0:00:03 > 0:00:06When the people of rural Yorkshire dial 999,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09help can be a long time coming.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12The Yorkshire Dales are as beautiful as they are big,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16but if you're seriously injured in a landscape as gigantic as this,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18your 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 > 0:00:28Look on your left, can you get in that grass field on your left?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Yes, mate. Go for that.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33From high drama in the Peaks to high waters in the Dales,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38the Helimed team is at the heart of almost every rescue,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41bringing 21st-century medicine to some of Britain's
0:00:41 > 0:00:46most isolated communities, and saving lives against the odds.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today, on Helicopter Heroes...
0:00:58 > 0:01:03a climber plunges down the rock face they call the Hell Hole...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05He started panicking, and I was saying,
0:01:05 > 0:01:06"Breathe, keep your breathing."
0:01:06 > 0:01:08And then he said, "I'm coming off."
0:01:08 > 0:01:13..the military calling Helimed 98 for a very young casualty...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15- I'm going to put you on the stretcher...- OK.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..and you just hold him as you are.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22..and there's another case for the bike medic who protects the Dales.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24- Can you move your right leg? - That's good.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27They come out, they see the great weather
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and they start going over like dominoes on this weekend.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39This may not be Everest, but Yorkshire's rock faces
0:01:39 > 0:01:43attract some of the world's best climbers, testing their skills
0:01:43 > 0:01:46against some of the toughest routes in mountaineering.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But you don't need me to tell you this is a risky sport.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Many of the hardest climbs are man-made.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58The smooth sides of abandoned quarries make even finding
0:01:58 > 0:01:59a hand hold difficult,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and few are more dangerous than Heptonstall Quarry
0:02:02 > 0:02:04near Hebden Bridge.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09It's nicknamed Hell Hole, and today a climber has fallen.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- So this is looking like a straight transverse.- Oh, yeah.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Fallen, I'd say, 30 feet.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19The main concern, though, is going to be
0:02:19 > 0:02:21if he's got a significant head injury which will need to be
0:02:21 > 0:02:24appropriately managed at a neurosurgery centre.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27The closest one for this place will be Leeds.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Because he's fallen from such a height, there is
0:02:29 > 0:02:32potential for a whole host of injuries - spinal injuries,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34chest injuries, pelvic injuries -
0:02:34 > 0:02:38so we've just got to perform a rapid, thorough assessment
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and try and evacuate him to appropriate care as soon as possible.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Pilot Ian Mousett needs to bring Helimed 98 down safely
0:02:45 > 0:02:49at the very top of the cliff face. Paramedics Graham Pemberton
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and Sam Burgess will need to climb down to their patient.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Fire and Rescue Service have said they've got a landing track for you,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59so they will marshal you in, over.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01- We've got him.- Yeah, we've got him.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04As we came in, you could see it's quite a big rock face.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05But we'll see what's going on,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08but it sounds like there's a lot of people down there at the moment.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13It's a long trek down. Graham and Sam need to find a shortcut.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Where is it, over that way?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17No, no. I just want to have a look down, that's all.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Right there, that's the clue.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Calder Valley Mountain Rescue Team have reached the stricken climber,
0:03:25 > 0:03:2826-year-old Joe Lofthouse from Halifax.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32He's fallen on one of the climbs, locally, I think
0:03:32 > 0:03:35it was Fairy Steps, and the climbers have sort of held him
0:03:35 > 0:03:38on there as the entire team arrived.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41We just need his obs and his blood pressure and stuff...
0:03:41 > 0:03:44He's in a precarious position
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and he needs to be lowered to the ground.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Are they on the ledge?
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Joe was climbing using a series of cams wedged into the rock face,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01but he failed to attach the last one properly and he fell.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06He carried on going, he got the next cam in and I just said,
0:04:06 > 0:04:11"Clip it," and he didn't clip it, he took it out.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And then he started panicking and I was saying,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16"Breathe, keep breathing.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18"You won't get pumped."
0:04:18 > 0:04:21And then he said, "I'm coming off," and I were like, "No, stick on."
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Came down, landed on his feet and then flipped over.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29With the tension of the rope, it just flipped him over onto the ledge.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36The mountain rescue team has got Joe on a specially designed stretcher.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The utmost care moving him is essential.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42If we ring up and say he's fallen 30 foot,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44they're going to want to...
