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 > 0:00:26they look to the skies for help.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Look on your left, Matt.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- Can you get in that grass field on the left?- Yes. Go for that.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32From high drama in the peaks...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34to high waters in the dales,
0:00:34 > 0:00:39the Helimed team's at the heart of almost every rescue...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41bringing 21st-century medicine
0:00:41 > 0:00:44to some of Britain's most isolated communities
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and saving lives against the odds.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Today on Helicopter Heroes, Helimed 99 drops in
0:01:00 > 0:01:03at the supermarket after a freak accident...
0:01:03 > 0:01:06The forklift's reversed out and it's run over her legs.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08She's got quite significant leg injuries.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12..the wedding proposal that ended with the groom on crutches...
0:01:12 > 0:01:15On his way to his girlfriend's to propose to her.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..a young cyclist's badly hurt...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Mum, don't cry. Don't cry, Mum.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Is it your right wrist that hurts more?
0:01:22 > 0:01:25..and an off-road biker's in trouble.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28He's come over there on his bike.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Landed down here and his bike's landed on top of him as well.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Air ambulances come into their own
0:01:41 > 0:01:44in the wide-open spaces of the Yorkshire Dales.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48At 150mph, the Helimed choppers
0:01:48 > 0:01:51can cut long road journeys down to size,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55but that speed can also be useful in the city.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Helimed 99 alpha.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04It's rush-hour in Leeds and Helimed 99 is dropping in
0:02:04 > 0:02:06at the supermarket.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- It's Morrison's, I believe. - Morrison's?
0:02:10 > 0:02:14In the suburb of Guiseley, there's been a freak accident.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Clear my side.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Pilot John Slater has spotted a space in the car park.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25That's good. Just clearing the pavement. That's all.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27All clear. Still clear.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29You're down.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34But an overeager member of staff could become another casualty.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Stay back! Stay back! Go back!
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Go back! Go back!
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Rotor blades can kill.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49- As they slow down, they can dip down to head height.- Wait there.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Assistant Suzanne was walking across a loading area
0:02:53 > 0:02:56when she was knocked down by this forklift truck.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Just relax. You're doing really well.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Now she's trapped by both legs.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The truck weighs half a tonne.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I'm just cutting your trousers.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Well done.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10This lady's been, obviously, at work,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14working around the loading area behind this store
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and the forklift's reversed out,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20she's not seen it, or he's not seen her and it's run over her legs.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's trapped her legs between the back driving wheel
0:03:22 > 0:03:25on the forklift truck and she's been pinned in there for some time.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28She's got quite significant leg injuries.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the worst pain...- Ten.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34It is ten at the moment? All right.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Flying doctor Andy Pountney has arrived
0:03:36 > 0:03:38to help control Suzanne's pain.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40He knows the longer she's trapped,
0:03:40 > 0:03:45the greater risk of a condition known as compartment syndrome.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Toxins build up in trapped limbs
0:03:47 > 0:03:49and when patients are released,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51they can cause cardiac arrest.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Before we do owt to her, let's tell her about it first
0:03:54 > 0:03:56because everybody's coming at her and I don't want that.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I want her to know what's going on.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02These tourniquets will trap the toxins and prevent them
0:04:02 > 0:04:05reaching Suzanne's heart when the weight is taken off her.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I think you're right. If we try and turn that...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Just jack it up and turn it.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14We have what we call high-pressure airbags, the rubber mats.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15We've got one either side.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18We've stopped the wheels rocking backwards and forwards.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Hopefully, it will just drop out then, won't it?
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- It's wider at the bottom. - We'll guide them out.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28At last, it's time to start lifting.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Ambulance people, listen in.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Fire guys need to be really quiet while they do this
0:04:33 > 0:04:35cos they've got to coordinate lifting both sides.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39They need us to be quiet, so only speak if it's necessary clinically, OK?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- Everybody happy with that?- Ready to turn the wheel when you are.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Well done.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49- But it's not enough. - Can we come up at... Can we come up?
0:04:49 > 0:04:53No, keep going. I need at least another six inches.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54If you've got it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- We're struggling with six inches. - Well, give me what you've got then.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00All right. Listening, everybody, please.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02What we're going to do, we need some hands on,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05we're going to slide the lady backwards, OK?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Ready, steady, move.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Hold it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12She's out.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Finally, Suzanne is free and her heart rate is good.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Where's that big dressing? - I've got it in it.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22You've got it in it already?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Paramedics feared her legs were badly broken.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Now they can see them, it's clear she's been very fortunate.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34No bones are broken, but she is likely to need plastic surgery.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38We've got a 63-year-old lady, normally fit and well.
0:05:38 > 0:05:44Injuries sustained, she's got open injuries to both lower legs,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47particularly on the left lower leg and foot,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51there's quite a lot of burst, crushed tissue.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Ready, steady, lift.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Fabulous.- She developed a bit of a funny rhythm
0:05:58 > 0:06:00with her heart as we were doing that.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03When you're releasing patients that have been crushed,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06there can be concerns with that. So, actually, we'd put
0:06:06 > 0:06:09what are called C-A-T tourniquets on her legs which stop any toxins
0:06:09 > 0:06:12that have been produced getting washed back into her system.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15We gave her some other treatments and things seem to have stabilised.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Her heart rate's back to normal which is good.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Pain, she's pain-free after the ketamine so that was fantastic.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Clearly, she's got some very serious injuries to her lower legs,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25but we'll get her down to the major trauma centre
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and they can take things further.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Keep coming. Keep coming. Keep coming.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Suzanne's being flown to hospital in a helicopter
0:06:32 > 0:06:35partly sponsored by her own supermarket.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37She's got quite significant leg injuries
0:06:37 > 0:06:41which we've had some difficulty with in terms of stopping the blood
0:06:41 > 0:06:44that's been flowing out of it and getting her ready for transfer.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Controlling her pain's the most important thing, getting her extricated as quickly as we can
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and then transferring her to the major trauma centre at Leeds.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I'm going straight back. Helipad departure.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57A few weeks ago, Suzanne and her colleagues
0:06:57 > 0:07:00presented a cheque to the air ambulance charity.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Now it's helping fund her flight in Helimed 99.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Her rescuers are keenly aware her accident could
0:07:06 > 0:07:08so easily have been fatal.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11There doesn't seem to be any serious injuries from the knees up.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, although they are very serious lower leg injuries,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16hopefully, that's going to be the extent of it.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19We'll be at the major trauma centre in just a minute or two
0:07:19 > 0:07:24and they'll be able to assess her further and obviously give her some more definitive treatment.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Suzanne's on her way to A&E,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31but her next stop's likely to be the operating theatre.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33There's a high risk of infection
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and if her leg wounds are to heal,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38the sooner they're closed, the better.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42It's the start of a long recovery at the LGI for the team's patient,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46but she hopes to be fit enough to return to work soon.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52It's easy to get away from it all up here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55There are nearly 700 square miles of countryside
0:07:55 > 0:07:57in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and just 20,000 people live here.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03But getting around isn't easy, even...
0:08:03 > 0:08:05if you have one of those.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The only way to explore much of the Yorkshire Dales is on two feet.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Everything up here is on a huge scale
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and nothing comes bigger than the Three Peaks,
0:08:18 > 0:08:24gigantic slabs of rock towering over Yorkshire's border with Lancashire.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- All clear?- Still clear.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Down.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Today Helimed 99 is touching down on the forbidding slopes
0:08:31 > 0:08:35of Ingleborough, nearly 2,400ft high,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37where a walker needs help.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Hello, there.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- It's a D of E group.- Right.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45They said she fell over, she hit her head on the way down.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47I've checked her over.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50She's not had anything to eat or drink
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and she's been here for about nearly two hours.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57The patient's a teenage member of a school party
0:08:57 > 0:09:00out on an expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02How are you feeling?
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Really sick.- Sick?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Did you faint or lose consciousness?
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- No.- No, not at all?
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Mountain rescue volunteers are sheltering 17-year-old
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Sophie Shelf from the Pennine winds.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Mist keeps descending
0:09:17 > 0:09:22and even in summer, hypothermia can be a problem up here.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I was about to walk up the other side to meet them at the top,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28to meet them as they came into the clouds this way,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32then they called me, so I drove around and came to sort them out.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Called these guys on my way up.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Just need to get to your arm.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Just going to do your blood pressure, OK?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Sophie lost her balance, tripped and banged her head.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52This is no place to have an injury like this.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55She's just been walking up the hill and I think she's felt faint
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and fallen. It's a long way up here from where they've come from.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01She's well wrapped up because, you can see, the weather's rubbish,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05so I think she's got overly warm as well, fallen, banged her head.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07She feels sick and she may well be sick.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11If she's sick, that something to worry about with concussions
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and head injuries. She's got a lump on the side of her head.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Where have you come from?
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- Manchester.- Manchester? It's a long way from Manchester to here.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Paramedics Tony Wilkes and John Baxter know their patient
0:10:24 > 0:10:26needs to be examined in hospital.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28It's possible her injury is serious.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30She wanted to walk down,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32it's a long way to walk down,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35but I think the safest thing is just to get her off this hill,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39get her safe and hopefully she can rejoin her friends later.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43We just need to be concerned about this head injury and concussion.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47300,000 young people enter the Duke of Edinburgh's Award every year.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51One of its aims is to challenge teenagers physically
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and encourage them to enjoy the great outdoors.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Sophie's challenge is now over.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- She's going to be taken to hospital for X-rays.- You all right?
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I just felt sick.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Pilot John's an Army veteran who has flown all over the world,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but this take-off will be tricky.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Low cloud keeps enveloping the hillside.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19If he climbs, he'll lose sight off the ground
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and up here that can be lethal.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But Sophie's soon on final approach to hospital in Lancaster.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32This wasn't how she expected her day to end.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35She knows she may have to attempt the climb again.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Just make sure you get both feet on that step.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46But there is good news awaiting her.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Her head wound turns out to be superficial
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and she is soon allowed home
0:11:51 > 0:11:54to continue working towards her coveted award.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Yorkshire's landscape has been carved out of rock
0:12:02 > 0:12:03over millions of years
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and thousands of people still earn their livings quarrying it.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12But when they move out, the off-road bikers often move in.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18That might be the car. Let's check where the patient is first, shall we?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Yes. Quite a big quarry, that, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26At the bottom of the quarry, looks like a couple of groups of people.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Yeah. Looks like the patient is actually in the quarry.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31We'll be landing shortly.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Yep, we're all right.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35Just coming down slowly now.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43He'd come over there on his bike, landed down here
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and his bike's landed on top of him as well.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Scott Powell is in great pain.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Some of the other lads on bikes are not making it easy
0:12:57 > 0:13:01for the paramedics to get on with their work and help Scott.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04He has little in the way of protective gear.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06He's learned a lesson the hard way.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Is it your right wrist that hurts more?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It's important that the paramedics move themselves
0:13:14 > 0:13:20and their patient out of harm's way as quickly as possible.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Right. We're just going to get him rolled onto our board,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25get a splint on this wrist cos it does look like he might
0:13:25 > 0:13:27have a bit of a fracture there.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- Then we're going to load him onto the helicopter.- It's my hip.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- It's your hip that's more painful, is it?- Yeah.- OK.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Paramedic Sam doesn't need an X-ray machine to diagnose
0:13:42 > 0:13:45some of Scott's broken bones.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's my hip, boys.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- There we go.- It looks like Scott's pelvis is broken.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56If so, shards of bone could cause lethal internal bleeding.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59This binder will keep them immobile
0:13:59 > 0:14:04- until hospital doctors can repair the damage.- Ready, set and go.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07If the pain's got that much better with that on,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I wouldn't be surprised if he has done something.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13With Scott being moved to the helicopter,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16his mates are put in charge of crowd control.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20There are quarries where riding trails bikes is licensed.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This isn't one of them.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27We've done a quick assessment as best we can on the quarry where we are.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30He's now complaining of quite a bit of pain in his right hip
0:14:30 > 0:14:33which has eased when we applied the pelvic binder.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36He's got a bump on his head, so he might have a mild head injury as well.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41We're going to take him to the nearest trauma centre so that he can get properly assessed by the doctors.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I was stood over there.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I saw him on the floor and he's been in that position ever since.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51I kept talking to him. He seems all right. Hopefully, anyway.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Thanks to Scott's mates,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57riding has now stopped for the Helimed team to take off.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Off-road biking leads to hundreds of accidents every year
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and the crew knows it's unlikely
0:15:03 > 0:15:05this will be the last visit to the quarry.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Without prompt treatment, a broken pelvis can kill.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Scott will be examined immediately
0:15:17 > 0:15:21and he could be in an operating theatre within an hour.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It's was a little bit difficult on-scene to assess him very well.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28With all that noise. And I think we're all a bit conscious that
0:15:28 > 0:15:30it was a little bit dangerous, really.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32All those kids whizzing past
0:15:32 > 0:15:36on their bikes with no helmets on.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38I think we're trying to get him
0:15:38 > 0:15:41out of what was a bit of a dangerous situation
0:15:41 > 0:15:42as quickly as possible.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48It will be a long time before he is back on his feet.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52One, two, three... Just relax. What's hurting?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Even longer before he's fit to ride a bike again.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The Yorkshire Coast provides the emergency services with
0:16:05 > 0:16:08a major challenge in summer -
0:16:08 > 0:16:11on a hot day, the population of towns can triple,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15with tens of thousands of day-trippers driving to the seaside.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21But today, Helimed 99's heading to the coast for a burns case that
0:16:21 > 0:16:24has nothing to do with the summer sun.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27We're heading to the northern edge of Bridlington.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31We've got reports of a male who's had some kind of flash burn to his face.
0:16:31 > 0:16:38A petrol incident. He's got approximately 30% burns on the arm.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Cautious that he might have an airway burn, which obviously...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44that develops quite quickly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51The patient is 30 miles from the nearest trauma unit and nearly
0:16:51 > 0:16:5560 from the nearest hospital with specialist burns facilities.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58If the guy's got more than superficial burns,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01we'll probably go to somewhere that's got a burns unit.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06The problem with that is that they're all quite a distance away, which is
0:17:06 > 0:17:10probably one of the reasons why the crew's asked for the helicopter.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13The nearest one is probably Hull, if they'll accept.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16James Cook, even as far afield as Newcastle.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Hiya.- Hello.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24He's had 20mg of morphine IV for the pain.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Initial pain score was a ten out of ten.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It's not about a six out of ten.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Michael Patrick works for a caravan company.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36He was doing the gardens, burning the trees, the brush.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Set light to some brush. He put too much fuel on.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43And it flared up in his face, burnt his arms and face
0:17:43 > 0:17:47pretty bad to start with. But hopefully, you know, the ambulance
0:17:47 > 0:17:50was here quickly, the helicopter, and it should be all right.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- There's some blistering to both of his arms.- Right.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- So is that a little bit more than his face, is it?- Yes.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- He was a ten out of ten... - He was a ten out of ten.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00And he's now about a six out of ten.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Michael needs expert care. The question is where.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Paramedics have pocket guides to work out which specialist units
0:18:08 > 0:18:12are best for their patients, but sometimes the decision's not simple.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll speak to Hull.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18A pain score of ten out of ten means Michael was in agony
0:18:18 > 0:18:22before the morphine took effect, but that's actually a good sign.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25The worst burns cause little discomfort
0:18:25 > 0:18:27because nerves have been destroyed.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30The most dangerous burns are internal -
0:18:30 > 0:18:34breathing in burning vapour can scar the windpipe and quickly make it
0:18:34 > 0:18:36impossible to breathe.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38There's not really much we can do with your lips.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Normally we put clingfilm round, but obviously we'd have to make a hole...
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Paramedic Dave Appleby
0:18:44 > 0:18:46knows the best treatment for burns is clingfilm.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It keeps the wound clean, reduces pain
0:18:49 > 0:18:54and allows doctors to examine burns without removing it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We're querying second degree burns, or partial thickness burns
0:18:57 > 0:18:58to his forearms.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Which we estimate about 10% in the area.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And also some flash burns to his face.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08And some swelling to his lips as well, which is about 5%.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10it's not quite enough to trigger us
0:19:10 > 0:19:14going to the burns unit for this area, which is Pinderfields.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18So we've arranged for him to go to Hull, which is a major trauma centre.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19They're happy to accept.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Can you hear me, Michael?
0:19:25 > 0:19:28About 12 minutes, mate, we'll be there.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33With the roads from Bridlington to Hull heavily congested
0:19:33 > 0:19:37by holiday traffic, Michael's lucky to be going by air.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Using Helimed 99 also leaves ground ambulances free to deal with
0:19:42 > 0:19:47the inevitable emergencies the sun brings to the seaside.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Just coming into the outskirts of Hull now, all right.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Another few minutes.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Doctors at Hull Royal Infirmary
0:19:54 > 0:19:56will give Michael more powerful painkillers.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59He's kept under observation for several days
0:19:59 > 0:20:01before being allowed home.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06His burns are serious but heal well, and soon, he's back at work.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Yorkshire is built on rock -
0:20:13 > 0:20:16from the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head to the
0:20:16 > 0:20:19limestone and grit of the Dales.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So it's perhaps not surprising that the county
0:20:22 > 0:20:25has carved its name into the history of modern sculpture.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28From Henry Moore to Barbara Hepworth,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31local artists have found inspiration here.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And today, their works are on permanent display
0:20:34 > 0:20:37in one of the UK's most famous sculpture parks.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But admiring great art here is riskier than a visit to the
0:20:41 > 0:20:44average gallery, as one visitor has just discovered.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Map's running when you want it. - Yeah, I'll have it.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52Paramedics Andy Armitage and Sam Burgess are there to respond to the
0:20:52 > 0:20:58most serious emergencies in an area that's home to 5 million people.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Today's case isn't that urgent, but in a place like this, a patient with
0:21:03 > 0:21:07a minor injury can present ground paramedics with a serious problem.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The patient has fallen in an inaccessible
0:21:10 > 0:21:12part of the sculpture park. They were a bit concerned
0:21:12 > 0:21:15when they phoned the patient back to get some more details,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18because they've been struggling to get a response from him,
0:21:18 > 0:21:19or to get him to make any sense.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22So they've asked us to go down to see
0:21:22 > 0:21:26if we can help assess this patient before the land crews get there.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It looks like there's a good mile or two walk from where they'll
0:21:29 > 0:21:31be able to park, to where the patient is.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36There's always the risk of hypothermia in patients
0:21:36 > 0:21:39if they're exposed to the elements for a long period of time.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Outside is bitterly cold.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44But there certainly could be a problem coming.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Hello.- Hi.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Hello, sir. What's your name?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Nigel.- Nigel. And what's happened today, Nigel?
