0:00:02 > 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 > 0:00:17but 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 > 0:00:22But in the remotest part of Britain's biggest county,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25they look to the skies for help.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29'Look on your left, Matt - can you get in that grass field on your left?
0:00:29 > 0:00:30'Yes, go for that...'
0:00:30 > 0:00:34From high drama in the Peaks to high water in the Dales,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38the Helimed team is at the heart of almost every rescue -
0:00:38 > 0:00:41bringing 21st-century medicine
0:00:41 > 0:00:44to some of Britain's most isolated communities
0:00:44 > 0:00:46and saving lives against the odds.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today, on Helicopter Heroes...
0:00:58 > 0:01:02That's usually a question I ask - are you all right flying with us?!
0:01:02 > 0:01:07It's a routine case, until the patient goes into cardiac arrest.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- He's in VF.- Right, stand clear. Stand clear!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Hello! You're all right. You've just had a bit of a do on us.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16A young climber takes a tumble.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20- Keep your head still...- We just couldn't get to him quick enough.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It was like slow motion, it was horrible.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And, high in the Dales, a barbecue goes badly wrong.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29So it sounds like the flame...the fumes, then, have probably ignited.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41There's a lot to be said for living in a place as beautiful as this,
0:01:41 > 0:01:42but if you're critically ill,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46a rural address can seriously affect your chances of survival.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Prompt treatment for a heart attack or stroke is vital,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and in the countryside, every second counts.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The farming calendar is still at the centre of life
0:02:02 > 0:02:05around Yorkshire's dales and moors.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09It's midsummer, and the sheep are grazing high in the hills.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Down in the valleys, it's hay-making time,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16gathering fodder for the long winter ahead.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18In a village near the market town of Malton,
0:02:18 > 0:02:24the traditional hay-making must stop for a very modern medical emergency.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We're going to a lovely little cottage,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30to somebody who's had chest pains, requested an ambulance,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and looks like they're having a heart attack.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35- Two o'clock low.- Yep, got it, mate.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38- Got somebody in the field. - In the field, yeah. That's the one.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43This morning, Helimed 98's landing pad was standing crops -
0:02:43 > 0:02:45it's been cut just in time.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48It was hay that depth, yes, waiting to be rolled up.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51We rolled it up and baled it this morning.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So, it was just lucky.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Transferring patients who need cardiac treatment
0:02:58 > 0:03:01is one of the air ambulance's more routine missions.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Put your hands on your tummy for us, Col...
0:03:03 > 0:03:07For patient Colin Simpson, flying in helicopters is also routine -
0:03:07 > 0:03:09he used to work on oil rigs.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Good! That's usually a question I ask,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13are you all right flying with us?!
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Shall we go round, give him...?
0:03:19 > 0:03:25These pads are put on just in case Colin has a cardiac arrest.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Good lad. Can you cough?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And then, suddenly, the worst happens.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39This is how 160,000 people die in the UK each year.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Any pulse...?
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Colin's heart is fluttering - uselessly - in his chest.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The team has minutes to save his life.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51His heart needs to be shocked back into rhythm.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Right, he's in VF.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57- Right, no radial. - OK, everybody stand clear.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00OK, I'm going to charge...
0:04:00 > 0:04:03MACHINE BLEEPS AS IT CHARGES ..at 200.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07MACHINE BEEPS EMERGENCY BEEP Right, stand clear. Stand clear!
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- Clear. - BEEPING STOPS
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I got him.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15We've got a pulse back, mate, we've got a pulse.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16- Got some O2?- Yep...
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'As we went onto the ambulance, he went into VF arrest,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'and his heart stopped beating.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:24So, er, they got the paddles on,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and shocked his heart back into a normal rhythm.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28And he's back with us again now,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32so they're going to take him off down to Castle Hill.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Hello, you're OK, you're OK.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37That's not attached...
0:04:37 > 0:04:38All right, bud.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Hello! You're all right!
0:04:40 > 0:04:44You've just had a bit of a do on us, giving us a bit of a scare.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Sammy and Andy need to get him straight to hospital.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51His heart could stop again at any moment.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Making me feel cold, Colin!
0:04:59 > 0:05:03We're not far away, anyway, Colin, from the hospital.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Colin's being flown 40 miles to the Castle Hill hospital near Hull,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10where surgeons specialise in angioplasty -
0:05:10 > 0:05:13opening out blocked arteries in the heart.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'We're at Castle Hill. Closing down.'
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Is there any more that you need to get rid of, for the minute?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25There is? Of course you can, it's just that we need to lay you flat,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28so I'll wait for you if you want to be sick.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Colin's being driven round to the specialist department,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33where he'll go straight for surgery.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36He went all quiet and had a bit of a funny do,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38as they say in the ambulance service.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40It does make it worthwhile coming to work, knowing that
0:05:40 > 0:05:45you've got a patient to hospital alive, and you know,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47the chances are, he's going to make a good recovery.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55And just a fortnight later, in the valleys below the North York Moors,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Colin is back in his workshop, as if nothing had happened.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I realise how lucky I am, actually, because things
0:06:01 > 0:06:04fell into place on that particular day.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I really am very lucky to be here.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It could have happened differently. I could have been out walking,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11but, er, yeah,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I just realise how lucky I was.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I remember getting on, being lifted onto a stretcher
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and lifted out of the house,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and getting closer to the helicopter, getting lifted in.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Then, er, whilst in the helicopter...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I fainted.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- He's in VF.- Right, no radial.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Everybody stand clear...
