1 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,080 Message received from the captain. 2 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,920 Now we got an alarm for an ambulance mission from Namsos. 3 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,040 We will probably travel to Trondheim and Levanger. 4 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,480 The squadron conducts more than 1,300 missions every year. 5 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:07,280 Over half of these are transport of sick patients. 6 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,320 There are apparently some snow flurries on the way, - 7 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,760 - so the air ambulance has trouble making the trip. 8 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,840 Sea King-one can fly in almost any weather. It is often the case - 9 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:23,720 - that the squadron should be called instead of the usual air ambulance. 10 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:30,600 The patient they now fetch has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. 11 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,280 He can't breathe on his own. The condition is getting worse. 12 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,160 He must get quickly to a hospital with better equipment. 13 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:44,120 He is about to get a kidney, too, so it's pretty critical. 14 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:50,920 Impossible to say at this stage if there is one or the other way eventually. 15 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,720 We fly in many sick people and injured people. 16 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:11,440 We think of both the patient and the family. 17 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:17,160 At the same time one must try to have a professional distance from it. 18 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,640 It is necessary that we do our job properly. 19 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,280 So we are on a trip to Namsos. 20 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:32,840 We are about to encounter some snow flurries and a little worse weather. 21 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,160 Because of the showers we choose to follow the terrain a bit - 22 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,760 - instead of flying directly over the mountains towards Namsos. 23 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,880 A snowy mountain's all just white. Then the snow is a much bigger problem. 24 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:52,320 Bent Olav, you can find ventilator tubing to Lærdal bag - 25 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,200 - and so Lærdal bag? 26 00:02:54,280 --> 00:03:00,040 Yes. I brought a overtrekksmansjetten also. So we just switch them up there. 27 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,120 Terrific. Then we have everything we need. 28 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,560 The helicopter is like a small intensive care in the air. 29 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:12,720 The equipment is easy, but it's tough to keep an intensive patient alive. 30 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,280 We are now at the hospital in Namsos and fetching the patient. 31 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,280 Often there are some who follow us up, - 32 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:52,560 - and when one doesn't think about which button we pressed. 33 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,040 We will be a floor off. 34 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:06,280 Whatever is not so tough to find them in the hospital. Worse is out in the terrain. 35 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:14,560 The biggest challenge when one should have with them an intensive patient - 36 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:20,280 - is that he has been connected up to all the equipment properly. 37 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:27,000 And that one has control of everything before leaving the intensive care unit. 38 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,440 -Shall we connect up before we take over? -Yes. 39 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,080 Due. lung disease patient cannot breathe on their own. 40 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:41,440 Therefore he's kept sedated for the equipment to breathe for him. 41 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:50,600 We have coupled his drug-infusion, which means that he is sleeping - 42 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:56,400 - he has a good blood pressure, over the syringe pumps ours. 43 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:02,560 And we have disconnected his respirator and taken over ventilation. 44 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,960 So that he will be ventilated by Lærdalsbag. 45 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:14,400 Then it is we who keep the patient alive - when he cannot breathe on his own. 46 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,960 On the way to the hospital in Trondheim his sedation is decreased. 47 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,040 It allows the patient to begin to breathe on his own. 48 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,320 -He pulls a bit himself now. -Yes, he breathes a little contrary. 49 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,000 I take it just once as he breathes now. 50 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,320 I have to follow him to the hospital - 51 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,920 - for I must "breathe" for him until we get him connected to the respirator. 52 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:08,440 When one has a patient who is sedated, we must take good care of them. 53 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:15,960 Then we see how the patient is by studying pupil dilation, - 54 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:22,240 - see if he's sweating slightly, if there are some tears, and other signs. 55 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:27,000 And pulse rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. 56 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,920 -Should we drive blue? -Yes, I think we can run blue. 57 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,360 It is not easy to write in an ambulance! 58 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:06,560 He is a bit stressed out by this, so he gets a little extra for now. 59 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,000 There. He'll have a little more sleep. 60 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,800 Is everybody ready? One, two, three. 