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Just jumped over the wall and twisted my ankle really badly.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59We managed to get help, me
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and my wife, then I must have blacked out for a couple of minutes.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08It's cold and the team's concerned Nigel may have mild hypothermia.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11He's been lying here since he fell half an hour ago.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Slowly he seems to be coming round.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Just going to take some blood and check what your blood sugar is.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Just cos you've had this unresponsive episode.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Visitors with first aid training have been caring for Nigel.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26As we approached them, we realised that the chap had fallen.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And he wasn't actually responding to his partner,
0:22:29 > 0:22:30which was quite alarming.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34We managed to get him to respond and lift him up
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and elevate his feet, just so that he was in a position.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39And because we all had mobiles it was easy to ascertain
0:22:39 > 0:22:41the exact position and location.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Are you wanting anything for the pain, mate?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- No, I'm fine.- You sure? OK, I'll just have a quick look at your ankle.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Staff are used to accidents like this,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54but for most visitors, the art is worth the risk.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57There's only public footpaths to this area.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00There's no official roads, no hard roads,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02no real hard paths in this area at all.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04So it's the most difficult to get to.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's surrounded by farmland on all sides,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09so it's completely inaccessible.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13That's why we've had to get the air ambulance to come.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16We're just going to put a splint on his leg.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Really just assist him across.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23We'll get him up and just assist him across
0:23:23 > 0:23:26into the aircraft. Get him warmed up.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29We're going to take him to meet the land ambulance.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Nice and steady.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36When you sit up, just have a couple of minutes to gather yourself again.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42That's easier said than done in a landscape of 500 acres.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Andy and Sam will walk their patient to Helimed 99,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48protecting his ankle from further damage.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52They're going to airlift him a mile to the waiting ambulance.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Can we bring that up to the step?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59That's it. Mind your head just as you stand up.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03We need your bulk about there. That goes down there.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14Nigel's ankle is treated in A&E and he soon heads home.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20For Andy, it's another successful end to a rescue
0:24:20 > 0:24:25but this paramedic has had his mind on other things lately.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Mother!- What?- I need you to come and put this flower on.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31After months of planning, it's his wedding day...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Can't see without my specs.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35# Give me joy in my heart... #
0:24:35 > 0:24:38In front of a church packed with family and friends
0:24:38 > 0:24:42at Wibsey in Bradford, Andy's tying the knot with fiance Chrissy.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47After ten years as a single paramedic,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51it's a flawless start to married life for 37-year-old Andy.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55But the course of true love doesn't run so smoothly for everyone.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We've just had a call from one of our neighbouring ambulance services -
0:25:01 > 0:25:05the East Midlands - for a road traffic accident in Immingham.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09The accident has happened on the outskirts of the port -
0:25:09 > 0:25:11a car and a lorry head-on.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Craig Mitchell was on his way to propose to his girlfriend
0:25:15 > 0:25:18when the accident happened. Now his life is on the line.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The fact that he's got two fractured femurs, you know,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24he could have catastrophic bleeding.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28At the moment, he's got a GCS of 15, which is fully conscious.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32But that could soon change, dependent on his injuries and his condition.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37'Just a very quick update from the scene regarding landing.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40'Try to organise a landing site behind the fire entrance.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44'There are some large power cables to one side. Over.'
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That's received. Thanks a lot for that.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Normal car underneath an articulated lorry.- Head-on.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Head-on. Seat belt on. Everything like that on.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01He's got obvious right femur. Query left.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I've got a fracture here. Open left femur.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Left humerus. Right femur's gone.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13- Are we querying pelvis?- Yes. - We tested him about two minutes ago.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15OK, lovely. I'll just...
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Craig had the ring in his pocket.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21It's being kept safe by paramedics.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22And again.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Now his proposal must wait.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Before he can walk down the aisle, he'll need surgery.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Looks like both of his main thighbones have been broken.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Also, possibly, his pelvis as well. That whole area,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41that's a lot of blood loss that could possibly be going inside.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44His stomach's now becoming very tender as well,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47so we think maybe he's also injured himself in that way.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So possibly quite a lot of blood loss that we can't see is actually
0:26:50 > 0:26:52happening within the body.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Could I just ask you what your pain score is out of ten
0:26:55 > 0:26:57at the moment, please?
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- About a 12.- About a 12.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Despite air-bags, safety cells and pre-tensioning seat belts,
0:27:02 > 0:27:07very serious leg injuries are still common among motorists.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11In an impact, the driver's weight is transferred to his or her feet
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and the thighbones often break under the strain.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Just putting a bit of traction on you, sir.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19You'll feel a bit of pulling on your right leg, all right.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Once it's gone, Craig, it feels a lot better...
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Sammy's using a traction splint to re-align the broken bones
0:27:24 > 0:27:27in Craig's legs. It'll reduce his pain
0:27:27 > 0:27:31and eliminate the risk of internal bleeding.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33We've popped a pelvic binder on, a traction splint,
0:27:33 > 0:27:34he's had some fluids.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Pain management is ongoing, with morphine,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39but we're just going to load him on board now, onto the aircraft.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41OK then, chaps. Ready when you are.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47That's it, Craig. Have you ever flown in a helicopter before?
0:27:47 > 0:27:49We are coming in from Immingham,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53so we'll have an approximate ETA of 15 to 20 minutes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:0199 lifted, routing Hull.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05'99 desk, Roger that.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Craig's on his way ten miles across the Humber to hospital.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14By now he should have been asking his girlfriend's father
0:28:14 > 0:28:16for his blessing to their marriage.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19He just told me that as we were loading him onto the air ambulance,
0:28:19 > 0:28:24so he's travelled all the way from Leeds this morning to propose.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28But unfortunately he won't be getting down on one knee for a while.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34But now his rescuers have another big question to consider...
