18You can see where it's scuffed, but it's not cracked.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Yeah. OK.- Good.- Ha! Right.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Whereabouts is your pain at the moment?
0:23:24 > 0:23:28My left leg feels numb,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32so from my hip to my foot,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- and my right arm feels numb. - Yeah?
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Out here in the woods, Nick was luckily not working alone.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We were in Swift Dale, and we were just thinning this wood.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47And a tree got stuck, so I came across to pull it out for him,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52grabbed hold of the tree with the grab, Nick got out of the way so I could pull it,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and then a branch from another tree came down and hit him.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01So I just stopped the tractor straight away
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and ran off to get some help.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- I'm going to take your knife off your belt, all right?- Right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- Just look straight at me.- Yeah.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Oh, it's just my left foot...
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Paramedic Pete needs to establish the extent of his injuries
0:24:16 > 0:24:19before they can move him and can get him on the chopper.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The headwoman rang up and then I went off on the four-wheel drive
0:24:22 > 0:24:27to bring them down here because they wouldn't get down here with an ambulance.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Checking your chest before we move you,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32getting a nice bit of sunshine here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34He did complain of some discomfort right side
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- but he was laid on the... - I think it was...
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I think I'd done my weights with Robert, and he'd helped me,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41you know when you struggle to do the last one?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- Just take some deep breaths for me. - It hit me on the chest...
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Nick, just take some deep breaths for me.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Nick's showing signs of confusion.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52He needs a brain scan to determine
0:24:52 > 0:24:57whether this is minor concussion or something more serious.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Is it tender at all round there, Nick?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- No... Just feels a bit woozy.- All right.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Nick was wearing all the right safety gear.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09He even has specialist clothing with fibres that would clog up
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and stop a chainsaw on contact.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16But today, there was one particular item which has proved invaluable.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It's all safety gear, helmets and everything.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Luckily, the helmet saved his life, I should think.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Nick is becoming increasingly worried and confused
0:25:27 > 0:25:28and needs to get to hospital.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Look around at all of us.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32We'd be looking a bit more anxious if there was
0:25:32 > 0:25:34anything to worry about, yeah?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It'll be a sickie. I've just come back to work...
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- I'll be off of earning now!- Well, these things happen, don't they?
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- You're a bit of a shirker, is that what it is?- Ha! Yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47You can't account for things like this, can you?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50All right, guys, go right angles, there's no fancy stretcher on
0:25:50 > 0:25:53this, so we literally have to lift in,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55rest it on, and then feed it through.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Nick was deep in the woods.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Thanks to Helimed 98,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04he won't have to be carried far to the nearest road.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06While Nick is being prepared for flight,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09he's trying to stay alert and remember details of his day.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- I think I remember cutting my toenails this morning...- Ha-ha!
0:26:15 > 0:26:17They are looking quite manicured.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21You didn't wash your feet and change your socks, I know that!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Nick's being flown to Hull Royal Infirmary.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Doctors will be carrying out brain scans and X-raying
0:26:29 > 0:26:30his neck and leg.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34It looks like it'll be some time before he's fit to work again.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40But, within a week, Nick has returned home.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44He'd broken his neck as well as his ankle, but the gash to his head
0:26:44 > 0:26:49is healing well and luckily, there were no signs of any brain injury.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54When you're trained with chainsaws and that, it all seems more
0:26:54 > 0:26:59emphasised on the chainsaw biting you, you know, cutting yourself.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04And because you're cutting the tree, you supposed to make the tree
0:27:04 > 0:27:09do as it's told, if you know what I mean, because you're cutting it.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14You don't expect its mate to drop its branch on your head!
0:27:16 > 0:27:22And despite his recent close shave, he has no urge to change careers.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Just love everything about it, being outside and... yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30A bit of solitude and countryside, yeah. It's good.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35It has its downsides, obviously. Ha-ha!
0:27:36 > 0:27:41The North is home to its fair share of historic houses, and no
0:27:41 > 0:27:45family seat is complete without a few acres of ornamental woodland.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50But 300 years after many were planted, maintaining them
0:27:50 > 0:27:51is a dangerous job.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Today, Helimed 99 has been scrambled to a groundsman
0:27:56 > 0:27:59badly hurt at a country house on the Yorkshire Wolds.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Hiya.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Paramedic Lee Davison knows that accidents involving
0:28:03 > 0:28:06chainsaws are rarely minor.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- Hiya, pal. How are you? - A 14-foot wall...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12He's cut a branch, it's then hit the ladder,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16that's then knocked the ladder from under him, he's come down.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17OK, all right.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Did you see happen, pal? Yeah, you did. Did he land on this side?