61 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:42,560 Take care. 62 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:54,320 When he arrived in Trondheim, he received treatment for his kidney failure. 63 00:07:54,400 --> 00:08:00,040 And was the better for it. But after a few weeks, he died anyway. 64 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:06,720 Even if one has a lot of good equipment, good medicine and good people, - 65 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,960 - it is the body that has the last word. 66 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:42,480 We are now outside of Cornwall, in an area where the rescue helicopters - 67 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:47,200 - several times have had to get wrecked sailors to the rescue. 68 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:52,000 Until 1972 Norway did not use helicopters for rescue. 69 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:58,200 But this was increasingly common. Several countries had acquired them. 70 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:03,520 In '72 employers lobbied to the purchase of Sea King rescue helicopters. 71 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,120 After a major accident in the Skagerrak, - 72 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,520 - where Denmark came in with the rescue helicopters - 73 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,920 - showing that Norway had poor capacity. 74 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:22,160 The government decided that Norway should buy ten British Sea Kings. 75 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:27,040 We did not have helicopters. We flew with amphibious boats in seaplanes, - 76 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,440 - in rescue missions at sea. 77 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,760 They have strong limitations in bad weather and strong waves. 78 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,800 When the ten rescue helicopters are in place at home in Norway, - 79 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,480 - it is intended that the rescue helicopters - 80 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:45,160 - should be able to get wrecked sailors to help - 81 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:49,920 - within a maximum 1 1 / 2 hour, anywhere along our coastline. 82 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:55,640 36 years later, nine of the ten helicopters are still in service. 83 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,360 It is turned on sometimes. We know it inside and out. 84 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:06,800 We know the carving on it will be like that or not will be like that. 85 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,840 It is extremely solid. Solidly built. 86 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:16,360 This is an old design from the 50s. The hull construction. 87 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:22,720 There are no matches in the civil fleet. They're flying when everyone else can't. 88 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,840 The machines have operated a very long time. They're very robust. 89 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,560 They can withstand almost all of the elements. 90 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:36,400 This helicopter can remain in the air for 6 hours without refilling. 91 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:43,720 It can be part of a rescue operation up to 460 km offshore. 92 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:50,360 Since 1972 we have had approx. 135000 flight hours. In that time we have given - 93 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:58,240 - assistance and life-saving assistance to nearly 24000 people. 94 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:06,960 So there are quite a few who have been in contact with a Sea King. 95 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:13,120 Today, the Squadron has 50 technicians to keep the helicopters in the air. 96 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,960 All parts are periodically overhauled or replaced. 97 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,600 Now approaching the replacement of one of the major parts. 98 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:29,160 Here we have a new rotor head. It is to be mounted on that machine there. 99 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,880 It has gone for quite the hike on that machine. 100 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:38,760 We replace the rotor head every 2200 hours. 101 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:44,440 This goes by the name of jesus nut. 102 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:49,400 It holds the rotor head - 103 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,960 - fixed to the main gearbox. 104 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:58,520 So theoretically the entire flying machine "hangs" on this nut. 105 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:03,200 It looks a little like the halo of Jesus also. 106 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:09,120 The pilots are a bit scared when they see that it's only this they hang on. 107 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,760 But it is solid. 108 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:16,320 The best player is the one sitting and wrenching up there. 109 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,040 That is why we all can play now. 110 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:24,960 When the machines are in order, we can take it easy. Then we have the job done. 111 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:31,000 But ordinarily we may be working night and day to get them ready. 112 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:35,120 But when it is quiet, we play table tennis. 113 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,720 The pilots are relatively easy to play against, - 114 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:50,320 - so they play best against each other. We are a class above them. 115 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,880 Coordination and thinking ability, they have a little trouble, I think. 116 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,160 I won, as usual. 117 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,960 Now comes the boss with a cake for us, so we'll have to run. 118 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:16,720 When they are operational, there is no cake left for us professionals. 119 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,720 The women are very good. 120 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:30,400 It is good with the sort of lunch on Friday. A good measure, this. 121 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:36,200 Shouldn't come here and think you're special. Then you'll come quickly down to earth. 