0:06:31 > 0:06:33'It just seemed as though I passed out,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35'and you can't tell how long that was, but...
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'I just passed out, and came round, and that was it, basically.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I feel no different now than I did 2.5 weeks ago, I feel fine.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I feel fit, but I know I've got to take it easy.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I'm going to enjoy life, definitely, yeah.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Visitors spend £1.5 billion a year in Yorkshire,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00and tourism dwarfs other industries in the Dales.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's the scenery that brings most of them.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Today, Helimed 98 is heading to a village called Appletreewick,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11where one visitor desperately needs help.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'They're on the scene now and you're definitely required.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21'Serious, severe head injury...'
0:07:24 > 0:07:27A cyclist has been thrown over her handlebars
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and has a serious head injury.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Measured on the so-called Glasgow Coma Scale,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38or GCS, she scores just 3 out of 15 -
0:07:38 > 0:07:40close to death.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Right, then, so... So we're happy with the airway,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45obs are not too bad. Have you got any lines in yet?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- One line in there. - She's still clenching, yeah...
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Paramedics Darryl Cullen and Tony Wilkes need to act fast -
0:07:52 > 0:07:56their patient, Miranda Warren, also has a blown pupil.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Her eye is fixed and doesn't react to light -
0:07:58 > 0:08:02a sure symptom of swelling or bleeding inside the head
0:08:02 > 0:08:04putting pressure on the optic nerves.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08As we were coming down the hill, I saw her on the floor,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and her bike had broken and she'd gone over the top.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Fortunately, one of the ladies nearby is a paramedic,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and was dealing with her straight away.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The rolling hills are what bring
0:08:20 > 0:08:23the visitors to Yorkshire's dales and moors -
0:08:23 > 0:08:25idyllic country lanes,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28with breathtaking views around almost every corner.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32But these roads are potentially very dangerous,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36especially for vulnerable users like cyclists.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Try and keep still, sweetie.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- So, she's got that there...- She's taken the impact down this side.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43This helmet, it's cracked it, hasn't it?
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- We'll take that with us, if that's OK...- The off-duty paramedic
0:08:50 > 0:08:52who found Miranda carried out life-saving first aid
0:08:52 > 0:08:54until help arrived.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57She's gone over the handlebars of her bike,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59and she was not breathing very well.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02All we could do was just try and maintain her airway,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and keep her comfortable,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and just try and relay our information back to the control,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11so that the guys knew what they were coming to.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14We'll put her on the ambulance stretcher and just wheel her up.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16When dealing with a serious head injury,
0:09:16 > 0:09:21every minute saved can be the difference between life and death.
0:09:29 > 0:09:35By chopper, it's a 15-minute flight to the major trauma centre in Leeds.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'We'll have another look at that pupil in a minute.'
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Miranda's head injury is serious
0:09:43 > 0:09:48but, until she has a brain scan, it's not known how serious.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Consciousness level is slowly coming up, which is a good sign.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57So, we're hoping she might be over the worst.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01The major trauma unit is set up for critical cases like this.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Miranda is very seriously injured,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and doctors and surgeons are on hand
0:10:06 > 0:10:09to provide her with the very best care.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13So this is Miranda Warren, we think she's 40 years old.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17She's been on a pedal cycle, she's been wearing a helmet,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20riding down a hill, then she's gone over the handlebars,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23onto the road - quite a lot of damage to her helmet.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25The priority is to reduce
0:10:25 > 0:10:28the dangerous swelling in Miranda's head.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31They'll do another assessment, to see if we've missed anything
0:10:31 > 0:10:34prior to bringing her in, and then they'll fairly quickly
0:10:34 > 0:10:36take her for a CT scan.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Obviously, the main concern, that she's got an head injury.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42The next 48 hours will be critical,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46as doctors put her into an artificial coma,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49in an attempt to reduce the pressure inside her skull.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54You break your arm, it takes three months,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57you break a collar bone, it takes five weeks,
0:10:57 > 0:10:58but if you hurt your brain,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02just no idea, really - you don't know what's going to happen.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05For several weeks, Miranda remains in a coma.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08We told her we were here.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12She opened her eyes.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14And it's been like that ever since, really.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17It's been very difficult, but she's a real trooper,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and she's really...gone through it all and come out the other side,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22it's fantastic.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24After weeks in intensive care,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Miranda is finally back at home in Ilkley.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Her recovery is very slow.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32The effects of her brain injury are still evident.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Two parts of my brain had, erm,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39bleeds on them, which have affected
0:11:39 > 0:11:42my short-term memory and speech, and also,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47my, erm, mobility, and...
