0:00:03 > 0:00:06When the people of rural Yorkshire dial 999,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09help can be a long time coming.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12The Yorkshire Dales are as beautiful as they are big,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16but if you are seriously injured in a landscape as gigantic as this,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19your life is on the line.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23But in the remotest part of Britain's biggest county,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25they look to the skies for help.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Look on your left, can you get in that grass field on the left?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Yes, mate, go for that.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34From high drama in the peaks to high waters in the Dales,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38the heli-med team is at the heart of almost every rescue,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42bringing 21st-century medicine to some of Britain's
0:00:42 > 0:00:46most isolated communities, and saving lives against the odds.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Today on Helicopter Heroes, there is a major rescue operation
0:01:00 > 0:01:04after a farm worker is trapped in his potato-picking machine.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06He is trapped by both legs and his arm.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10The engineers are actually dismantling the machinery around him.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14At the seaside, a man is swept into the waves.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16When he's regained consciousness, he has swum back in.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18He has just broken up with his girlfriend,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21now he has written off his dad's car.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23He was already upset when he was driving.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And pilot Ian finds himself dealing with a nervous flyer.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I will give you, say, 500 feet, how's that?
0:01:30 > 0:01:31That is the lowest he can go.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42The days when one man and his dog could run a farm have long gone,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45even here in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Today's farmer relies on horse power to bring the harvest in,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and nowhere has technology taken more of the strain
0:01:53 > 0:01:55than in the potato fields.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57500 square miles of the UK
0:01:57 > 0:02:01are planted with potatoes every year.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Machines like this pick a billion pounds' worth of crops each autumn.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08But machinery has added to the risks
0:02:08 > 0:02:12of what was already Britain's most dangerous job.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And today a major rescue operation is under way
0:02:14 > 0:02:18near the market town of Tadcaster in North Yorkshire.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21A farm worker has got caught in a potato-harvesting machine.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Initially we were told he was caught by his arm,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26but the crew's got on scene now, we've been told that
0:02:26 > 0:02:27he has been caught by an arm and both legs.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31It can be quite complicated because you have got crush injuries
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and the laceration injuries from the machinery itself.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38It is potentially quite serious. He will definitely be going to LGI.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Pilot Andy Lister wants to land as close as possible to the patient.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Do you see that mound running to the top of the field?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- That might be the best place for me to put it, actually.- Yes.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48There are wires across that field.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50You see where the gap is in the hedge?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- It is a bit firmer there as well. - That is the best option.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I think it makes more sense than anywhere.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01- Do I need to go up there?- One arm trapped, conscious, breathing.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06- How long has he been here? - Since 6.30 this morning.- 6.30?
0:03:06 > 0:03:11- Has that leg been in there since 6.30?- Yes.- Right.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Farm worker Darren Taylor was trying to clear a blockage
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- when he was trapped. - Hi, Darren, I am Graham.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19We're going to get you out of here.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21We will get you down to the LGI, all right?
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Everything is going to be good, OK, mate?
0:03:22 > 0:03:26It may take us a little while because you have been here for so long.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The machine was still running when a workmate found Darren.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32He had been trapped more than an hour.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The fire service and the engineers
0:03:34 > 0:03:37are actually dismantling the machinery around him.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41We need to do that quite cautiously because he has been trapped so long.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44But obviously, we need to get him out as quickly as possible.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Balancing up the best options for doing that.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50The engineers who maintain the picker have been called in.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51They know Darren.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Now they are working against the clock to free him.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57That femur is bent over the thing.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59His pelvis has probably gone, as well.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Darren, are you still with us, darling? Yeah? OK, sweetheart.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08His blood pressure is going up. We need some more oxygen, please.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Occasionally we do get accidents of this nature
0:04:10 > 0:04:13where people do get trapped in farm machinery.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Certainly on this occasion it is a very large piece of machinery
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and the casualty is well and truly stuck with it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20You all right, Darren?
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Things are a little unclear at the moment
0:04:22 > 0:04:25but it seems quite likely, the nature of the injuries,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28we will be transporting the casualty directly to the LGI.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Fortunately, we have got one of our doctors
0:04:30 > 0:04:32who has arrived on the scene as well.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34He will be escorting us through the journey.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36What we don't want to do is release that lower leg.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40If you can just leave that just until...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The paramedics are concerned that Darren's condition
0:04:43 > 0:04:46may deteriorate further when he is finally freed.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48The danger with actually releasing him,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51obviously he has got the injuries there so we could be
0:04:51 > 0:04:54releasing pressure onto a wound that will allow it to bleed freely.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57So we are going to have to monitor that, we have got
0:04:57 > 0:04:59tourniquets in place already
0:04:59 > 0:05:01to apply should that be the case.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Graham at the moment has got cardiac monitoring on.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06They're monitoring all his vital obs
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and they are prepping for the worst scenario.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11They have got airway rescue equipment up there
0:05:11 > 0:05:14should they need to start resuscitation.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15It's starting to hurt again.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It's starting to hurt again? OK, I can do something about that.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21He is receiving the strongest possible painkillers.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Thankfully, amnesia is a side-effect of this drug.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Darren won't remember much from now on.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30You may even just go out of consciousness
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and you won't remember it, but that is probably a good thing. All right?