122 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,800 Much work and a large infrastruvture is needed to keep the helicopters in the air 123 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:45,360 Therefore, the squadron commander with a recognition of engineers. 124 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,960 Burger first and cake afterwards. There are snacks. 125 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,600 We can provide some operational applause, then. 126 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,800 One day out of the ordinary for the crew on the back. 127 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:23,280 They have received an invitation from someone they met on a stormy day in 2004. 128 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:28,360 It will be fun to see him again. In calmer conditions than last time. 129 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:41,400 I can't remember how he looks, at all. 130 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:48,040 Being there to see him as a person and not a patient, is great. 131 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,160 Hear what he remembers from it. 132 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,800 Knut Moland is today the Fire Manager for Torungen Fire. 133 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:18,200 Four years ago he drove a tow-boat firm together with his brother. 134 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:23,520 In October of that year they met Hurricane Gyda on the southern coast. 135 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,800 That special day is something I remember well. 136 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,600 A mayday came from Lillesand. 137 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:39,920 We were asked to go with the big tow rope on our boat. 138 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:48,280 Cargo boat Korni had engine damage and was approaching land. 139 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:54,240 We heard that the Sea King was in the air and a rescue cutter had gone in front. 140 00:15:54,320 --> 00:16:00,560 But it was difficult, for it was high tide, and the boat drifting towards the shore. 141 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:14,600 At the time we were down on the boat Korni, who had engine shutdown, - 142 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:19,720 - actually reminiscent of wind conditions today. 143 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:31,240 We heard that the rescue boat had dragged some on board. 144 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:35,320 And they managed to keep it. but they could not go. 145 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,800 We were also told that the tow broke once or twice. 146 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:46,160 We saw that the boat could be due to Gjeslingene outside Lillesand. 147 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:53,600 So we Péiste on what we could, but we wobbled violently. There were huge seas. 148 00:16:55,320 --> 00:17:00,960 I remember that we were almost there as the casualty, and that it was discussed - 149 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:06,000 - the Sea King-one now could get the guys on Korni, or - 150 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:11,380 - if we could manage to get a hawser on board and have it towed away. 151 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,720 It's the last I remember. 152 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:20,440 We just hung standby to be ready to go down and pick up people. 153 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:26,280 Then came a giant wave, the crew and the skipper told me. 154 00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:31,400 It heeled us over pretty significantly, first to starboard and then to port. 155 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,160 I lost my footing and flew through the air. 156 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:46,480 On the boat, you have special screws on the windows for them to stick. 157 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,760 One such hit the back of my head, so there was a pretty good cut. 158 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:58,760 As they tell me, then I fainted and began to bleed heavily. 159 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,540 So, I threw up. And there I lay, out like a light. 160 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,760 The crew of Sea King must now make a difficult choice. 161 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,440 Will they save the crew of the cargo ship? 162 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:16,000 Or try to pick up Knut, who is severely injured on the rope boat? 163 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:22,040 I have been told that it was a pretty tough decision to make: 164 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:29,200 To let me sleep, or to fly me and let the boat strike land. 165 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:42,320 But the seas were so heavy that they did not want to send down a man. 166 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:47,240 But he was so badly damaged that there was no danger to life? 167 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:52,200 Yes, I believe it, said the captain. So bad is he, and so is my brother. 168 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:57,560 Then they decided on the helicopter that they would send down a rescue. 169 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:07,800 We came across the tug and tried getting me down. 170 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:12,960 We did three or four attempts. I hung quite long on the outside of the boat - 171 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,040 - before it was decided to put me into. 172 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:29,000 I got very good help from the guys on the tug to connect him. 173 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:35,080 He had to go himself. We partly carried and dragged him with us out on the deck there. 174 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:46,960 That I remember nothing of. Three or four men managed to stack me out. 175 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:52,160 And, rescue man, held onto some ladders on the deck. 176 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:57,320 The ideal here, what's in the textbook, - 177 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:04,480 - is no doubt that he should be well strapped on a stretcher. 178 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:11,320 He should have the neck collar, splints and be stabilized, have oxygen. 179 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,400 Complete package. And I have more than enough to stand on their feet. 180 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,960 I did not dare put him in a stretcher. 