0:11:47 > 0:11:51I get very, erm, unsteady on my feet.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Miranda's weeks in hospital
0:11:52 > 0:11:55are a worrying time for her family and friends.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Now, she is expected to make a good recovery.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I'm completely and utterly overwhelmed
0:12:01 > 0:12:03with people's kindness and generosity.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08It's been amazing. And, generally, my body has healed very well,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12it's just...my brain I want to heal quicker.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20The High Pennines between Yorkshire and Lancashire
0:12:20 > 0:12:24are every bit as bleak today as they were when the Bronte sisters
0:12:24 > 0:12:26described their wild beauty.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28These "Wuthering Heights"
0:12:28 > 0:12:31are still as difficult to get around now as then.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Are you all right?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36They've made a right job of that one.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40On a moorland road, the driver of a brand-new car
0:12:40 > 0:12:43has left the tarmac and rolled down a hill.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44Hello, sir, how are you...?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Paramedic Darren Axe finds a familiar face on the hillside -
0:12:48 > 0:12:52flying doctor Ben Wyatt has a practice down in the valley.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57- In that vehicle, a 51-year-old, I think he was the driver...- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Erm...
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- About 45 minutes ago...- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Er, injuries - complaining of neck and back pain.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07The roads of Bronte country
0:13:07 > 0:13:10have been the scene of serious accidents for decades,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13but modern car design has made them safer -
0:13:13 > 0:13:15two passengers have escaped unhurt.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17There's no significant injury -
0:13:17 > 0:13:20if he doesn't trigger the tree, we can't take him.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23So... But obviously, I'd rather wait until he comes out,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25make an assessment on that...
0:13:25 > 0:13:29If the driver, too, has escaped serious injury, the so-called
0:13:29 > 0:13:33triage tree, that grades patients by the urgency of their cases,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36will mean he will go to hospital by road.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Ready?
0:13:39 > 0:13:43We've arrived on scene, and you can see that we're up on the top
0:13:43 > 0:13:46of the moor here at Todmorden - nothing else really in the vicinity.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49There's a slight kink in the road, and I've been here before,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51this little area, and it catches a few people out,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55and this guy looks like he's gone straight on, over the embankment.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58You can see the demolition of the car in front,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and other passengers have walked free with minor injuries,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and we're just waiting to extricate this guy.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07First impressions, he's just minor injuries, so we'll just have to see.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09DRIVER GROANS
0:14:09 > 0:14:11The driver may be in pain but, remarkably,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15he's not showing any signs of a major injury.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's a lucky escape.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19The vehicle's basically decimated, but it's done its job.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The safety cell within the vehicle has kept him in place,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and his seat belt and all the air bags
0:14:24 > 0:14:26have done the job they're supposed to do.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28So he's been extremely lucky.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And although he's been through a bit of a, you know,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35a tumble dryer, he looks like he's had a crash in a Batmobile,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37because it's smashed to pieces,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41but he's going to make his way in this ground vehicle.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43His brand-new car is a write-off.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The fire service has had to remove the roof.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49But thanks to modern car design, an accident that could
0:14:49 > 0:14:53so easily have been fatal has ended with only minor injuries.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58The roads of the Pennines, tamed at last by technology.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The Yorkshire Dales are full of natural wonders,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12from subterranean show caves
0:15:12 > 0:15:16to amazing relics like this prehistoric waterfall.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21But some visitors go home with more than a souvenir photo.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Brimham Rocks, just north of Harrogate,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27have been shaped by wind and rain over hundreds of thousands of years,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29and are now a National Trust attraction.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33They are also a regular destination for the Helimed team.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Visitors are free to clamber over the rocks,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39some of which are nearly ten metres high.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Slip from up here, and the injuries could be fatal.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Helimed 98, copied, thanks.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I'll stay with you, if I may, to the incident,
0:15:47 > 0:15:48and then probably go to Leeds.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It's quite a popular tourist attraction, really -
0:15:51 > 0:15:54people like to go and walk round the rocks,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and kids scramble around over them.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01It's quite a regular place for people to have little falls.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04They're not particularly high, these rocks,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07probably a maximum of about 25 foot high.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But enough to hurt yourself if you were to fall from the top.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15What about that gap there? Is that too steep...?
0:16:15 > 0:16:19It's a very difficult place to touch down. The ground is very uneven,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and there are often too many people around to land safely.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26OK, yeah, happy with that one. Let's try that.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Ian Mousette is a highly experienced pilot,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and has flown in war zones.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33If anyone can land here, he can.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It's a compromise, if it's a little bit further away, but...
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- Yeah, but it looks flat, doesn't it?- Looks good, yeah.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42OK, just the slope I'm worried about now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Paramedic Al Day and Dr Ben Wyatt need to find their patient,
0:16:49 > 0:16:5112-year-old Dan McKeen.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- You all right?- This is Dan, this is Dan's mum.- Hello.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Dan was on about the third lift of them ledges -
0:16:57 > 0:16:59about 12-15 feet up.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03He was coming down, and he was seen to slip, land on both feet.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- His pain's managed pretty well with Entonox so far.- OK, magic...
