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 > 0:00:13- 'Where's the patient? - 'Stuck under the car.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:18The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies at 150 mph,
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 > 0:00:27- Stand clear, everybody. - Keep going.
0:00:27 > 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 in an emergency anaesthetic.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..and town centres into helipads.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- Building on the left. - Just behind you, Tim.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And every day, the Helimed team's skill, speed and courage
0:00:46 > 0:00:47is saving lives.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today on Helicopter Heroes...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01a driver's fighting for his life
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and paramedic Al fears the tank of his gas-powered car is leaking.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08You know this car's LPG, don't you? I can smell gas.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The team carries out a life-saving procedure in mid-air.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- Three minutes to the LGI. - Cheers, Jim.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19The cyclist who did this to a windscreen.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I thought he would come straight through and head-butt me.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And lucky to be alive,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27paramedic Dave treats a victim of Friday the 13th.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- You've got no pain in your back or owt like that?- No.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40When you practically need a bank loan to fill your tank,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44everyone's looking for ways to get more motoring for your money.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And more and more motorists are turning to LPG,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49liquid petroleum gas.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's clean, green and, above all, cheap.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55But, if you crash, it has its risks.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Between 37 and 36 on the M1 southbound, one car overturned.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03There's a lot of people ringing in. One says three casualties,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06so it might be a fairly big job.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11That's the M1, that sort of snakes round.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12We should...
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It's going to go round like that, we'll just cut straight across
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- and pick it up on the other side of that hill.- OK.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Sounds like quite a bad road traffic accident
0:02:22 > 0:02:24on the motorway, on the M1.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We know there's at least three patients,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30so it sounds like quite a serious accident.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Some of our Ambulance Service doctors have been tasked to it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Above the crash site, they can see how one car has flipped
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and landed on top of another.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44It's a tight spot
0:02:44 > 0:02:47between the crashed cars and the motorway bridge,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50but Steve knows it's his only chance of landing near their patients.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55We're a bit close on the left here.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Yeah, there's some debris right next to it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Some blowing around below you on the right, Steve.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Loose debris can get blown up into the helicopter's rotors.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07If it did, the result could bring down the chopper.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- Am I OK to open the door? - Yeah, away you go.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16OK, you can go back...
0:03:16 > 0:03:1720 metres.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I'll let him know before we shut down.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Chap looks to be in his late 30s.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30There's been an RTC rollover, dragged out the car by passers-by.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33His airway is clear, he's breathing, he's got decreased air entry
0:03:33 > 0:03:37on the right side, in fact no air entry on the right side.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Omar Ahmed had been driving on the other carriageway.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It seems his car has flipped over the barrier
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and landed on top of a car coming the other way.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I just want him on the aircraft, and we'll take him.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Are you going to decompress? - It doesn't need decompressing,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- it's not a tension.- OK. Great stuff.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56I immediately rang 999
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and give all the details over the phone, really.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I just kept talking to him, keeping him calm.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Also, the other lady that got to him straightaway,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05cos I think she was in a bit of shock, having seen...
0:04:05 > 0:04:07been so close to the accident.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Those in the other car have escaped with minor injuries,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13but Omar hasn't been so lucky.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I've only just literally arrived, mate.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I've had a quick word with Alison, it sounds like he needs ventilating.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Got a 20-year-old lad, it looks like, he's been in that car
0:04:22 > 0:04:25that's rolled over and has then been hit by another car.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28He's got a head injury and chest injuries.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32He's quite ill, he doesn't have a very good pulse at the moment.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34So, the doctor is going to intubate him now.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37We're going to induce anaesthesia, get him intubated,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39get him on the helicopter and off to the Northern General.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42But paramedic Al has noticed something
0:04:42 > 0:04:46potentially even more serious.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48You know this car is LPG, don't you?
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Sorry if I'm telling you to suck eggs,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53it's just that I've got one and I can smell gas.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Omar's car runs on liquid petroleum gas,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and it's leaking from the tank.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05If those fumes were to ignite, it could cause a massive explosion.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It needs to stay off for the time being,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10cos there's LPG leaking out of that car behind us.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11- You can hear it.- Right.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14We don't all want to go up in a big ball of flames.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Al's so concerned, he's switched their radios off.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23But he knows the patient's too ill to move.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Open your mouth nice and wide, mate.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Open your mouth really wide for me.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Omar's breathing is worrying Dr Jez Pinnell.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33He is not convinced Omar would survive a flight to hospital,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36so decides to perform an emergency anaesthetic
0:05:36 > 0:05:38right here on the motorway
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and next to the overturned car that is still leaking gas.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49These are potentially very dangerous operations.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Jez wants to put a tube down Omar's throat
0:05:51 > 0:05:53so they can control his breathing.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57But it's all happening just feet away from his wrecked car,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and the pressurised gas is still leaking.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Paramedics are highly skilled,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and able to use a wide range of powerful drugs
0:06:14 > 0:06:15to help their patients.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20But some cases are so serious they have to resort to minor surgery,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22even in mid-air.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29A horse's kick can be deadly, as those who work with them know.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Experts have calculated the hoof of a stallion can deliver
0:06:33 > 0:06:35a force of up to a ton.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41That's the equivalent of being hit by a small car travelling at 20 mph.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42It's no wonder paramedics
0:06:42 > 0:06:46treat the victims of horse kicks very seriously.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47We do have a land crew on scene,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52who are saying that she appears to have a fractured sternum.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55If she's got a fractured sternum or fractured ribs,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00she's susceptible to a pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, so...