0:28:34 > 0:28:36BP's not too good.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Their patient's blood pressure is dropping,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43it could be a sign of serious internal bleeding.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Surgeons at Hull Royal Infirmary
0:28:48 > 0:28:51have been alerted to Craig's arrival.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52After X-rays and scans,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56it'll be straight to theatre for a major operation.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- How am I doing?- You're doing good.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03- Thank you.- All right. You're welcome. I'll come round with you.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Craig's girlfriend is yet to hear the news of his accident,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08or the reason for his journey.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11His proposal is going to have to wait.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Especially if he wants to go down on one knee.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19With injuries like his, that could be six months away.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26A serious accident can tear apart a relationship.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27But not this couple.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Hello, darling, you all right?
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Craig's being nursed back to health by Claire Hoyle,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37the girl whose hand he didn't have a chance to ask for.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42The call from Emergency Services was an awful shock.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45It's not the kind of phone call you ever expect to receive, so,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49erm, my friend Matt drove me straight over to Hull and, yeah,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52it was the longest journey of my life, really.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Craig's condition was causing the trauma team at Hull Royal
0:29:55 > 0:29:59serious concern. There were real doubts about his survival.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02His mum, too, was called to his bedside.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08One of the emergency doctors came out and explained Craig's injuries
0:30:08 > 0:30:13and what, you know, what they'd managed to assess of his state.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16"His vital signs are starting to drop so we need to take him
0:30:16 > 0:30:18"straight through to emergency surgery."
0:30:18 > 0:30:22At that point they actually let me and Craig's mum through into the,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24erm, the resus area to go and see him.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28So that was the first point we got to see him, and he was
0:30:28 > 0:30:32surrounded by doctors and hooked up to all sorts of machines and things.
0:30:32 > 0:30:38Despite his injuries, Craig's thoughts were still with Claire.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41One of the emergency doctors came out and asked to speak to me
0:30:41 > 0:30:45privately, so as soon as he said that my heart kind of stopped because
0:30:45 > 0:30:49I thought he was going to tell me something terrible had happened.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Erm, so he took me off to a separate room and said,
0:30:51 > 0:30:56"Before we take Craig up to theatre he's asked me to tell you something."
0:30:56 > 0:30:57And he actually said,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00"He wanted you to know the reason why he was going to your parents was
0:31:00 > 0:31:02"to ask your dad's permission to marry you."
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Craig had specifically said,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08"I want Claire to know in case I don't make it."
0:31:08 > 0:31:12The good thing about what happened in all of this is obviously that
0:31:12 > 0:31:13we're going to get married.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16It's given us both something to look forward to and focus on other than
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Craig's injuries and, you know, the terrible thing that happened.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Craig's still not been able to go down on one knee
0:31:24 > 0:31:29but this is one bride who won't regret an unconventional proposal,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32as long as the groom can stand at the altar.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37The dales and moors of Yorkshire
0:31:37 > 0:31:40were once covered by one vast forest.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Then man came along and the trees were swept away.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47But there's one corner of North Yorkshire
0:31:47 > 0:31:49where the woods are making a comeback.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Huge plantations of spruce and pine are now growing
0:31:53 > 0:31:56where moorland farmers once eked out a living.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Forestry is big business here,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02and the trees have brought the tourists too.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04But when people get into trouble in the woods,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08getting help can be very difficult.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'We're going to someone who's collapsed in the woods.'
0:32:11 > 0:32:13It looks quite a big wood, so we don't know where they are in it.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The land crew's struggling to get to the patient.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19So we're going to try and land as near as we can to the patient
0:32:19 > 0:32:21so hopefully we can help.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- Right, where is it? - Looking ahead, we've got the...
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- Yeah, got that.- Slightly hidden.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29The helicopter's really useful for looking for patients from above.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32In woods sometimes it can be difficult until you go
0:32:32 > 0:32:35right above them and you can see through clearings down to them.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I'm thinking it's this corner on here.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Below them they know their patient has collapsed and needs help fast.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Yeah, got somebody running out there.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46But even though this area's been cleared of trees,
0:32:46 > 0:32:51the stumps mean pilot Chris is struggling to find anywhere to land.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52Quite furrowed, these fields.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55I know, mate. That's the problem, there's a lot of stumps in there.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58There is actually. You might have to watch your belly.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Yeah, well, we're not going to put her down where there's stumps about.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Logs like these could easily puncture
0:33:04 > 0:33:06the bottom of the helicopter.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- Stumps all over here.- I know, mate.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11So the only option is to land outside the forest
0:33:11 > 0:33:13and face the tricky walk back in.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Struggling to land in this clearing due to tree stumps.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20From there we'll have to relocate further away and walk in, over.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Beautiful clearing but unfortunately too many tree stumps
0:33:25 > 0:33:27that could actually puncture our belly,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30some of them hidden and disguised with loads of debris.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35So it was safer and our only option, really, to land away and walk in.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38- Hang on, I'm doing me fireman's technique.- Very good.- Thank you.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Oh, I don't want to get stung either.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- You see, I've taken me jacket off! - In fact, Sammy, Sammy?- Yeah.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46If you come further along this way there's a wire fence down there.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Come down to me just here.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- Oh, some nice fresh blackberries. - Yeah.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58The ambulance is half a mile...