0:04:44 > 0:04:47He was loaded into one of our vacuum mattresses to stabilise him,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and he's just being carried down by the other
0:04:50 > 0:04:51members of the team at the moment.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Joe's life is now in the hands of the mountain rescue team.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Carrying him down the cliff face will be difficult
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and dangerous for patient and rescuers alike.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Reaching remote areas is what air ambulances are best at,
0:05:07 > 0:05:12and after ten years, the Helimed team is almost taken for granted.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13If you live up here in the Dales,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16you look to the skies for help in an emergency.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18But when it comes to speed,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21the Helimed team have some stiff competition.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27This is Swaledale, Yorkshire's most northerly dale.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31The 3,000 people who live in its isolated communities
0:05:31 > 0:05:36rely on paramedic Mike Lay for emergency help.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39If the weather's bad or it's too late for an air ambulance,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44Mike responds alone to 999 calls from his base in Richmond.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47It's a long way from his old job as a paramedic in London,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50where he spent 13 years.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54London had such a diverse population, and it's a 24-hour city,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so we did get to some very strange situations there.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Whereas, here, things are a bit more settled
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and people don't just call us at the drop of a hat,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06so we do tend to go to more serious stuff more consistently up here.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15It's the first bank holiday of summer,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and Mike's been called to the village of Aysgarth,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22whose famous falls have been the backdrop to several Hollywood films.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28But now a real-life drama is unfolding in the main road
0:06:28 > 0:06:29through the village.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Another biker's badly hurt.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I could see straightaway it was a head-on impact,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and a quick survey showed me that his left femur was gone.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42He also had difficulty breathing and pain to the right side of his chest.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Mike needs a backup as Aysgarth is an hour's drive
0:06:45 > 0:06:47to the nearest hospital.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Helimed 98 is on its way.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53These dales round here, Swaledale and so on, will be
0:06:53 > 0:06:56absolutely crawling with bikers, all out enjoying the sunshine
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and the tarmac.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So not that surprising that, every now and again,
0:07:01 > 0:07:02one of them comes a cropper.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05On board, paramedics Al Day
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and Dave Appleby are joined by Dr Ben Wyatt.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Apparently this chap's got a broken thigh,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15big bone in the top of your leg, which is quite a nasty injury.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18You can lose a lot of blood from one of those.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20So we're just en route to see if we can help out.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- Just coming round the corner? - Yeah, just round the corner, mate.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Should be about there.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29We've got traffic, looks like...
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Yeah, that's the traffic. - I've got the blue light.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Their patient is 41-year-old Mike Rawson.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Hello.- Hello.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43He lost control on a sharp bend and hit oncoming traffic.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Do we want to have a look at the leg first, Ben, or...?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Well, I can see...
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Right, so we'll give him 10 of morphine to be going on with,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and then see how he is after a few minutes after that.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56If it's still, you know... nothing's changed,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58we'll give him some ketamine.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Ketamine is a very powerful painkiller.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04We're going to see how the pain is in another few minutes.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06We've given you morphine, all right?
0:08:06 > 0:08:10If that's got not good enough, we've got another drug called ketamine.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- I've got pain every time I cough... - It won't take away the pain completely,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18we just want to suppress the pain, OK?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20We were just coming round here,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23following our friend in the red Saxo,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28and he just hit a black car, bounced off that into the red Saxo
0:08:28 > 0:08:32and then slid along the road and stopped just in front of us, so...
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It's just a really big shock.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38And it looks like he's very lucky. Obviously, he's hurt himself a lot,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42but he's just very lucky that he didn't go under the Land Rover.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44So that's six o'clock, the morphine, yeah, Ben?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48So what we're going to have to be doing is removing this, maybe cut
0:08:48 > 0:08:52this down, get the traction splint on him and get him on the board.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55We can't touch him, as far as this leg goes.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57He's still lying in the middle of a country road,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00but Mike is being given the same sort of treatment
0:09:00 > 0:09:02he would be getting in an A&E department.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Shall we hang on with his splint until we've given him
0:09:04 > 0:09:05this ketamine, guys?
0:09:07 > 0:09:08OK. Yeah, we'll do that.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16The team has decided to use more powerful painkillers.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21It sort of disassociates what we're doing to your leg from you.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23So hopefully you will not feel it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Al and Ben know straightening Mike's broken leg is going to hurt.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31At least you had some good leathers on, mate. That's helped you.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32You've had all the protection.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35You can knock that off. Just a second, mate.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37We'll just put it on top of him,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and if you can help control that leg there, all right?
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Mike's leg is very swollen. A broken thigh bone can sever arteries,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48causing massive internal bleeding.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Argh! I'm not comfortable!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52The drugs Mike's been given are giving him
0:09:52 > 0:09:55some strange side-effects. He needs reassurance.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I can't... I can't see anybody.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02- Can you see me now, Mike? - No. I can't see.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Is this normal, feeling spaced out? - Yeah, that's the idea.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's the drug we've given you just to make things a bit more comfortable.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- I can't feel me body. - Yeah, that's the idea.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15I can't feel anything.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Can somebody just push from that end?