0:07:00 > 0:07:02something that we've got to be mindful of, there,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06so we'll give her a good check over when we arrive on scene.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08At a stables near the market town of Wetherby,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Jan Bailey has been kicked in her chest by a horse.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Local paramedics examined her and called in the air ambulance.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Debrief.
0:07:18 > 0:07:2043-year-old female,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24she's been kicked mid-sternum by a horse that's 17.2 hands high,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27so it's a big, sturdy horse, and it was a rear boot.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28No loss of consciousness.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Somebody was on scene in seconds,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32so she's not been lying in the field for ages.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33She's got good air entry.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36However, I felt the sternum, very tender.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37Hello, Jan.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Hello. What's the pain like, Jan?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46They kicked out and hit her in the chest,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and I was just this side of the hill,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51so I came up the hill and saw her lying on the floor.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53And then, obviously, I could see it was dangerous
0:07:53 > 0:07:57so I rang my wife bring the car up, and realised it was
0:07:57 > 0:07:59more serious than that, so rang an ambulance straightaway.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02And they were here within three minutes.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Jan, can you remember what happened?
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Yeah, can you tell me?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It seems like she may have some underlying injury from
0:08:10 > 0:08:12this kick that she's taken to the chest.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15If she has got a fractured sternum, it's possible that
0:08:15 > 0:08:20she may have a pneumothorax or some other underlying chest injury.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So John's just having a listen to her chest now.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26We're just going to repeat her baseline observations,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and then we'll see what happens from there.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Saturations, according to the responder who was on scene,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35said that they were quite low when he arrived on scene
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and she was quite cyanosed, she was quite a blue,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40so oxygen levels have dropped somewhat
0:08:40 > 0:08:43but they've come up nicely now we've got oxygen.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Jan's symptoms are very worrying.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The difficulties she has breathing
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and the blue tinge her rescuers have noticed suggest
0:08:52 > 0:08:55she has serious internal injuries to her lungs and, perhaps,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59to her heart. She is critically ill.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I think we need to get you into the warmth of the helicopter.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05They might want to have another look at your chest, just to make sure.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07It's a lady who's obviously been tending to the horses,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and the horses have become a little bit disturbed,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and it's kicked out, unfortunately.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16A big horse, at 17.2, it's caught her with the hind leg,
0:09:16 > 0:09:17right in the middle of her chest.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19So, it's winded her.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We don't know what sort of damage is underneath there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24You got your lungs in there, you got your heart,
0:09:24 > 0:09:25and the top end of your liver,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28so we're treating her quite cautiously.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33'Airborne just south of Harrogate. Requesting a transfer.'
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Helimed 98 is ten minutes from hospital,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41but as pilot Tim lifts off, Jan's condition suddenly worsens.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45She is struggling to breathe, and her lungs are collapsing.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Paramedics John and Darrell face carrying out a risky procedure
0:09:49 > 0:09:51neither has attempted before... in mid-air.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- Tim?- Yeah?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Am I OK just coming off the harness for a minute?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Yeah. Do what you need to do.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Without it, their patient may die.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Every year, a few people survive a serious accident,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15only to have their injuries made worse by well-meaning rescuers.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Motorcyclists have been paralysed
0:10:17 > 0:10:20by witnesses removing their crash helmets.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The fact is, it's usually safer to leave people where they lie,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28even if that sometimes feels a little awkward.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Cycling is one of the best ways to keep fit.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35It's a green and exhilarating way to get about.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And in places like Yorkshire,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42it can also be a great way to see the stunning scenery.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45But every year, 2,500 cyclists are killed
0:10:45 > 0:10:48or seriously injured on the country's roads.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And today, Ian Rigby is one of them.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55He's got lacerations around his eye and an obvious head injury.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Whether that extends to a fracture or not, I'm not entirely sure.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Flying paramedic Al Day,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04who today is working on a land ambulance, found Ian here,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08still lying on the bonnet of the car he collided with.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09- What's your name?- Ian.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Hi Ian, I'm James. I'm one of the paramedics as well.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I'm going to have a quick listen to your chest just before we move you.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's a notorious bend.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18This chap's on his bike
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and coming perhaps a bit too fast round this bend.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It's a slippy road and the bend cambers the wrong way.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30So he's slid off line a bit, come onto the wrong side of the road.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32This pick-up truck was going the other way.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Just straight into the front of it,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36smashed his face into the windscreen.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38You're lying on the bonnet at the moment, Ian.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Everyone is fine in the car. Not to worry, mate.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Was it parked, or...?- No, it was just coming up the road, mate.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47You've been coming down the hill, and managed to collect it on the way.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Not to worry though.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I just came round and saw him lying on the bonnet, basically.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I was only doing maybe 20 mph,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and I know he was going quite a bit faster,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59so when I slammed on my brakes and panicked a bit,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02more than anything else, so...