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Dan has a nasty break to his left leg.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12It's not clear if he has also banged his head in the fall,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16but he is conscious, and controlling his pain, using gas and air,
0:17:16 > 0:17:17so signs are good.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Dan's mum, Lesley, saw him fall.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24He's been to the top of this one, and he was just coming down,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26he was kind of sat on that ledge, had his foot on the edge,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29lost his footing, and he just slipped,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31came down, against the rocks all the way down,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33and jarred both his, like, feet.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I was just there and we couldn't get to him quick enough.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It was slow motion, it was horrible. I'm all right at the minute.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Once I get to hospital, I'll probably burst into tears
0:17:42 > 0:17:43but, at the minute, I'm all right!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Think his little brother's been a bit more shook up than anything.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Considering how far he fell,
0:17:48 > 0:17:49if we've only got one broken leg, it's...
0:17:49 > 0:17:51I'm quite happy.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54A fall of 20 feet headfirst can be fatal,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58but Dan managed to stay upright as he slipped down the rock face,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01his left leg taking the full force of the fall.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Dan? Keep your head still.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Can you wiggle your toes for me on your left leg?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11OK. Lovely.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15It looks like he's probably fractured his left lower leg.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21So far no other significant injuries, so probably be...
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Fingers crossed, but up to Harrogate for a pot on his leg.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31We're going to roll on three. One, two and three.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34In order to get him anywhere,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37we have to get him onto what's called a combi board
0:18:37 > 0:18:41to immobilise his spine safely, just in case there's a spinal injury.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and then position him carefully on that, strap him down
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and then get him some insulation to keep him warm.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Because although it's May... it's actually quite cold
0:18:50 > 0:18:52if you're lying on the ground for any length of time.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Are you warm enough, Dan?
0:18:53 > 0:18:58He's coping with his pain and is ready to be carried to the chopper.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Despite Dan's fall, management say
0:19:01 > 0:19:04accidents here at Brimham Rocks are rare.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Nice and steady down there, yeah.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08That's lovely, that.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11When you consider that we get something like 180,000 people
0:19:11 > 0:19:13visiting a year here,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16the number of accidents we have is pretty small
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and most of them are just simple slips and twists.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23You know, it's rare that we get a fracture.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It seems Dan has just been unlucky.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It'll be an uncomfortable few weeks as his leg heals,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and it'll be next year before it's strong enough
0:19:32 > 0:19:33to take on Brimham Rocks again.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Yorkshire's full of well-preserved reminders of its eventful past.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53When York's ancient Minster was built nearly 1,000 years ago,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56the average life expectancy in these medieval streets
0:19:56 > 0:19:59was probably around 35.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05Now ten million Brits are over 65, most enjoying an active old age.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09For some pensioners, sight-seeing isn't strenuous enough.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Gardening is the most popular retirement pastime,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15but tending your blooms isn't without risk
0:20:15 > 0:20:17when you're getting on a bit.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21We are on our way to Reeth near Richmond,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24where we have reports of a 70-year-old chap whose fallen
0:20:24 > 0:20:27over ten feet off of a ladder.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31He's not making a lot of sense and, unfortunately for us,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34the land crews are about another 15 minutes away.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40This little flat bit here looks pretty good,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- if you can nose on to that.- Yep.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46You've got plenty of space this side before you go onto the fence line.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47OK, mate.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Hello, how are you?
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- I'm all right.- Good. - This is Robert.- Hello, Robert.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Robert was on the roof of this building here
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and he thinks he just...a tile broke and he fell off.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01He's got a nice abrasion on his chest.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03From the top, his airway is clear.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05He's got a cut to his chin and the inside of his lip,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08so he's possibly gone right through the lot.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Take a really deep breath...
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Robert Hughes is 70.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15He'd gone up a ladder to trim the ivy on his house.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- They're false that have come out. - Half of them are, yeah.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Well, he was cutting this back...
0:21:22 > 0:21:24You all right, guys?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26..and he was on the porch.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I'd just come in. I was here and I was just walking away,
0:21:30 > 0:21:31and I heard this bang...
0:21:34 > 0:21:35..and a cry.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- How old are you, sir?- 70.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44That's what I heard. And you're up ten-foot on ladders and...
0:21:44 > 0:21:48cutting your ivy? I think you deserve a bit of VIP treatment from now on.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Robert's accident is common.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55300,000 gardeners need hospital treatment each year,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and a third of them fall off ladders.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Ready, steady, roll.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Just a little bit more so we can...
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Stay still, sir. That's it. We're just fitting round you.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09This chap's just been out taking advantage of the nice weather to
0:22:09 > 0:22:13do some gardening on clearing some holly from the side of his house.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It sounds like he's overbalanced a bit and fallen off...
