Rescue (1990 TV Series)
Encyclopedia
Rescue was a 13-part documentary
series created and directed by Cameraman Paul Berriff. It focused on the air-sea rescue
work of "Rescue 137", a Sea King
belonging to 202 Sqn
, Royal Air Force
in and around their base at RAF Lossiemouth
, Scotland
and the North Sea
over a period of a year between 1988 -1989.
The series covered a multitude of incidents ranging from ferrying a sick child to hospital right up to the world's worst offshore disasters, the explosion and ensuing fire on the Piper Alpha
oil platform.
STV has upload all the episodes to the STV Player
youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/show/rescue
The team race to rescue seven crew members from the Peterhead
fishing vessel, "Budding Rose" after it begins taking on water in gale conditions 100 miles east of Aberdeen
.
Episode 2: Baby Sam (First broadcast 14 January 1990)
The team are called out to transport a three month premature baby, Sam Harcus, from Orkney to a hospital in Aberdeen
. During the flight, Baby Sam's heart stopped and the helicopter winchman, Bob Pountney, kept the baby alive my providing heart massage during the flight.
Episode 3: White Out (First broadcast 21 January 1990)
The team operate in Scotland during blizzard conditions
Episode 4: Worse Things Happen at Sea (First broadcast 28 January 1990)
"Rescue 137" scrambles to assist a man who has taken a 20 foot fall on board an Oil Rig support ship
Episode 5: Winchman (First broadcast February 4, 1990)
This episode focused on the life of a winchman aboard an RAF Sea King
Episode 6: Ditching, Ditching, Ditching (First broadcast 11 February 1990)
The team assist in the rescue of persons on board a helicopter that crashed into the North Sea
Episode 7: Piper Alpha (First broadcast 18 February 1990)
The role that 202 Sqn
played in the response to the Piper Alpha tragedy
Episode 8: Chox's Lecture (First broadcast 25 February 1990)
Winchman, Paul "Chox" Barton provides advise for any walkers, climbers and tourists that may not be fully prepared
Episode 9: Water Falls (First broadcast March 4, 1990)
Water sports which may seem innocuous to some are shown in a different light by the events experienced by the crew of "Rescue 137"
Episode 10: Missing (First broadcast 11 March 1990)
"Rescue 137" is called out to rescue men from the drilling rig, Ocean Oddessey
Episode 11: Avalanche (First broadcast 18 March 1990)
The mountain rescue team, in conjunction with the crew of "Rescue 137" search for people trapped under the snow in the Highlands
Episode 12: We Never Say Never (First broadcast 25 March 1990)
The team rush against the clock to save a 13 year old girl suffering from meningitis
on the Isle of Skye
Episode 13: Sting In The Tale (First broadcast 1 April 1990)
The crew set off for a weekend training with the mountain rescue team but an exercise goes drastically wrong
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series created and directed by Cameraman Paul Berriff. It focused on the air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
work of "Rescue 137", a Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
belonging to 202 Sqn
No. 202 Squadron RAF
No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force presently operates the Sea King HAR.3 in the Search and rescue role at three stations in the northern half of the United Kingdom. It was originally formed as one of the first aeroplane squadrons of the RNAS before it became part of the RAF.-Formation and...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in and around their base at RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force station to the west of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. It is one of the RAF's biggest bases and is currently Britain's main base for Tornado GR4s. From 2013 the Northern QRA force of Typhoon F2 will relocate to Lossiemouth following the closure of...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
over a period of a year between 1988 -1989.
The series covered a multitude of incidents ranging from ferrying a sick child to hospital right up to the world's worst offshore disasters, the explosion and ensuing fire on the Piper Alpha
Piper Alpha
Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum Ltd. The platform began production in 1976, first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production. An explosion and resulting fire destroyed it on 6 July 1988, killing 167 men, with only 61...
oil platform.
STV has upload all the episodes to the STV Player
STV Player
The STV Player is a website based video on demand service accessible though the main STV website and separately in the distinct domain name stvplayer.tv. Current programmes are available for 30 days after transmission on the main STV channel, with archive programming available longer-term...
youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/show/rescue
Episode guide
Episode 1: Budding Rose (First broadcast 7 January 1990)The team race to rescue seven crew members from the Peterhead
Peterhead
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....
fishing vessel, "Budding Rose" after it begins taking on water in gale conditions 100 miles east of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
Episode 2: Baby Sam (First broadcast 14 January 1990)
The team are called out to transport a three month premature baby, Sam Harcus, from Orkney to a hospital in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. During the flight, Baby Sam's heart stopped and the helicopter winchman, Bob Pountney, kept the baby alive my providing heart massage during the flight.
Episode 3: White Out (First broadcast 21 January 1990)
The team operate in Scotland during blizzard conditions
Episode 4: Worse Things Happen at Sea (First broadcast 28 January 1990)
"Rescue 137" scrambles to assist a man who has taken a 20 foot fall on board an Oil Rig support ship
Episode 5: Winchman (First broadcast February 4, 1990)
This episode focused on the life of a winchman aboard an RAF Sea King
Episode 6: Ditching, Ditching, Ditching (First broadcast 11 February 1990)
The team assist in the rescue of persons on board a helicopter that crashed into the North Sea
Episode 7: Piper Alpha (First broadcast 18 February 1990)
The role that 202 Sqn
No. 202 Squadron RAF
No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force presently operates the Sea King HAR.3 in the Search and rescue role at three stations in the northern half of the United Kingdom. It was originally formed as one of the first aeroplane squadrons of the RNAS before it became part of the RAF.-Formation and...
played in the response to the Piper Alpha tragedy
Episode 8: Chox's Lecture (First broadcast 25 February 1990)
Winchman, Paul "Chox" Barton provides advise for any walkers, climbers and tourists that may not be fully prepared
Episode 9: Water Falls (First broadcast March 4, 1990)
Water sports which may seem innocuous to some are shown in a different light by the events experienced by the crew of "Rescue 137"
Episode 10: Missing (First broadcast 11 March 1990)
"Rescue 137" is called out to rescue men from the drilling rig, Ocean Oddessey
Episode 11: Avalanche (First broadcast 18 March 1990)
The mountain rescue team, in conjunction with the crew of "Rescue 137" search for people trapped under the snow in the Highlands
Episode 12: We Never Say Never (First broadcast 25 March 1990)
The team rush against the clock to save a 13 year old girl suffering from meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
on the Isle of Skye
Episode 13: Sting In The Tale (First broadcast 1 April 1990)
The crew set off for a weekend training with the mountain rescue team but an exercise goes drastically wrong