0:00:03 > 0:00:07When the people of rural Yorkshire dial 999,
0:00:07 > 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 > 0:00:17but if you're seriously injured in a landscape as gigantic as this,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19your life is on the line.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23But in the remotest parts of Britain's biggest county,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25they look to the skies for help.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Look on your left, Matt.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30- Can you get in that grass field on the left?- Yes, mate, go for that.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34From high drama in the Peaks to high waters in the Dales,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38the Helimed team's at the heart of almost every rescue.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Bringing 21st-century medicine
0:00:40 > 0:00:44to some of Britain's most isolated communities
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and saving lives against the odds.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Today on Helicopter Heroes... There's a crash in the attic.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02He's got c-spine tenderness and some pain around his pelvis.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And the team faces a lofty rescue.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08We're going to take the patient out on a platform
0:01:08 > 0:01:10rather than try and go down the stairs.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Firefighters turn a good Samaritan's hatchback into a convertible.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Never mind. It's only a car. She's safe.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20A glider crashes.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I thought to myself, "That's not right. Too low."
0:01:23 > 0:01:24And a holiday-maker is injured
0:01:24 > 0:01:27beneath the white cliffs of Yorkshire.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31She slipped off one of the boulders and fell with her back onto them.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41The Pennines are England's backbone.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46270 miles of solid rock towering up to almost 3,000 feet
0:01:46 > 0:01:50separating one side of the country from the other.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53There's still only one motorway across them.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Every day, they present challenges for the emergency services.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59The towns of the high Pennines
0:01:59 > 0:02:02were the silicon valley of Victorian times.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The canals and mills brought wealth to these hills.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09But today, a different boom is under way.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13House prices are soaring as wealthy commuters from the big cities
0:02:13 > 0:02:16of Leeds and Manchester move in.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18But the steep hills and tight terraces
0:02:18 > 0:02:23make towns like Todmorden a tricky place for the Helimed team.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27We've been requested by a crew in an RV on scene of a detail
0:02:27 > 0:02:29just in Todmorden.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33It's a patient that's fallen through a loft hatch
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and is now having some difficulty breathing.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38In the streets of the Calder Valley,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41an unusual rescue operation is under way.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I'll go down to have a look.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The accident has happened in a three-storey house.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50"The fire brigade has also been requested.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54"Possibility the patient will be coming out of a third-floor window.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57"Repeat, third-floor window. Over."
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- This is the only one. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Pilot Andy Hall is forced to find a park some distance
0:03:06 > 0:03:07from the team's patient.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09And it's at times like this
0:03:09 > 0:03:13paramedics like Sam must turn hitchhiker.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17That's brilliant. Thanks very much for your help, mate. Appreciate it.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Right up on the third floor. - Right up.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24This is why the team's going to have its work cut out rescuing the patient.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Two steep flights of stairs
0:03:26 > 0:03:29will be tricky to negotiate with a stretcher.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- Hi, guys.- Hiya.- Hiya.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38He's fallen out. He's feeling pain in his hips at the moment,
0:03:38 > 0:03:44his, er...left shoulder and elbow. Anywhere else?
0:03:44 > 0:03:4760-year-old Gregory Barber was working in his loft
0:03:47 > 0:03:50when he fell 12 feet to the floor below.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53He's in severe pain and ground paramedics fear
0:03:53 > 0:03:55he may have a spinal injury.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Hello, sir. All right?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Are you allergic to any medication at all?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Only one antibiotic.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Just one antibiotic. Have you ever had morphine in the past?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- Loads of morphine, yeah.- Excellent.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Have you ever had ketamine in the past?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Ketamine?- Ketamine.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- If you've not heard of it, you probably haven't.- No.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19RADIO: "What's he looking like?"