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Now the drug has taken full effect, and before it wears off,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26paramedics need to get his leg straightened quickly.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28When somebody's got a fractured femur, you can straighten it,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31what we call traction, actually pull it straight.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It actually decreases the pain and also decreases the bleeding
0:10:34 > 0:10:36from the fracture, which is very important,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38because you can lose a lot of blood from a fractured femur,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41just into the muscle of the thigh.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45This is probably not the bank holiday Mike had in mind.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Carefully, because he's jutting out at the end there, all right?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It worked really well. A couple of minutes after he had the ketamine,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54he couldn't feel anything at all.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It was like we were messing with somebody else's leg
0:10:57 > 0:10:59rather than his. He just stopped being bothered about it,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02which is exactly what we wanted when you straighten a horrendously
0:11:02 > 0:11:06broken leg with a great big thighbone of somebody
0:11:06 > 0:11:08that weighs probably 15 stone.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Mike will be at A&E in Middlesbrough in about ten minutes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17It'll be some time before he'll be allowed back on his bike.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23But the Dales isn't just a leisure destination.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26For some, this landscape is deadly serious,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30preparing men and women in uniform for life in Afghanistan
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and the war zones of tomorrow.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The British Army goes into combat with skills learned here
0:11:36 > 0:11:38in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Almost every squaddie does their basic training here,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45and specialist regiments like the artillery have major bases here.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Helimed 98 is stationed next to a Royal Artillery barracks,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54and today the team has been brought one very young military casualty.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Little Logan's dad is a serving soldier,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04but today it's his 18-month-old son who's in the wars.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06He has serious burns.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- What I'm going to do is I'm going to put you on the stretcher.- OK.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10- You just hold him as you are, OK? - OK.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- Have you ever been in my aircraft before?- No.- All right.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17We'll get you there as quick as we can.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Do you want to come around this side with me?
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Logan's mum Leanne had left him with his older brother
0:12:24 > 0:12:27in his bedroom for a few minutes to go downstairs.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The boys then went into the bathroom
0:12:29 > 0:12:33and Logan's older brother turned on the hot tap.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37But Logan managed to hoist himself into the bath.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Logan has second-degree burns.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43He has redness and blisters on his arms and legs.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- Just check that for me. Yeah?- Yep.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- We're just going to give him some medicine.- OK, yeah.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Does he normally take medicine OK?
0:12:53 > 0:12:54- Yeah.- Smashing.- Medicine.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Here you go, darling. Here you go.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58There's some medicine.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59HE WAILS
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- There, you take that. - Come on, baby, you like medicine.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Oh, smashing.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06- Is he all right to go to sleep? - It's fine.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09With all burn victims,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12it's vital the skin is kept clean
0:13:12 > 0:13:15as the risk of infection is very high.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19That's why clingfilm is used to cover burned skin.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20355, 47 miles.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25He's relatively pain-free now so we'll not give him
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- any more of that just yet.- OK.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Are you all right keeping hold? - Yes.- All right.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- ETA about 12, Matt.- Thank you.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38The pain Logan is feeling is actually a good sign.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The most serious burns cause little discomfort
0:13:41 > 0:13:43because nerves have been destroyed.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Do you want to just sit him up a touch?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49We'll get that right arm underneath.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57The sound of the chopper often sends young patients to sleep.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59In Logan's case, that's a blessing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Helimed 98 is now minutes
0:14:04 > 0:14:07from Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09home of the regional burns unit,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12the very best place for Logan to be.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14We're coming in to land, OK?
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Burn surgeons are already on stand by,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and as soon as Logan arrives, he'll be taken in for assessment.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24He will also be given stronger pain relief.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- All clear left.- Thanks, mate. All clear my side.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30We couldn't see everything because, obviously, babe in arms.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Quite bad blisters.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Some had popped, some hadn't,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38which is always the risk of infection and losing fluid.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Main concern were to get some pain relief on board
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and get him going up to Newcastle.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It's taken us 22 minutes to get here.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Logan's burns are more serious than first thought.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Skin grafts are taken from the back of his legs to repair the burns.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Three weeks later and Logan is back at home.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02He's only 18 months old,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06so will remember very little of the events of the last month.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Are you going for a bath?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13But for mum Leanne, it's something she will never forget.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I came up the stairs with the boys, we took him into the bedroom
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and then I remembered I'd forgot the bottles.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23So I went back down the stairs and then I heard the water running,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27so I ran halfway up the stairs and then I heard Logan screaming.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30So we ran in and got you out, didn't we? Yes.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33He's climbed up on the toy box and up on the side of the bath
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and we think he's fell in that way.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Logan was in the water less than 30 seconds,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45but it was so hot, it was long enough to cause serious burns.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49A simple accident and every parent's worst nightmare.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Have you got your cream on?
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I actually thought he was going to die,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57because I didn't know how bad it was, and you've heard about things
0:15:57 > 0:16:02like this on the TV, and you never think it's going to happen to you.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04But obviously it did.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06He's doing really, really well, doing well now.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09He's got three skin grafts, which are all healing nicely.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11And one of them is a bit funny,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14he might need further operations to fix them.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18But he, in himself, is doing a lot better than he was.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19It's in the bath!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22He's not scared to go in the bathroom any more, which is good,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25because he was to start with. He wouldn't go in at all.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26But now he's back to having baths,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and back to being his normal self again, so he's doing really well.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The Yorkshire Dales is famous for its dry-stone walls,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51ancient boundaries that often date back more than 1,000 years.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Built up stone by stone, to protect sheep from prowling wolves,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57if they were laid end to end,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01they would measure 5,500 miles, from here to LA!