0:22:16 > 0:22:19a small extension to the house,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and he's hit his ribs and his back as he's fallen.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24So, he's got some pain down his side...
0:22:24 > 0:22:25and in the lower part of his back.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So, we're going to fly him up to James Cook, for his comfort,
0:22:28 > 0:22:29and just to get some X-rays done
0:22:29 > 0:22:32to exclude fractures or anything more serious
0:22:32 > 0:22:33underlying that we might have missed.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Please let us know if you start feeling uncomfortable.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Ten feet is a significant fall, so don't feel a fraud.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41We're glad you're OK, but we're still going to take care of you.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- Thank you.- Brilliant.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It's easily an hour's drive along twisting country roads
0:22:47 > 0:22:49to get Robert to hospital.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52And, with a suspected back injury,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54that would be a very painful journey.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00He's doing remarkably well, but he is complaining of back pain, flank pain.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It could be indicative of a bleed.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06It could be indicative of a spinal injury.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08His obs and everything are absolutely fine
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and he's actually claiming to be pain-free,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13but his wife tells me he'd say that anyway.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Robert may have escaped serious injury,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17but Sammy is still worried.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19He's taken straight into X-ray
0:23:19 > 0:23:21to establish the extent of his injuries.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Tests reveal he's just a bit battered and bruised,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and doctors have told him he will be able to go home tomorrow to recover.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33North Yorkshire's a magnet for active pensioners
0:23:33 > 0:23:35looking for retirement homes,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and you don't have to stop DIY when you're an OAP.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45Today, paramedics Sammy and Sam are on their way to another pensioner
0:23:45 > 0:23:48who has fallen from a ladder and is now badly hurt.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54This is a patient that's has fallen through a garage roof...
0:23:54 > 0:23:59They're saying he's virtually scalped himself and has spinal pain.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Pilot Andy Lister's circling the home
0:24:04 > 0:24:07of the team's 86-year-old patient.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08He was clearing a gutter.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Sammy knows older patients are much less likely to call 999,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20and much more likely to be seriously hurt if they do.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Her patient's fallen through a carport roof onto concrete.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Is there any obvious fracture or depression or...?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Their patient is Geoffrey Wilson.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33He's conscious, but the wound to his scalp is deep.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Land crews have already prepared him for flight,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and Sammy needs to brief the hospital
0:24:38 > 0:24:40ahead of Geoffrey's condition.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42I'm currently with an 86-year-old gentleman
0:24:42 > 0:24:46that's fallen eight feet through a garage roof.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50He's complaining of thoracic mid-spine tenderness.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55He's got a laceration described as partial scalping
0:24:55 > 0:24:58with exposed bone, but no obvious fracture.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Such a severe head injury to someone of Geoffrey's age is a concern.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06It's a worrying time for Millie, Geoffrey's wife of 57 years.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He was cleaning the gutters out and he...
0:25:11 > 0:25:15He was coming back, and we've got a carport,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and he fell through that.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21So, he fell about seven-foot something.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And it was Perspex, so I don't know whether that's cut his head.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27It's all his head, you know.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Right, Geoff...- It hurts me.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Well, let's get you checked out down at the hospital.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Don't die on me, will you, pet?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41PARAMEDIC LAUGHS
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I'm sure he won't, all right?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- Come on.- Let me go. - No, don't, Geoff.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Right. I'll take you back...
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Flight confirmed and handsets off.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Geoffrey's always been fit for his age
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and his good health carries him through this crisis.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03He needs minor surgery to his head wound,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06but the rest of his injuries are relatively minor.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11He'll soon be home with a new insight into the dangers of DIY.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Grabbing a bite to eat outdoors is one of the pleasures of summer,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20but paramedics will tell you that your back garden barbecue
0:26:20 > 0:26:22can ruin your weekend.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It's approaching 30 degrees Celsius in North Yorkshire,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31but we can't all cool off like this.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35So, one man has decided to dine al fresco.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Now Helimed 98 is on its way to a barbecue
0:26:38 > 0:26:40that's given its owner serious burns.
0:26:40 > 0:26:4298...
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Just lifted out on route to...
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It seems that somebody's burnt themselves are a barbecue.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Beautiful weather and one is expected
0:26:49 > 0:26:51to have a barbecue at this time,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54but it sounds like they've burnt their hands and their face,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56which is quite significant.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59The team on board Helimed 98 is trying to find the injured man
0:26:59 > 0:27:02in a garden high in the hills of Wensleydale.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05I've got you the map. You're not going to like it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Have you seen what he's given us?
0:27:07 > 0:27:12It's a grid reference in an often featureless landscape.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Just stood. Here they are waving. Coming back around.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18It's going to be straight back along.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Burns victims are usually in serious pain
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- and their wounds need to be kept cool and clean.- Hello.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Their patient, Steve Davies, is in agony
0:27:29 > 0:27:31and is pouring cold water over his burns.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- What's your name?- Steve.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- Is it hurting?- Aye.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Bad.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Hurting bad, is it?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Steve was trying to light his barbecue
0:27:42 > 0:27:46when he mistake of pouring lighter fluid over hot coals.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51It exploded and burning fluid splashed over his head and hands.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54It looks quite... Quite horrendous, doesn't it?