0:12:02 > 0:12:05It wasn't a nice sight to come round the corner to.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08He was speaking. He was OK. He was conscious,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11just obviously didn't know where he was or what had happened.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14He's a bit dazed, obviously, and he keeps asking where he is,
0:12:14 > 0:12:15and if everyone's OK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It's caused some serious damage,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21both to the pick-up truck and to Ian's head.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25His helmet has undoubtedly saved his life.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28So, you've got a response car, an ambulance, and a helicopter.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31You're doing really well.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33But Ian's clearly confused.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- OK, what time did you get up? - I don't know.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39And there's one question he keeps on asking.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- Is everyone all right in the car? - Everyone's absolutely fine.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45It's a rare for paramedics to find their patient
0:12:45 > 0:12:47in a position quite like this.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51They need to get him safely onto a spinal stretcher,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55which means Al needs to climb onto the truck itself.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Just clasp them together like that for us.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Al, if we can just roll to you, just ever so slightly, to start, mate.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Just a bit strange, Ian.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08We're just getting you onto a wee board, to get you off the car.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09Is everyone all right in the car?
0:13:09 > 0:13:12You're lying on the bonnet at the moment, Ian.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Everyone is fine in the car. Not to worry, mate.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Ian's clearly worried about the driver of the pick-up,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20but he's managed to escape any injury.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I saw him coming down, breaking, and he couldn't stop.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26So I stopped, and before you know it, he's hit my bonnet
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and into my windscreen.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I thought he was going to come straight through and head-butt me.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It happens quick, doesn't it?
0:13:33 > 0:13:37When cyclists hit cars, they don't normally come off very well.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I think he's been quite lucky.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40Just looking at the state of the car,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43it's incredible that that's all that's wrong with him.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- Everyone's all right, aren't they? - Sound as a pound, mate.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49This repetition is a worrying sign.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53He's now been asking the same question dozens of times.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55This could be an indication of concussion
0:13:55 > 0:13:57or something far more serious.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58It's nothing to worry about.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01The car's all fixable, no-one's hurt apart from you. OK?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's a classic sign when people have got a head injury.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08They'll just keep asking the same question over and over again.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11This guy keeps saying, "Is everybody in the car all right?
0:14:11 > 0:14:13"Are they all right in that car?"
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Then two minutes later, he'll say, "Is everybody in that car all right?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19"Are they all right in that car?" That's just, you know...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Hopefully, that's just concussion,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23which is where the brain's had a bit of a shake,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26but hasn't had any serious, permanent damage.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But it could also be a sign of a more insidious brain injury.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34But we won't know about that until he gets to LGI and has his scan.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Leeds General Infirmary
0:14:41 > 0:14:43has one of the country's top neurology units,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45specialists in head injuries.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47And as Ian lands on the rooftop helipad,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49his confusion is increasing,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and that same question is still being asked.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53Is everyone else all right?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Everyone's fine, apart from you. You've bumped your head.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Is everyone all right? - Everyone's absolutely fine.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02You've hit a car and gone through the windscreen.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- Is everyone all right? - Everyone's fine.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Everyone else is all right though, uh?- Yeah.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Your bike's all right, it's done better than your head.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- Everyone else is all right? - Everyone's fine.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19What it looks like he's done, he's landed on the windscreen,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22possibly on that part of his face/forehead.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24And there's a little bit of damage to the helmet.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Concussion can only be diagnosed once the patient recovers.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32So we've got to keep a close eye on these patients.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Cos, on the flip side, if it ain't concussion and he's got some,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38he's got a little bleed going on in inside of his head, you know,
0:15:38 > 0:15:39that could be quite serious.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So serious are Ian's injuries,
0:15:42 > 0:15:43he is taken straight for a CT scan
0:15:43 > 0:15:47to check the damage to his skull and brain,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and it soon becomes clear that his cycle helmet has done its job.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Without it, he would be dead.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Instead, Ian is left with nasty facial injuries,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01documented in a grisly series of family photographs.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06The good news is that he is back home after just three days.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08I had a big cut above my eye, around here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Grazing down here, cut lip.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I remember the first five minutes of it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And then, and next thing I remember is waking up in hospital.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Lift this leg up for me. Good lad...