0:17:01 > 0:17:03But these walls can be lethal.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Two wheels is the best way to see the Dales.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Many of the cyclists grinding up the inclines are
0:17:14 > 0:17:18doing it for charity on sponsored bike rides.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24One of the most popular routes is the 170-mile-long Way of the Roses,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28a tough cycle trip coast to coast from Morecambe to Bridlington.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33It takes in some of the country's most stunning scenery,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35but also brings serious risks and today,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39one charity cyclist has had a serious accident.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Helimed 98, we have lifted 1205.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46At the moment we're a bit sketchy as to what actually has happened
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and what injuries he's sustained, but there is someone on the scene saying
0:17:50 > 0:17:54that he appears to be deteriorating, so we're heading over there.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Nigel Vickers was heading down this steep hill
0:17:58 > 0:18:02when he lost control and crashed over a dry-stone wall.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Just came over the wall.- Just over the wall, landed down here.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Querying loss of consciousness. He's been down for about...
0:18:09 > 0:18:10It took us 20 minutes to get here,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14so he's been on the floor a good 20 minutes. He's increasingly drowsy.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17He was coming down the hill. He was coming down a little bit too fast.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20When he hit his brakes, it didn't stop the bike in time and he hit
0:18:20 > 0:18:23the wall and went straight over the wall and onto the soft ground here.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Can you remember what happened then, Nigel? From all this?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- Yes, I was trying me brakes but me brakes weren't coming on.- No?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And it just wouldn't grip as I came around.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- I bet that weren't a nice feeling, were it? Approaching that wall!- No.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39You're not the first one here, though, are you?
0:18:39 > 0:18:43There was a guy killed on a bike last week coming down this same route,
0:18:43 > 0:18:44just last week.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Lost it just on the corner further up and died,
0:18:47 > 0:18:48so it's a really dangerous road.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I got there just as he had come over,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55so people were flagging me down, so probably I was 100 yards behind.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58You can see the shape, it's obviously straight,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01so his handlebars are to one side.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Nigel had organised the trip.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- They're raising money for a local hospice.- We started from Morecambe.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Went to Grassington last night
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and then we have to get to York this evening.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And then York to Bridlington on the last day.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21He's the guy who organised it as well. Sadly.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23His mates have a difficult decision to make.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Do they call off the challenge or carry on without him?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31In the end, they know what Nigel would want them to do.
0:19:31 > 0:19:37- It's flat all the way to Bridlington now.- Are we off?- Thanks, guys.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- Appreciate it.- Is someone coming with me?- Afraid not.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We can't go in the air ambulance,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46but we'll give Shell a ring in a bit. They'll keep us up to date.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50You're in the best hands, mate. We can't come with you, though.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Nigel is still confused and dazed, so Pete is keen to get him
0:19:55 > 0:19:59into Harrogate Hospital's A&E department quickly.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Helimed 98, lifted from the scene for Harrogate.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We've informed the hospital. 98, over.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It's funny how I think this is the second cyclist this week
0:20:10 > 0:20:14that has been out on charity events,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18so it's unfortunate when people are trying to do good that they
0:20:18 > 0:20:20come to harm but hopefully, in Nigel's case,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22it's not anything too serious.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Landing now, Nigel.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32For the next 24 hours, Nigel will be under observation in hospital.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36But his mates plan to finish his challenge.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40And the following evening, they have made it to the east coast.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43That's it, lads! We've done it.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I'm looking forward to them fish and chips.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49They'll taste great after this bike ride!
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Apart from Nigel's accident yesterday,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54it's been absolutely fantastic. I've done it for a good cause.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And get well soon, Nige.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57CHEERING
0:20:57 > 0:20:59From the moment he went over the wall
0:20:59 > 0:21:01to when he was in the air ambulance,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04he can't remember a thing, so he obviously got very dazed
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and knocked about the head a bit,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08but he says he feels a lot better today,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10he's just disappointed to have missed it all,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but fair play to him, he's done all the fundraising. We raised
0:21:13 > 0:21:16about £3,000 for cancer research, and most of it is down to Nigel.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Even though we've had one injury, one accident,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21we've all done really well, I'm really pleased we've done it.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23We can make a little bit light of it now.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26We took some pictures of him yesterday while he was
0:21:26 > 0:21:28getting airlifted with a few light-hearted things that we
0:21:28 > 0:21:31thought we'll show him later, as long as he's going to be all right.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Thankfully, he's now all right, so they can go on Facebook and YouTube.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Nigel hopes that he too will reach the east coast by bike...