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- But these are fairly superficial burns, all right, Steve?- Yeah.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Can I have a look in your mouth?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Did you feel like you'd got any in your mouth?- No, no.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I kept my mouth closed. I was just trying to roll on the ground.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08The most lethal burns are to the windpipe.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Patients can asphyxiate,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but, thankfully, Graham has just ruled that out.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18- So, did it just flare up? - I was leaning right over it.- Right.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- I put some fuel on it...- Ah.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25So it sounds like the fumes have probably ignited.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Burns victims suffer waves of severe pain.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29We'll give you some morphine.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Now the morphine takes a few minutes to start to work.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35All right? So it won't work immediately, but it will...
0:28:35 > 0:28:37You will start to feel...
0:28:37 > 0:28:41some benefit fairly quickly, all right?
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Paramedics need to cover Steve's burns with clingfilm.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49This acts as a protective layer to keep the wound sterile and cool.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Clingfilm also doesn't stick to the skin
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and allows doctors to see the injury.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Yeah. I've got a 55-year-old male who's...
0:28:57 > 0:28:59His barbecue's flared up.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03He's got partial thickness burns to his right hand.
0:29:03 > 0:29:09Partial thickness burns to the right side of his face and his ear.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Steve is suffering another major wave of pain.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Is that pain getting any easier, Steve?
0:29:14 > 0:29:16It was until I took my hand out the water.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Oh, right. I know it's probably not what you want to hear,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21but it's actually quite a good sign that it hurts
0:29:21 > 0:29:25because that means it's not that deep. All right?
0:29:25 > 0:29:31Really deep, full-thickness burns don't hurt, so...
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Yeah, we're good for that.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Steve is understandably in a hurry to get to hospital.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Stephen's burns, although they're not life-threatening,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45because they're his hands and his face,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47they are cosmetically important.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49And with your hands as well, it kind of...
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Sort of manual dexterity,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53so we want to make sure that they get dealt with properly,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56so we're going to take him straight to a burns unit.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Feet in the back there.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Once the drug takes effect, Steve will not feel or remember a thing.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Give me this hand.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Straighten your arm. Straighten it. There we go.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- Is that helping a bit now?- Aye.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Yeah. It's good stuff that, isn't it?
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Steve is being flown 40 miles north to Newcastle.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Burns often take weeks to heal,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24but getting the right treatment in the hour after the accident
0:30:24 > 0:30:26makes a lot of difference.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Burns are very painful injuries.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Burns on hands are particularly painful
0:30:31 > 0:30:33because your hands are very sensitive,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36got lots of nerve endings in there, so we're giving him morphine.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39But that's not been effective enough, so we've had to give him
0:30:39 > 0:30:42a bit of ketamine as well to try and control the pain.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47Steve's burns are so serious he spends a day in the RVI's
0:30:47 > 0:30:50high-dependency unit, but he doesn't need skin grafts.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55And, a month on, he's almost fully recovered from his accident.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00The flame shot above my head. The vapour stuck to my head and my arm,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and set my whole head on fire.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05It's the worst nightmare
0:31:05 > 0:31:08and I was trying to put it out with my right hand cos I'm right-handed.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I tried to roll on the floor to...
0:31:11 > 0:31:15to try and put it out, but it was actually...
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Literally my whole head was on fire.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23I remember very small bits of the horror of the burning,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and the sensation for me was the fact
0:31:26 > 0:31:28that I couldn't get it to go out.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32And, you know, you just had that horrible thought that that was it.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36There was a little bit of bad luck to get the injury,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39but a tremendous amount of good luck.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42I was lucky the air ambulance was available.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44I was lucky they could land so closely to me.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And I reckon I was pretty lucky to go to Newcastle
0:31:47 > 0:31:51because the attention I got there was staggering.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54I think I'll give barbecues a miss from now on.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58More than 1,000 miles of footpath
0:31:58 > 0:32:01meander through North Yorkshire's national parks
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and many of them are bridleways open to riders, too.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07But when an accident happens out here,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10the victim can be miles from the nearest road.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14And, today, Helimed 98 is off to a horseman in trouble.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Have you got Felixkirk on your map? - Yeah.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Put that as your IP then.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21It's right on the edge of the map, mate.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Many riding are injuries are minor, but this case looks different.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28The patient's been crushed by his own horse.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Only motorists outnumber riders
0:32:30 > 0:32:33in the Helimed team's accident statistics,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and finding this one is proving tricky.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40- That village - that's that one to the right.- Yeah.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42There's the ambulance.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Oh, hello, here they are. No, no, no,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- they're here in the middle of the field. OK?- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Experienced rider Michael Wood
0:32:49 > 0:32:52is lying where he fell half an hour ago.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55He's confused and complaining of severe back pain.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I'm just going to stand over you mate, OK?
0:32:58 > 0:33:00The horse fell on Michael's pelvis.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02His blood pressure readings are low,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05which is a possible sign of internal bleeding.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Bleeding inside the pelvic cavity can be fatal.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11We just had a nice quiet ride out.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14We do this route regularly. I was in front.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19It's only...wide enough for single-file canters,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21so it wasn't a race or anything like that.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Horses were quite controlled, quite a steady canter,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and I heard Michael cry out.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30And when I looked round...the horse and rider were on the ground.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35The horse got up straight away. She ran over to me, so the horse is OK.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38We just have to hope that Michael's all right now.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Be nice and still for us.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44Paramedics have set up a drip to raise Michael's blood pressure.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Saline will replace lost blood, but only for so long.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Been found here, quite confused.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52It seems like he's got some concussion going,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55but he's got a low blood pressure at the moment,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57which is just concerning us.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59So we're just having to do some interventions,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01give him some fluid therapy for that,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04and can just see where we go and get him up to James Cook.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09If we lay that out, then he can go straight on to there
0:34:09 > 0:34:11when we get him on it.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Graham, have you got any pain anywhere?
0:34:14 > 0:34:15HE MUMBLES
0:34:15 > 0:34:18He's being quite repetitive.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20He was talking, but...
0:34:20 > 0:34:24I thought he was slurring his speech, really, and his colour
0:34:24 > 0:34:27was not good, and it just looked like there was something wrong.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29I'm just going to straighten those legs.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31You tell us if you get any pain anywhere.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36- All right. - Ready, steady, move.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40There we go. OK. Let's just have a feel. Is that painful?
0:34:40 > 0:34:41Can you see there?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43A few markings, but no real bruising.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Any pain there at the bottom? No?
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Paramedic Lee fears Michael may also have a spinal injury,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54but it's his lack of colour that's disturbing him.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56OK. Ready, steady, lift.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Crush accidents can lead to severe internal bleeding.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Just go up to the middle of this field.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Michael's being flown to the trauma unit in Middlesbrough.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10His blood pressure is still dropping
0:35:10 > 0:35:15and the team fears he may have serious internal bleeding.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Pilot Andy Lister knows the speed of Helimed 98 has saved many lives,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22but it's rarely as critical as today.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Michael's taken straight to an X-ray machine,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28where doctors make a startling discovery.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33He has internal injuries so serious he needs immediate surgery.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35His family are warned he may not survive.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38The next few days will be critical.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44For more than 1,000 years, the dry-stone wall
0:35:44 > 0:35:47has been keeping the sheep of the Dales from straying,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51but this traditional skill is far from dying out - no wonder.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55The building materials are free, you don't even need mortar,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58and when one falls down, it can be instantly recycled.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Right, mate. The valley, as we know, will take us to...
0:36:05 > 0:36:09But today, paramedics Darren and Sam, both keen bikers,
0:36:09 > 0:36:14are about to see why motorcyclists dread dry-stone walls.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17We've got a cyclist road traffic collision in Hawes,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20which is one of the popular motorcycling routes
0:36:20 > 0:36:22around North Yorkshire.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26I've been up and down it many times myself on my bike.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Also, unfortunately, I've been to it many times on the helicopter.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31We've got a young lady, apparently,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35that's gone through a dry-stone wall.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Reported to be unconscious at the time.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41If you impact into a solid object like that,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44significant injuries are going to result more often than not.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46What we're obviously going to try to do
0:36:46 > 0:36:48is get on scene as quickly as we can.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52- Got people in the field. - Visual?- Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Whoops. That is well and truly spankered.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57How the hell's it gone through that?
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- Can you remember everything that's happened to you?- Yeah.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- You've not been unconscious.- No. - Yes, she had.- Yes, you have.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07- All right, sweetheart. So just your shoulder?- Legs.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11- I don't know really where. - You don't know really where. OK.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14- I've really put my bum out. - Right. OK.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17- Is it this shoulder?- No, right shoulder!- Right shoulder.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Veronica Turner, or Sid as she's known to her mates,
0:37:20 > 0:37:24was part of this big group of bikers off for their Sunday afternoon ride.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26And the arm's at a funny angle. It is, isn't it?
0:37:26 > 0:37:30OK. This pain that you've got, Sid, on a scale of one-to-ten,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32- if ten is worst pain you've ever had...- Oh, yes.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34- It's about a ten. - Aye.- Well, that's good.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37I'm just going to have a little feel at this hip. Any pain?
0:37:37 > 0:37:41- Not in that one.- Not in that one, but you think in the other one.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43She's come across the grass, totally missed the corner...
0:37:43 > 0:37:47and just over the wall. Somersaulted over the wall.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50We just stopped, not five minutes ago, and she was saying,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53"I need to get my leathers cleaned - they're getting dirty."
0:37:53 > 0:37:54And then...
0:37:54 > 0:37:56She'll need new ones now.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01This quiet Dales field is now bustling with activity.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04The paramedics treating, the police investigating
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and the farmer already trying to rebuild his wall.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11She's gone through a dry-stone wall, been ejected into a field,
0:38:11 > 0:38:15travelled approximately 20-to-30 metres and landed in the field.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19She's complaining of quite severe pain in her right shoulder,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22right hip, lower back and the top of her right leg.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Darren needs to be able to control Sid's pain.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Is somebody else cutting my back off?
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Yeah, that's my mate, Sam.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Unfortunately, he's not as good-looking as me,
0:38:33 > 0:38:34so he's keeping out of the way.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38But, before he gets a start to start treating her,
0:38:38 > 0:38:39she stops responding.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- Can you open your eyes? - Open your eyes for us.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Sid.- Come on.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45HE WHISTLES Sid.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Just hang on, mate.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Sid.
0:38:50 > 0:38:51Open your eyes.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Sid, come on.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Yeah, she's still pink.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04She is still conscious, but now time is against them.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Darren turns to their strongest painkiller, ketamine,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10but it can have unusual side effects.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Sid, I'm going to give you something for the pain.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15This is going to make you feel funny.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19Timing, Sam, please.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Sid, I need you to keep talking to me.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26What sort of bike have you got?
0:39:26 > 0:39:27I've got two.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29- What's this one?- A CBR.
0:39:29 > 0:39:30A what?
0:39:30 > 0:39:32A CBR. Honda.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Honda. Yeah, I've got one of those.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Mine's a lot older than yours, though.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Yeah, but yours is still working.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Well, that one looks like it's going in the skip....
0:39:40 > 0:39:42unfortunately.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- I've does a good job, have I? - Yeah, you've done a good job.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- How you feeling, love? - On another planet.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50You're on another planet? That's exactly where I wanted you to be.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Greg, mate, that's enough. She's had 20 and she's gone.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- She's high. - Yeah, she's gone for a flight.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Darren and Sam are worried about Sid's shoulder and back.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The force needed to throw her so far into this field
0:40:03 > 0:40:07could easily have broken bones and caused internal injuries.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Right. Let's get her covered up, get her strapped in and let's go.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18So now she's flying back out the Dales on a 50-mile journey
0:40:18 > 0:40:20to hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22She was in a lot of pain from her right shoulder
0:40:22 > 0:40:24and her right hip and her lower back,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27and the worst thing we could do is start manipulating her about,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30cos she would have just screamed her head off,
0:40:30 > 0:40:31and we're not here to do that.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35We only gave her a dose of 20mg but it's achieved what we set out to do.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Because, at the end of the day, we don't have an X-ray
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and I can't see what's happening with her back and her hip,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45and the shoulder, and the last thing I want to do is cause her more pain
0:40:45 > 0:40:46than she's already suffering.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Doctors discover the dry-stone wall has taken its toll on Sid.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56She has broken her shoulder and her hip.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58You still here? Good.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03She spends six weeks in hospital. Her bike is a write-off.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09It's high summer on the North York Moors
0:41:09 > 0:41:12and the timeless attraction of Heartbeat country
0:41:12 > 0:41:15is pulling in the tourists.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17In the idyllic village of Boltby,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21this is a summer the family of Michael Wood thought he'd never see.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26Crushed by his horse, he was very lucky to survive the accident.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30I could feel the front end rising. Very shortly after that,
0:41:30 > 0:41:35she bounced up and down and she'd gone high enough to unseat me.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Arguably, I should have dropped the reins
0:41:37 > 0:41:39and fallen on the ground - ouch.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41But in this particular instance, split-second timing,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45not thinking fast enough, I put more weight on the reins, stupidly,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47and that pulled her right over backwards.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50I'm just going to stand over you mate, OK?
0:41:50 > 0:41:52A horse can weigh nearly half a ton
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and Michael's body took the full impact.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58It caused a long list of serious injuries.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02I punctured my diaphragm. For good luck, I broke a few ribs.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05The spleen was removed...
0:42:05 > 0:42:11and then the left hip was dislocated the right one was severely damaged,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13so they've had to reconstruct that
0:42:13 > 0:42:15with some plate work and various things.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Michael has been in intensive care for weeks,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21and, even though he is home, he still needs constant care.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23His injuries nearly killed him.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26One of the senior nurses came to see me in privacy and said,
0:42:26 > 0:42:31"Michael, this is your time. We very, very nearly lost you."
0:42:31 > 0:42:33That sounds melodramatic. I've no idea.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35They're the ones that were in charge of me,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38but I'm fairly, fairly confident that,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40although the paramedics made it to me,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42if they tried to get me over land to the hospital,
0:42:42 > 0:42:47I'm fairly sure that would have been the end of my life.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52When I did hear the helicopter, it was a big, "Wow. Fantastic."
0:42:52 > 0:42:55And I'm pleased to tell you Michael is now on the mend
0:42:55 > 0:42:58and keen to get back in the saddle soon.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Subtitles By Red Bee Media Ltd