0:16:20 > 0:16:22So none of this Ian can remember.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26It seems it was one of those accidents far worse for those who came across him.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30My friend was out, he said he thought I was dead on the bonnet
0:16:30 > 0:16:32when he came round the corner.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So that probably wasn't nice for him.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39With his injuries now healing, Ian has already got back on his bike,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and is truly thankful for the two things that saved his life.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45His £30-helmet and a three-million-pound helicopter.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48I was glad that they did come out, because I think, without them,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52it would have taken far too long to get to hospital.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Um... So they did a good job, really.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56A very good job.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Now, let's return to the M1 in South Yorkshire,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13where the team is about to perform a risky operation
0:17:13 > 0:17:16next to the leaking gas tank of a crashed car.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25It's an operation normally performed in a hospital theatre.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28But, today, Omar Ahmed is being ventilated
0:17:28 > 0:17:30in the fast lane of the M1.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Can we get a suction unit out one of the vehicles, please?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36His car somersaulted from the northbound carriageway,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40landing on top of a vehicle heading south.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's left his LPG-powered car leaking gas.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47And it's left him with extremely serious injuries.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49The silver car just flipped up in the air.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51We don't know really why it happened.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And the black car just literally slammed into the back of him.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Or the top of him after it'd flipped.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57I hope he's going to be all right.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00He's just got a lot of air in his neck, that's the big problem.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Dr Jez Pinnell has put Omar to sleep.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06He now needs to quickly put a tube down his throat
0:18:06 > 0:18:08so they can control his breathing.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13The longer it takes,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16the longer Omar's body is being starved of oxygen.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26OK, we've got him tubed now, which is pretty good.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30He's fairly under control, but his blood pressure is still quite low.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33So that's quite worrying, obviously.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35So it's a case now of just wrapping everything up,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38get him into the helicopter, and it won't be very far to fly.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41So he's been RSI'd on scene by the Consultant Anaesthetist,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43who's flying in with him to LGI.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47They'll be setting off from scene in about five minutes coming to you.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50OK, he's not being ventilated at the moment so as quick as we can.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Unfortunately, his breathing went off on scene,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55so he dropped his oxygen levels,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00so Jez has arrived and responded by the ambulance service as well.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So we've put him to sleep with drugs
0:19:03 > 0:19:05so we're controlling his breathing now
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and his oxygen levels have come up to a normal level again.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10His pulse rate is stabilised at the moment,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13but clearly he's got some very serious injuries.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14With crashes like these,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17even ambulances can get caught in the tailbacks.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21While firefighters start removing the barriers
0:19:21 > 0:19:23to get all the road vehicles out,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Omar is leaving by air.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Heading straight to the Regional Trauma Centre in Leeds.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The Helimed team and ambulance service doctors
0:19:39 > 0:19:40have done all they can.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Whether Omar survives is now down to the team of specialists
0:19:44 > 0:19:46here in Leeds, waiting to take over.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58In North Yorkshire,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01a rider's canter in the country has ended in a terrible fall.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05And the paramedics are growing increasingly concerned
0:20:05 > 0:20:06about her condition.
0:20:09 > 0:20:1343 year old Jan Bailey has been kicked in the chest by a horse.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17The blow has left her with multiple internal injuries.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Fluid is building up in Jan's lungs.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22It's reducing her ability to absorb oxygen.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Her saturation levels, or SATS, are dropping fast.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32If the pressure in her lungs is not to kill her,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36a needle must be pushed into her chest to release the fluid.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40It's a risky procedure even on the ground.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- We've three minutes to the LGI. - Yeah, three minutes.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Paramedics John and Darrell have more than 30 years' experience between them,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52but neither has ever carried out this procedure on a real patient before.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Yet, Jan's life may depend on it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Thankfully, it appears to have worked.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It's better now, John, low 90s.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07- I might bring something...- Actually, yeah, yeah. It's come up to 93.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15The helipad of Leeds General Infirmary is a welcome sight.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Keep your eyes open, love.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20For paramedics John and Darrell, this has been a tough job.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Just keep your eyes open for me, Jan. That's wonderful.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Once we got into the helicopter, she started to struggle to breathe,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and you could see how she was breathing with her...