0:21:39 > 0:21:41perhaps next year.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43But as he and his mates have found out,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46taking on Yorkshire's outsized landscape involves
0:21:46 > 0:21:50a lot of dangers the Helimed team are only too familiar with.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56In the Pennines above the town of Hebden Bridge, a major
0:21:56 > 0:22:01rescue operation is underway to save novice climber Joe Lofthouse.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04He was badly hurt half an hour ago when he slipped
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and fell off a rock face called Hell Hole.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Is it quite painful just around the back there? Just here?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Joe was climbing this rock
0:22:12 > 0:22:17when he failed to connect his rope to a clip and fell backwards.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Joe's friend John and a fellow climber are by his side.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23This is part and parcel of it, OK?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27You've not done anything wrong, apart from not flashing it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Despite reassurance from his friend, Joe is disorientated
0:22:35 > 0:22:40- and showing signs of anxiety. - It shakes you up.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I mean, we've climbed here umpteen times and nothing has happened,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48but it's one of those... You can't do anything, you know?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51ETA with you is approximately 17.00.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54But if it changes significantly, we'll let you know,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57because we're just at the bottom of a cliff at the moment.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59More mountain rescue volunteers are on their way to help with
0:22:59 > 0:23:03what is going to be a very difficult rescue.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05When we get there, mate...
0:23:05 > 0:23:09As Joe is already strapped into a stretcher, the priority
0:23:09 > 0:23:12is to keep him conscious and get him up to the chopper quickly.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15We're going to have to peel off when we get to this corner, folks.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17The path to the top is perilous.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21We've got probably in excess of 15 people, which is
0:23:21 > 0:23:24good for a nice, sunny day, a good day for us,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26so it's been a good job from our point of view.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29This is the first time Joe has ever been involved
0:23:29 > 0:23:30in a climbing accident,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33but for the Calder Valley Mountain Rescue Team,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38this is one of over 60 similar rescues they carry out each year.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40We'd still be down the bottom of the hill without mountain rescue,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43so, yeah, absolutely invaluable in these situations.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46It's what they practise all the time, so they're really
0:23:46 > 0:23:49good at it, and they've got the right kit for it as well.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Because you banged your head... You just fell. That's all.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54You just felt, not far.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Not high. You just banged your head, that's all.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02That's why you feel dizzy. That's why you can't remember what happened.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Joe's vital signs are good, his blood pressure is OK
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and he's conscious,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10but his head injury is concerning paramedic Graham.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Do you know what day it is?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- Is it Sunday?- It is Sunday. You know what month it is?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Erm... No.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Not sure? Don't worry about it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26These guys are going to take care of you, OK? All right, Joe?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30- Don't worry about it, pal. All right. See you soon.- See you in a bit.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Clear to the rear, mate, just the one on your right.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37He's got quite a significant injury which is to the
0:24:37 > 0:24:39rear of his head, whether or not it's a soft-tissue injury or
0:24:39 > 0:24:42involves the bone structures underneath,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44we don't know at the moment, we have to wait until he has a CT scan.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47As with all of these things, head injuries can be quite slow,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50they can get slow bleeds and take a while to develop.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52At Leeds General Infirmary,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Joe and his rescuers will find out the results of scans
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and X-rays to his head.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01There's a danger this accident could affect him for the rest of his life.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The dales and moors make Yorkshire one of Britain's
0:25:10 > 0:25:12most beautiful places,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14but if you're seriously ill or critically injured,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18this is a dangerous place. Hospital can be an hour away
0:25:18 > 0:25:22by road, and the emergency services are thin on the ground.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Mike Lay is a paramedic biker who brings life-saving care on
0:25:29 > 0:25:34two wheels to the 20,000 people who live in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Like the Helimed team, he can bypass the jams,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40but his job is riskier.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45From stray sheep to landslips, these lanes are littered with
0:25:45 > 0:25:47potentially lethal hazards for bikers.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57As soon as the good weather hits the Dales in the spring or
0:25:57 > 0:25:59the summer, the bikers just flock to these roads.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Probably the bank holiday weekend, the start of May,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that's probably the first big biking weekend. We're almost
0:26:04 > 0:26:08guaranteed to have a few motorcycle accidents.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10People can be caught unawares,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13they might be skidding along at high speed on the road
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and might go round the corner
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and there might be a micro-climb or a bit of wet on the road,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and before you know, you might be into a little slide.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23The bikers here at this caff
0:26:23 > 0:26:27are all wearing the right protective gear, but Mike believes
0:26:27 > 0:26:31accidents happen because many are out of practice on the roads.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34A lot of people, they have probably wintered their bikes over winter
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and haven't been out riding.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38And so, probably it would be their first taste of going
0:26:38 > 0:26:40out on their bikes in the summer.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Mike is about to be proved right.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49He's on his way to his first bike crash of the year.
0:26:50 > 0:26:56- And the Helimed team will be joining him.- 98 has lifted.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58South of the buildings.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's Saturday morning on the first bank holiday of the year
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and the weather is good. And with the sun comes trouble on the roads.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11On scene, the update is the patient is now conscious.