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Yeah, he's got c-spine tenderness and some pain around his pelvis.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27So I'd like to fly him if we can,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31but we're waiting on an ETA from the fire service.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34If they don't hurry up, we're going to be limited for oxygen,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36so I'm aware we are chasing daylight.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41It's essential Gregory remains immobilised on a spinal stretcher,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44which means that he's going to have to take the short way
0:04:44 > 0:04:46down to the ambulance, through the window.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Because there are so many storeys and they're such narrow houses,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54the stairwells themselves are really compact to fit in.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Which is fine if you're fit and able to walk up and down stairs,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00but if you've got a patient who's very poorly through a medical or trauma problem,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03trying to get them out of the house is quite difficult.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The fire service have turned up,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08but whether or not they can get their lifting device up to us.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10The patient is nearly packaged,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14so we are trying, but again, we'll keep you in the loop, mate.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Local firefighters are used to the problems posed
0:05:17 > 0:05:22by the three and four-storey houses that commuters find so attractive.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But this rescue will be a tall order.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29The vehicle's got to be out by 25 past.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The brigade will be using their hydraulic platforms
0:05:34 > 0:05:36to lower Gregory to the ground.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39We're going to take the patient out on a platform rather than try
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and go down the stairs because it will be safer for him.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Because he's quite a tall patient, it'll be awkward for us
0:05:45 > 0:05:47to get him around the twisting staircase.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49So that's the plan at the moment.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53For paramedic Sam, there's a more pressing problem.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It's late afternoon and night is drawing in.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00We have to leave the hospital prior to last light.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So we've only got about 45 minutes to get the patient to the hospital,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05or we'll have to leave scene and the aircraft will have to go
0:06:05 > 0:06:07and he'll have to travel in by road.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And obviously, with a patient who's got potential for significant internal injuries,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15a road transfer is more risky than a transfer by air.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Cheers, guys.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20You don't need to go to the gym later on.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It's all done. It's all sorted.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Thanks to the speed of the local firefighters,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Gregory catches his flight to Leeds General Infirmary
0:06:29 > 0:06:31with minutes to spare.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"99 on LGI, over."
0:06:36 > 0:06:39But his rapid journey to hospital
0:06:39 > 0:06:42is followed by a long, slow recovery.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44As well as a punctured lung,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47he has several broken bones, including his pelvis,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and it's months before he's fit to climb into his loft again.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00For the people of rural North Yorkshire,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03country life can be a lonely existence.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08But when summer comes, people leave their farms
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and get together for the country show season.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18With its coiffured cows and pampered pigs,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20competition is fierce.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24And for the farming community, it's the most sociable time of year.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Nowhere is the friendly rivalry more fierce
0:07:28 > 0:07:30than in the showjumping ring,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34which is what will be keeping Helimed 98 busy today.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Follow this train line all the way up to Darlington.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43We've been passed a job by our pals
0:07:43 > 0:07:46at the Great North Air Ambulance up in the north-east.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So somebody's fallen from a horse up there,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52seems to have some reasonably serious injuries.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55So they've asked if we can go and assist.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57SIRENS WAIL
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Near the town of Spennymoor, firefighters have been scrambled
0:08:00 > 0:08:03to an unusual emergency.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06An injured horse rider sitting in a car.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Right, 26-year-old Helen.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11she's been thrown off a horse, probably about eight-foot high.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Landed on her right side, from the photograph I've seen.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17She's got severe thoracic tenderness.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22It may look like a car crash, but this vehicle was totally undamaged,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26until the injured rider was given a lift in it.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Some well-meaning Samaritans decided to bring her over
0:08:32 > 0:08:35into the yard in this car.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Normally, cars that get cut up
0:08:37 > 0:08:40are ones that have been in an accident, they're already damaged.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43In this case, there was nothing wrong with the car at all,
0:08:43 > 0:08:49until all these guys turned up and basically have reduced it to scrap.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52When patients are suspected of having back injuries,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55one wrong move can paralyse them for life.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Which is why ground paramedics asked the fire brigade to move in.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03She'd fallen off her horse and she'd made her way to the car
0:09:03 > 0:09:09and the owner of the car, she said, "Lean on the car, get a rest."
0:09:09 > 0:09:11But the lady got inside her car.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Later on, she discovered she's got back injuries,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17spine injuries, then we got called, obviously, to take the roof off,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20take the car apart and then get it on the long board.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- That one's all right, yeah?- Yeah.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28The owner of the car is remarkably philosophical
0:09:28 > 0:09:31for a woman whose good turn could cost her
0:09:31 > 0:09:34hundreds of pounds in lost no claims.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I brought my car around so that she could use my car to stand up on.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41She climbed in my car and I brought her up here for first aid treatment.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44And then the paramedic came out and decided they were cutting the roof of my car off.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47But never mind, it's only a car. She's safe.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Helen? Hello. My name's Al.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I'm a paramedic on the helicopter. How are you feeling?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- I've got a pain in my back. - A pain in your back? OK.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Have you got pain anywhere else?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01The team's patient is Helen Mercer.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03She was jumping a fence in the show ring
0:10:03 > 0:10:05when she came off her horse.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If you have a look at the way we've put it back together,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12if you squint, it doesn't look too bad, does it?
0:10:12 > 0:10:13I mean...
0:10:15 > 0:10:18What do you reckon? Do you think we'll get away with that?
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- No, maybe not.- I bet you'll think twice about doing that again, won't you?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I know I shouldn't do. I fell off in the front field.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Did you?- Last July.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31They lifted me up and put me in a car. I can't remember any of it.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34They said, "If we can't get her out, we'll have to cut the roof off."
0:10:34 > 0:10:36But they managed to get me out.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40There's the car written off, so...there's a lesson.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48TANNOY: Hello, everyone.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Welcome to the Seagold Centurion Equestrian Centre.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58It's three months since one of the ambulance service's most expensive rescues
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and horsewoman Helen is back in the saddle.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04She's fully recovered from her fall, but not the embarrassment
0:11:04 > 0:11:08of the third-party damage her injury caused.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12The lady judging the class came over and asked
0:11:12 > 0:11:16if I could get up to leave the arena and I told her I was unable to.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I did feel OK, I didn't initially feel any pain,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22but I was winded, I was struggling to catch my breath.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So she asked if I would get into her car because I was causing
0:11:25 > 0:11:28a little bit of a distraction for the other classes that were going on.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And she came over and assisted me into her car to take me to the yard
0:11:31 > 0:11:33so that I could be seen by a first aider.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I had pains going down my shoulders, all down my ribcage,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39right through the middle of my chest.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It was really quite painful.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I was panicking. I tried to climb out of the car myself
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and they restrained me, stopped me from getting out of the car.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51I was more worried about the car than I was myself at the time.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Because she'd tried to help me to get me to a first aider
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and now she was getting her car roof cut off
0:11:58 > 0:12:02because I'd climbed into the car with her.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06To add insult to injury, it turned out Helen's spine wasn't damaged,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but she did have other serious injuries.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Not that they kept her out of the saddle for long.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I'd cracked the top two ribs that were attached to the sternum.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I'd bruised my spleen and my lungs.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Lower back pain, I had shoulder pain and neck pain.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28I was in hospital for three days, but as a determined rider,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I was adamant that I was getting back in the saddle ASAP.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37I strapped myself up with plenty of painkillers and lots of patches
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and I was actually back on the horse within a week.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Helen is still on speaking terms with the car's owner,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48but both will be careful how much assistance
0:12:48 > 0:12:51they give fallen riders in the future.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55And in their sport, there's often a casualty in need.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Do you need a hand?
0:13:04 > 0:13:09The North York Moors plunge nearly a thousand feet into the Vale of York
0:13:09 > 0:13:11at a landmark called Sutton Bank.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16It's a dramatic cliff face that attracts some unusual visitors.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22This is a Mecca for glider pilots.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Soaring into the sky and using invisible thermals to stay aloft.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And today, a national competition is under way.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34But one competitor is in trouble.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38We're just going to Northallerton
0:13:38 > 0:13:40for a glider that may well have crashed.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42We've been told it's come down,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45but we don't really have many more details.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's a very busy glider day. There's a competition at Sutton Bank.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51We've got 20-odd gliders flying there
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and around nine gliders flying at Tockwith itself,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57so it could be any one of those nearly 30 gliders.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01But first, they have got to find their patient.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- All right, that's your intersection. - Yep.- There. It's there.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09So we're looking somewhere in that light-coloured field in front of us.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13That's the other road running up. So it should be down below.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15That's the farm down below.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- That's not it there? - Yeah, it is, yeah.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- I'd say that's a little bit broken. - 98 overhead.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- Is it?- "Yeah, roger."
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Hello, there. How are you doing? - SIREN WAILS
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Had better days?
0:14:35 > 0:14:39The pilot is trapped in the crumpled wreckage of the aircraft.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Paramedic Graham Pemberton can see the patient has a broken ankle,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47but it's the injuries he can't see that are most worrying him.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So, it's just pain in your chest?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52The glider has an emergency locator beacon
0:14:52 > 0:14:55which sends out a radio signal
0:14:55 > 0:14:58allowing emergency services to home in on a crash.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Now it's electronic chirps are just a nuisance.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- SIREN STOPS - Thank God for that!
0:15:04 > 0:15:06She can't remember coming down,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09so that suggests she's clattered her head quite hard.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13So we'll work on the principle that until proven otherwise,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15she's banged her head quite significantly.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17So we'll do the whole full immobilisation
0:15:17 > 0:15:21and fly her up to James Cook so she can have a full works up there.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25The pilot was found by a farming family who live nearby.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29They kept the patient's spirits up until the Helimed team arrived.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I watched it come round and I thought to myself,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36"That's not right. Too low." and I heard it crash.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39And I just ran over here and she was talking to me and everything,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43so she was... Poor lady's very in shock, I think.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And just rang the ambulance, basically.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49There's not a lot left to it, is there? Complete mess.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Just an update. Basically, we're still waiting for the fire service.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56They seem to have got delayed or lost.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00We're doing everything we can, but we're stuck until they arrive, over.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04The accident site's remote and hard to find on the ground.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The team needs firefighters and their cutting gear.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12There's a spring just there, look, Pete. It might come out.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15If you look...just there, look, there's a spring.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21If you unhook the spring, it might... Oh, no, maybe not.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- That's a pedal, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26My experience says that everything's OK
0:16:26 > 0:16:30until we start messing around with it and then suddenly, it's like,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32"Oh, no, I wish I'd had some more pain relief!"
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The fire service is having to hitch a lift,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39but its cutters make short work of the cables
0:16:39 > 0:16:41trapping the pilot in her cockpit.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Fabulous! You put that one across the top of her foot.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48This one across the top of this.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Helimed pilot Chris is calling the glider club
0:16:51 > 0:16:53to let them know about the crash.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55The pilot's been missing for an hour.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59I've managed to get hold of the gliding club there eventually
0:16:59 > 0:17:02just to confirm it was one of their tail numbers, so...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Yeah, I believe so.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07They're trying to find her husband and update him on what's going on.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09The plane that launched the glider
0:17:09 > 0:17:11has come to see how the flight ended.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I think that's that guy out of Sutton Bank just come to have a look.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Chris? How long to James Cook?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Ten minutes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Ten minutes. Ready, steady and lift.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Hello, there. We'll be arriving with you about 1405.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38Thank you.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Their patient is being flown direct to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47where scans and X-rays will reveal the extent of the injuries.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Gliding is actually a relatively safe form of flying
0:17:51 > 0:17:56and most accidents happen when pilots are trying to land in fields.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Low and slow, they're vulnerable to stalling
0:17:58 > 0:18:01when the airflow over the wings simply isn't fast enough
0:18:01 > 0:18:04to generate lift.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Just lifted on scene and en route to James Cook.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09If you're happy, we'll go straight to Durham on the way back.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The injured pilot's on final approach to A&E.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16This isn't how anyone expected the gliding competition to end.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Doctors here at the James Cook Hospital
0:18:20 > 0:18:23will subject the team's patient to exhaustive tests,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26but it could be some time, if ever,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30before the pilot's able to take the controls again.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Flamborough Head on the wild North Sea coast of Yorkshire
0:18:39 > 0:18:42boasts Britain's other white cliffs.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47These towering rock faces are home to millions of sea birds.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But for seafarers, this coastline with its submerged stacks
0:18:51 > 0:18:56and unpredictable tides has always been a dangerous place.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00And today, the coastguard has called on the ambulance service for help.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03We're on our way to the seaside.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08We're going to Flamborough Head, just to the north there.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Sounds like somebody's taken a bit of a tumble down the cliffs there.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16There's crew on scene concerned he might have a spinal injury.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- Is it a steep climb?- Yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22On the grid, not on the beach.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24He just said they were going to get the crew and the patient
0:19:24 > 0:19:27to the RRV point for the coastguard to land for pick-up.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Always a bit careful landing on beaches,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32especially if the tide's coming in.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34If we have a problem with the aircraft,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36it can end up floating away.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I've got a visual with the RRV on your...
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Oh, yeah. Right on the top there.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Pilot Andy Lister's a former Royal Navy officer
0:19:45 > 0:19:48who's very familiar with the risks of landing on beaches.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- No beach?- Oh, no, there's no beach at all.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53There's a yellow, almost like an orange thing out.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54- Do you think that's...?- Yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Oh, yeah, there's a man with a yellow thing on, as well there.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- Waving at me. - I can't see the patient anywhere.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03- Shall I just put it down here?- Yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Yeah, we've got the path closed
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and they're bringing the casualty up as we speak.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15The casualty is a tourist who was exploring the rock pools
0:20:15 > 0:20:19when her dog pulled her off her feet. She landed awkwardly.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22We're just wondering whether it would be easier for us to go down there.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Do you think you can land in that bowl there, Andy?
0:20:25 > 0:20:27No.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29They're on the way now.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Now they've made the decision
0:20:30 > 0:20:33to convey the casualty up to the helicopter,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35it probably makes best sense to stay where we are.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Beach landings can be hazardous.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40So the patient's being brought up to the Helimed team
0:20:40 > 0:20:43on the cliff top by coastguards.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Does he need a hand?- I bet it's that way and the short way is this way.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48What's happened?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- There's a lot of boulders, big boulders down there.- Yeah.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53She was walking her dog and her dog pulled her.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57She slipped off one of the boulders and fell with her back onto them.
0:20:57 > 0:21:03- Right.- She's complaining of quite severe back pain.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- She's had 20 milligram of morphine. - Right.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Which has brought her pain score down to about six, she says.- OK.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Most Coastguards are now part-time volunteers.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Many have turned out from home today to help in the rescue.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- We'll just put her down on the floor here.- OK.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Victoria Edwards, from Castleford, has an ankle injury,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29but it's feared she may also have injured her spine.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Can I get a little look at her legs?