0:21:32 > 0:21:35how her chest was sucking in to breathe, to really get the air.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39So we put in two needles to try
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and relieve the pressure in the chest.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We think one of them may have been successful.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Her SATS picked up after that
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and she seemed to breathe a bit easier.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50In fact, when we got in here, her SATS had come back up to 92%.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And she was still talking to us and still conscious,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57but I think there's some serious underlying damage to her chest.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58We just called
0:21:58 > 0:22:00the cardiac surgeon down for his lady.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03She's got a pericardial effusion,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06which is accumulation of fluid around the...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08around the heart within the pericardial sack.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10So they need to take her to theatre
0:22:10 > 0:22:13to carry out this procedure in a sterile environment.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Before John and Darrell have arrived back at base,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Jan is already being wheeled into theatre
0:22:21 > 0:22:23for delicate and potentially risky surgery
0:22:23 > 0:22:25to seal the tear in her heart.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It's several days before she has recovered enough
0:22:29 > 0:22:31to be moved to a normal ward.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Both my lungs, I think, had deflated
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and, apparently, a hole had been punctured into my heart,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41whereby the blood then had run out of my heart
0:22:41 > 0:22:43into this sack that surrounds the heart.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46So the blood couldn't be physically pumped around my body.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50So I was finding it... My heart was finding it very, very hard to beat.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54And I had very, very, very, obviously, very low blood pressure,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56which doctors were very, very concerned.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Jan has spent all of her life working with horses.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01She is well-aware of the dangers.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03But sometimes even the most experienced person
0:23:03 > 0:23:04can get caught out.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07You know that, as soon as you let them all in the field together,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10they are going to have that half-an-hour giddy moment and then
0:23:10 > 0:23:13hopefully they will all settle down, which we thought they had.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Unfortunately, the equine dentist, it's just how it happened,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20the equine dentist rang up wanting to do this horse's teeth.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24So I went walking up to the top field to catch this horse for the dentist.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25And they all decided then
0:23:25 > 0:23:28that they hadn't finished having their giddy moment,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and they all kicked off again.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Jan's memories of the accident are hazy,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36but she has got a bedside view of the hospital helipad,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39so she has seen the Helimed team at work.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I've watched them bring a couple of people down the ramp.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44And it's actually very emotional to...
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Because I can't really remember coming down that ramp.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51But it is very, very emotional seeing the work that the people do
0:23:51 > 0:23:54when they're up there, you know, the firemen going up
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and then, obviously, all the paramedics coming down.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And it is actually quite emotional when you realise that
0:23:59 > 0:24:03that happened to you and it is now happening to somebody else.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Sheer bad luck plays a big part in many of the accidents
0:24:13 > 0:24:15the Helimed team is called to deal with.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And there's one day on which no-one is surprised
0:24:18 > 0:24:19the helicopters are busy.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's Friday 13th at Helimed headquarters
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and the day is certainly living up to the date.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Helimed 99 is out of action
0:24:31 > 0:24:34grounded by a technical fault.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Which means Helimed 98 is being scrambled from its base in North Yorkshire
0:24:38 > 0:24:42on a long-distance mission to a warehouse near the market town of Howden.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'..Continue with approach 125...'
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And to approach 1250...
0:24:51 > 0:24:54We just departed en route to a farm,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56which is to the south of Pocklington.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01We've got someone there that's fallen through the roof
0:25:01 > 0:25:02on one of the barns.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Generally, these things are about 30 foot high
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and could be taller than that.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I've got the gate my side, mate.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Pilot Chris Attrill is touching down
0:25:12 > 0:25:15in the goods yard of an agricultural contractors depot.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- Watch that gate behind... - Yeah, all right.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Roofer Richard Chatham was working 20 feet up when he slipped and fell.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26He's in the care of a ground ambulance crew.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31- Chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, arms, all clear.- Really?!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- He's been a lucky lad.- He has.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Shocked workmates dialled 999
0:25:36 > 0:25:40after they saw Richard plunge to the concrete floor below.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Driving that there, he was starting, started that one there,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48and he was going to tie this one up, ready for sheeting it and slipped.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51But it looks like their colleague has been very lucky
0:25:51 > 0:25:54on the most unlucky day of the year.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57You don't feel too bad, do you? Considering what's happened?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59No, no, not really, mate. A bit of a headache,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- but I've chipped my teeth, I think...- Yeah.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03..so, a bit of pain from there.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And other than that you got no pain in your back or owt like that?
0:26:06 > 0:26:07No, no, just a little...
0:26:07 > 0:26:12- It was more side of his neck, obviously, with the height he fell. - Yeah, a little bit of my neck.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Their patient's a dad to-be.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Richard's partner Julie is eight and half months pregnant
0:26:17 > 0:26:18with a little boy.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Now Dad's being taken to the same hospital
0:26:21 > 0:26:25where he's due to be at the birth in barely two weeks.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- So, we're going to load you on to helicopter.- OK, mate.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- Hook you up to a few monitors and then we'll get off, all right?- Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Paramedics know some patients, like Richard, can cheat death
0:26:35 > 0:26:39or serious injury by a stroke of good fortune,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43but on a day like today they're not taking any chances.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Richard will remain strapped to a spinal stretcher
0:26:46 > 0:26:49until he's been scanned and X-rayed in Hull Royal Infirmary.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Back at Helimed headquarters, though,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57the jinx of Friday the 13th has struck again.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02We've just had someone fall over in some woods, in an inaccessible place,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06so his Friday the 13th hasn't gone too well either.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09But the day has at last thrown up some good news.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Helimed 99 is repaired and ready for action.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16We believe that somebody's got a fractured ankle.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18They're in some woods,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- so I don't know how close we're going to be able to get.- OK.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Many of us may think twice about taking a flight today,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29but paramedics and pilots aren't natures most superstitious people.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Erm, I am in no way superstitious.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38It may be Friday 13th but, no, I don't believe in superstitions.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42No, I'm very suspicious of superstitions, as it happens.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43SAMMY LAUGHS
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It has been in, in being serviced.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I've seen the engineers who assure me that the aircraft is serviceable.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52There's somebody indicating.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55There's some wires running diagonally across a field
0:27:55 > 0:27:56and there's a man in black,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59right next to the tree line, there, and he's waving at me.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Can you see him?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Their patient's fallen in the Bluebell Woods below.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Friday 13th!
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Peter Barker was out for a walk in the woods,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10with his wife and grandkids, when he slipped.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12His ankle is badly broken.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Now the bluebells are the last thing on his mind.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21I just felt my foot go back under. I just knew it was broken.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Never broken a bone before, other than ribs.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27I just knew.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29No joke, Chris, he's in middle of wood!
0:28:29 > 0:28:33They've taken him across stream on a...stretcher, now,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and we've got air ambulance here!
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Local paramedics know this is a relatively minor injury,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44but on Friday the 13th luck is on no-one's side.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47We could try again, to try and go across this bit,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49so we don't go through that bog.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51It's going to be difficult whichever way we go.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Peter is halfway down a steep ravine.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Above him is the treacherous slope that caused his injury
0:28:57 > 0:29:02and below him is a beck, a steep slippery bank and barbed wire fence.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Rescuing him is going to be difficult.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- You hang onto the stick, like I am, OK?- Yeah.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- Make your, put your arm down it. That's lovely.- Yeah.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14- You all right?- Yeah.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Obviously, you're in a safety position
0:29:16 > 0:29:19and we can sit you on a board so you're not on the floor.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Peter can see the problems, he's a professional pallbearer,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25working for a local undertaker.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29'I'm looking forward to being carried myself this time,'
0:29:29 > 0:29:31hopefully I will be alive to comment on it!
0:29:31 > 0:29:36Paramedic Sammy Wills knows the area well, she lives not far away.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38These are the suburbs of Sheffield.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Because of where we are, given a stream, a barbed fence,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45a bog and an incline.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Rather than risk carrying, and balancing, and slipping,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51we actually requested mountain rescue.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Seems slightly overkill right now.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57I'm feeling a little bit silly, but when you come to move him
0:29:57 > 0:29:58we know we'll be doing it safely.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01And with your best interests at heart.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I must admit, I felt embarrassed ringing 999, but...
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Oh, you're in a predicament.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Couldn't get out of here by yourselves!
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- That's exactly what we're here for. - You didn't want to, did you?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12You thought if I sat there for two minutes I'd be OK.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18Back in East Yorkshire, the crew of Helimed 98 is hard at work,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21caring for roofer Richard Chatham.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23He's about to take off for Hull Royal Infirmary.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Is it round here that it's hurting?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Hurting in middle of me palm just then but it's not bad.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30You might have damaged your hand a little bit, mate.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32It's not bad, to be honest, to be fair. It's just...
0:30:32 > 0:30:34But the paramedics caring for him
0:30:34 > 0:30:37are optimistic he's escaped serious injury
0:30:37 > 0:30:40despite falling 20 feet onto concrete.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Laceration to his head, but he seems to have got away quite well.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46So, how did it... Did you just lose your balance,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- or did the roof give way, or what? - No, I slipped.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I was just sweeping, sweeping the gutter and I slipped.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Hospital is a 15-minute flight away, bearing in mind the date,
0:30:56 > 0:31:01pilot Chris Attrill will be keeping a good lookout during this flight.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03But it's been lucky 13 for their patient.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05He's been unlucky to fall through the roof,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08but he's been very lucky, so far,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11in that he appears to have very minor injuries.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Not very long, very long.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14In the next few minutes,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Richard will begin a battery of medical tests
0:31:17 > 0:31:20designed to rule out serious injury.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22He knows that if something is found
0:31:22 > 0:31:26his chances of being at the birth of his son will be in the balance.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Everyone's hoping his luck holds out.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Back in the woods of South Yorkshire,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36another patient wishes he was in hospital.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Paramedics often have to improvise
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and Sammy is bringing her expertise as a former Cub Scout leader
0:31:44 > 0:31:48to overcome the obstacles that stand in her patient's way.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53It's been more than an hour since Peter's fall,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56but at last the cavalry arrives.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Hello, gentlemen! Thank you ever so much.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01What's the nature of the injury?