0:27:11 > 0:27:18Cyclist versus road sign. Nearest hospital is James Cook. Over.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Thanks for that. We'll give you a call, over.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Paramedic Mike has also been called to the incident, which is
0:27:25 > 0:27:30close to his base in Richmond. Helimed 98 is right behind him.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The motorcyclist has come off and hit a lamp post.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Initially, this guy was unconscious,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42so we're not sure what injuries he's got at the moment.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Quite often, they're sort of fast off,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48so it could be quite traumatic when they do come off at speed.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Too close to the wire.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Priority for paramedic Daryl Cullen is to speak
0:27:53 > 0:27:56to his colleague Mike, who is already at the scene.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00This is Chris. Going about 60. He's tumbled from where his bike is.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- Knocked out for about 30 seconds. - We had gone ahead.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06There was a friend of ours that was behind.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And we got further up the road and realised he wasn't there,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and then we thought, "Oh, this looks naughty," so we turned around,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16came back and found out that he had been in an accident.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Mike is concerned that the biker has a serious back and head injury.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Between them,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25they need to make a full assessment before they attempt to move him.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Can you move your right leg?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Can you pull that glove off for us, mate?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32That's all right. Good.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35First bank holiday, good weather, so we tend to get all the bikers
0:28:35 > 0:28:40who have wintered their bikes, they come out, they see the great
0:28:40 > 0:28:43weather and they start going over like dominoes on this weekend.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- You were also knocked out for a while as well.- Was I?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50You were, yes. You were really confused when I got here.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Quite a cut-through is the 1263, for people coming from Teesside,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58like this gentleman, heading across to the Dales, going across to
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Richmond, so it is quite a popular road, and it is quite a nice
0:29:02 > 0:29:05road for motorcycling with the type of bends that there are on it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09What we will do then, Chris, in a second, basically, potentially,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13you could have hurt your back. You probably haven't.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16The biker was wearing all of the right protective gear,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19so he appears to have escaped serious injury.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22But he will be strapped to a rigid spinal stretcher
0:29:22 > 0:29:25until he gets the all clear in hospital.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Probably the first nice weekend we have had this year,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31so everybody is getting their bikes out of the garage,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34they haven't used them since the autumn.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Their skills are a little bit rusty.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Just one little mistake, at this kind of speed, and you're off.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Land crews will take Chris to hospital,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48freeing up the air ambulance and motorbike paramedic for what
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Mike hopes will not be a busy weekend.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Fingers crossed, but we'll see. The day's just warming up.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Like Mike, all of North Yorkshire's country paramedics have
0:30:03 > 0:30:06to get used to coping with patients alone, and with little
0:30:06 > 0:30:10of the backup their colleagues in the cities take for granted.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15They are often based in tiny stations in small towns to help
0:30:15 > 0:30:19them reach their patients in remote areas and today, on the edge
0:30:19 > 0:30:25of the North York Moors, they have been called to a major accident.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- They are not alone. - It's very popular.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30This area of the country's really, really nice.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34The road between Helmsley right across through Kirkbymoorside
0:30:34 > 0:30:37towards Pickering and Malton and Thornton-le-Dale,
0:30:37 > 0:30:42very, very popular with tourists, popular with motorcycles as well.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46- You've got Flamingo Land coming in on your right, there.- Roger, Dodge.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48It's a busy Sunday afternoon.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51The roads are clogged with slow-moving traffic.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Caravans, motorhomes and coaches can add extra time to journeys.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Can you just confirm for me that this is a motor vehicle rollover?
0:30:59 > 0:31:02We've been dispatched again on this lovely day out towards
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Thornton-le-Dale, right on the edge of the North York Moors.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07We've got a road traffic collision
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and reports of a vehicle that's rolled over.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18Pilot Chris Atril brings Helimed 98 down at the scene of the crash,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22where a car overtaking slow-moving traffic has left the road.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24I'm assuming that's it.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- You're clear, left. You're still clear left.- Roger.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34- OK. Thanks for that, Chris. - What have you got?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36He's been conscious since we've been with him,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39whether he was conscious beforehand or not is debatable.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Their patient is 24-year-old David Smith.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48He's still trapped upside down in his now wrecked hot hatchback.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53When I got in, the chap was conscious, speaking to me,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55but not aware of where he was.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Witnesses were not sure what had happened,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00so basically I just crawled in that side to keep him stable,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03because he was just hanging by his belt upside down,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and just to take some weight off of that
0:32:05 > 0:32:08so that I could check his c-spine and various other things.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Paramedic Darren Axe cannot make a proper assessment of
0:32:10 > 0:32:15David's injuries until he is out of the wreckage.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16The police are also on scene,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18working out how the accident happened.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25You just saw his tail end sway as he lost control.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30The back end spun round and he flipped sideways through the hedge.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33You saw him bouncing across the field.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Then he went up on his front end.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40He seemed to hit this fence and bounce back into the field again.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Cos we thought...
0:32:42 > 0:32:45We didn't know what we were going to find when we got to the car.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47This car was David's pride and joy.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49He kept it in immaculate condition
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and only took it out on special occasions.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Now he is being asked the simple questions that paramedics
0:32:55 > 0:33:00use to diagnose the confusion that can result from head injuries.
0:33:00 > 0:33:01Do you know what day it is?
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Sunday.- Sunday, that's good. I'm happy with that.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08It takes six paramedics
0:33:08 > 0:33:13and a flying doctor to very carefully slide David out.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- He's coming to you, Lee.- OK, I've got him. I've got him.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- Let's just relax, there.- Easy, easy.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22One, two, three.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Right, David, is anything hurting now?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Arms across you.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- OK, bud?- One, two, three.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- A bit more.- OK.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38All right, David. Anything hurting now?
0:33:39 > 0:33:42David is not in any major pain and he's conscious.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Sorry, mate.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47He was just sort of pinned in place by his seatbelt.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50He's a little bit confused about what's happened to him but,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53as you can well imagine, looking at the distance he's travelled,
0:33:53 > 0:33:54he's gone a good 50m.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57His car's come to rest upside down and he's still strapped in it,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00so it would have been a wild ride, that one.
0:34:00 > 0:34:01Lift.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Yep. Super.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Even though David seems OK,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09there are signs he may have been knocked unconscious.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11So, to be on the safe side,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14he'll be flown to hospital to be thoroughly checked over.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- How long have you had that car, Dave? - Was it the blue one?- Hmm?
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- Was it the blue one?- Yep.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24I've got news for you, mate. It's going in a skip.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27But you're in one piece, that's all that matters.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33As pilot Chris takes Helimed 98 up,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35their patient takes a turn for the worse.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Just leave him a minute, I'll deal with him in a minute.
0:34:38 > 0:34:39He's nauseous.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42If he blows, get your legs out the way.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46While air sickness can be a problem for our ambulance crews, there is
0:34:46 > 0:34:50another more sinister explanation for their patient's nausea.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52It could be the result of a head injury.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55If you just let James Cook know that we have had quite extensive
0:34:55 > 0:35:00vomiting from the patient in flight, so just let them know.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Darren has got his airway clear currently.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04He's got, probably, a minor head injury,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06er, which has caused him some concussion.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08He's been unconscious, definitely,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10which is obviously what made him really nauseous,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and that's why we had all the fun in the back having to get him
0:35:13 > 0:35:16onto his side, conscious that we don't want him
0:35:16 > 0:35:19to aspirate on his vomit, and if he's going to swallow it,
0:35:19 > 0:35:20so we had to get him over.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Are you going to be sick again?
0:35:21 > 0:35:24The team is taking David for scans and X-rays,
0:35:24 > 0:35:29but one member, pilot Chris, has another task on his hands.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Not the first time, and it won't be the last time.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Well, someone has to do it!
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Paramedic Darren likes to follow the progress of his patients,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42and since he's a performance car nut too,
0:35:42 > 0:35:46he's taking a close interest in David's case.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I think back to starting in the Ambulance Service, I've seen
0:35:49 > 0:35:51some horrific accidents, seen horrific damages
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and vehicles that have been torn apart.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57The vehicles stand up to it better these days.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01In fact, driver David escaped from the wreckage of his car
0:36:01 > 0:36:05with no significant injuries, the result of the roll-cage that stops
0:36:05 > 0:36:08the roof of modern cars caving in.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10The strength and integrity of the vehicles
0:36:10 > 0:36:14and the way they're built obviously afford a level of protection
0:36:14 > 0:36:18that, you know, that can't be stressed enough.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20The downside of that, ultimately,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24is that people feel that they're completely invulnerable,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27and hopefully, that doesn't produce an increase in the speeds that
0:36:27 > 0:36:29they're travelling at.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32The end of the Bank Holiday is in sight
0:36:32 > 0:36:34for Dales paramedic biker, Mike.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37After two visits from the Helimed team, it's been a busy day,
0:36:37 > 0:36:43but he wouldn't swap his Yorkshire job for his old commute into London.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45It would take me half an hour of
0:36:45 > 0:36:47fighting through the traffic on my motorbike.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50If I was in a car, it would take me at least an hour
0:36:50 > 0:36:51to get to work each way,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55whereas here, I just live down the road, next to the park,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58so it's an eight-minute stroll through the park to get to
0:36:58 > 0:37:01work here, so it just couldn't be more different.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I can most definitely say that I would never move back there.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I'd much rather go back there as a tourist,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11because it is a fantastic city.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13But I wouldn't go back there to work.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17It's just been such a contrast to the positive up here,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20so I'm more than happy up here.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25But as Mike heads home, the Helimed team is still on duty, and another
0:37:25 > 0:37:30biker has come off, this time near the seaside town of Whitby.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34This makes three bikers in 24 hours for Helimed 98.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39'Car V and the motorcycle RTC.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44'Ambulance team was requested due to serious leg trauma.'