0:05:34 > 0:05:38They are about to free Darren, but his life is still in real danger
0:05:38 > 0:05:43from the toxins building up in his trapped limbs, all from blood loss.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The next few minutes will be critical.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Wrapping up warm is second nature
0:05:50 > 0:05:52when you live in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You can get snow up here in April and frost in June.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Hypothermia kills someone in these hills almost every year.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03But sometimes there is a story of survival against the elements
0:06:03 > 0:06:06that surprises even the heli-med team.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Should be intersecting the train line very soon
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and then the eastward branch of that will be the way to Whitby.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18- The way to Whitby. - The way to Whitby.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I am sure there is a song in there somewhere.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24One of the perks of being a flying paramedic is that panoramic views
0:06:24 > 0:06:28of some of Yorkshire's most breathtaking scenery
0:06:28 > 0:06:29come with the job.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34And few sites are more inspiring than the historic port of Whitby,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38home, according to the book, of Dracula, who brings in
0:06:38 > 0:06:41holiday-makers attracted to the darker side of the town.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I thought they were all Goths in Whitby. It's like Goth Central.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48During the week, they are all very civilised.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50On the weekend they feel the need
0:06:50 > 0:06:52to dress in black and paint their nails.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And lay on gravestones and wear top hats.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00The cliffs of the Yorkshire coast soar up to 600 feet above the waves.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04This is a treacherous shore, pounded by the North Sea,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06some of it only accessible by boat.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And the clifftop paths make walkers vulnerable,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13with regular landslides and rock falls.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Few survive a fall here, but the crew of heli-med 98 is
0:07:17 > 0:07:21about to meet someone who appears to have defied those odds.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24There is a big car park you could land in there, isn't there?
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Does it look like there are people at both ends?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30At both ends they're trying to block it off for us.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32We are going to round out a little bit.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Hiya, you all right?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- This gentleman was out walking this morning on the cliff edge.- Right.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51This chap has fallen off the end of the cliff, just over there.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Slipped off. Been hanging on about three o'clock this morning.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58He couldn't hold on any longer and he slipped off into the sea.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Become unconscious.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04When he has regained consciousness, he has swum back in.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08A couple has found him this morning while walking the dog.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09Paramedic Al is concerned
0:08:09 > 0:08:13that his patient may have internal injuries from his fall,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and people who have been immersed in the sea can also suffer
0:08:17 > 0:08:21a rare condition known as secondary drowning, where inhaled water
0:08:21 > 0:08:26leads to death hours after the victim has been rescued.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Local lifeguards are amazed by the man's survival,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and so are the first paramedics on scene.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The plan is to fly their patient to the trauma unit
0:08:36 > 0:08:41at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, 20 miles away.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Pull the stretcher across a bit and then we can slide him straight up.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And then just feed him on.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51He doesn't feel particularly cold but we will do his temperature.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Obviously we're just wrapping him up in our big sleeve...
0:08:55 > 0:08:58You'd expect him to be absolutely freezing, wouldn't you?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Pilot Steve knows this coast well.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07He lives close to the beach and if his story is true, the patient's
0:09:07 > 0:09:12survival appears to be a rare happy ending to a cliff fall.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It is September, when the water is at its warmest,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and that has probably saved the man's life.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Just coming into land at James Cook.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'Roger, thank you.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Tests at James Cook will reveal the truth -
0:09:29 > 0:09:33and it turns out that the man has indeed been fortunate.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38He has few significant injuries and goes on to make a good recovery.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Without one of these, life for many Dalesmen would be almost impossible.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49It is a combination of tractor and trailer,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51sheepdog and family runabout.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Quite simply, the quad bike is a vital part of every farming family.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But those machines can bite.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05For nearly 1,000 years,
0:10:05 > 0:10:11Bolton Abbey has been at the centre of one of Yorkshire's great estates.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Its monks have long since gone, along with the roof, but its ruins
0:10:15 > 0:10:20are now a popular playground for the people of nearby Leeds and Bradford.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25On a summer's day, hundreds take a trip out for its riverside views.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30But today, the road to the abbey has been closed,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33with traffic backed up in all directions.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37It's another lovely sunny day in Yorkshire.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41We have had particularly nice weather over the last week.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43The motorcyclists will all be out, the roads are fantastic.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45You've always got to be careful.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52The tourist traffic ground to a halt when 73-year-old Stanley Boothman
0:10:52 > 0:10:55was found slumped at the side of the road.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58He was herding sheep on the steep valley sides
0:10:58 > 0:11:00when his quad bike turned over.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04He managed to stagger several hundred yards to the roadside
0:11:04 > 0:11:06to raise the alarm.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09If he hadn't made it, he could have died.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- He may be in the back of that ambulance.- Yeah, potentially.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Sloping ground on the other side, mate.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17If they can get traffic through,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19we may as well just land in the field.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21There is an officer on my side stopping traffic.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23He has stopped the traffic.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- Let's just put it in the field. - Flipping heck.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The lady was a paramedic who was passing, saw him.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Several motorists stopped to help Stan,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38and luckily for him one of them knew exactly what to do.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40A lorry had pulled over.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43We were just on our way to the park and obviously my wife is
0:11:43 > 0:11:46a paramedic, so we saw the old fellow and we pulled over.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It's her job, obviously, so yeah, just trying to keep him stable
0:11:49 > 0:11:50until they arrived, really.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52He has gone off it a couple of hundred metres away
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and he has had a walk down and luckily someone has seen him.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00He has got quite significant nasal injury.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Stan is struggling to breathe.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Paramedic Daz needs to alert facial reconstruction surgeons
0:12:06 > 0:12:08at the Leeds General Infirmary
0:12:08 > 0:12:12that they are about to have an emergency to deal with.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15All right, Stan, you are doing really well. Well done.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- You'll feel a lot of muddling, OK?- Ow!- What's hurting?