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Well, it was a bit quick.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28He hit the ladder and just hit the deck, it was too fast.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- You didn't see which side he landed on.- No, he moved straight away.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35OK, no worries.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36The victim, David Price,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40fell after the branch he was cutting hit the ladder from beneath him.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44The chainsaw landed just feet from his head.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Started cutting the branch, took one off, took the next one off,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and obviously the branch went, hit the ladders,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54took him out of the tree, basically just knocked him off the ladders.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Deep breath.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57OK, all right, nice and steady,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00just breathe in and out through your mouth.
0:29:00 > 0:29:01Good lad, that's it.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04David fell from the equivalent height of two stories.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08He has suspected damage to his pelvis and ribs.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Before he is moved, he will receive morphine
0:29:10 > 0:29:14and a neck brace will be fitted to prevent any further damage.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16David is the resident gardener here
0:29:16 > 0:29:19and has been gardening for over 30 years.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21This is his first ever accident.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Just tidying up the area of the garden to make it look a lot nicer.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28It's what he enjoys doing but not much more.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32OK, you'll just feel it nipping up a little bit now.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36All right, pal, all right, that's good.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Potentially, he could have fractured quite a few ribs and done
0:29:40 > 0:29:43some damage to his pelvis or his hip.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Are you happy, pal, there?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48I've got you.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50We've put a splint on his pelvis to keep that stable,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53so it's not going to move. If there is a fracture
0:29:53 > 0:29:54it won't get any worse.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Monitored his breathing, on his left-hand side,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58just to make sure that wasn't damage to his lungs.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01We've given him some morphine just make him comfortable.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03This woodland has no road access.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Thankfully, Helimed 99 has been able to land close by.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10We've taken a bit of time just getting him sorted out, getting
0:30:10 > 0:30:13him packaged up properly, getting his pain score down,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15so that he's comfortable, and the whole
0:30:15 > 0:30:18situation becomes easier, for the family and for him himself.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Consultants at York Hospital are on standby.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27David is detained there for a while,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30but his injuries could have been so much worse.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35He's been very, very lucky that, with operating a chainsaw at that height
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and obviously they're a killing machine if they come away like that
0:30:38 > 0:30:39and they end up dropping,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43but he's been very lucky that that hasn't fallen on him
0:30:43 > 0:30:47or taken one of his limbs off or made some nasty wounds on his body.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Hundreds of acres of man-made forest cover
0:30:51 > 0:30:55part of the North York Moors and the dense tree cover makes
0:30:55 > 0:30:57landing hard for the Helimed pilots.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Even finding the patient can be a challenge.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04We're on our way to a little village north of Kirkby Moorside for a
0:31:04 > 0:31:08gentleman who's been cutting a tree down in quite an isolated place.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11We've been told that part of the tree has collapsed onto his legs,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14which could obviously be quite serious,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16if he's got crush injuries to his legs.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19We've got no contact with the scene at this detail.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21A colleague has come to the phone, rung us,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23and then gone back to the patient on a quad.
0:31:24 > 0:31:2859-year-old Michael Veal, known to his friends as Buster,
0:31:28 > 0:31:33is badly injured after a freak accident involving a chainsaw.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Could be anywhere, couldn't he?
0:31:35 > 0:31:37The trouble is, no-one can find him.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39What is it again, Graham? Where did he say?
0:31:39 > 0:31:43- He said it's a five-minute quad bike. - Right, north of here.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46So, anywhere out to our right.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Eventually, pilot Chris spots some people waving in the village below.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- When we looking, then?- Down at your left.- Oh yeah, yeah, got him.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Got the guys.- But there's still no sign of their patient.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I'll go out, find out if they're actually here at all.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03It may be that they know where he is
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and we might not be in the right spot for him.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Yeah, exactly.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10- Hiya.- How far is he?- Um...
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Don't walk off, I'm not going anywhere until we know where
0:32:13 > 0:32:16we're going, before we let the helicopter shut down.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18- Um...- Because if it's further near the bottom,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20we'll take the helicopter to the bottom.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- He's probably midway.- Typical! Ha-ha.- Yeah.- Right.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28My partner was chainsawing a tree midway down the track,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and the branch fell on him.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And he tried to, it was on a slope so he was trying to get
0:32:35 > 0:32:36away from it, and slipped,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39and caught his ankle or his leg underneath him.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41So, with Graham heading into the woods,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Chris and Dave head up for another look from above.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48D'you want me to see if I can get a quick guidance from Graham
0:32:48 > 0:32:50on which way he wants us to go?