181 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,480 These were no conditions to make a stretcher-pickup. 182 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:35,000 I made a choice: To take him up, I had to use a sling. 183 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,000 It was the only option. 184 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:52,200 The most critical is when the rescue man attaches himself to the wire. 185 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,800 With any wire hanging onto the boat, the helicopter can be dragged into the sea. 186 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:02,040 Or the rescue man may risk being dragged into the side of the boat. 187 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:08,120 Eventually I connected first him, then myself. As I have done it, - 188 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:12,800 - so make the boat an extra high heel. 189 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,080 Then comes a huge wave and turns our legs under us. 190 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,960 I know they are up to the door was ready to cut the wire. 191 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,720 If it jams, and we are dragged with it, then it gets crazy. 192 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,400 So it is very dangerous. 193 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:49,080 You were too exhausted to be afraid. I'm wasn't afraid then. 194 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,640 It is only the reflexes actually. 195 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:59,600 I am 100% focused on the wire. That it is not being caught in something. 196 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:04,920 It goes so fast really. Suddenly you hang ten meters above the water surface. 197 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:11,080 But what I remember is when I was lifted up. I was probably ... 198 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,960 I've thought in retrospect that I needed some oxygen and took a breath. 199 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,040 So I think I woke up when I was midway between the helicopter and boat. 200 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:26,760 Knew nothing. But we've all been given a Christian upbringing in Southern Norway. 201 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:32,840 So I thought that now I was on my way to heaven. A very brief look. 202 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:38,560 Then I was out again, and remember nothing more until I was in the hospital. 203 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:21,360 There was a cut in the back of my head. It was sewed together, so I have a neat seam. 204 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:29,600 I have two disks out of place in my neck, and headaches and tinnitus. 205 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:47,480 That's a high frequency sound that is there all the time. It's inside my head. 206 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:54,960 I received time off after. That was not good. 207 00:23:55,040 --> 00:24:00,920 It was simply bad, because I had a very sore head. 208 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,520 I would say it as strongly as - 209 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:12,480 - I had almost no desire to live, because it was so painful. 210 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:17,640 I was so sad and so tired, even though I had been rescued. 211 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:23,520 It was so bad that I drove a boat here without dead-man switch and stuff, - 212 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:29,000 - hoping to be flushed away. So wrong I was in that period. 213 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:33,800 But when the family heard that I had such thoughts, lit in the bottom - 214 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:39,320 - and said Knut, Dad, Grandpa, you are not allowed to think like that. 215 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,760 There are so many who love you. 216 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:53,400 But what I think was the rock event of my mental life, it was - 217 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:59,440 - that I was allowed to move out of the Big Torungen and work out here. 218 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,480 Just wait a bit, so I have dried a bit ... 219 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,840 Hi, Knut. Hi. Just started to cry a little. 220 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:48,840 -Thank you for last. Do you remember anything? -No. You're a nice man. 221 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,440 Thank you, in like manner. You look very good. 222 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:57,560 -Thank you for last. -Yes, you can say. Glad you came. 223 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,680 I can not remember some things myself. 224 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:11,120 What I remember, was ... If someone has told me that I do not know. 225 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,040 But I woke up when I was under the helicopter. 226 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,960 Then I thought I was on my way to heaven. So I passed out again. 227 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:27,400 That you were there when I was so unfortunate, that I thank you for. 228 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:31,680 It is very fun for us to see you again now. 229 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:37,320 You look significantly better today than last time I saw you. 230 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,960 Here's the way across. 231 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:50,360 -You are yourself and hold on tight. -I had not imagined. 232 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,360 -You do not remember any of it? -No, nothing. 233 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,200 Here is how the boat goes. 234 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,760 It was terrible, there. 235 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,560 Fantastic stuff. 236 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,680 -Where you fly up. -Oi ... 237 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,360 That went well! 238 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:39,700 (All personnel and families have given consent to appear in this series.) 239 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,700 (Thanks to the entire 330 Squadron and to all who participated.) 240 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,300 Engish subtitles: Lex Ein subs.hopto.org