0:32:01 > 0:32:05A fractured left, queried fractured left ankle.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Peter is cold and the Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team
0:32:09 > 0:32:11is a welcome sight.
0:32:11 > 0:32:12And lift!
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Good.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Even here, safety must come first.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Peter's been given his own crash helmet.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25And move!
0:32:25 > 0:32:29OK, whoa, hold, hold, guys. And move!
0:32:29 > 0:32:31The team decide it's going to be safer
0:32:31 > 0:32:33to climb the slope that Peter slipped down
0:32:33 > 0:32:37rather than ford the stream and tackle the barbed wire fence.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40It means he will be going to hospital by road.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46The path to the top of the ravine is very slippery.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- Eh, you feel as light as a feather to me, Peter!- I know!
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I do to me as well. I don't feel heavy to me!
0:32:53 > 0:32:56At last he is on his way to hospital.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00He won't be forgetting this Friday the 13th in a hurry
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and neither will his rescuers.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Looks clear left, looks clear right. Lead's out of the way.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11Nobody else around and away she goes.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14There's a fine line between good luck and bad luck.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17You could argue that being involved in any road accident
0:33:17 > 0:33:19is pretty unlucky,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22but on this Friday the 13th the Helimed crew
0:33:22 > 0:33:23are heading to someone who it seems
0:33:23 > 0:33:26has had good fortune on her side.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Do we know which road it's on because there's two parallel to each other.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34Well, it said Skipton Hall Road so we don't know for certain, no.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Well, that's a little bit, little bit confusing.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41It sounds like there's been a road traffic accident
0:33:41 > 0:33:46where a car has left the road, gone into a field
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and turned over onto its roof...
0:33:50 > 0:33:53..but the first call that came in was quite, sort of,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55somebody was obviously quite panicked
0:33:55 > 0:33:58and the information was quite sketchy, really.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02The site of the crash certainly looks dramatic.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- We've got a vehicle left, ten o'clock, now.- Yes, yes.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07There's car in field, as well.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Two written off cars, a demolished wall, a ruined fence,
0:34:11 > 0:34:17but two seemingly unharmed drivers without even a scratch.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20The blue car turned over about three times,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22over the wall and into the field.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Any pain in your neck at all?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27She's been a lucky lady, this lady.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32She's rolled her car off the road, through this wall, into this field.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35As you can see, the car is quite badly damaged.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39It's been, you know, on its side and on its roof
0:34:39 > 0:34:42and she doesn't appear to have any injuries at all.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48I suppose it's a testament to modern car design, really.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51The cars are designed to be a lot safer than they were in the old days.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53If that had been in an old Cortina
0:34:53 > 0:34:55she'd have probably been dead, you know?
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Despite Sarah Well's car being seen to flip three times
0:34:59 > 0:35:03before it rolled into the field, she was able to get herself out
0:35:03 > 0:35:06and walk straight back to the road.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Sideswiped, rolled a couple of times.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Car's ended up as it is. She got herself out.- Right.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Initially I saw her, she was stood up,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16not complaining of any neck pain...
0:35:16 > 0:35:20While paramedics may subscribe to the theory of luck and good fortune,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22what they never do is presume
0:35:22 > 0:35:25so despite Sarah seemingly being unscathed,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28she's still being treated for the worst.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33Members of her family have arrived to find out if Sarah's OK.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Mainly because of the mechanism of the rollover and stuff,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39but I think we're all pretty happy that...
0:35:39 > 0:35:42It's unlikely to be anything serious. It's just...
0:35:42 > 0:35:44- Important to make sure. - Yes. So don't worry.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47We're taking some precautions and kept her spine in line,
0:35:47 > 0:35:48but she's moving her neck normally
0:35:48 > 0:35:50so we're happy from that point of view.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53But no injuries to her chest, abdomen and pelvis
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Lucky, given the amount of damage to the vehicles.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57She's rolled her car over twice.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Technology saves lives on Britain's roads every day
0:36:00 > 0:36:04and it seems Sarah's lucky escape here
0:36:04 > 0:36:06has been down to the hard work of car designers.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'Modern cars have side impact zones, airbags and crumple zones,'
0:36:10 > 0:36:13all kinds of safety features,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18so she's probably got some clever people
0:36:18 > 0:36:23at a car manufacturer in Japan to thank for her miraculous escape.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Back at Hull Royal Infirmary,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32unlucky roofer Richard Chatham is on his way to get scanned,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35X-rayed and examined by waiting specialists.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38His 20-foot fall to earth
0:36:38 > 0:36:41has left him with a long list of painful injuries,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44but nothing serious enough to keep him in a hospital bed for long
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and he's soon back home.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I've got a broken bone in my wrist here.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I've got a fracture in my elbow,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56fracture in my shoulder...