0:32:50 > 0:32:52We'll probably see him, I imagine.
0:32:52 > 0:32:58Because we're not entirely sure of the access, the pilot and Dave,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00they're going to have a little fly around and see
0:33:00 > 0:33:04if we can spot a bit better from the air, see if there's a better
0:33:04 > 0:33:08landing site that's maybe a bit closer from where we are now.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11If it's five minutes by quad-bike, it's a fair hike.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16There's little track below us the leads down from the church.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20At last, Buster has medical attention,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23but it's too dangerous to try and land Helimed 98 here.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28- You're directly above us now! - We're directly above them now.
0:33:31 > 0:33:3298, roger.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36There's a tree over on its side down below me, on my right side,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38I've got him.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41We'll land back in the field where we dropped off.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Yes, yes, I think that's where we originally landed,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47it's a good place to put down as any.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Buster was sawing up on this bank here
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and then we just heard this almighty great crack and he moved to
0:33:53 > 0:33:56get out of the way and then I tried to grab,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59instinctively just tried to grab whatever I could to try
0:33:59 > 0:34:03and stop it from landing on him, I could see him buckling under it.
0:34:03 > 0:34:04And then immediately,
0:34:04 > 0:34:09he just, this huge branch here fell down and landed partially on him,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12but he managed to sort of twist away from under it.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16- Please, put me out of my misery. - It's not that bad!
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- Shall I go and get a gun, Buster?- Yeah.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20What else are you going to do to the leg?
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Once we've given you some painkillers we'll put a splint on it,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25because we're going to have to carry you out.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Yeah, I know you are.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- I don't envy you. - Well, there's plenty of people.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Getting Buster out is going to be painful.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35On me. Ready, steady, lift.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37It's a long trek back up the hill,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41past the logs Buster cut down earlier in the week.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Buster is a well-known character locally,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45and many have turned out to help.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Put your head down, Buster. That's it.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Whatever you do, Buster, don't press the bell,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56because there's no trolley-dolly on these.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58What happens if I need a pee?
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Uhh... You're going to have to go where you go, I'm afraid.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03ALL LAUGH
0:35:03 > 0:35:07All right? It'll be like central heating, it'll be warm.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10If you can't cry, you've got to laugh, haven't you?
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Looks like he's fractured his left tib and fib.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18It's not a life-threatening injury, but due to the location
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and the fact that the crew probably would probably take
0:35:21 > 0:35:24a good 50 minutes to get him to hospital, I think it's a
0:35:24 > 0:35:27lot more efficient for us as the air ambulance to get him
0:35:27 > 0:35:29to Scarborough, he'll be there in 15 minutes.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35So, in just 15 minutes, Buster is flown in from the forest to the
0:35:35 > 0:35:38coast, and Dave's diagnosis is spot on.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41X-rays reveal that Buster has a clean
0:35:41 > 0:35:45break in both of the bones in his lower leg.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49I knew immediately it was broken.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53I just knew that it was sort of potentially flapping around
0:35:53 > 0:35:56if I moved and I've seen a horse with a broken leg,
0:35:56 > 0:36:02which isn't very pretty sight, and it reminded me of that, actually.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06We were doing a public service, really.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11We went down with my chainsaw and I was chopping away
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and what I didn't realise was the last branch
0:36:14 > 0:36:16that I was chopping was actually
0:36:16 > 0:36:19propping up the main trunk of the tree.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24And I chopped at that and the whole thing came down.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28So, this was a good turn that came to a painful end.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31But Buster says he will be back again to finish the job
0:36:31 > 0:36:34just as soon as his leg is better.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42The patients felled by trees there, and thankfully all are on the mend.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Now, on average, every time a Premiership rugby team plays,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49two of its players will be injured.
0:36:49 > 0:36:55That's more than 700 casualties a year among professional players.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58And the amateur game isn't exactly safe.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- He said it was rugby, Dave? - Yeah, rugby injury.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Helimed 99 is heading to Selby, a Rugby Union town.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12A player from Selby's second team, Dan White,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16is down after a high-speed, mid-air tackle.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Obviously, it's a contact sport,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20they tend to get hit from all sides.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22If they're not expecting it,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26then the injuries generally will be neck and leg injuries.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31We don't really know what the problem is with this patient
0:37:31 > 0:37:34because he's complaining of pain in a number of areas.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37It is one of those details that we have to look at on-scene
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and see what the crew have done prior to our arrival.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Rugby is a dangerous game.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43In recent years,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47its governing body has put more emphasis on fitness training
0:37:47 > 0:37:51and faster play, and with that comes a greater chance of serious injury.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54He's basically gone in for a tackle with another player and
0:37:54 > 0:37:58they've crunched together in the air and he's gone down onto his side.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00He felt a big crunch in his hip,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and can't really move his right leg or his hip at all.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07The Rugby Football Union has been training match officials and coaches
0:38:07 > 0:38:11in how to care for players in the vital minutes after an injury.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And today, Dan's team has done all the right things,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17including calling 999.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20We carry physio with us at the first team, and for the
0:38:20 > 0:38:24third team as well. It's just a key point to have at any club now,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28any injury, better to have someone who can look after it straightaway.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Dan's conscious, but in great pain.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35When I, when I went down to get the ball, they hit me,
0:38:35 > 0:38:41so I was 90 degrees, went over, leg stayed in the same position,
0:38:41 > 0:38:47right back, heard a massive crunchy noise and then just pain
0:38:47 > 0:38:51before I had even hit the floor, and then I couldn't move anything.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56He's sustained a hip injury or pelvic injury playing rugby.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59So, he has no other injuries.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02He did have some loss of sensation in his left leg,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05the side of the injury, but that's rectified itself now,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08so we're just waiting to see where we're taking him to.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Dan comes from a family of rugby fans.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16His mother was at a pitch watching his brother play
0:39:16 > 0:39:17when the accident happened.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- And he'll be fine. - Is not his spine, is it?- No, no.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23He's wiggling his arms and legs, his hips are hurting him, not his back.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25- He's fine, honest.- OK.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27If we don't get airborne in five minutes,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30we won't be able to take him.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33It's getting late in the day, and if it gets too dark,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Helimed 99 can't fly.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Dan's condition is not critical,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40but the pain he's suffering concerns paramedic Darren.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44He's taken a smack to his left hip. He is in a lot of pain.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48His pain's not been reduced much by the morphine that they've given him.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53We're not able to take him to the major trauma centre
0:39:53 > 0:39:56because his injuries don't dictate that, so we're going to take him
0:39:56 > 0:40:00up to York District, and let the doctors have a look at him.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Right, spin round.
0:40:04 > 0:40:10OK, Darren, that's it. Take it easy, Buster. Are you still cold?
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Once these heaters go on, jet powered, he'll be warm.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14He's shivering.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Dan's dad and his mum will have to make their own way to
0:40:17 > 0:40:19hospital as there's not enough room on board.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23We'll have him round in the department by the time you get there,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25he'll have had a bath, and he'll look nice.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Classic rugby injury, what we call a hip point injury,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34so I don't think it's involving his spine as such.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Essentially he's had a fracture to the neck of the femur,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39which is quite difficult to break.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Hopefully he's just quite badly bruised inside
0:40:41 > 0:40:43and he might get away with it.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46But he's quite chirpy, which is a good thing.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51Young lad, very fit, so he'll make a good recovery, I would say.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Dan's about to undergo a series of tests, scans,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57and X-rays, at York Hospital.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Doctors know injuries like Dan's can have life-long effects.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08RADIO CHATTER
0:41:09 > 0:41:14But in his case, the results are a big relief for him and his family.
0:41:14 > 0:41:15He's allowed home the next day.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24A few weeks on, and Dan can still only enjoy rugby from the terraces.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25While he had no broken bones,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29the bruising around his hip is taking some time to heal.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Usually, I'll be playing second row or in the back row somewhere,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39but they were short that week so I was playing at flyhalf.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45I just went to get the ball and just as I walked over, they hit me
0:41:45 > 0:41:49and I fell back over my hip, so it was too far over my back and hip.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53It hurt them, and I heard like a crunchy, horrible, cracky noise.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57The helicopter was just landing as I arrived,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and spoke to one of the paramedics.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04My first question was, can he move his feet? Can he move his arms?
0:42:04 > 0:42:06And they said yes, they just wanted to see him
0:42:06 > 0:42:08to make sure that he was OK.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12The good news is that Dan's pelvis was not broken,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14and after a few weeks, he should be able to give
0:42:14 > 0:42:19up his seat in the stand for his usual position on the pitch.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I'm just thankful for everyone that helped me.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Hopefully it will get better soon.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27And most doctors would agree that
0:42:27 > 0:42:31when it comes to rugby injuries, it's better to play safe than sorry.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35A bit of ribbing from your mates is a lot easier to bear than
0:42:35 > 0:42:37a life-long disability.
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