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- So, a 4x4 could get down there, couldn't it?- Gate's locked.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Hello!
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Myra Minns had been out looking for wild mushrooms
0:34:06 > 0:34:09when she suddenly collapsed in front of her friends.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12We were just standing there facing one direction and she...
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I just heard her say, "Oh, I feel..."
0:34:15 > 0:34:16And then she fell backwards.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21- Sit back down a second.- We don't want you going again, do we, love?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24She was lying flat, she was in the recovery position,
0:34:24 > 0:34:28and then she gradually, er, came to very slowly.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Seems to be shivering a lot too, that's the shock probably.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35The ambulance crew has had a tricky walk from the road,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38and that route involves a very steep hill.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Yeah, just, erm, wondering how long MRT are going to be, over.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43The nearest we could get to here
0:34:43 > 0:34:46was about three quarters of a mile, car park in the woods.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49So I parked the response car there, the ambulance crew parked behind me.
0:34:49 > 0:34:50We then walked down here,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53so we're about three quarters of a mile from the ambulance,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55but she's not going to get up that hill, it's too steep,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58so hence this is why we asked for assistance to get up the hill.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00When you stood up there, I thought
0:35:00 > 0:35:02you were going to go back down again on me then.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- It's not exactly the best of... - No, it's not.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08So, what we'll probably do is lie you down on our stretcher
0:35:08 > 0:35:10and then we'll carry you to the helicopter.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12But then a change of plan.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15This volunteer rescue team has found a way in,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18and they'll be able to carry Myra back out.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20I think it might be, that's your ambulance.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22She's fainted previously.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Had some investigations at hospital
0:35:24 > 0:35:26and they've not put it down to anything,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28so it's an ongoing problem.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Cos she can mobilise a bit and the helicopter's not that easy to
0:35:32 > 0:35:34get to in that field, we've got MRT here.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36They've got through the locked gates,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38as they managed to do quite well.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39There's doctors looking after her,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42so she's probably going to go in the MRT, the Land Rover,
0:35:42 > 0:35:43to the land ambulance,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and then they'll take her up to a local hospital.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Myra's fungi walk shouldn't have ended like this.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55At hospital, doctors are still baffled
0:35:55 > 0:35:57as to what caused her to collapse.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01But while she's now back enjoying walks in Yorkshire's forests,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05she's decided to take it all a little bit easier from now on.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Paramedics spend a lot of time working
0:36:11 > 0:36:14alongside their colleagues in the Fire Service,
0:36:14 > 0:36:19but it's not often firefighters ask them for help.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22That's what's happened today. An appliance on a training run
0:36:22 > 0:36:25has come across an even more pressing emergency,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27a badly injured child.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29'99, go ahead.'
0:36:29 > 0:36:31RADIO CHATTER AND BEEPING
0:36:32 > 0:36:36'Potentially an open fracture to the femur and not the lower leg, over.'
0:36:36 > 0:36:40'Ooh, ah, that's a big one, isn't it?
0:36:41 > 0:36:45'99, Roger, received. Open femur. Roger, received.'
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- 'Nearest hospital?'- 'LGI, won't it?'
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Helimed 99 is on its way to a village near Selby
0:36:52 > 0:36:53in North Yorkshire.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56The young patient is still lying in the road
0:36:56 > 0:36:58where the fire crew found him.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01They immediately alerted his mother.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04The crew's report is telling us that he's got an open femur fracture,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06which is quite serious obviously for anybody,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10but for a child to break a femur is quite a big impact.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11So they've, er, called for our assistance.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13When we get there we'll see how bad it is.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Whether or not we'll go to a trauma centre or a local hospital
0:37:16 > 0:37:19will be dictated by the condition of the patient.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- Oh, there it is, you know, in the town there.- Yep.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Oh, there's a fire truck as well,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28so really we're looking at that field on the far side, aren't we?
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Helimed 99, visual, we've seen, landing, over.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35A broken femur can cause severe internal bleeding.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41The ambulance crew which took over his care has already begun
0:37:41 > 0:37:43treating his injury.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46We've got William here, eight years old, he's come off his push-bike.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49He's got no neck pain or deficit or anything like that, but he has
0:37:49 > 0:37:52got what we believe is an open fracture to the top of his femur.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Did his leg look deformed particularly before you
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- splintered it?- It did, it's swollen.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Not particularly deformed due to where the wound is as such.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- All right, William?- Yeah.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06He's been very brave. That's the wound.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- So you were on your bike, were you?- Yeah.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12William has had the very best care since seconds after his accident.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16All firefighters are medically trained, and his rescuers
0:38:16 > 0:38:19immediately recognised the seriousness of his injury.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23We're doing some local topography and checking the village streets.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26We've got a new driver, so we were testing her,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and we just happened to come across it maybe 20 or 30 seconds after.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33So we're all First Aid trained, so we've got an instructor
0:38:33 > 0:38:36on as well, so it worked out really well for young William.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Just going to take that off your face one minute. That O2's out.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47- We'll leave that off two minutes when we get you settled, all right?- OK.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- So you been in school today then? - Yeah.- Oh, yeah?