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Erm... two broken teeth,
0:36:59 > 0:37:00which are very painful,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02and I had a bad cut up here,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06which has healed really, really well. I'm really pleased with it.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09And as Richard came out of hospital,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12his partner Julie, eight months pregnant, went in.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Eight days after the accident, she gave birth
0:37:15 > 0:37:18and it was, like, three weeks, three weeks early.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21I've been through a lot of stress, so probably was that brought it on.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24BABY CRIES
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Baby Olly is just a few days old. He's fit and well,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32but his dad's slings and broken bones are causing a few problems.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36'Aw! He's beautiful, beautiful. Can't wait to cuddle him.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39'Really can't wait to get these poxy things off
0:37:39 > 0:37:41'and give him a big cuddle. Fantastic.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45'I couldn't have managed without Julie, without a doubt.'
0:37:45 > 0:37:48She's been absolutely fantastic, amazing
0:37:48 > 0:37:52and amazing when she gave birth as well. So proud of her. Fantastic.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Yeah, very hungry, aren't you?
0:37:56 > 0:37:57'Friday the 13th.'
0:37:57 > 0:38:01It's normally lucky for us, is Friday the 13th,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03but I've changed my mind about that one now.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05HE LAUGHS
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Aw! Ssh.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11The unlucky victims of Friday 13th there.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And I'm pleased to say all are now well on the road to recovery.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16But what about Omar,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20the motorist who was lucky to survive a dramatic smash on the M1?
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Let's catch up on his case.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- I think he was from the car that was upside down.- Yes.
0:38:26 > 0:38:27He'd been dragged out.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32Omar Ahmed had to have a roadside operation to help him breathe.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35His car flipped over the central reservation
0:38:35 > 0:38:36and landed on its roof,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39leaking highly flammable Liquid Petroleum Gas.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42I've got LPG on my car and the fact it hasn't gone up
0:38:42 > 0:38:46in a ball of flames is quite nice to know, really!
0:38:46 > 0:38:48It's always something you worry about,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50having that LPG tank in the back of the car.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Is that what they were getting so twitchy about?- Yes.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Omar's condition was so serious,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59the consultant anaesthetist took the decision to knock him out
0:38:59 > 0:39:03on the motorway so he had control of his patient's breathing.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09As the team land, they know Omar's body has taken such a pounding,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11they can take comfort in the fact
0:39:11 > 0:39:14that he has been brought by the quickest possible means
0:39:14 > 0:39:16to the best possible place.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Over the next three months, Omar undergoes
0:39:23 > 0:39:26a series of operations at the Leeds General Infirmary.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31Broken bones are set and extensive nerve damage repaired.
0:39:31 > 0:39:32THEY SPEAK IN NATIVE TONGUE
0:39:34 > 0:39:37At Omar's home in Nottingham, friends and neighbours
0:39:37 > 0:39:39have been comforting the family.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47Omar's dad was faced with a visit every parent dreads.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49That knock at the door from the police.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51As soon as the officers told us
0:39:51 > 0:39:55that he was airlifted,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59um...we actually expected the worst.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02We did not know what to expect.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07And since then, he's faced the 140-mile round trip
0:40:07 > 0:40:10to see his son at hospital in Leeds.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It's a journey that takes him up the M1
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and past the scene of the accident that almost killed his son.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23And next, just hold it down.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30Now Dad is here every day, helping Omar's rehabilitation
0:40:30 > 0:40:34after the crash which his son can barely remember.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I was going up north,
0:40:36 > 0:40:42towards Bradford and all of a sudden, the car lost control.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47And it just span and the next thing I know, I was in hospital.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52- I was unconscious for at least five or six days.- Five days.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56To be honest, I have no idea what happened in that accident.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00But the list of injuries he picked up is a clear reminder
0:41:00 > 0:41:01of just how close he came to death.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03I had a broken back.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I had three fractured ribs.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09I've got nerve damage in my arm,
0:41:09 > 0:41:14for which they had to do an operation around my shoulder,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18and I had a fractured femur.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22On the day of the crash, Omar was driving his dad's car.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26It's really bad, especially the right side.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- It's all gone inside.- Yes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Both of them know how lucky he is to be alive.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37I mean, there is no front end left, no bumper and no radiator.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40No lights.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42There's nothing left on the front.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47And on the side it's all gone inside.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50And Omar has since heard of the bravery of the passers-by
0:41:50 > 0:41:52who pulled him free from the wreckage,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and of the firefighters, doctors and paramedics
0:41:56 > 0:41:59who took a calculated risk to save his life.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04They said they could smell gas leaking from the car.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08So it was definitely brave of them to help me
0:42:08 > 0:42:11and save my life, basically.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16I do feel lucky, after seeing the pictures of the car and everything.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19I am quite lucky to be alive.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23And I'm glad to say Omar is now home and recovering well,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26but it will be a while before he's back behind the wheel again.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd