Episode 7 Helicopter Heroes

When the people of rural Yorkshire dial 999,

help can be a long time coming.

The Yorkshire Dales are as beautiful as they are big,

but if you're seriously injured in a landscape as gigantic as this,

your life is on the line.

But in the remotest part of Britain's biggest county,

they look to the skies for help.

Look on your left. Can you get in that grass field on the left?

Yes, mate, go for that.

From high drama in the Peaks,

to high waters in the Dales,

the Helimed team's at the heart of almost every rescue,

bringing 21st century medicine

to some of Britain's most isolated communities

and saving lives against the odds.

Today on Helicopter Heroes, a miner's critically injured

and the Helimed team must save his life.

Patient just coming to the pit top now.

We should get to the ambulance in the next five or six minutes, over.

Straighten this arm out for me.

Straighten it out.

That's it. Well done, sir.

A ride on a rope swing leaves a boy with two broken wrists.

If they slip, or things go wrong,

the consequences are quite...bad.

And a blind cyclist collides with a tractor.

Where am I at the moment?

We're just outside of Ripon, on a country road.

These hills were once covered in trees,

until early man came along and chopped them all down -

mainly for firewood.

Today, hundreds of feet below the Yorkshire landscape,

men are still hard at work

trying to satisfy the world's need for energy.

But it's a dangerous job.

Even in the age of green energy,

coal still keeps the lights on for most of us.

But the men who mine it pay a high price.

Today, deep underground,

one Yorkshire miner desperately needs help.

We're going to Hatfield Colliery,

which is just around the Doncaster area.

We've got reports of a miner

who has got high-pressure blast injuries.

Have you got any updates at all at the moment, over?

-RADIO:

-'Apparently this patient

'is 5km from the surface, over.'

-I'll park just beyond the ambulance.

-Might be quite dusty.

-It will be.

I'm deliberately just going to go over the cars

because all this lot looks loose on the right.

The team's flying into a complex rescue operation

that's already under way 3,000 feet below the surface.

Paramedic Dave was born in a mining community

and this accident is close to home.

I'm unable to give him morphine due to a chest injury.

His pulse is rapid but strong, but his breathing's heavy.

We suspect he's got a collapsed lung on his right-hand side,

because he's struggling to breathe on his right-hand side.

OK, mate. We're going to be up there anyway in a minute.

We're going to go up there now. Right, let's get going, then.

Members of the HART Team,

a specialist rescue squad from the Ambulance Service,

are joining the operation.

Let's get good access

to wherever they're saying he's got pain,

because he might still be clothed up.

If he's clothed up, we need to get access.

So we need to get 'em cut off and get a good look, top to toe.

For 25 minutes, then.

So we're looking at 20 to 12 before he gets here.

-Before he gets to the pit bottom.

-And then how long...

Once he gets from the pit bottom,

-we're talking minutes to get him to the top.

-So quarter to 12?

You should have him by quarter to 12.

'We can be put in any environment on any given day.

'This one is highly specialised, so we're working,'

liaising with their safety officer and taking his advice on all matters.

Word from the first-aiders deep underground

is that they've managed to get the patient onto a small railway,

which runs to the bottom of the lift shaft.

The update from the first-aiders down in the pit

is that the gentleman's lung may have collapsed.

They're struggling to hear, they don't have stethoscopes,

but their knowledge is saying

that potentially now his lung's collapsed, he's struggling to breathe

and he's deteriorating. It's not good.

Miner Richard Hodgkinson is receiving only basic medical care

from the pit's first-aid team.

He's still half an hour away from reaching ground level.

Despite this, it's decided it's best for the ambulance team

to stay at the surface.

There's only the one train, so that train's gone to pick him up.

So you're only talking,

even though it's 30 minutes,

the time we would save is 90 seconds.

So, really, we just need to let them get on with their job,

get him up here, get him assessed, get him treated and get him off.

All eyes are on the pit wheel - when that starts turning,

their patient will be on his way up.

These paramedics are well aware that a victim of a major blast

will be in a very bad way,

and without any pain relief, he'll also be in agony.

It's a very long wait.

Patient just coming to the pit top now.

Should be at the ambulance, hopefully, in the next five or six minutes, over.

-RADIO:

-'OK. Have you got an update on his condition? Over.'

Negative. He's literally just coming out now.

Well done, gentlemen, well done. Thank you very much.

Thank you, guys.

It's taken over an hour to get the injured miner

from the scene of the explosion.

Hello, sir! Is it Richard?

Pleased to meet you, Richard.

Are you all right, Richard?

All right, mate? Right... RICHARD GROANS

Richard owes his life to his workmates.

Now their job is done.

Everybody mustered together. Getting him out, that's the priority.

Everybody does what they have to do, because it could be you.

So, everybody sticks together, works as a team.

When you get out of the pit, adrenaline takes over -

you're very, very emotional.

A high-pressure hose ruptured as Richard was walking past.

It hit him in the chest and groin.

He's struggling for breath - the result of a collapsed lung.

Straighten this arm out for me, bud. Straighten it out.

That's it. Well done, sir.

-I've got air into this side.

-Yep...

-Definite sucking, no air into here, so...

-Decompress, yeah.

Richard needs immediate surgery.

They're making an incision

to release the pressure inside his chest.

-You're got a good rate, you're all right.

-More fluids...

-Pop that one...

OK! Has everybody got a piece? Come on, let's get a move on now.

-It's going to be very quick moving, all right?

-All right?

Have we got it?

But it's his low blood pressure that's worrying the medics.

Richard is bleeding internally.

We'll be leaving in about five minutes' time.

We should be at Northern General for quarter past 12.

Richard's extensive injuries have already been radioed through

to the hospital in Sheffield.

-RADIO:

-'Just to let you know,

'Northern General have got a full trauma stand-by waiting for you.'

Right, then, Richard, let's get you inside, bud.

'Roger. We'll be lifting in two minutes.'

-Are we happy with his breathing now?

-You've got equal air in,

he sounds very wheezy both sides -

do you want a quick listen, just before we go?

-Do you want to hold that?

-He's got a resting of about 52.

Even though Richard's lung is working again,

his breathing is still uneven and it's concerning to paramedic Dave.

Yes, thank you very much for your help, all right?

Richard's showing signs of deteriorating.

Paramedic Dave knows speed is essential.

-'Steve...

-Hello.

'Is there any, er, coal left to put on the fire?

-'Is there any what, sorry?

-Any coal left to put on the fire?

-'Yeah, we can go a bit faster, if you want.

-Would you mind?

'His stats are dropping a little bit here.'

At the Northern General Hospital, specialist trauma doctors

and surgeons are waiting to take over Richard's care.

But he's gravely ill.

For their patient, the next hour will be critical.

It's summer on the Yorkshire Wolds -

the rolling hills between York and the coast.

The crew of Helimed 98 is flying over the landscape

made famous by artist David Hockney.

'Is it in the town itself?

-'It looks like it, yeah. Do you know where the Minster is?

-Yeah.

'Yeah, it's not far off that.'

The combine harvesters are hard at work,

but in the market town of Beverley, the local kids

are enjoying a long summer holiday.

This rope swing has left a ten-year-old boy badly injured

and his sister distraught.

He was on the rope swing and he just fell over,

and...I thought he was all right...

'You've got like a, er, a set of woods just kind of, er,

'west of Beverley, in the suburbs...'

Beverley Westwood is a huge expanse of public grassland and woods.

'Do we reckon that's him on the corner there?'

And down there somewhere is their young patient.

'That's the guy with his dog.

'That's the car - doesn't necessarily mean he's there.

'Looking. I can't, er, visualise the responder anywhere.'

'Opening the doors, guys. It's a bit warm.'

-This is Liam.

-Hello, Liam, how are you doing?

Liam was swinging off that and ended up down there.

-OK.

-He's got himself to here, bilateral wrist fractures...

-Yeah.

No head trauma. He's got markings to the face.

Sister's doing C-spine at the moment.

He has complained of abdominal pain on pressure there.

Just coming over the Westwood here, walking up, and this girl come out,

very, very upset and distraught, and she come across to me

and I said to her, "What's the matter?" And she just said,

"I've got my little brother, he's had a bad fall."

Getting him out of here is going to be very interesting.

We've got our scoop, so I think, where he is, probably the best thing

to do is, I'll give my colleague a shout, we'll get a paediatric collar,

and bring the scoop underneath him and slide him down it,

-rather than...

-Do we need more hands?

Let's get you some pain relief in, then, Liam.

We'll try and get you more comfortable.

Not going to move you just yet.

We'll leave your sister holding your head whilst we get a collar on,

and get you comfortable, and then...

we'll be flying you into Hull.

Liam's mum is out for the day.

His sister's done a great job at keeping him calm.

-How old are you, my love?

-14.

-14. Where are your parents?

-She's gone out but my brother's at home. He's 19.

-Right, OK.

So, is your mum aware?

-No. My mum's at work.

-Right, OK.

-Have you got a mobile phone to give her a call?

-Have you got credit?

-No, but...

-Do you know the number?

Yeah? We'll get it all sorted, we'll get you packaged up,

and we'll let you have a word with her, give her a quick call

and let her know that everything's OK.

They come onto here and they get these swings

and, as you can see, they're quite steep slopes,

and it's fascinating for them to swing about on these ropes,

but every now and again, if they slip, or things go wrong,

the consequences are quite bad.

They have quite nasty falls. And this poor lad,

that's exactly what's happened to him.

Liam, it might be a little uncomfortable, this.

I'm just going to slide, like the guys have done on that arm,

just underneath your wrist, OK?

It looks like Liam's broken both his wrists.

But the paramedics are also worried about his pelvis,

after falling such a long way.

We've got him immobilised and we're going to be

putting a pelvic splint on him.

He's complaining of pain around his abdo and pelvic region.

Given the height that he's come off the rope swing,

just taking all the precautions that we can, getting Liam comfortable

and immobilised, so he can't cause any further injury to himself.

He's definitely landed and broken both his wrists,

because he landed hands first. He's had a good job at protecting himself

by putting his arms out.

So, he's not got a head injury, we're happy that he's fully talking to us.

-Hands in?

-Yes, please, just so I can get to the cannulation...

Ready, steady, lift.

-We'll go down that way.

-Which way?

Although Liam is now being well looked after...

Are you comfortable, Liam?

..his mum still knows nothing about what's happened.

We're going to just try and contact the parents,

because there's no-one over the age of 18 on the scene,

so it's a bit of a safeguarding issue, so that everyone's aware

of where we're going. There's not enough room on the aircraft

to be carrying his sister, but we believe there's an older brother

at home, not too far away. What's your mum's name?

Sharon?

Right, OK. Would you be able to run

-Liam's sister back home in the response car?

-Yeah, of course I can.

It's not far - rather than make her way on her own.

Will your brother take you to the hospital, or not?

We can't get hold of him.

We'll figure something out. We can't get hold of the mum,

but Mum's number's down there.

I think that's probably going to be the safest thing.

Is she going to be in the hospital?

-What we're going to try and do is take your sister home...

-Yeah.

..go and get your older brother -

-we've tried your mum and there's no answer...

-Yeah.

..and if we can get your older brother and your sister,

then our colleague is going to drive them down to hospital to see you.

All right? So you're not going to be on your own too long.

Liam's still airborne when his sister

finally gets through to his mum and tells her the bad news.

He's being flown to an appointment at the X-ray department

of Hull Royal Infirmary, where she'll join him.

Doctors confirm that he's broken both wrists,

but nothing else.

Good girl!

And a few days later, he's back home in Beverley,

regretting his decision to enjoy one last swing on the rope.

My sister said, "I think we should start leaving," so I said,

"Can I just have one more go?"

And I just sort of fell off, really.

And it just ended up going wrong, really.

I just remember, like, landing, and I got up, thinking,

"Oh, I think I'm all right." But then I looked at my wrists, and they were,

er, my hands and that were everywhere,

like, because they were dislocated, and it was really horrible, really,

and then I just noticed that...

I just sort of said to myself,

"Oh, my God, I've actually done myself some damage."

And then I just decided to stay down.

Kelly, my sister, come down and she went to go...

I said, "Can you go and get someone? Can you go and get doctors?"

Me and my friend are always up to stuff, so,

like, we always go and do something.

But you can't really ride a bike and things.

It's, like, just getting my hands back to the way they were, really.

Up on the wild and windy moors of Bronte Country, things are changing.

Heathcliff and Cathy wouldn't

recognise these Wuthering Heights today.

But some things in the rugged Pennines never change.

The roads through these hills are often narrow,

with sharp bends and steep inclines -

all potentially lethal hazards for modern motorists.

'We've one person trapped, one person with confirmed injuries...'

A young woman is still trapped in her car

and needs the Helimed team's help.

There's the potential for a huge amount of energy transfer

into the patient, which can result in...

potentially, extremely serious or life-threatening injuries.

-'I'm expecting to see a load of blue flashing lights in a road.

-Yeah.

'That's my theory.'

This is a very tricky place to land.

-'You've got the wires running across the valley.

-Got the wires, yes.'

But as well as the physical obstacles,

local people are now stopping the helicopter landing.

-'If we can get on the road, it would be better, mate.

-OK, mate, yeah.

-'Appreciate that.

-We need to stop this couple here, that are walking.

-'They're walking straight across.

-Can I open the door, or...?

'There's a police officer or somebody stood there -

'he needs to stop them. Stop!

'Totally oblivious!'

You...move! That way!

Move!

'Well done, Sam!

'There's another one here.

-'Oh, this is stupid.

-Right, we're not safe, then, guys.

'We can climb over a wall and sort it out ourselves.'

With Sam now out, he can marshal the helicopter onto the road.

-Right, you've still got a pole behind you.

-I've got that, yeah.

But it's a very tight landing.

With the bus shelter there's a problem here.

Young lady is trapped in this car. Significant impact.

Colleagues are dealing with her. She's tachy and hypertensive...

23-year-old Jodie Greenwood from Burnley

is still trapped inside her crumpled Mini.

-Pain like?

-Eight out of ten initially.

What she's scoring at now in these last few minutes

since she's had some morphine, I don't know.

Well, if we count when we get her out, if we get a T-POD ready,

if she's got pain round there.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-And she's tachy, we'll get that sorted.

Two others from this crash will be taken to hospital by road

but Jodie is so badly injured, she'll be flown in Helimed 98.

She's had ten milligrams of morphine

and she's still in significant pain

when we try and get her up a long board.

Just put your weight and try and straighten them.

That's brilliant.

Sweetheart, my name's Sam, one of the paramedics on the helicopter.

Just tell me whereabouts it hurts the most at the moment.

-Bottom of the back and my hips.

-The bottom of the back and your hips.

Pain around the pelvis can be a sign of very serious injuries.

Can you remember everything that's happened to you?

Such was the force of this crash,

she's likely to have severe internal trauma.

-Tell me if it hurts anywhere where I press.

-Ow!

-Just down there?

-Yep.

She's obviously had quite a significant impact,

there's quite a lot of damage to the two vehicles.

She's complaining of a lot of pain round her pelvis

and some tenderness and some tightness in her abdomen,

so we're going to take her to LGI, get her scanned

and get her looked at properly, get her sorted.

-Will you use them at A&E now?

-Yes.

It's just to show the medical team exactly what's happened.

Hello, is that LGI? Hello, it's Sam on Helimed 98.

We've got a 22-year-old female we're bringing to you.

-Everybody happy?

-Yep.

Yeah, happy with that.

Jodie's heart is beating unusually fast.

This means it can't work as well as it should

and it could be a sign of internal bleeding.

-I reckon there's a closure speed of 80mph there.

-At least.

But now speed is on Jodie's side.

Helimed 98 is crossing Bronte Country at 150mph.

The team's heading for Leeds General Infirmary, where scans

and X-rays will be able to identify the cause of her racing heart.

SAM: Bear in mind that morphine, it's good stuff,

but it does take a little while to kick in.

You have been battered about a bit on our helicopter on the way up.

This is Jodie, 22-year-old.

She's been involved in a RTC at about quarter past six,

head on, car versus car.

I think closure speed's been about 80mph.

Abdomen's quite tender on palpation,

does feel like there's a bit of guarding.

She's complaining of pain around her hips.

She's been a bit tachycardic throughout, about 120.

BP initially quite high, but then that's come down

a little bit with the morphine.

It's the beginning of a long recovery for Jodie.

Her new car is a write off, and it takes several months

before she's fit to return to the roads of Bronte Country.

It's nearly three months

since Yorkshire's mining industry claimed yet another casualty -

miner Richard Hodgkinson was hit by a high-pressure hose which

fractured 3,000 feet underground.

He was critically injured.

For paramedic Sammy, Richard was one of the most

critically injured patients she'd ever seen.

When his miner colleagues brought him up,

he genuinely looked like a dead man that was still looking at us.

He was critically ill and fighting for his life.

I looked at him, and I looked at him in his eyes.

For that split second, I could tell he was a man in extremes.

He was pleading. He needed help there and then.

But, against the odds and after weeks in intensive care

at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital,

Richard is finally allowed home.

I've got an 11-inch wound on my belly.

It's where they cut me open to get out the damage inside.

I believe they've taken away 90% of the muscle tissue in the hip area.

There was a big chunk taken out this arm, which they skin graft.

Another one on this arm.

He still has clear memories of the accident that almost killed him.

All of a sudden I hear this loud bang and bagging flying about.

And this bagging happened to catch me on the inside of my hip,

and cut inside, approximately eight inch.

Unknown to me, it pumped fluid inside my body.

I was in that much pain on the left side of my leg

I couldn't move my leg at all to get out the way.

Richard's always worked happily underground,

but his rescuers didn't know there was one lifelong fear that

was still praying on his mind that day.

I'm absolutely petrified of flying.

To be quite honest with you,

I just wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.

All right, it's about eight minutes to Northern General Hospital, OK?

We've got every man and his dog waiting for you.

I was blanked out the mine.

I was looking at the co-pilot who leant over to me.

I'll never forget it. "Eight minutes."

"Eight minutes in the hospital."

I wasn't...

Basically....looking out the window...

..and just praying to get to the hospital,

cos I was that short of breath.

I could hardly breathe.

I didn't feel any pain in my body whatsoever,

because of the situation of trying to breathe.

Richard has a lot of people to thank for saving his life.

Today, he's come to see one of them to thank her I'm person.

-Knock, knock.

-Hello.

Which one happens to be Richard?

-Come here.

-How are you?

-I'm fine. How are you?

-Brilliant, thank you.

-Yeah?

Thanks to you, anyway.

Team effort, team effort.

The first thing I saw actually was your colleagues' eyes

as they came out of the lift shaft. I knew no matter...

Well, I knew you were really poorly behind them,

because there faces were so horrified, tense, stressed.

They were so relieved to see you as well, weren't they?

They were so relieved to be top side, definitely.

There she is, your very own.

Is that the one?

I believe it was, yeah. This is G-Sash.

So this is her.

This is unbelievable.

How a machine like this did a fantastic job.

It really does. It's amazing.

He's done incredible.

His family have just supported and surrounded him in love.

Doctors are amazing, the first aiders are amazing,

working together as a team is amazing,

but it's Richard - mind over matter that's made it all work.

The Yorkshire countryside is a playground for thousands

of sportsmen and women, from cycling to angling, climbing to shooting.

But some people spend more time over the landscape than in it.

Motocross is high adrenaline and high risk.

It's that farm there where all the caravans are.

This'll be it then.

Today, the paramedics are heading to a serious

incident at an organised motocross event.

See a couple of ambulance cars down there.

Yeah.

ENGINE DROWNS OUT SPEECH

-Hiya.

-You all right, mate?

I'm Chris. Paramedic, doctor?

-Paramedic.

-Brilliant, OK.

Got a 15-year-old motocross...

He's come off his bike,

-looks like he's got bilateral mid-shaft femurs.

-OK.

He just went over back on the jump

and landed from 30 feet up on his feet.

Yeah, his throttle stuck open and he just came down.

Just a bit of a... Broke his femur, I think, so they say.

Motocross riders use their legs as shock absorbers.

Ordinary jumps put enormous forces on the thighbones,

but when a rider comes off,

fractured femurs are a common injury.

All right, mate? What's your name?

I'm Sam, one of the other paramedics.

We'll keep you going with that gas and air,

we'll give you some stronger painkillers,

we'll get your leg sorted, and then we'll pop you down to

Leeds General Infirmary, all right, mate?

It was one of the most painful landings imaginable.

Liam came down vertically onto his legs.

He's broken both his thighbones, and possibly his pelvis as well.

All right, all right. Could be better.

Can't believe how brave you are.

Right, Liam, what we're going to do, before we get you moved,

just going to get all the bits and pieces that we're going to need

to get you all ready and comfortable together.

We're going to move you as little as possible in as short

amount of time as possible.

Biking runs in Liam's family.

Unfortunately, so do accidents like this.

I've had a lot of accidents myself, so I wasn't keen on him doing it.

You can't stop them, can you?

35 bones I've broke, I should know.

I've got a bike as well, and I still do this job.

I know how my father feels now.

I know it's upsetting for you lot, but don't worry,

we'll take good care of him.

LGI is one of the centres of excellence in the country

for traumatic injuries, so they'll do right by him.

They stitched me up there.

-I see, they've done a good job there.

-Yeah.

What have you got to worry about?

Because of the awkward way Liam landed,

splinting his shattered legs is going to be difficult,

so before they can do anything,

paramedic Sam needs to give Liam the strongest drug he has.

That drug we were telling you about. Quite a strong painkiller.

-Might make you use all kinds of weird stuff.

-Right.

Might make you feel strange, feel like you're floating,

but don't worry, we'll look after you.

-Just run with it.

-Interesting.

Looks like he's broke...broken both the big bones in his thighs there.

There's also a reasonable chance he might have injured his pelvis,

so we've got a pelvic binder ready.

I'll stabilise his pelvis, prevent any further blood loss,

if he has fractured it.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Doing really well.

Ready, steady, lift.

All of Liam's injuries can cause internal bleeding.

Just one broken thighbone can be fatal.

The best way to prevent that is by straightening the fractured limbs.

It's already obvious that recovering from injuries as severe

as this will take a very long time.

Just to let you know, we're just finishing packaging the patient

and we're going to LGI.

ETA no later than 14:10.

-Do you understand?

-Yeah, I understand him.

Keep it coming in, guys. Far as we can. Keep going.

How long have I've been sat here, like?

Not long. Couple of minutes, now.

Probably feels like a little bit longer.

Now, then, have you got a hand free for this gas and air, monkey?

I don't know, really.

Give him a go and I'll get going on it.

There we go.

That's the one.

AIR ESCAPES

This one makes a funny noise!

The team's decided Helimed 98 will bypass the local

hospital in nearby York and fly him

straight to the trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary 30 miles away.

Liam's likely to need surgery.

You all right there, Liam?

Liam's dad is about to become a regular visitor to the

hospital where he spent so much time as a patient.

His son, too, will be here for some time.

He's gone over a jump, misjudged the landing, been thrown forwards

off his bike and hit his legs or legs and abdomen onto the handlebars.

Injuries, top to toe, he's got a bit of a bloody nose,

query pelvis injury because of the mechanism, definite bilateral femurs.

Been GCS 15 throughout with us.

Liam's young and fit,

two vital factors that will be crucial in his recovery.

His thighbone's healed but it will be some time

before he climbs on a bike again, if he wants to.

It costs nearly 10 grand a day to keep Yorkshire's Air Ambulances

in the skies.

But there's no shortage of people willing to dig

deep in their pockets to keep them flying.

And farmers are among the most generous.

Farming is statistically the most dangerous job in Britain.

Agricultural machinery is responsible for most of those

casualties.

But on rare occasions it's not a farm worker who's hurt

but someone who's accidentally got in its way.

59-year-old male who has run into the back of a tractor with a head

and leg injury.

There's now a doctor en route.

ETA about 12 minutes so he should be arriving

probably about the same time.

The accident's happened on a minor road near Ripon.

One of the UK's smallest cities.

Land crew from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service are already there.

We're making our way there as fast as we can.

If the crew requests the patient he may have life-threatening

injuries that may need major trauma centre.

It seems the cyclist rode into the tractor which was trimming

a roadside hedgerow.

It turns out the rider's disability may have been a factor.

-Hi there, Nicholas. Can you hear me?

-Yes. Where am I?

We're just outside of Ripon.

On a country road.

What we're doing is we're just going to get you nice and stable

and we're going to transport you down in a helicopter.

Nicholas is registered blind and has hearing difficulties

but that doesn't stop him being a keen cyclist.

It's all right. We'll look after you, Nicholas. You're in good hands.

All you need to do is lie there and relax as best you can.

I know that is easy for us to say.

Nicholas's vital signs are good but he's in agony.

The wound to his leg is ten inches long and to the bone.

I just made this patient stable.

There's already a doctor on scene

and Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics and technicians who have

provided an assessment and given some pain relief for this patient.

Got him to a good position for us to mobilise him

and take him down to

Leeds General Infirmary to see the doctors.

How is that pain at the moment?

Paramedics are trained to give partially sighted patients

a much fuller description of what they're doing to treat them.

Just stay nice and still, Nicholas.

Well done, pal.

Paul's bedside manner is providing Nicholas with badly needed

reassurance.

Let's just do that's little bit. Rocking, isn't it?

They're going to fly their patient to Leeds General Infirmary.

His leg injury is so big it may require surgery.

The main concern is injuries to his right leg.

His femur and his tib and fib look intact.

It looks more like a skin problem.

It's probably the size of a £10 note. It's quite open.

Looks like it's going to need plastics.

Doctors given him some ketamine on scene and some antibiotics,

as well just to prevent any infection.

We're going to give you some more pain killers.

Given that the patient has quite nasty open lacerations

to his leg and potential fractures, mucky countryside road where there

has been hedge trimming, there's a lot of potential risk for infection there.

Given the large open area, as well.

Worst case scenario is the patient could

lose their leg as a result of that.

So getting them comfortable

and getting the antibiotics in early will prevent any risk of infection.

Just relax. You're doing really well.

-Nice and steady.

-Plastic surgeons are waiting for Nicholas's arrival.

His head wound will need treatment

but it's the gash in his leg that's more serious.

In any event, this is the best place for him to be.

We don't do a bad job, Nicholas.

Having been forced to give up driving

because of his disability, Nicholas has always enjoyed cycling.

It's a sport partially sighted people are encouraged to

continue, ideally on a tandem.

The rock faces of Yorkshire have been attracting the brave

and the adventurous ever since climbers wore tweed.

Challenges like Kilnsey Crag demand skills only a few have.

But you don't have to be tackling a climb like this to get into trouble.

35 miles to go.

We have a report that a young lad,

about seven years old has fallen down some rocks.

And has got a significant head injury.

As well as that we've got a problem with getting access to his location.

It's late and Helimed 98 has been called to Huddersfield.

It's patient was climbing rocks near his home.

What we're going to do is a bit of a cross slope landing

because this slope is steep.

Doing it this way.

-Just hold it.

-Roger.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Right, who's...

-Max.

-Max.

-Has been stood on top of there.

-Right.

-He's rolled down to about where that twin tree is.

-Oh, nice.

Very brief loss of consciousness. Very brief.

The chap up there that saw him said he's been responding all the way.

-He's got quite a nasty flesh scalp wound.

-Anything else obvious?

-Nothing obvious.

-Brilliant.

Land paramedics couldn't get Max up to their ambulance

so called for backup.

Young lad's been on the cliff playing with his mates.

He's tumbled off about 15, 20 foot.

Got a nasty laceration to the top of his head so because it's a head

injury these guys are here to take him straight to

Huddersfield Royal.

Save a lot of hassle getting him up the rock face.

Luckily, paramedics have already packaged Max up

and he's ready to fly.

-It's getting cold and dark.

-The idea is just to take him to Huddersfield.

We can get there on the ground.

As long as we get there before dark, we're all right.

There we go.

If we can just bring him in at an angle.

If you can come round a bit more.

First day of school holidays, your timing's terrible.

Max has a cut to his head but paramedic Darren is concerned

he may be suffering from the effects of concussion.

Max, do you remember everything that happened to you?

Yeah. No blank periods in it?

And you're seven. When's your birthday?

-26th of March.

-26th of March, not far off mine that.

-So, what day is it today, Max?

-Monday.

-Good lad.

It's hard to diagnose in a seven year old.

But Max seems sharp enough.

We'll only be up in the air about five minutes.

And then we'll be there. All right? Mum's sitting there.

With only 30 minutes of daylight left, pilot Andy has just

enough time to get Max to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

-Over your left shoulder, please. Just report clear behind.

-Clear left.

No large obstacles, no wires.

Max is in a stable condition with his mum Lindsay there to

reassure him.

-OK, yes, confirm it's in sight.

-All clear left.

Max fell nearly 20 feet onto a rock.

He may be fully conscious but surgeons are on stand-by to

assess how serious the cut to his head really is.

For the helimed team, it's time to head home.

Another patient safely delivered to hospital.

Max recovers and goes home a little warier about rock climbing.

In Yorkshire you're never far away from a top tourist attraction.

From stunning stately homes to crumbling monasteries,

the landscape is full of relics of the past,

which attract thousands of visitors every year.

And they look even more spectacular from the air.

Up in North Yorkshire, there's not a load of monasteries around our way.

Today Graham, Leon and pilot Andy are off to a unique

attraction where an elderly visitor has been seriously injured.

This lady has broken her femur. Like a broken hip.

It can be fairly serious but it sound like she's in a lot of pain

and is unstable.

You'll find some old ladies just tolerate it.

One old lady walked out the ambulance.

I know what this place is. I want to take my kids here.

It may look like an ancient monument

but this modern folly is barely 20 years old.

The patient's been injured in an underground passage.

I'm going to guess they're in the trees somewhere.

-Want to have a quick chat with him?

-Yeah, I'll nip out.

-Is there an ambulance here?

-There is.

-And a car?

-There is.

-What are they here for?

-She's hurt her hip.

We couldn't see them so we weren't sure we were in the right spot.

They're in the trees, that's why.

-What's this spot here then?

-It's a bit like a maze.

Like a labyrinth.

Crossing some stepping stones. Slipped and fell in the water.

79-year-old Rita was here on holiday with her children and

grandchildren when her underground adventure went badly wrong.

She was walking along into one of the attractions here

and she slipped on the wet surface and fell.

Couldn't get to her to examine her. It was dark, it was wet.

Got some help from the family and got her up here.

Yeah. She was able to get up.

We helped her up and then because we were faced with the decision

whether to go back or go forwards, we went forwards.

And her leg basically gave way.

She's much more settled. They took her wet clothes off.

She's dry, is she?

On the way up the stairs I noticed there's a bit of an entrance to what

looks to be an underground maze of waterfalls and stepping stones.

From what I understand that's what the lady has tripped on.

She's managed to walk, believe it or not, up the rest of the path.

Up the stairs.

And then got to where she is now before collapsing in pain.

This goes down a dark corridor with stepping stones.

You're never surprised at what you find.

There's no two situations are exactly alike.

I did say to the lady that you could have fallen in an easier

place to get at.

While the paramedics get Rita ready for her flight,

-Andy's keen to explore the attraction.

-My kids would love this.

And all it's hidden surprises.

HE SCREAMS

HE LAUGHS

Rita will be heading to another Yorkshire attraction,

-a town famous for it's tearooms.

-We're going to Harrogate, yeah.

-Oh, I like Harrogate.

-I don't think we'll get into Betty's but... Ah!

Sorry.

-They might do takeout for you?

-They do, I'd love that.

The team think she's broken her femur where it joins her hip.

An incredibly painful injury. But Rita's still not complaining.

-She's one very tough grandma.

-Are you comfortable now?

-I am very comfortable, thank you.

-Are you pain free?

-Yes.

-At the moment.

-Sure?

-Well, it's like a tooth ache, that's all.

-OK.

If it gets too bad let us know

-and we can give you some more painkillers, all right?

-Thank you.

Rita's injury is an ideal case for a helicopter.

Because she's in quite a bit of discomfort and wet through

and a distance is involved it will be a lot easier,

a lot more comfortable

and a lot safer for the patient to travel by air with us to Harrogate.

A smooth flight should stop her hip moving any more.

At nearly 80 an injury like this could cause her to quickly

deteriorate.

So Rita's Yorkshire sightseeing holiday is ending in a way

she could never have imagined.

And paramedic Graham still can't believe how she's coped.

By the sounds of it she's fallen over,

broke her hip and she's classic old lady.

Just troopers, carry on and on and on. Unbelievable sometimes.

Rita spent several days here before being allowed home.

But she's looking forward to another Yorkshire holiday next year.