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Have you done anything interesting?
0:38:53 > 0:38:56- Not really.- Oh, yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59- Now is that OK?- Yeah.- Great stuff.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Mum, don't cry. Don't cry, Mum.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05William seems more embarrassed
0:39:05 > 0:39:07by his mum's tears than his own situation.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- That were hard work. - Heaviest patient today, that.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I bet the stretcher weighs more than you.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18You need the blanket over you, don't you, to make you look the part, yeah?
0:39:18 > 0:39:21If we tuck you under like that.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24The firefighters have abandoned their training run
0:39:24 > 0:39:27in case they're needed, and now William's on his way to
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Helimed 99 in the capable hands of his rescuers.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33It looks like the bone, if it has broken,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36it has come out through the skin then popped back in again.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38So although it's not actually showing
0:39:38 > 0:39:40it's still classed as an open fracture
0:39:40 > 0:39:41because the skin's been broken.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Erm, and because of that, the LGI have said they're happy to take him.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Right, you're just going to feel yourself going into t'aircraft.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50He doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain, but that could be
0:39:50 > 0:39:51because the crew already have reduced it,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54they've straightened it, which helps with pain relief,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57and they've given him a spot of morphine as well, so he's doing well.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01What I'm going to have to do, so your mum can have some, is put these on.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03So you're not going to be able to talk to us
0:40:03 > 0:40:06but sat in this seat here's going to be Graham.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I'll keep a good eye on you, William, don't worry.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15RADIO CHATTER
0:40:15 > 0:40:17- OK to start in the back? - Yeah, we're OK.
0:40:24 > 0:40:30It's been an eventful afternoon for him, his mum and the fire brigade.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33William's injury may require surgery.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Helimed 99 is flying him
0:40:35 > 0:40:40direct to the trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43By coincidence, his mum has only just returned
0:40:43 > 0:40:46home from the same hospital with her other son.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49His appointment was at least routine, not like William's.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54Leeds, Helimed 99 Alpha now landing altogether. Helimed 99 Alpha.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58In the next hour, doctors will determine
0:40:58 > 0:41:00whether William does need surgery.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Broken femurs in children are not as common as they are in adults because
0:41:05 > 0:41:10the younger a patient is, the more flexible his or her bones are.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18And the hospital has good news. His leg is not actually broken.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21It means that after a few days of recuperation,
0:41:21 > 0:41:26William is fit enough to visit the fire station to thank his rescuers.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Hi.- Hello.- Hello, nice to see you.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Ay up, are you all right?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Hi, Will, how you doing, mate?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Pleased to see ya.- Brave, weren't he?- He was brave, yeah.- Very brave.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- You back at school then?- Yeah.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46You are, aren't you? You went back to school very quickly, didn't you?
0:41:46 > 0:41:51- Yeah.- How long was he in for?- Erm, three days, I think.- Was he?- Yeah.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Well, the day we went in on the Wednesday,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and we came out on the Friday afternoon, didn't we?
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I thought it was a dream at the first point.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- You thought it was a dream? - It was the morphine!
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Yeah, it was the amount! That was the morphine.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08'The thing I first saw was the fire engine,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12'just scared me half to death basically. It was horrible.'
0:42:12 > 0:42:16I heard how far away the Air Ambulance,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19and asked the question, "What do you mean, Air Ambulance?"
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Because they thought the leg had
0:42:21 > 0:42:23been fractured and that it was an open fracture, erm,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26chances are that he could have been heavily bleeding.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28They didn't want to take any chances
0:42:28 > 0:42:30so it was a case of Air Ambulance came.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31You all right?
0:42:31 > 0:42:34We could see that he'd lost quite a bit of blood
0:42:34 > 0:42:36so we stopped the bleeding straight away.
0:42:36 > 0:42:42He was going pale in his face, er, so we lifted his legs up.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43And we got the oxygen on him
0:42:43 > 0:42:47and we requested the attendance of the ambulance service.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50If you're going to drive you're going to have to turn it on,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53so press that red button to start with.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55SIREN WAILS
0:42:58 > 0:42:59HORN HONKS
0:42:59 > 0:43:02It's a really weird experience to have, it really was.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03Getting on the ambulance
0:43:03 > 0:43:06and, you know, getting to hospital as quickly as we did,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08oh, it was absolutely... You know, it was fabulous.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11It could have been a different outcome, I don't know.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13But the fact that I knew that they were there, I was so pleased,
0:43:13 > 0:43:17and I'm really pleased to have come back to see them to say thank you.