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Paramedics Dave Appleby and Al Day need to be quick.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52Helimed 98 cannot be flown at night, and the sun is going down.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57The car's just there, I think, where the back of the ambulance is.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Land crews are already with their patient,
0:38:02 > 0:38:04a biker who's been in a collision with a car.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Is he still on the road, or is he...? Hiya.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12He's ready to go if you want him off?
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Yeah, we're pushed against the time, yeah. Briefly, what happened then?
0:38:16 > 0:38:21- This guy'll tell you.- This is Matt. Motorbike, side on to car.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24So he's hit, where's...has he been going up this way, or...?
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Matt's been going towards Scarborough.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Yeah, and how's he hit the car, then? Has he...?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31The car's, I think, going the other way.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36So he's got pain, lower right leg, ankle area.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39The patient is 26-year-old Matthew Howard from Whitby.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41He appears lucky to be alive.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44He's had 10 of morphine at 20:02 and 20:10.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Whereabouts is the, is it general...?
0:38:46 > 0:38:50- It's my ankle.- It's your ankle. And anywhere else hurting, is it?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- No, just from, just from the scratches down my side.- Right.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58How have you hit the car? Have you glanced it, or have you...?
0:38:58 > 0:39:00- At about a 45 degree angle.- Right.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03He hit the verge on the other side
0:39:03 > 0:39:05and then came straight across the road and into me.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08OK, just take a nice deep breath for me.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10That all right? In and out.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Matthew has already had a full dose of morphine and is now ready
0:39:14 > 0:39:18for the 15 minute flight to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20On lifting, ready, steady, lift!
0:39:20 > 0:39:22The impact of the crash was considerable.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25As well as a suspected broken ankle,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Matthew has a long list of superficial injuries.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31The team's patient has been fortunate in one way.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Matt, I've got your phone and I've got your glasses...
0:39:34 > 0:39:38Official statistics show that on average, one rider dies every day
0:39:38 > 0:39:40on the UK's roads, with spring
0:39:40 > 0:39:44and early summer the most dangerous time to be a biker.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46'Straight back, helipad departure.'
0:39:46 > 0:39:49In the meantime, he will receive the
0:39:49 > 0:39:53best medical care once he arrives in hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57He's escaped serious injury and will be home in the next few days.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Sadly, even seemingly minor injuries
0:40:01 > 0:40:04can have a big effect on the victim's life,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and in the Pennines, another
0:40:06 > 0:40:11of the Helimed team's patients is finding that out the hard way.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14It's six weeks since the rock face named Hellhole
0:40:14 > 0:40:17claimed yet another victim.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Climber Joe Lofthouse fell 30 feet onto rocks,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23but he has lived to tell the tale
0:40:23 > 0:40:26and returned to the fearsome cliffs that nearly killed him.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Where is he? Over that way?
0:40:28 > 0:40:32It turns out he was a first-time climber on real rock.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35It started at the end of January this year.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36A friend of mine at work asked me
0:40:36 > 0:40:39if I'd like to the indoor centre at Brighouse.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41So I thought, "While the weather's nice,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44"I'll go outdoors and try that."
0:40:44 > 0:40:49I came down, did a couple of climbs, felt confident
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and then, on the third climb, unfortunately, I fell.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58I remember starting to climb, getting a few feet up,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02I put two wires in and hooked on so I was safe
0:41:02 > 0:41:04and then, when I started climbing up,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07I tried putting a cam in and then I slipped and fell.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09I fell all the way down to the ledge where I'd started
0:41:09 > 0:41:11and then fell backwards, onto my head.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Hello. All right, mate. You?
0:41:15 > 0:41:20With him that day was experienced climber John Gale.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25John is used to these rocks, and when the accident happened,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29he knew not to try and move Joe and call 999.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I heard the crash as Joe fell.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36And, um...we were at the other end of the crag,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39working on some other techniques.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43My first reaction was that he was quite severely injured.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46We just got off the ledge that we were on as quickly as we could,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49ran straight for my phone and, before I'd got to Joe,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51I was on the phone to the paramedics.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56A 30-foot fall onto rocks can be fatal. Joe was lucky.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00I sprained my left wrist but I had a big bruise for a few days
0:42:00 > 0:42:04that was, like, the size of the back of my hand but here.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I have damaged my rotor cuff in my right shoulder.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09I have concussion
0:42:09 > 0:42:13and I've damaged the fourth cranial nerve behind my left eye.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Worst of all, Joe's fall leaves him with double vision.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22But that slowly improves over the following three months,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26much to the relief of the friends who introduced him to climbing.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And I'm pleased to tell you Joe is now well on the mend
0:42:29 > 0:42:32and keen to climb again, despite the risks.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd