Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s hit documentary series Yorkshire Air 999 is set to return to TV screens this autumn, with a brand-new run of eight episodes airing weekly from Friday 3rd October at 9PM on the Really channel and streaming on Discovery+.
Narrated by David Morrissey, the opening episode follows the story of Stephen Rathbone, from Leyburn, who found himself in a life-threatening situation after being pinned beneath his vintage tractor on a remote hillside.
Trapped for over two hours, Stephen suffered eight broken ribs, a fractured shoulder, a broken sternum and a punctured lung, before YAA’s critical care team, supported by North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, the North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, North Yorkshire Police and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, were able to free him and fly him to James Cook University Hospital for urgent care.
His remarkable survival and recovery highlight the crucial role YAA plays in reaching patients quickly when every second counts.
Across the new series, viewers will see YAA crews responding to a wide range of real-life emergencies, from major road traffic collisions and sporting injuries to dramatic rural rescues in some of Yorkshire’s most isolated locations. Alongside the fast-paced action, powerful follow-up interviews share the moving recovery journeys of patients and their families, offering a rare glimpse into the lasting impact of the charity’s work.
Filmed with body-worn cameras, helicopter minicams and a multi-camera set-up at YAA’s Nostell Air Support Unit, Yorkshire Air 999 captures every moment as the charity’s pilots, technical crew members, paramedics and doctors respond to emergencies, from the first 999 call to the patient handover at hospital.
The series has also been shortlisted in the High Volume Factual category at this year’s Royal Television Society Yorkshire Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 24th October at Headingley Stadium.
Sam Berridge, Paramedic at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said:
Yorkshire Air 999 shows the reality of what it’s like to be called out to people on the worst days of their lives. No two incidents are ever the same.
One moment we can be landing in a busy city centre, the next we’re touching down in a farmer’s field miles from anywhere.
The series captures not just the critical care we deliver, but also the teamwork and quick decisions that make a real difference to our patients.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity, relying entirely on the generosity of public donations to keep saving lives. Covering 3 million acres and serving a population of around 5 million people, the charity treated over 1,300 patients in 2024, each mission only made possible thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses and communities across Yorkshire.