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Can you feel that?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38WEAKLY: Yeah.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40- Yeah? How about that? - No.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41You can't? Feel that?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Yeah.- You can. OK.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Can you feel me touching your toe?
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- No. - Wiggle your toes for me?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- SOFTLY:- OK.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Victoria's accident has ruined her holiday
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and she's in considerable pain.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Ready, steady, slide.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01VICTORIA GROANS
0:22:01 > 0:22:04She lost her footing,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05banged her leg on a rock
0:22:05 > 0:22:11and then her shoulder and her back on big boulders.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15She just went straight down.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Couldn't get her back up.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19VICTORIA GASPS IN PAIN
0:22:22 > 0:22:25OK, Victoria, while they're strapping you up
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I'm going to have a little chat with you. Where's it hurt?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31That foot... and my ankle.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33That foot and your ankle?
0:22:33 > 0:22:35The tests Ali's carrying out
0:22:35 > 0:22:39are aimed at identifying symptoms of a spinal injury,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and there are indications that all may not be well.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I'm a little bit concerned because
0:22:46 > 0:22:49she's complaining of a little bit of a loss of sensation
0:22:49 > 0:22:50down one side of her right leg,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55which could be a result of a spinal injury
0:22:55 > 0:22:57and some damage to her spinal cord,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59so that's our main worry, really.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03For the Flamborough Coastguards,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05it's been a pretty routine rescue.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10The cliffs around here can soar up to 400ft above the waves
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and the team's trained to abseil down to casualties on the shoreline.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Just keep it coming...
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Keep it coming...
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- There we go. - VICTORIA GROANS
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Lovely, there.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Victoria is being flown to Hull Royal Infirmary,
0:23:31 > 0:23:3330 miles away.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37For pilot Andy and the crew, it's a spectacular view.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40He's assessing it for his next holiday next year.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Check out some of the best places to go.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Flamborough Head has been a landmark for seafarers since Roman times
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and now it's a major tourist attraction.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56Sadly, Victoria's memories of the headland will not be entirely happy.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58That's a lovely TV shot.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05PILOT COMMUNICATES WITH TOWER
0:24:07 > 0:24:10In the next hour, X-rays at the Royal Infirmary
0:24:10 > 0:24:14will determine whether Victoria has injured her spine.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Her rescue came just as the crew was preparing lunch.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Now Andy's so hungry, he's foraging some for himself.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24We got caught out unexpectedly,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27just as I was settling down for my meal.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So I am making the best use of downtime
0:24:29 > 0:24:32by helping myself to some of the finest blackberries.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Happily, Victoria's injuries turn out not to be serious
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and after being detained for a period of observation
0:24:41 > 0:24:44she is allowed home.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49If you love speed and the open road,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51nothing beats one of these.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54But motorcyclists are very vulnerable.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58They represent just 1% of traffic on Britain's roads,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03yet account for up to 20% - that's one in five - of all deaths.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Summer's the time when bikers get the chance to be sociable -
0:25:09 > 0:25:14market squares and cafe car parks the length and breadth of Britain,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18are ringing to the roar of Hondas, Suzukis and Nortons.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20But when it comes to noise,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24there's one make of bike that tends to lead the pack.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Harley Davidson's are the ultimate big boy's toy -
0:25:27 > 0:25:31but when you come off you're just as vulnerable as the next rider.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I was saying to the chaps,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I bet we get a motorcyclist today at some stage.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Bank Holiday Monday without a motorcyclist...?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Helimed 98's heading to Huddersfield in the Pennines,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47where a biker and his pillion passenger have crashed.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Most bike accidents happen in the summer months,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and on August Bank Holiday, this is unlikely to be the only smash.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56If you could just have a look at this thing...
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Football stadium just to the south of that grid.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It's just before you get to the ring road.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04We'll be almost flying down that road.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It runs parallel with what looks like the canal or the river.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10So, looking at this map it's literally like the main road.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12So just follow that down.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13There it is. Middle of the road.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18A group of Harley Davidson enthusiasts
0:26:18 > 0:26:20was returning to Cheshire from a rally
0:26:20 > 0:26:24when one was in collision with a taxi in Huddersfield.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27The female pillion passenger has a badly broken leg.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Christine? Hello, there, sweetheart.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34My name's Dave. I'm a paramedic with the air ambulance, all right?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- We're going to be taking you into Leeds hospital.- OK.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39But we do need to get you onto a board,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43so it is going to be a little bit uncomfortable. All right?
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I'll look at giving you some extra pain relief.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Christine Mathers was catapulted out of her saddle
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and slid more than 30m down the road.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Her husband could do little to avoid the collision.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58He's injured himself, but insisted on staying by his wife's side.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00We were coming back from a rally,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and that silver car was in front
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and we ended up sliding down the road.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Passers by, including a nurse,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13stopped to help Christine and have stayed to assist the Helimed team.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15But some people were less concerned.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18the usual people with cameras - camera phones -
0:27:18 > 0:27:21trying to get a snap of what was going on.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23A lot of people wandering around the scene.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It was a case of getting the riders,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28who were beginning to show mild signs of shock,
0:27:28 > 0:27:33get them settled and sat down away from the severely injured lady,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and then try and control the traffic.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Christine's leg is badly deformed.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Dave knows it must be straightened,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43but that is going to be very painful.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45The use of a stronger painkiller than morphine
0:27:45 > 0:27:48must be authorised by a doctor.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This lady's got severe deformities to her leg - multiple fractures.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53She's in a lot of pain.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I'll have to move her and get that sorted,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and get that straightened.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I'm getting some authority to use a very potent drug for pain relief.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I am going to give her some of that,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04and get everything ready to go as soon as we are ready -
0:28:04 > 0:28:07it's a very quick-acting drug - get it in her, get her sorted,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11and get her off to Leeds as quick as we can.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I've got a lady near Huddersfield
0:28:13 > 0:28:16who's got multiple fractures to her left leg.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Her left femur's gone,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20looks like her knee's gone,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22and looks like tib and fib, as well.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24A couple of open fractures, as well.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26She is stable at the minute...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Now the road's been sealed off,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30which means pilot Andy Lister
0:28:30 > 0:28:35can reposition Helimed 98 to get it closer to the team's patient.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37This is a tricky landing -
0:28:37 > 0:28:39trees, fencing and kerbs
0:28:39 > 0:28:41are all making life difficult.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44But with a little help from paramedic Paul,
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Andy manages to touch down safely.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It means Christine is now only metres from her flight to hospital.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54OK. Right, Christine, here we go, sweetheart.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57You might just feel a bit woozy, Christine. All right?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Feel as though you're not with us.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04When my mate starts to look good-looking, you know it's working.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06All right?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Christine is wearing biker's leathers
0:29:08 > 0:29:11with body armour built into them,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15but nothing can protect you against the sort of impact she has suffered.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- Come on, let's get on with it. - OK, get this straight.- Are we ready?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Right, mate, as soon as...
0:29:20 > 0:29:25If you think she's starting to come out of it bit, give us a shout.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29The main danger from broken bones like this, is internal bleeding.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Speed is important.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35But so is helping Christine endure the pain of her journey to hospital.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38We are in the process of putting a traction splint on,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40and she's coming out of it now.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44I would like to give a little bit more in line with the protocol
0:29:44 > 0:29:46of up to one milligram per kilogram if that's all right.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49As the police investigate the cause of the incident,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53its victim is at last ready to fly.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54Are we stepping over the barrier?
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Yeah. Are people happy doing that?
0:29:57 > 0:29:58- Yeah.- OK.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03The team is taking her direct to the regional trauma centre
0:30:03 > 0:30:06at Leeds General Infirmary, 20 miles away.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Nice and steady... Last two over. Good.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Right. On "Lift" - ready, steady, lift.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Keep coming, keep coming, keep lifting.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Paramedic Dave knows his patient's injuries will require months -
0:30:21 > 0:30:25if not years - of surgery and physiotherapy.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's possible she may never walk without a limp.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- She'll go straight into surgery with that.- Yeah.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Should have an assessment and hopefully straight down.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39The road to recovery starts here -
0:30:39 > 0:30:42with scans and X-rays at the LGI.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45It will be weeks before Christine is fit to leave.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Every day, 3,000 999 calls
0:30:56 > 0:30:59come into the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01And the Helimed team checks each one.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03"..fallen probably 20ft."
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Yorkshire's flying paramedics dispatch themselves,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and today they're responding to an emergency at a school building
0:31:11 > 0:31:13in the heart of Bradford.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16A workman has been badly hurt in a fall.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- Is that the...? - I think that's it there.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23- Where we landed for that kiddie? - Yeah.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25See an ambulance now at one o'clock.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28INDISTINCT RADIO CONTACT
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Yeah, sorry, Daz. We're overhead and preparing to land.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Pilot Steve, who knows the Bradford area well,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39must find a landing site among the busy streets below,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43and every safe landing starts with a checklist.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45"A few minutes to go, prepare landing, please, Andy."
0:31:45 > 0:31:48THEY RUN THROUGH SAFETY CHECKS
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Roofer Steve has fallen 20ft.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Now the ambulance service's specialist rescue team -
0:32:05 > 0:32:08in distinctive green uniforms -
0:32:08 > 0:32:12is working to bring him down to ground level.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14The crew suspect that he may have a skull fracture.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18We've been called in case we need to take them to LGI.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21There's a very high incidence of intracranial bleeds
0:32:21 > 0:32:23secondary to skull fractures.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25If we do need to take him to LGI,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28the quickest and safest way to go is by air.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32It's suspected Steve has broken his neck.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34He's also fractured his wrist.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36- I'll get up there. - Just that ladder there.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Wherever a patient needs help,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41paramedics must follow.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Building sites are dangerous places
0:32:43 > 0:32:47and getting Steve out of here isn't going to be easy.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49We just heard a crash. He was just above us.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53We were in one of the rooms.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56And that were it, basically. Went upstairs and he were on the floor.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- This is Stephen. - Hello, Stephen.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Stephen is 54. Normally fit and well.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Up there, lost his balance, came through...
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- Come through that.- ..headfirst.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- 'Ey up, Stephen. You all right, there, mate.- All right, yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11How's your pain at the moment? Is it all right?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13It's just my wrist, that's all.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Your head don't feel too bad?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Your neck and your back, don't feel too bad? No pain anywhere else?
0:33:18 > 0:33:21My ego's taken a bit of a bashin' though, hasn't it?
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Steve's been talking to his rescuers.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27He's making sense which is a good sign, in cases of head injury.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29But that could change quickly.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31All right, I'm going to give LGI a ring, see if they accept.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34The team knows that if Steve has a bleed in his brain,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38pressure could be building inside the skull.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43If that's the case, surgeons will have only minutes to save his life.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46He's landed headfirst, so we're worried about skull fracture,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48neck injury, things like that.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50So, basically, the crew, my HART team,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and fire service are working to package him, so we can get him
0:33:53 > 0:33:56basically out on the turntable you can see behind us.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59So, I've had a chat with LGI and we are going to take you there
0:33:59 > 0:34:01rather than to Bradford
0:34:01 > 0:34:04because they've got some more specialities down there.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07We'll take that back down now,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09get him and then get it back up.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10Yeah, that's cool.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15The site of the accident is surrounded by scaffolding
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and the fire service has brought
0:34:17 > 0:34:20in a hydraulic platform to bring Steve down.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27It's time to move Steve.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31The HART team and the fire service regularly train together
0:34:31 > 0:34:34specifically for rescues like this.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42LS-99, you receiving?
0:34:42 > 0:34:45CRACKLY RADIO RESPONSE
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Yeah, Daz, we're going to take this patient up to the LGI.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54I have had a chat with them, and the consultant has accepted.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56He doesn't look too bad.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58He has got some quite nasty head injuries.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00He might have a bleed in his brain,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03he's certainly got some big lacerations.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05So just to be on the safe side, we are going to take him on to the LGI,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07where they can properly assess him.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Just go in foot-first onto that green board there.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17You might just want to spin him around. Hey ya, mate. You all right?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Just keep coming.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Pop that hand back down, mate.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Try and make yourself as comfortable as you can.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28- I appreciate it's a bit difficult. - Yeah.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Steve's grown-up son has been told about the accident.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41He's come to see his dad off on his flight to hospital.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Don't worry, mate. We'll take care of him.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03See that garage down there? 11 o'clock. Follow that road up.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07The cities of Leeds and Bradford merge into one.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10With the traffic problems to match, Helimed 99 will be
0:36:10 > 0:36:12leapfrogging the jams
0:36:12 > 0:36:17and flying Steve direct to the General Infirmary's rooftop helipad.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Two minutes to land at LGI.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Helimed 99 from Yorkshire air desk, roger, all received.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- Steven, are you normally fairly fit and well?- Yes.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30You don't take any regular medication for anything?
0:36:30 > 0:36:33A team of consultants is waiting to examine Steve.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38It's Sam's job to brief them about every detail of his medical history.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I think they've seen a fix or six inch laceration
0:36:40 > 0:36:44across his forehead, with the swelling round it, so query...
0:36:44 > 0:36:48It means they can begin treatment immediately.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52He's on a spinal insert, so he might be able to lift that up or might
0:36:52 > 0:36:54have to use a screw to get him out...
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Doctors find Steve hasn't fractured his skull, but his neck is broken.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03And he requires extensive treatment for his other injuries.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's months before he is fit to return to work.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10It's been a painful reminder of the dangers of his job.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17The flying paramedics know they will spend more time
0:37:17 > 0:37:20out in areas like this than the big cities.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23They'll be called out more in summer than winter,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and the school calendar will also affect their workload.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33A new term brings more falls and sporting accidents,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36but fewer injured pedestrians.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39But there's one day in the summer holidays almost guaranteed
0:37:39 > 0:37:42to bring mishaps involving teenagers.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47The A Level results are out, and so is Helimed 98.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Just going to the right-hand edge of that high ground,
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- then we'll cut back behind it. - Yep, that's my plan. OK.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57The team has been called to a road near the seaside resort
0:37:57 > 0:37:59of Bridlington.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I've had reports that a car has rolled over.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06I believe the 18-year-old occupant has sustained some neck injuries
0:38:06 > 0:38:09and as a result of that has got some altered neurology,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12which means they've got strange sensations or loss of sensation
0:38:12 > 0:38:15somewhere in the body. So the crew have requested us
0:38:15 > 0:38:18to take this patient through to a major trauma centre.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22NS from Helimed 98, overhead...
0:38:22 > 0:38:26The police have stopped the traffic and pilot Ian's heading
0:38:26 > 0:38:30for a touchdown on the road, but a pedestrian has other ideas.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34- Where's this bloke going? Completely alien to it, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37It's clear now, coppers have got him.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41He's arguing with them that he wants to walk through there with his newspaper.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Clear right. Clear right here. Yep.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Plenty of clearance.
0:38:48 > 0:38:5218-year-old female is coming round this corner, she's braked hard.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56And then she's seen by a passer by, the car was airborne
0:38:56 > 0:39:00- but apparently it's landed on all fours.- Right.- She's conscious.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01GCS 15.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Complaining of severe pain, mid-cervical.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Mid-lower back, down the hips.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12She said she's lost all feeling in her legs.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Jessica Jackson was on her way to school
0:39:14 > 0:39:16to collect her A Level results.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18She's been seen to fall out
0:39:18 > 0:39:21and collapse onto the floor at the side there.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- Right, so she's not needed extricating at all?- No.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The impact has left Jessica with a fractured pelvis
0:39:27 > 0:39:29and suspected spinal injury.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Paramedic Pete knows they could be even more life-changing
0:39:33 > 0:39:34than her exam results.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38The car's not actually rolled over, but it sounds like it has,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41er, become airborne for some reason, landed very heavily.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45You can see all the tyres have exploded on impact.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49So the lady is just complaining of some altered sensation in her
0:39:49 > 0:39:53lower extremities, so obviously want to treat that with caution.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56You know you're going across to an aircraft
0:39:56 > 0:39:58and we're going to fly you to hospital.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Yeah? Don't worry about that, OK?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04You're not going to have much of a view out of windows either,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07unfortunately, the way you've been laid down there.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Right now, Jessica should be opening the brown envelope containing
0:40:11 > 0:40:13her results. Instead,
0:40:13 > 0:40:19she faces another examination at Hull Royal Infirmary 20 miles away.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23You know when we caught your toes, you could feel a bit of pain then?
0:40:23 > 0:40:24- Yeah.- OK.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30- Are you ticklish?- No. - Good job, innit?
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Can you feel me touching under your foot?
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- Pardon?- Yeah.- Good. What about that one?
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- No, not in this one.- OK.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44One in five drivers like Jessica will have a serious accident
0:40:44 > 0:40:47within six months of passing their test.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51So at the moment, without you being moving, how bad is your pain?
0:40:52 > 0:41:00Er, nine in my back and my neck and here. And then my shoulder hurts.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01Right.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And just down that right side, you just feel a little numb
0:41:04 > 0:41:07when I was touching? Not a normal sensation to you?
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Like pins and needles all the way down my leg, but like...
0:41:11 > 0:41:14They're sharp, sharp all the way down and then
0:41:14 > 0:41:16they just, like, fizz out on my feet.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Pete's concerned.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23Jessica is describing the classic symptoms of a serious spinal injury.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Is that OK? Just breathe normally.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30She is heading for X-rays and scans at Hull Royal Infirmary.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37This is Helimed 98, lifted from scene, routing to Hull Royal, over.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Security aware and the ambulance waiting for you, over.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48The results of the test are not good.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Her spinal cord has been crushed and she has broken her pelvis.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Thankfully, the damage is reversible.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58It's several weeks before she is well enough to return home
0:41:58 > 0:42:02to Bridlington. Only then is she given her A Level results.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05They wouldn't let anyone else go and get them,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07so I had to go and get them.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08On crutches.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11I'd got in my head on the day of results day that I'd failed
0:42:11 > 0:42:14everything completely, and I knew that it was going to be bad news
0:42:14 > 0:42:18so I was going to pick them up nervous and already thinking that.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22And after two years of solid working, you think,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26A Levels are your next step to the future.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- Hello.- Hello.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Well, I got B, C, D, E.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35I was a bit disappointed, but overall fairly happy because I'm here now.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41And here is a high street travel agent, where the story
0:42:41 > 0:42:43has a happy ending.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Jessica has landed an apprenticeship, arranging
0:42:45 > 0:42:50flights that are very different from the one she took in Helimed 98.