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Where's it hurting, Stanley?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Stanley, where is it painful? Is it the lip?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Is it your lip? Your nose.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- Just relax, pal. - Stan has lost a lot of blood.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34They need to move quickly to get him to hospital.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He is showing signs of deteriorating.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40We will have you sat up in a minute.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42A drip is replacing lost blood
0:12:42 > 0:12:47but his injury is clearly making it harder for their patient to breathe.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- Sit up, Stan. - We are nearly there, OK?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Once we get you in the helicopter.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54All right, Stan, last ten yards
0:12:54 > 0:12:58and then we will keep you sat up bolt upright. OK?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Dales farmers need to be fit to work these hills,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07especially when, like Stan, they are in their 70s.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- That has helped him survive a terrible accident.- Two, three, lift.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13It was his determination that made him
0:13:13 > 0:13:15stagger to the roadside for help.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20His good fortune to be found by someone with medical training.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Are you all right there?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Yeah, very fortunate. Very proud of her today.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I just checked his radial pulse and checked that he was alert
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and knew what was happening. And then just sat with him,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34gave him comfort while we were waiting for the ambulance.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37There was not that much to do, when you don't have any equipment.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Just make sure he was all right.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- It has got to go another half an inch.- You are fine, you're fine.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45You're in. He has got quite significant max-fax injuries.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49He has torn his nostril from bottom right up to the bridge of his nose.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52His nose is quite significantly smashed and broken as well.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55He may have some Le Fort fractures in his face
0:13:55 > 0:13:57where his teeth on his maxilla are free-floating as well.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59There is significant blood loss with that.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So once Andy's suctioned him out a bit more to get rid of the blood,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04we're going to transfer him as quick as we can to Leeds.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- All right.- Stan, you're not falling.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08You can't go any further that way, mate,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11because there is a big thing in your way. We can't sit you back.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14When I get in, I am going to be holding you up.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Heli-med 98 is making way for the holiday traffic and heading
0:14:18 > 0:14:22back down the Wharfe Valley towards Leeds and the General Infirmary.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25If the speed of the helicopter was going to be used for anything,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29this is the kind of job that it comes into its own for, really.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31We need maximum speed to get him there because we are going to
0:14:31 > 0:14:35have difficulty with his airwaves if he starts to deteriorate on us.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37From the heart of the Dales
0:14:37 > 0:14:39to the centre of Yorkshire's biggest city
0:14:39 > 0:14:41takes just seven minutes.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43That's it, Stan, we have got you.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Drop that back. Keep going. Sit him as high as you can, lads. Hang on...
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Hello. I'm Daz, one of the paramedics. This is Stan.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57He has been ejected from a quad bike.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00He has gone down a 45-degree angle into a ditch and he has been
0:15:00 > 0:15:04ejected and smashed his face on what we think is the front of the bike.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05We have got a big C problem
0:15:05 > 0:15:08because he is bleeding quite significantly into his airway.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11We have got an airway problem because also we have got that blood in there.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Breathing difficulty because of that also,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15but he has remained emo stable while he has been with us.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19He has managed to crawl probably about 70 or 80m after coming
0:15:19 > 0:15:22off the bike to get back to the main road before somebody has found him.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24So he has been there some time.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Potentially now probably about a litre or more of blood
0:15:28 > 0:15:30that he has lost.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33For the heli-med crew, it is a short journey.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36For Stan, tough farmer though he is,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40this is just the beginning of a long road to recovery.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44He's taken to theatre for surgery.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Eventually he is sent home to the Dales,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51but several months later he still has difficulty speaking.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54One of the many casualties of the vehicle
0:15:54 > 0:15:58that is now the main form of transport for the moorland farmer.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Getting from A to B in some parts of Britain is easy.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08But if you live here in the north-east of England,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12one route dominates most road journeys.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14The A1(M), or the Great North Road,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18links the capital with Newcastle, Scotland and beyond.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21It is the region's only major motorway,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and for the heli-med team, it's a familiar destination.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Going to the A1(M) for reports of a car that has come off the motorway.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Obviously there's a driver,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and a one-year-old child in the car as well.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36As yet, we don't know anything more than that.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39The smash is in trees beside the motorway.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The car is invisible from the air,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45but ground units have already arrived.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Got it. Forward corner of the police car.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54OK, we will have to put it on the far side of the trees.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58- Happy with that?- Yes. 98 landing on scene.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02The hatchback clipped another car before it careered into the trees.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Now the driver is trapped inside.
0:17:05 > 0:17:0927-year-old Dean Brooke made a mistake that injures
0:17:09 > 0:17:12thousands of motorists every year.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15After his car came to a halt, he undid his seat belt
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and fell five feet onto the passenger door.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Is everyone out? Are there still people in there?
0:17:21 > 0:17:26- There is just one guy in there. There is only one casualty in there.- OK.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I believe he has just come off the carriageway,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31gone down into the tree, the car's on its side.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33He is in a bit of an awkward position.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34He has released his own seat belt
0:17:34 > 0:17:38so he has dropped down into the car but the car is on its side.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40He is lying against the side door and the roof.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He is upset initially because he has split from his girlfriend
0:17:43 > 0:17:46so he was already upset when he was driving. Then he has crashed.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48He has got pain on the right-hand side of his neck and the
0:17:48 > 0:17:53right-hand side of his chest and his right shoulder and his right knee.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55The firemen are going to take this side off and we will see...
0:17:55 > 0:17:59999 calls are often confused.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The one-year-old child reportedly involved in the accident
0:18:02 > 0:18:07was in the car clipped by the hatchback. Thankfully, he is unhurt.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I was driving and the first thing I saw was,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15I thought the guy was overtaking but he had left himself short.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And then he just spun round and just went straight into there.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24- Into the bottom there. - How are we doing, Dean? Dean?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26How are you doing?
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Paramedic John is concerned that Dean may have serious injuries,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34but until he is freed, it is hard to diagnose them.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38To make matters worse, his patient doesn't like needles.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40He is refusing to have a cannula.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The crash was witnessed by other motorists who stopped to help.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I went down the embankment,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and when we got down there he was unconscious.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55But he started to move his legs.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58So another guy was at the top of the embankment
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and I asked him to come down and we pulled the front screen out.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05And then we could talk to the gentleman
0:19:05 > 0:19:07who was trapped in his car.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13All right, Dean? I know you're fed up, aren't you? To say the least.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- But we can do our job best if you just help us out of it.- Yeah.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- All right? Do you feel tired?- Yeah.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Dean is also suffering from another condition
0:19:23 > 0:19:25that's a factor in many accidents.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28He is emotionally distressed.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31He said he had broken up with his girlfriend today and he was...
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I think he has been upset travelling up the motorway
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and he was concerned about the other car he had hit
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and were these people all right, as well.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Bit of noise, Dean, don't worry about it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Dean has borrowed his dad's car and now it is a write-off.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Because his rescuers fear he may have a spinal injury,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the roof must come off.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Brilliant, chaps.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Right, let's get a sheet on.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Another accident risk is worrying the police.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04The hard shoulder of the A1 is a dangerous place
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and, with vehicles roaring past at 70mph, good Samaritans
0:20:08 > 0:20:12and the emergency services are very vulnerable.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15We have shut lane one of the carriageway at the moment
0:20:15 > 0:20:17just to allow the emergency services some safe working area.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20We are trying to establish at the moment if the air ambulance
0:20:20 > 0:20:22is going to need to land on the carriageway,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25which will necessitate a complete carriageway closing.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I don't like needles either,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29but it's better than pain in your shoulder, isn't it?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Dean's artwork must have involved an awful lot of time
0:20:32 > 0:20:33in touch with a needle,
0:20:33 > 0:20:38but he'd still rather endure the pain than have intravenous drugs.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Hold on, Dean.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42Right, cheers.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Pretty good, really.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It's a bit steep down there, that's the problem with it.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48But I think he came out all right, no problem.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Ready, steady, up.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54HE GROANS That's it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Their patient is going to hospital by road.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58It's safer for everyone.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06The emotional effects of an accident can outlast the physical ones
0:21:06 > 0:21:07and, after his break-up,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Dean must face a difficult recovery without his long-term girlfriend.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19But Dean finds an unusual form of therapy.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24It is two months since the accident
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and Dean is making a fighting comeback.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'Three fractured ribs and a suspected dislocated shoulder.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'I was very fortunate not to receive any more injuries.'
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Dean admits it was a lapse of concentration that led to the crash.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And it turns out that splitting up with his girlfriend
0:21:43 > 0:21:45wasn't the only thing on his mind.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The day started off with me having a row with my girlfriend,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53which then obviously led to me being upset.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I was in contact with my mum.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I spoke to her about going and meeting her at Centre Parcs.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I thought they was at Sherwood Forest because that's the only place
0:22:01 > 0:22:04that I'd ever been at Centre Parcs with my mum and dad.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07So I drove all the way to Nottingham only to realise that they was
0:22:07 > 0:22:12in Penrith in the Lake District, which topped off a pretty bad day.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16'So I'm driving back quite emotional.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18'That obviously led to a lapse in concentration which then
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'led to the high-speed collision I was involved in.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It wasn't one of my proudest moments, let's put it that way.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Onwards and upwards, as they say.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28And Dean's no softie.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32He is now preparing for a cage-fighting competition.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40The rolling acres of North Yorkshire are a playground for thousands.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44From hill walking to golf, shooting to show jumping,
0:22:44 > 0:22:45someone will be doing it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48But few pastimes involve getting quite as close
0:22:48 > 0:22:50to the landscape as this.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56Motocross is a sport that is half biking, half flying.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00At speeds of around 80mph, riders are often launched
0:23:00 > 0:23:04up to 20 feet in the air by landscaped jumps.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09It's no wonder accidents are common and injuries can be serious.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12We're heading down to Doncaster in South Yorkshire
0:23:12 > 0:23:15to a motocross track in Osterfield,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19which is right next to Doncaster Robin Hood Airport.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23The accident's happened at a big jump near the start of the course.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Ground paramedics are treating the victim
0:23:26 > 0:23:29but driving him out of here would be agonising.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33If you imagine the amount of forces required to break that bone,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36you then start thinking it's probably a serious impact
0:23:36 > 0:23:38that the body's gone through.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The heli-med team is used to being called to this track.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It attracts riders from all over the North and Midlands.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Sadly, we see it a lot.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Age varies, cos there's kiddies from four and five-year-olds
0:23:49 > 0:23:54riding Motocross nowadays, right up to middle age as well
0:23:54 > 0:23:57so, yeah, we've got a varied range and we've seen it quite a lot.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Teenage rider Ryan Watson is in severe pain.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Paramedics fear he has broken his thigh bone
0:24:03 > 0:24:06after coming off his bike in mid-air.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Going over this, they're jumping 15 foot in the air.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- He landed and then bounced again. - Toppled the bike.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13The bike followed on.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18He's stopped there and the bike carried on and ended up in the burn.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24- Hi.- Hello. What do they call you? - Ryan.- Ryan.- Ryan.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27He's gone over the top of the bike.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28He said he was going at some speed
0:24:28 > 0:24:31cos he's an expert or something, so...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Ryan is 19 and a motorcycle mechanic.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38He drove more than 50 miles from his home in Nottingham to compete today.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Now it seems his season is over.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Right, Ryan, I'm just going to have a listen to your chest.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I want you to take some big, deep breaths for me, all right?
0:24:46 > 0:24:49He came over this here which is got quite a high kick on it
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and he came down probably nose-heavy
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and sort of just tumbled over, flipped over a couple of times
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and landed down here. His bike landed over there.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59So, head's OK. He'd still got his helmet on.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Yeah, he had his helmet on. I took that off.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Right, I'm just going to lift your foot up, all right?
0:25:05 > 0:25:06HE WHIMPERS
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Where did that hurt?- My hip. - Your hip.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Nothing in the middle of your leg?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- No.- You can feel me touching and it's not hurting.- No.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Ryan's broken his collarbone
0:25:15 > 0:25:19but paramedic Matt is not sure about his leg.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20Feels like my leg's in the wrong place.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23His pain seems to be further up.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26He suspects his patient has a broken pelvis.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Now I've examined it, I'm not sure about his femur.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33The lack of pain in his leg confirms Matt's suspicions.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34How's that pain now, Ryan?
0:25:34 > 0:25:38This device will prevent broken pieces of bone moving
0:25:38 > 0:25:39and damaging internal organs.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42It is a common problem with pelvic fractures.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Right, Ryan?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Keep going with that gas and air. I'm going to pull this quite tight.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's probably going to hurt, OK? But it needs to be tight.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54The pain should slowly go away when it tightens up. Do you understand?
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Do you want to hold on to that? Which is your bad arm?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It takes a lot of force to break the pelvis,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03especially in a fit teenager.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05But Ryan's fallen a long way
0:26:05 > 0:26:09and the team can't rule out further serious injuries.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10How does that feel now?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12More comfortable now we've stopped moving you?
0:26:12 > 0:26:13HE GROANS
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Yeah?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Chances are it's either a dislocation or some kind of fracture.- Yeah.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21The right leg is splaying out slightly. No swelling there.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The plan is to fly Ryan to the Northern General Hospital
0:26:26 > 0:26:30in Sheffield, but it's a difficult walk across rough terrain
0:26:30 > 0:26:33to reach the chopper. They'll need volunteers.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Use your left arm and hold on to your right one for me.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39There'll be some more of us then, won't there?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Can we get a few at either side, guys?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- Did anybody see him as soon as he'd come of?- Yeah.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Were he talking to you straightaway?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Ryan is an up-and-coming rider in a risky sport and he always knew
0:26:52 > 0:26:55today's event could end like this.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57All right, Ryan? Are you all right?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00That doesn't make the pain any easier to bear.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Heli-med 99. Just left the scene. En route to Northern General.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Approximately eight minutes. Over.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11'99. Yeah. Roger that, Matt. Many thanks.'
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Heli-med 99. We are on the ground at Northern General. Over.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Ryan is now minutes from X-rays and scans.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28We've had lots of pain relief on board.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30He's calmed down a lot en route.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Beauty of this one is we had to get him comfortable before we even
0:27:33 > 0:27:37thought about moving him, especially with the rough terrain of the track.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40But I think he's going to miss tomorrow. Not sure.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42If it is fractured, he could be out for a good few months
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and then, with some rehabilitation, a couple months after that.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48So it might be another six months out of it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51And doctors confirm Matt's diagnosis.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54He has fractured his pelvis.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57His injury keeps him out of the saddle for the rest of the season.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But he's determined to return to his high-speed sport
0:28:00 > 0:28:03as soon as his hip has healed.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Back in North Yorkshire, the fight to free farm worker Darren Taylor
0:28:16 > 0:28:20from his potato-picking machine is reaching its climax.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Right, what I want to be careful of is that leg that is over
0:28:23 > 0:28:27the bar there. If it's open. We need to be ready with any tourniquets.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Could you get a thermometer, cos he's been here a while,
0:28:30 > 0:28:31and find out how cold he is?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34The last thing I want him to start is getting hypothermia as well.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Flying doctor Andy Pountney has been monitoring Darren's condition.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42The rollers have just been cut out that his legs
0:28:42 > 0:28:45had gone between and his arm had gone between.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47So at the moment, he's still kind of in the machinery
0:28:47 > 0:28:49but he's not actually physically pinned any more
0:28:49 > 0:28:52so he's going to have some very extensive injuries to his legs
0:28:52 > 0:28:55which we'll assess once he's down to the floor.
0:28:55 > 0:28:56When you're crushed for any length of time,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58when you're released, you can
0:28:58 > 0:29:01suddenly get a lot of poisonous products released from the tissues
0:29:01 > 0:29:04into the bloodstream and that can be a very serious problem.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Darren's been heavily sedated but moving his crushed limbs from
0:29:08 > 0:29:13the rollers that have held him for nearly two hours will be agonising.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14I'm just going to give him
0:29:14 > 0:29:17a last shot of ketamine before we shift him.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21- All right. Fair enough.- This will make it... This will be 50.- Yeah.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29He is free at last.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Put his belt line on the top of there, yeah?
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Well done. Now we just have to get you sorted on here
0:29:35 > 0:29:37and we'll get you off, all right? Won't be too long.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41But Darren's not responding to his rescuers.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Darren? Darren? Darren?
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Look at me. Darren?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Get going, lads. Right, slide.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50There's no time to waste.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It'll be easier to revive him on the ground.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54If you just walk down.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Walk either side of the stretcher. Yeah. Walk down. Just walk down.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02But, slowly, Darren starts to respond.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06For paramedic Graham Pemberton, it's a moment of relief.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09He has been caring for Darren, reassuring him
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and encouraging him for an hour.
0:30:11 > 0:30:12I'm assuming you've been told about
0:30:12 > 0:30:15this trapped patient that we are bringing in.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16He's out of the harvester now.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19We're just about to load him onto the helicopter.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24His injuries-wise, he's got significant partial amputations
0:30:24 > 0:30:32to his left arm below the elbow, his right ankle and has left thigh.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36There is significant tissue damage to his left thigh.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37You all right?
0:30:37 > 0:30:40This rescue has affected Graham deeply.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Just keep walking. Keep walking.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45He has got life-changing injuries there.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49He is almost certainly going to lose two, maybe possibly three limbs
0:30:49 > 0:30:52there at varying degrees.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56It's shocking, really, but, you know, these things happen.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00- Feed it in.- Don't put the weight all on the end of the stretcher for me.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03He'll survive it, or should survive it, but it's just going to be,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06like I say, life-changing injuries.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08And he's only 44. So it's sad.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12HE MUMBLES
0:31:12 > 0:31:14What's wrong, mate?
0:31:14 > 0:31:18- Pain.- Pain? I know. I know.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We've pretty much given you as much as we can, though, mate.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26- Just go back a little bit. - Looking clear. Clear to the left.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Wires, short wires across there.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Darren is being flown the ten miles to Leeds and its trauma unit.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Heli-med 99 will be there in just over five minutes.
0:31:38 > 0:31:4299. Lifted scene. En route LGI. 99, over.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48The friction caused by the machine's powerful rollers has burned his legs
0:31:48 > 0:31:51making his crush injuries even harder to treat.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53The team knows his outlook is bleak.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58- They were cauterised.- Yes. Horrible wounds.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01They've been cauterised by the machinery.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03The rollers have continued rolling
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and the friction cauterised the flesh.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09It stopped him bleeding to death,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11but dead tissue, he's going to lose one.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14He's going to lose that lower leg.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17He's going to lose his left leg from the hip down.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22He'll probably lose his lower right leg and his lower left arm.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25The trauma team at the Leeds General Infirmary has called in
0:32:25 > 0:32:29orthopaedic surgeons to assess his wounds immediately.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33There is little prospect Darren's legs can be saved.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36But there's a chance he will retain his left arm.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41He and his rescuers will find out in the next ten minutes.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Heli-med 98...
0:32:47 > 0:32:52No matter how urgent the emergency, the calming presence of Captain Ian
0:32:52 > 0:32:57makes sure the heli-med team gets to its patient safely.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01He learnt to fly in the Army and he brings military precision
0:33:01 > 0:33:04as well as a cheeky sense of humour to the cockpit.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09We've got one going around and one downwind.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13We've got the one going around. Lift after him.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Today's case involves a teenage girl badly hurt
0:33:16 > 0:33:19after a fall in remote Rosedale.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22INDISTINCT
0:33:22 > 0:33:24..when this shout came in.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28INDISTINCT
0:33:28 > 0:33:30..You mean you was having a cup of coffee?
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Yes.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34We know little about the incident
0:33:34 > 0:33:37other than a patient has fallen from a height unknown
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and they've got some form of otoneurololgy -
0:33:40 > 0:33:43they're not able to feel their lower limbs.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47We don't know if there's anybody on the scene yet.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51I could do with finding out. This road going across is this road here.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54We've only got two miles to run.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59That's what I mean - over the top of this hill there.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Ground paramedics are treating a teenager found confused
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and in pain by a road near her home.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- There's a crew there, ambulance at one o'clock.- Yeah, visual.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Landing in the heart of the North York Moors demands care.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17From the local wildlife to low-flying RAF jets,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Ian must take every hazard into account.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25If he moves out of the way, I will land somewhere near there.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28But the team doesn't know one of its pilot's other skills
0:34:28 > 0:34:30is about to come in handy.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37A 16-year-old lass called Grace, taken a tumble while running.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40She's clearly lost her consciousness, lower back pain,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- and she's no feeling from her right...- OK.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46No worries.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- How are you doing? Hello.- Hello. - Hello, Grace.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- GRACE: Hi.- She's been running and she was found right in at the side
0:34:51 > 0:34:55of the track by neighbours who use this road.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57She wasn't unconscious when they arrived
0:34:57 > 0:35:00but she wasn't totally with it at all.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03In terms of your leg, whereabouts do you lose complete feeling?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06If I were to work my way up your leg...
0:35:06 > 0:35:09If the team's patient looks familiar, that is
0:35:09 > 0:35:15because she has needed them before. This was Grace five years ago.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17She hurt herself when she slipped
0:35:17 > 0:35:19on an ice slide in the school playground.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Doctors could find little wrong with her,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26but the accident was to be the start of a chronic problem with her leg.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28All right, we'll get you loaded onto the aircraft.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30We'll get you some gas and air on the aircraft.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32It will be a short flight to hospital.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35It will be a lot better. It will be at least an hour on the road.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40There is nothing to worry about. It's nice and smooth. It's very safe.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44- We don't fly very high. We've got some experience.- I can't see, can I?
0:35:44 > 0:35:47- No, you can't.- That's OK, then. - You'll just see the roof.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56The team is trying to keep Grace's spirits up.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00- Am I going to have somebody in the back with me?- Certainly.- Good.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04She is a nervous flyer, but her rescuers don't find out
0:36:04 > 0:36:07how nervous until she gets to Heli-med 98.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11I can't. I can't fly. I can't do it. I can't fly.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13SHE SOBS
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Do you want to come round and just have a chat with her, Grandma?
0:36:17 > 0:36:18You can go as a familiar face.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20GRACE SOBS
0:36:20 > 0:36:24Listen to me. Just keep calm. You'll be absolutely fine.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Captain Ian is not used to nervous passengers.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30But his diplomatic skills soon bring Grace back down to Earth.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34- You are a frequent traveller with the Air Ambulance, are you?- No.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- I flew to Florida.- All right. - So if you're going to assure me
0:36:38 > 0:36:41you're flying a lot lower than then, we'll be happy.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45- We will be a lot lower than that. How about we compromise?- OK.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47I'll give you 500 feet.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- How's that?- That's... No. - That's low.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54That's the lowest he can go.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58- Trust me.- But we're not going to be anywhere near the clouds?- No.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Trust me, I'm a pilot.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Ian prides himself on his smooth flying.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11But few of his patients are as sensitive as Grace.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14He'll be making sure there are no sudden changes of course
0:37:14 > 0:37:18on the short flight to the James Cook Hospital.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- Then we will do a gentle left turn. - Yes, clear left.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25We'll keep smooth.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30She's got some back pain now. Whether or not that's exacerbated
0:37:30 > 0:37:33an old injury which is causing a reoccurrence of this
0:37:33 > 0:37:37or this is completely separate and an isolated new incident,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40the only way they will be able to accurately tell
0:37:40 > 0:37:42is to get the patient checked over and assessed in A&E.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47The last time the heli-med team was called to Grace, her injury
0:37:47 > 0:37:50was not serious enough to fly her.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53But it's hoped tests will now get to the bottom of
0:37:53 > 0:37:55the recurring problem with her legs.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Happily, she is soon on her way back home to the Moors.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Grace is yet another patient from the countryside who has been
0:38:09 > 0:38:14able to enjoy big-city hospital care within minutes of an accident.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17The heli-med team covers 6,000 square miles,
0:38:17 > 0:38:22much of it moorland and dale, but thanks to its two helicopters,
0:38:22 > 0:38:27no-one in Yorkshire is more than 20 minutes from a major trauma centre.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32And sometimes speed alone can save the life of a patient.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37At Leeds General Infirmary, farm worker Darren Taylor is about to be
0:38:37 > 0:38:41assessed by orthopaedic surgeons.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43It's just 15 minutes since he was released from
0:38:43 > 0:38:48the potato-picking machine that crushed both his legs and an arm.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51This is Darren.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Half past six this morning he fell into a potato harvesting machine,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59on the top of it. His legs have gone through the roller, and one arm.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I've no concerns about his C spine.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05The mechanism would suggest he's gone in limbs lower first.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- And it's just caught him and stopped. - Right.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Injuries-wise he's got,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13if you look here, that arm there below the elbow.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15- OK.- This round his pelvis...
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Doctors find that friction burns to the bones of Darren's legs
0:39:20 > 0:39:23means there is no alternative but to amputate them.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28He undergoes an operation lasting several hours.
0:39:28 > 0:39:34Then infection sets in and he spends several weeks in intensive care.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But slowly he recovers.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41You work on them machines all the time. It's second nature.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45But this particular day I just slipped and it got me.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49'I could hear fire engines coming. They came.'
0:39:49 > 0:39:53And then I heard somebody saying, "All right, Daz, I'm here.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54"We'll get you out."
0:39:54 > 0:39:57And then obviously it was the lads from Grimme.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00It was the maintenance engineers who serviced Darren's picking machine
0:40:00 > 0:40:03who probably saved his life.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08Despite the stress of seeing his terrible injuries they dismantled
0:40:08 > 0:40:12a series of rollers trapping his legs in little over an hour.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14It's a job that normally takes three.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19- How are you?- Yeah.- Hey up.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23And today they've come to visit the man they saved.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27'I presumed he'd be stuck in some manner,'
0:40:27 > 0:40:31but not what I was actually faced with when I got there.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34'I looked under the machine and I saw an arm sticking through.'
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I thought, "Right, I know what I need to do,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40"let's just get on and just do it.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43"Let's just treat this like a normal job."
0:40:43 > 0:40:47'We started taking the machine apart, nuts and bolts, and then we got'
0:40:47 > 0:40:50to the point where we cut the machine because it would be faster.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52One of the firemen asked me
0:40:52 > 0:40:56if I was OK and I said. "I'll be fine, let's get Darren out
0:40:56 > 0:41:00"of this machine and then I'll worry about what's going to happen next."
0:41:00 > 0:41:04'They tried many methods of their own to get Darren out'
0:41:04 > 0:41:09and none of their tools were made for the job of handling thick steel,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12which is what the harvester is made of.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14'I was just concentrating on this arm. I thought, "That's it.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16'"He's just got his arm stuck."
0:41:16 > 0:41:19'Then I turned round and saw two legs sticking through the machine'
0:41:19 > 0:41:25and that's when it really...got me going and got the heart racing.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26I thought, "Right we need to do this quick
0:41:26 > 0:41:29because obviously this is pretty bad.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31'After he was put in the helicopter
0:41:31 > 0:41:35'and he'd taken off, then it hits home what you saw.'
0:41:35 > 0:41:37It was tough afterwards, but it's better now
0:41:37 > 0:41:41and it's a lot better from seeing Darren today as well.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Seeing how he's getting on with it.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46'If Darren can get on with it then we definitely can.'
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Even the paramedics and firefighters
0:41:49 > 0:41:52were upset about Darren's predicament,
0:41:52 > 0:41:53but the man himself
0:41:53 > 0:41:57remains remarkably positive about the future.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02'I'm 44 and I've got a little boy and two daughters.'
0:42:02 > 0:42:07We live in a really lovely place. At the end of the day I'm here.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09I could have been a lot worse.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14My arm was badly damaged near the elbow so they've made it
0:42:14 > 0:42:18so I don't have an elbow no more. And plates.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20My hand isn't working yet,
0:42:20 > 0:42:27but they're pretty sure they can get at least some back into it.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32I lost my left leg and lost my right leg.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37Obviously I don't like it, but they're not going to grow back
0:42:37 > 0:42:38as long as I sit here.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42I'm going to have to stay in a wheelchair till they do my leg,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44but once I get my legs...
0:42:44 > 0:42:48I want to be back on a tractor by April if I can.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52And I'm sure if willpower is anything to do with it,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54that's exactly what Darren will do.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58And I'm happy to tell you some good news has come out of his story.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01The engineers who helped save his life are now teaching
0:43:01 > 0:43:03firefighters how to deal with similar accidents
0:43:03 > 0:43:08in the future using lessons learned from Darren's dramatic rescue.