Arctic Air (2012–…): Season 3, Episode 6 - On the Edge - full transcript
Previously on Arctic Air...
I want to set up a Search and
Rescue here at Arctic Air.
It's a way to
bankrupt the company.
For the record,
I admire what you're
trying to do.
We need dedicated Search
and Rescue in the north.
I appreciate that.
And, here comes whistler's
badass bouldering champ,
Hank "The Gripper" Nordstrom!
Hey, Grip, give a shout
out to the peeps!
Hurly burly, bro!
Yeah!
That was uber sick, man.
- Whoo!
- That was awesome.
Hey, Gary, let me
say hi to Megan.
Aw, dude, you are so married.
Baby, check this out.
Top of the world.
Whoo! Yeah!
Come on, bro, let's do this.
Let's go, hey, hey, give
me the rope, I'll lead.
Take it.
Yeah...
What the hell are we gonna do?
Okay, rappel.
Let's anchor off.
It's heading this way!
Run!
Gary!
Go, go, go, go!
Have you got the bridle?
Got it!
Bring it up, nice and easy.
That's it.
5% off TOT redline.
6% off critical wind.
He's losing it,
he's losing it in the downwash!
You're in the TFZ.
Keep it moving.
Careful, Dev!
Oh!
What the hell, Dev?
Let go of the cable controller.
No, Dev!
Good thing he wasn't breathing
before we put him
in the stretcher.
Carabiner snapped.
It's still gonna bone us.
I did a precheck on every
piece of the equipment.
It happens.
It's rare, but it does.
I'm changing
equipment suppliers.
And what about Dev?
Is he ready?
He's close.
"Close"?
This isn't horseshoes.
He screwed up on
the cable control,
and got the litter caught
in the turbulent flow zone.
He just needs more time
working the controls.
Yeah, I'll make sure.
Krista...
Breathe.
The rest of your
crew is doing great
and the hoist operator
training takes time.
You're almost there.
John...
Don't know if you've
met Gordon Epp,
Aviation Transport Authority...
John Crowe.
John is a SAR trainer,
up from Ottawa.
He's one of the best
in the country.
And my pilot's waiting for me.
I'll see you soon.
You're doing great.
Thanks.
And nice to meet you, Gordon.
I saw what happened
in the field.
Carabiner broke.
John says it's very rare.
You guys aren't ready
for Search and Rescue.
Hey, that's not fair!
You watch one training
exercise out of hundreds...
Are you saying that's the first
time anything has gone wrong?
It's called training, Gordon.
We've made huge progress.
Every week, we're
getting better,
and next month we're
gonna get certified.
Doesn't mean you're going to
have an operating licence.
Okay, what's that
supposed to mean?
Krista, if I approve
this licence,
I'm putting myself on the line.
Putting my job on the line.
Okay, you're a
bureaucrat, I get it,
but the North needs people
who are qualified to
do Search and Rescue.
That's exactly my point.
Do you hear this guy?
Good to see you, Gordon.
Bobby. Look,
you guys don't have
liability insurance.
You don't have the proper
procedural manuals.
What about licensed paramedics?
We're working on that right now,
and we're on top of it.
Most of all,
based on what I've
seen here today,
you guys are just not capable
of carrying this off.
Okay, well, Gord,
based on what I've seen,
you're still the
same little candyass
you were when we were 12!
Krista...
Playing hockey together,
you never once went
into the corner.
You know, maybe...
Never once took a
hit for the team.
Okay, maybe you should
leave Search and Rescue
to the SAR techs at Trenton...
people who know
what they're doing.
Yellowknife radio,
this is
Charlie-echo-hotel-uniform-tango.
Ready to depart runway one-six.
Over.
Do you have your seatbelt on?
Loreen?
You radio'ed dispatch,
not the tower.
Good luck, honey!
Thanks.
Yellowknife radio,
this is Charlie-echo-hotel-uniform...
tango,
ready to depart runway one-six.
Over.
Uniform-tango,
Yellowknife radio.
Wind is one-eight-zero at ten.
Active runway one-six.
Altimeter two-ninerniner-four.
No reported conflicting traffic.
Depart at your discretion.
Roger check.
Well?
Why are you asking me?
You're the pilot.
Climb out at 75 miles an hour.
Do you have to say that
every single time?
No, only when you're
at 65 miles an hour.
Oh.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
You keep yanking on that
yoke, you're gonna stall.
Sorry.
Give 'er a little
forward pressure.
Not the throttle, the yoke.
Forward pressure.
You're pulling back.
Too much!
It's a waltz, not a tango.
What's a tango?
It's bureaucratic crap.
And it comes with the territory.
You know, we should
just do this.
I'm serious.
Just start doing
Search and Rescue,
with or without a rubber stamp
from transport authority.
Or maybe we should just
get liability insurance.
I have talked to
five underwriters.
They all say the same thing,
too risky.
What about a paramedic?
Too busy to commit.
Should I even ask about
the procedural manuals?
We can't do them until we
have insurance coverage
and a paramedic.
You ever think that
maybe it is too much?
Starting a SAR operation
from scratch, it's huge.
Give up, is that
what you're saying?
I'm saying
Epp is asking for a lot.
When I start something, I
follow through with it.
If we get our butts sued off,
that's the end of Arctic Air.
What are you trying to prove?
Krista?
Lindsay Gallagher.
Lindsay, hey, what's up?
We've got a bit of a
situation on our hands.
I was hoping you
could help us out.
Personal locator
beacon has gone off
in the MacKenzie mountains.
Belongs to two climbers
from Vancouver,
Hank Nordstrom and Gary Lang.
- Are they hurt?
- No details yet.
I was wondering if you had
anyone flying over the area.
Not that I know of, but
I'll double check.
We'd send up one of our guys,
but we have a multi-car
accident out here.
What about Trenton?
Busy with a call in Quebec.
Can't deploy anyone for
at least 12 hours.
Listen, can your
SAR crew fly up?
We don't have a SAR
crew, Lindsay,
not until we jump through
a hundred more hoops.
Okay, I'll keep calling around.
Good luck.
One step at a time.
Now bank right 45 degrees.
Now...
Easy!
You want to kill us both?
Okay, okay!
Oh, God...
Someone leave the mic
open on the Cessna?
Or did you rig up some kind
of eavesdropping device?
Mel's right beside her.
I think they know
what they're doing.
Yeah, so do I,
that's my problem.
My girl is flying
a damned plane.
Loreen, unknot the knickers.
Am I ever going to
get used to this?
Kid wants to be a pilot.
I don't think you
have much choice.
Hey,
it's not on the board,
but is anyone flying anywhere
near the MacKenzie mountains?
Not today. Why?
That's a stall horn, right?
I'm in a stall?
You tell me.
What do I do?
You fix it.
- Should I level out?
- You could add power.
Power, power, power!
Get your nose down!
- Nose down!
- I'm trying!
Back off. I have control.
You almost put us in a spin.
Sorry.
Don't be sorry.
Just get it right.
If that happens when
you're on your own...
I know.
Had enough?
No. I have control.
Okay, now,
bank left 45 degrees,
and try not to kill us.
Better.
Marginally.
Hey. Any update
on your climbers?
Not until we get
some eyes up there.
You can't free anything up?
Got a plane heading
up there tomorrow,
but I mean, it's not
necessarily serious, right?
Could just be someone
lost on the mountain.
Yeah, except they activated
the 9-1-1 button.
You didn't tell me that.
We've been trying to reach
the emergency contact
to determine how long the
climbers have been up there.
So far, no luck.
You can't just divert
a plane, have a look?
Let me get back to you.
What exactly does that mean?
It means have a look.
You're going to fly three
hours to have a look?
Yeah.
And what if they're hurt?
You're gonna just
fly by and wave?
We make a decision
when the time comes.
Krista...
Are you with me, or not?
Of course, I'm with you.
That doesn't mean I
have to like it.
Blake!
What are you scheduled for?
Flying Lady Lou to Deline.
Not anymore.
We need to take the chopper
to the MacKenzie mountains.
Pull back, you're
coming in too hot!
All right! I'm
hopeless, I get it!
We're a little short on
pilots right now, George.
Best I can do.
Gotta run.
Hey, how'd it go?
I suck.
I'm sure it wasn't that bad.
It was epic bad.
Mel almost blew an artery.
Mel's tough on all pilots,
especially new ones.
You know that.
I know you want
me to be a nurse.
I thought I could
be like Krista,
flying around,
saving people's lives.
Not gonna happen.
Somebody wanna tell me
why five of my pilots
have gone to the
MacKenzie mountains?
Based on the coordinates,
they should be right
in front of us.
There!
Now what?
Land this thing.
Terrain's too rocky.
Gonna have to be a hover exit.
Copy.
Harness, climbing rope,
first aid kit?
Glad we were coming up
here just to take a look.
Watch your step.
To the right.
I'm Krista! Search and rescue!
Can you hear me?
I can't find a pulse.
I can't find a pulse!
Oh, my goodness.
He's dead.
Mauled by a bear.
From the size of the gashes,
I'm guessing it was a grizz.
Where's the second climber?
Look.
Blake, I need you to check
the side of the cliff
for the other climber.
Copy.
I'm trying to be supportive.
I really want to be
supportive, Mel.
I hate supporting this.
She's doing great.
Not that I'm going
to tell her that.
Even though she almost
killed you both?
What are you talking about?
The mic was on.
I was supposed to listen.
It was a sign.
Look, I get that you're afraid
after the crash we had...
Caitlin was in that crash, too.
How'd she get over
it so quickly?
She's 19.
She's still got a long runway.
Ours is getting a
little shorter.
Mel, that's not helping.
She's got great instincts,
just like Krista.
She's going to be fine,
and you're going to
be very proud of her.
Arctic Air.
Astrid, what's going
on out there?
We found one of the climbers.
He's dead.
We're still searching
for the second one.
There's something behind
that big rock down there.
Where?
In that debris field.
To the left.
Yes, there! There!
Krista, found him.
He's straight down
the cliff face,
behind a big boulder.
Pretty precarious spot,
nowhere to land.
We'll rappel.
Blake, we'll rappel down.
I'm gonna need you to prep
the body for transport.
Copy.
The look-see has turned
into a SAR operation.
We need help.
Sorry, Loreen.
We're up to our eyeballs
with this accident.
We've got a dead body.
Damn.
Yeah, they're looking for
the other climber now.
We're not going to be done here
for several hours, at least.
Tell Krista to bring
the body back.
Roger.
- And Loreen?
- Yeah?
Tell her thanks.
Copy.
Okay!
I'm Krista.
Arctic Air Search and Rescue.
What's your name?
It's Hank.
Hank, you're going to be okay.
Here you go. There we go...
There you go.
There you go...
Astrid, do you read me?
Krista says he's alive,
but he's in bad shape.
What happened?
Grizzly bear attack,
and he took a fall.
We're going to need herc straps.
Herc straps?
And a couple of one-ton jacks.
Just in case.
Just in case what?
What the hell is
going on up there?
The climber's leg is
trapped under a boulder,
and Krista says
we need a doctor.
She's doing a full-on
SAR operation.
- No insurance, no accreditation.
- You have a better idea?
Astrid,
tell my daughter we'll
get her what she needs
and I won't kill her
till afterwards.
Copy that.
What about Gary?
Huh? Is he okay?
He's fine, Hank.
I was just with him.
I kept yelling his name,
and he...
he didn't answer me, so I...
Right now we just
have to focus on you,
okay?
Okay, Hank, I've got
to clean these cuts.
I've got some rubbing
alcohol, it's gonna sting.
Are you ready?
God!
Talk to me, Hank.
Tell me what happened.
Uh...
It was...
it was a grizzly.
A grizzly got us, and...
we played dead, and it left.
So I pressed 911.
And then the, um...
the bear, he came back.
We tossed our ropes down,
and I went over, and...
and Gary didn't.
I could hear him screaming.
You're safe.
You're safe now, Hank.
We're going to get this
boulder off of you
and we're going to
get you out of here.
We need more pressure bandages.
Krista...
I talked to Mel and Loreen,
they're doing
everything they can.
Mel knows about this?
He says he's proud of you.
At least, that's the gist of it.
Loosely translated.
We should have brought
the herc straps.
This wasn't even supposed
to be a rescue mission.
It's not gonna happen.
We're going to have to wait
till the herc straps get here.
We can make our own.
What?
We've got everything we need.
Webbing loop, climbing
harness, quick draws.
It's too dangerous.
It'll work.
We make a sling
around the boulder.
Attach it to the long
line with carabiners.
If the sling breaks,
the boulder could fall
back on top of him.
We have to do something.
We'll try to lever it.
Okay.
I'm okay!
Astrid!
The news isn't good.
There was a crash just
off of highway 3.
I talked to Petra
at the hospital,
all the doctors are tied
up dealing with that.
Okay,
what about the herc
straps and jacks?
Mel found some in the hangar.
He's getting ready
to come to you,
but we're almost
three hours away.
Clearly, we need
to find a doctor
who's equipped to
move large objects.
I'm on it.
Hank?
Bobby's going to
lever that rock,
and I'm going to pull you free.
Ready.
Go.
It's not working.
All we need's an inch
or two, come on.
Wait...
Okay, just wait, wait.
We'll get someone
else down to help.
Please...
Don't let me die out here.
Hank, we are going to get
you off this Mountain,
you have my word.
You have my word.
We need to use the ropes.
Without the herc straps,
it's too risky.
Bobby, you and I both
know where this goes.
If we don't move that rock,
the only thing a doctor's gonna
be able to do is cut off his leg.
Coming down.
He's got it.
Who's helping Gary?
He's dead, isn't he?
Krista, I've got good news.
Go ahead.
Mel's on his way
from Yellowknife.
He's got herc straps and jacks
and he's got a paramedic.
It's Petra.
Petra?
Mel convinced her.
They're about two hours out.
Should we wait?
Negative.
Copy.
Ready!
Here we go.
For the record, this
is a really bad idea.
Just a little bit more.
Dammit.
What's that noise?
That is the engine
stress warning.
Blake...
I know.
Whoa!
Dev!
Abort! Abort!
Dev, are you okay?
For the rest of my life,
I'm going to be wearing
this safety harness.
I want to talk to Megan.
I want to talk to my wife.
You all right?
I didn't expect to go from
working a doubleshift to this.
Krista could use you long-term
for this hare-brained
scheme of hers.
You know, that's not exactly
the most persuasive
argument, Mel.
You two still have bad
blood over Bobby?
Look, I'm here trying
to save the guy's life.
That's enough for now.
Hi, Megan.
This is Loreen Cassway.
I'm calling from Arctic Air.
Our people are on the
mountain with Hank.
He's, um...
he's stable.
They have a sat phone
and he wants to talk to you.
Please call me at this number
when you get the message.
Thanks.
Arctic Air.
Hi, Arnie.
Listen, can I...
A surgeon?
Where?
Aurora Mountain Lodge.
How far away?
30 minutes straight
north of you guys.
On the south corner
of Trout Lake.
How did you find him?
Lot of rich people
vacation up there,
so I called the
lodges this morning.
My friend, Arnie,
works at Aurora.
He said there's a Dr.
Morrison up there fishing.
I can't pick him up from a boat.
Arnie says he comes back for
his afternoon scotch at 2:00,
so he should he docking his boat
just as you guys touch down.
Copy. On our way.
Let's hope Blake catches him
before he gets into the scotch.
Blake, you've gotta hurry.
He's getting worse.
We're at the lodge now.
We're just about to land.
Copy.
We only have one litter.
We need to leave the body here.
I'll send someone back from
the lodge with a quad.
Megan...
Megan..
I want to talk to her.
I want to talk to her...
We're trying to reach her, Hank.
Just stay calm.
Help is on its the way.
Doctor's still fishing.
They expect him back
within the hour.
Call me the second he arrives.
Copy.
And there's a public health
centre in Fort Providence,
but it's not much closer.
Closer to what?
Hi, Gordon.
I'm here to see Krista.
Yeah, she's not here right now.
Because she's on the
side of a mountain?
Doing Search and Rescue
without a licence?
Word travels.
I don't care how many insurance
companies she's contacted!
If she doesn't have
a policy in place,
she is not protected!
And you know who's going to pick
up the tab if she blows it?
The taxpayers!
We have liability coverage.
As an airline.
You're not covered to patch
up grizzly bear attacks!
Petra Hossa volunteered
as paramedic.
She's a nurse!
She used to be a paramedic!
She's still not covered!
You are so full of crap!
You're just like
every other adult
who tells us we have
to be responsible,
and then you don't take
responsibility for anything!
If it was you on the
side of that cliff,
you wouldn't give a damn
about the paperwork!
You'd tell us to tell people
like you to go to hell!
This is happening, Gordon.
All we can do is pray
and hope for the best, right?
No, no, no, stay with us.
Stay with us, Hank.
Hank?
Can you hear me?
Dr. Morrison, hi.
Blake Laviolette.
I'm a pilot with Arctic Air.
Nice to meet you, Blake.
Gonna do a little fishing?
We have a situation
on a mountain.
A climber is badly hurt.
I'm on vacation.
We need your help.
Look, I'm an American...
We have a helicopter waiting.
I can fill you in on the way...
I'm not going.
Excuse me?
I'm sorry.
I'd like to help, I would,
but if anything goes wrong,
I can be sued and
lose my licence.
No one's going to sue you.
I'm sorry...
My friends are on a cliff
trying to save a man's life!
Please.
If you don't come, he'll die.
I'm thirsty.
Here you go.
Krista, do you read?
How far away are you?
About eight minutes out.
You've got the doctor with you?
No.
What?
I argued with him
for 20 minutes.
I did everything I could.
He wouldn't come.
Lawsuits.
I'm sorry.
Mel here.
It's Bobby. What's
your position?
An hour back.
I need to talk to Petra.
Hi. You okay?
Yeah,
but the climber's
not doing so good.
Well, as soon as
we get him loose,
I can get him
stabilized long enough
to get him to a hospital.
About that...
We tried moving the boulder
with the long line.
It's just too heavy
for the helicopter
and I don't think the jacks
are gonna work either.
Well, what are you saying?
Just be ready when you get here.
Bobby, I'm not a surgeon.
You're the closest we've got.
Bobby?
Bobby...
Petra?
Petra, do you read me?
Bobby. Bobby!
I lost him.
He thinks you'll
have to amputate?
Well, I... it's not possible.
I'm totally unqualified
for something like that.
So...
turn around and fly
back to Yellowknife?
No.
Astrid, do you copy?
Five by five.
Bobby's sat phone died,
and I need to talk to Krista.
Can you get her on your radio
and put the mics together?
Roger.
Stand-by one.
Krista?
Petra?
How's he doing?
He's shivering and he's
having a hard time breathing.
I think he's going into shock.
Is he conscious?
Yeah.
Can you find a pulse
on his wrist?
No.
Check his carotid.
Got it.
It's 100.
Any obvious areas of bleeding?
He was attacked by a grizzly,
he's got gashes all
over his body.
Okay, just keep
applying pressure
to the ones that are
bleeding the most.
Um, what part of his leg is
pinned under the boulder?
Up to the knee.
Krista?
Yeah?
On the off chance that we
can't move the boulder,
I may need to do some
surgery on Hank's leg.
Understood.
I'm going to need you to get a
few things ready for me, okay?
Yeah, go ahead.
I'm going to need something
to tie a tourniquet.
Uh, we've got some
climbing rope.
That'll do.
A knife?
A sharp one.
Yeah, we've got something.
And a...
a saw.
Yeah, we've got a...
What the hell is that for?
No, no, no...
No, no, no, you
can't take my leg.
It's okay.
No, no, no.
Nobody is gonna touch my leg!
All right?
Shh, shh, shh...
No, no, no, somebody!
No, no, no, nobody is
gonna touch my leg!
Krista, we're still
40 minutes outut.
How's he doing?
His pulse is 140.
Are you sure?
Yes.
What does that mean?
He's tachycardic.
His heart's giving out.
Okay, wh... what do I do?
Chest compressions? CPR?
Tell me what to do.
Okay, Krista,
we're not going to
make it in time.
You guys are going
to have to do this.
You're going to have
to amputate his leg.
I'll do it.
No. No, Bobby,
we need your strength
to hold him down.
Without morphine or anesthetic,
he's going to be thrashing
all over the place.
Krista, you're gonna
have to do this.
Krista, are you still there?
Yeah.
Listen,
I've assisted on the surgery
a couple times in the O.R.
I can talk you through this
step by step, okay?
I can't... I can't.
Krista, if you don't do this,
Hank is going to die on the
side of that Mountain.
I can't... cut off his leg.
I can't cut off his leg!
Krista?
I'm right here with you.
Krista, it's Astrid.
Go ahead, Astrid.
There's a call coming
through on the sat phone.
I think it's Hank's wife.
Copy that.
Put her through.
Here you go. Here you go.
Hank?
Megan, is that you?
I'm really sorry, my
phone was in the car,
I was on the bike.
It's so good to hear your voice.
They told me that
you're hurt, babe.
What happened?
How bad is it?
Nah, it's just a
couple scratches.
Stop it.
Tell me the truth.
I'm, uh...
it's my leg.
They want to cut it off.
What?
What happened?
Was it like Frostbite Ridge,
or some kind of
crevasse, or what?
No, no, it's. Um...
it's pinned.
It's crushed.
Babe...
You listen to me now.
Are you listening?
Yeah.
I don't need both of your legs.
But I need you.
So you get off that mountain,
and you come home.
You hear me?
I need you.
I love you.
I love you, too.
I gotta go.
I love you.
Do it.
Cut it off.
Krista's going to do it?
They don't have any choice.
Bobby's cutting up his shoelaces
so they can tie
off his arteries.
Copy.
I was wrong.
Be a pilot.
Are you ready?
Krista?
I... I can't do this.
Okay.
Well, let's just do
what we can do, okay?
I need you to cut
away his pant leg.
Can you do that?
Yeah.
Yeah, I can... I can do that.
Okay, that's... that's done.
Okay, good, that's good.
Have you got the climbing rope?
Yeah.
I need you to tie a
tourniquet above the knee.
Do you have room for that?
Yeah.
Cinch it tight.
As tight as you can.
Okay, that's done.
You're doing great, Krista.
Now, have you got the knife?
Krista?
I have it.
Okay.
Take the knife
and cut a fish mouth
incision into the leg.
Do you know what that is?
It's a deep "V" cut in
the front of the leg,
and one on the back.
Looks just like a fish mouth.
Krista?
Krista?
Honey?
I hate the girly
pillows in my office.
I hate the new brochures,
and the flat-panel screens
in the waiting room.
I hate that you're grown
into such a stubborn,
headstrong woman...
because it means
you're going to go
out into the world,
and you're going to end
up in moments like this,
and I won't be able
to protect you.
But most of all...
I hate that you don't
need me to protect you.
Because the truth
is you can do this.
I just want you to
know that I know it.
Okay, Hank.
This is going to hurt like hell,
but we're going to get
you off this Mountain.
Are you ready?
Take a deep breath.
You're doing great, Krista.
Can you see the bone?
Yeah, I can see it.
Good. Okay.
You're gonna need to cut through
that bone with the saw.
And you've got to do it fast.
Just spoke with Petra
at the hospital.
Hank's going to be okay.
That's good.
I want to set up a Search and
Rescue here at Arctic Air.
It's a way to
bankrupt the company.
For the record,
I admire what you're
trying to do.
We need dedicated Search
and Rescue in the north.
I appreciate that.
And, here comes whistler's
badass bouldering champ,
Hank "The Gripper" Nordstrom!
Hey, Grip, give a shout
out to the peeps!
Hurly burly, bro!
Yeah!
That was uber sick, man.
- Whoo!
- That was awesome.
Hey, Gary, let me
say hi to Megan.
Aw, dude, you are so married.
Baby, check this out.
Top of the world.
Whoo! Yeah!
Come on, bro, let's do this.
Let's go, hey, hey, give
me the rope, I'll lead.
Take it.
Yeah...
What the hell are we gonna do?
Okay, rappel.
Let's anchor off.
It's heading this way!
Run!
Gary!
Go, go, go, go!
Have you got the bridle?
Got it!
Bring it up, nice and easy.
That's it.
5% off TOT redline.
6% off critical wind.
He's losing it,
he's losing it in the downwash!
You're in the TFZ.
Keep it moving.
Careful, Dev!
Oh!
What the hell, Dev?
Let go of the cable controller.
No, Dev!
Good thing he wasn't breathing
before we put him
in the stretcher.
Carabiner snapped.
It's still gonna bone us.
I did a precheck on every
piece of the equipment.
It happens.
It's rare, but it does.
I'm changing
equipment suppliers.
And what about Dev?
Is he ready?
He's close.
"Close"?
This isn't horseshoes.
He screwed up on
the cable control,
and got the litter caught
in the turbulent flow zone.
He just needs more time
working the controls.
Yeah, I'll make sure.
Krista...
Breathe.
The rest of your
crew is doing great
and the hoist operator
training takes time.
You're almost there.
John...
Don't know if you've
met Gordon Epp,
Aviation Transport Authority...
John Crowe.
John is a SAR trainer,
up from Ottawa.
He's one of the best
in the country.
And my pilot's waiting for me.
I'll see you soon.
You're doing great.
Thanks.
And nice to meet you, Gordon.
I saw what happened
in the field.
Carabiner broke.
John says it's very rare.
You guys aren't ready
for Search and Rescue.
Hey, that's not fair!
You watch one training
exercise out of hundreds...
Are you saying that's the first
time anything has gone wrong?
It's called training, Gordon.
We've made huge progress.
Every week, we're
getting better,
and next month we're
gonna get certified.
Doesn't mean you're going to
have an operating licence.
Okay, what's that
supposed to mean?
Krista, if I approve
this licence,
I'm putting myself on the line.
Putting my job on the line.
Okay, you're a
bureaucrat, I get it,
but the North needs people
who are qualified to
do Search and Rescue.
That's exactly my point.
Do you hear this guy?
Good to see you, Gordon.
Bobby. Look,
you guys don't have
liability insurance.
You don't have the proper
procedural manuals.
What about licensed paramedics?
We're working on that right now,
and we're on top of it.
Most of all,
based on what I've
seen here today,
you guys are just not capable
of carrying this off.
Okay, well, Gord,
based on what I've seen,
you're still the
same little candyass
you were when we were 12!
Krista...
Playing hockey together,
you never once went
into the corner.
You know, maybe...
Never once took a
hit for the team.
Okay, maybe you should
leave Search and Rescue
to the SAR techs at Trenton...
people who know
what they're doing.
Yellowknife radio,
this is
Charlie-echo-hotel-uniform-tango.
Ready to depart runway one-six.
Over.
Do you have your seatbelt on?
Loreen?
You radio'ed dispatch,
not the tower.
Good luck, honey!
Thanks.
Yellowknife radio,
this is Charlie-echo-hotel-uniform...
tango,
ready to depart runway one-six.
Over.
Uniform-tango,
Yellowknife radio.
Wind is one-eight-zero at ten.
Active runway one-six.
Altimeter two-ninerniner-four.
No reported conflicting traffic.
Depart at your discretion.
Roger check.
Well?
Why are you asking me?
You're the pilot.
Climb out at 75 miles an hour.
Do you have to say that
every single time?
No, only when you're
at 65 miles an hour.
Oh.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
You keep yanking on that
yoke, you're gonna stall.
Sorry.
Give 'er a little
forward pressure.
Not the throttle, the yoke.
Forward pressure.
You're pulling back.
Too much!
It's a waltz, not a tango.
What's a tango?
It's bureaucratic crap.
And it comes with the territory.
You know, we should
just do this.
I'm serious.
Just start doing
Search and Rescue,
with or without a rubber stamp
from transport authority.
Or maybe we should just
get liability insurance.
I have talked to
five underwriters.
They all say the same thing,
too risky.
What about a paramedic?
Too busy to commit.
Should I even ask about
the procedural manuals?
We can't do them until we
have insurance coverage
and a paramedic.
You ever think that
maybe it is too much?
Starting a SAR operation
from scratch, it's huge.
Give up, is that
what you're saying?
I'm saying
Epp is asking for a lot.
When I start something, I
follow through with it.
If we get our butts sued off,
that's the end of Arctic Air.
What are you trying to prove?
Krista?
Lindsay Gallagher.
Lindsay, hey, what's up?
We've got a bit of a
situation on our hands.
I was hoping you
could help us out.
Personal locator
beacon has gone off
in the MacKenzie mountains.
Belongs to two climbers
from Vancouver,
Hank Nordstrom and Gary Lang.
- Are they hurt?
- No details yet.
I was wondering if you had
anyone flying over the area.
Not that I know of, but
I'll double check.
We'd send up one of our guys,
but we have a multi-car
accident out here.
What about Trenton?
Busy with a call in Quebec.
Can't deploy anyone for
at least 12 hours.
Listen, can your
SAR crew fly up?
We don't have a SAR
crew, Lindsay,
not until we jump through
a hundred more hoops.
Okay, I'll keep calling around.
Good luck.
One step at a time.
Now bank right 45 degrees.
Now...
Easy!
You want to kill us both?
Okay, okay!
Oh, God...
Someone leave the mic
open on the Cessna?
Or did you rig up some kind
of eavesdropping device?
Mel's right beside her.
I think they know
what they're doing.
Yeah, so do I,
that's my problem.
My girl is flying
a damned plane.
Loreen, unknot the knickers.
Am I ever going to
get used to this?
Kid wants to be a pilot.
I don't think you
have much choice.
Hey,
it's not on the board,
but is anyone flying anywhere
near the MacKenzie mountains?
Not today. Why?
That's a stall horn, right?
I'm in a stall?
You tell me.
What do I do?
You fix it.
- Should I level out?
- You could add power.
Power, power, power!
Get your nose down!
- Nose down!
- I'm trying!
Back off. I have control.
You almost put us in a spin.
Sorry.
Don't be sorry.
Just get it right.
If that happens when
you're on your own...
I know.
Had enough?
No. I have control.
Okay, now,
bank left 45 degrees,
and try not to kill us.
Better.
Marginally.
Hey. Any update
on your climbers?
Not until we get
some eyes up there.
You can't free anything up?
Got a plane heading
up there tomorrow,
but I mean, it's not
necessarily serious, right?
Could just be someone
lost on the mountain.
Yeah, except they activated
the 9-1-1 button.
You didn't tell me that.
We've been trying to reach
the emergency contact
to determine how long the
climbers have been up there.
So far, no luck.
You can't just divert
a plane, have a look?
Let me get back to you.
What exactly does that mean?
It means have a look.
You're going to fly three
hours to have a look?
Yeah.
And what if they're hurt?
You're gonna just
fly by and wave?
We make a decision
when the time comes.
Krista...
Are you with me, or not?
Of course, I'm with you.
That doesn't mean I
have to like it.
Blake!
What are you scheduled for?
Flying Lady Lou to Deline.
Not anymore.
We need to take the chopper
to the MacKenzie mountains.
Pull back, you're
coming in too hot!
All right! I'm
hopeless, I get it!
We're a little short on
pilots right now, George.
Best I can do.
Gotta run.
Hey, how'd it go?
I suck.
I'm sure it wasn't that bad.
It was epic bad.
Mel almost blew an artery.
Mel's tough on all pilots,
especially new ones.
You know that.
I know you want
me to be a nurse.
I thought I could
be like Krista,
flying around,
saving people's lives.
Not gonna happen.
Somebody wanna tell me
why five of my pilots
have gone to the
MacKenzie mountains?
Based on the coordinates,
they should be right
in front of us.
There!
Now what?
Land this thing.
Terrain's too rocky.
Gonna have to be a hover exit.
Copy.
Harness, climbing rope,
first aid kit?
Glad we were coming up
here just to take a look.
Watch your step.
To the right.
I'm Krista! Search and rescue!
Can you hear me?
I can't find a pulse.
I can't find a pulse!
Oh, my goodness.
He's dead.
Mauled by a bear.
From the size of the gashes,
I'm guessing it was a grizz.
Where's the second climber?
Look.
Blake, I need you to check
the side of the cliff
for the other climber.
Copy.
I'm trying to be supportive.
I really want to be
supportive, Mel.
I hate supporting this.
She's doing great.
Not that I'm going
to tell her that.
Even though she almost
killed you both?
What are you talking about?
The mic was on.
I was supposed to listen.
It was a sign.
Look, I get that you're afraid
after the crash we had...
Caitlin was in that crash, too.
How'd she get over
it so quickly?
She's 19.
She's still got a long runway.
Ours is getting a
little shorter.
Mel, that's not helping.
She's got great instincts,
just like Krista.
She's going to be fine,
and you're going to
be very proud of her.
Arctic Air.
Astrid, what's going
on out there?
We found one of the climbers.
He's dead.
We're still searching
for the second one.
There's something behind
that big rock down there.
Where?
In that debris field.
To the left.
Yes, there! There!
Krista, found him.
He's straight down
the cliff face,
behind a big boulder.
Pretty precarious spot,
nowhere to land.
We'll rappel.
Blake, we'll rappel down.
I'm gonna need you to prep
the body for transport.
Copy.
The look-see has turned
into a SAR operation.
We need help.
Sorry, Loreen.
We're up to our eyeballs
with this accident.
We've got a dead body.
Damn.
Yeah, they're looking for
the other climber now.
We're not going to be done here
for several hours, at least.
Tell Krista to bring
the body back.
Roger.
- And Loreen?
- Yeah?
Tell her thanks.
Copy.
Okay!
I'm Krista.
Arctic Air Search and Rescue.
What's your name?
It's Hank.
Hank, you're going to be okay.
Here you go. There we go...
There you go.
There you go...
Astrid, do you read me?
Krista says he's alive,
but he's in bad shape.
What happened?
Grizzly bear attack,
and he took a fall.
We're going to need herc straps.
Herc straps?
And a couple of one-ton jacks.
Just in case.
Just in case what?
What the hell is
going on up there?
The climber's leg is
trapped under a boulder,
and Krista says
we need a doctor.
She's doing a full-on
SAR operation.
- No insurance, no accreditation.
- You have a better idea?
Astrid,
tell my daughter we'll
get her what she needs
and I won't kill her
till afterwards.
Copy that.
What about Gary?
Huh? Is he okay?
He's fine, Hank.
I was just with him.
I kept yelling his name,
and he...
he didn't answer me, so I...
Right now we just
have to focus on you,
okay?
Okay, Hank, I've got
to clean these cuts.
I've got some rubbing
alcohol, it's gonna sting.
Are you ready?
God!
Talk to me, Hank.
Tell me what happened.
Uh...
It was...
it was a grizzly.
A grizzly got us, and...
we played dead, and it left.
So I pressed 911.
And then the, um...
the bear, he came back.
We tossed our ropes down,
and I went over, and...
and Gary didn't.
I could hear him screaming.
You're safe.
You're safe now, Hank.
We're going to get this
boulder off of you
and we're going to
get you out of here.
We need more pressure bandages.
Krista...
I talked to Mel and Loreen,
they're doing
everything they can.
Mel knows about this?
He says he's proud of you.
At least, that's the gist of it.
Loosely translated.
We should have brought
the herc straps.
This wasn't even supposed
to be a rescue mission.
It's not gonna happen.
We're going to have to wait
till the herc straps get here.
We can make our own.
What?
We've got everything we need.
Webbing loop, climbing
harness, quick draws.
It's too dangerous.
It'll work.
We make a sling
around the boulder.
Attach it to the long
line with carabiners.
If the sling breaks,
the boulder could fall
back on top of him.
We have to do something.
We'll try to lever it.
Okay.
I'm okay!
Astrid!
The news isn't good.
There was a crash just
off of highway 3.
I talked to Petra
at the hospital,
all the doctors are tied
up dealing with that.
Okay,
what about the herc
straps and jacks?
Mel found some in the hangar.
He's getting ready
to come to you,
but we're almost
three hours away.
Clearly, we need
to find a doctor
who's equipped to
move large objects.
I'm on it.
Hank?
Bobby's going to
lever that rock,
and I'm going to pull you free.
Ready.
Go.
It's not working.
All we need's an inch
or two, come on.
Wait...
Okay, just wait, wait.
We'll get someone
else down to help.
Please...
Don't let me die out here.
Hank, we are going to get
you off this Mountain,
you have my word.
You have my word.
We need to use the ropes.
Without the herc straps,
it's too risky.
Bobby, you and I both
know where this goes.
If we don't move that rock,
the only thing a doctor's gonna
be able to do is cut off his leg.
Coming down.
He's got it.
Who's helping Gary?
He's dead, isn't he?
Krista, I've got good news.
Go ahead.
Mel's on his way
from Yellowknife.
He's got herc straps and jacks
and he's got a paramedic.
It's Petra.
Petra?
Mel convinced her.
They're about two hours out.
Should we wait?
Negative.
Copy.
Ready!
Here we go.
For the record, this
is a really bad idea.
Just a little bit more.
Dammit.
What's that noise?
That is the engine
stress warning.
Blake...
I know.
Whoa!
Dev!
Abort! Abort!
Dev, are you okay?
For the rest of my life,
I'm going to be wearing
this safety harness.
I want to talk to Megan.
I want to talk to my wife.
You all right?
I didn't expect to go from
working a doubleshift to this.
Krista could use you long-term
for this hare-brained
scheme of hers.
You know, that's not exactly
the most persuasive
argument, Mel.
You two still have bad
blood over Bobby?
Look, I'm here trying
to save the guy's life.
That's enough for now.
Hi, Megan.
This is Loreen Cassway.
I'm calling from Arctic Air.
Our people are on the
mountain with Hank.
He's, um...
he's stable.
They have a sat phone
and he wants to talk to you.
Please call me at this number
when you get the message.
Thanks.
Arctic Air.
Hi, Arnie.
Listen, can I...
A surgeon?
Where?
Aurora Mountain Lodge.
How far away?
30 minutes straight
north of you guys.
On the south corner
of Trout Lake.
How did you find him?
Lot of rich people
vacation up there,
so I called the
lodges this morning.
My friend, Arnie,
works at Aurora.
He said there's a Dr.
Morrison up there fishing.
I can't pick him up from a boat.
Arnie says he comes back for
his afternoon scotch at 2:00,
so he should he docking his boat
just as you guys touch down.
Copy. On our way.
Let's hope Blake catches him
before he gets into the scotch.
Blake, you've gotta hurry.
He's getting worse.
We're at the lodge now.
We're just about to land.
Copy.
We only have one litter.
We need to leave the body here.
I'll send someone back from
the lodge with a quad.
Megan...
Megan..
I want to talk to her.
I want to talk to her...
We're trying to reach her, Hank.
Just stay calm.
Help is on its the way.
Doctor's still fishing.
They expect him back
within the hour.
Call me the second he arrives.
Copy.
And there's a public health
centre in Fort Providence,
but it's not much closer.
Closer to what?
Hi, Gordon.
I'm here to see Krista.
Yeah, she's not here right now.
Because she's on the
side of a mountain?
Doing Search and Rescue
without a licence?
Word travels.
I don't care how many insurance
companies she's contacted!
If she doesn't have
a policy in place,
she is not protected!
And you know who's going to pick
up the tab if she blows it?
The taxpayers!
We have liability coverage.
As an airline.
You're not covered to patch
up grizzly bear attacks!
Petra Hossa volunteered
as paramedic.
She's a nurse!
She used to be a paramedic!
She's still not covered!
You are so full of crap!
You're just like
every other adult
who tells us we have
to be responsible,
and then you don't take
responsibility for anything!
If it was you on the
side of that cliff,
you wouldn't give a damn
about the paperwork!
You'd tell us to tell people
like you to go to hell!
This is happening, Gordon.
All we can do is pray
and hope for the best, right?
No, no, no, stay with us.
Stay with us, Hank.
Hank?
Can you hear me?
Dr. Morrison, hi.
Blake Laviolette.
I'm a pilot with Arctic Air.
Nice to meet you, Blake.
Gonna do a little fishing?
We have a situation
on a mountain.
A climber is badly hurt.
I'm on vacation.
We need your help.
Look, I'm an American...
We have a helicopter waiting.
I can fill you in on the way...
I'm not going.
Excuse me?
I'm sorry.
I'd like to help, I would,
but if anything goes wrong,
I can be sued and
lose my licence.
No one's going to sue you.
I'm sorry...
My friends are on a cliff
trying to save a man's life!
Please.
If you don't come, he'll die.
I'm thirsty.
Here you go.
Krista, do you read?
How far away are you?
About eight minutes out.
You've got the doctor with you?
No.
What?
I argued with him
for 20 minutes.
I did everything I could.
He wouldn't come.
Lawsuits.
I'm sorry.
Mel here.
It's Bobby. What's
your position?
An hour back.
I need to talk to Petra.
Hi. You okay?
Yeah,
but the climber's
not doing so good.
Well, as soon as
we get him loose,
I can get him
stabilized long enough
to get him to a hospital.
About that...
We tried moving the boulder
with the long line.
It's just too heavy
for the helicopter
and I don't think the jacks
are gonna work either.
Well, what are you saying?
Just be ready when you get here.
Bobby, I'm not a surgeon.
You're the closest we've got.
Bobby?
Bobby...
Petra?
Petra, do you read me?
Bobby. Bobby!
I lost him.
He thinks you'll
have to amputate?
Well, I... it's not possible.
I'm totally unqualified
for something like that.
So...
turn around and fly
back to Yellowknife?
No.
Astrid, do you copy?
Five by five.
Bobby's sat phone died,
and I need to talk to Krista.
Can you get her on your radio
and put the mics together?
Roger.
Stand-by one.
Krista?
Petra?
How's he doing?
He's shivering and he's
having a hard time breathing.
I think he's going into shock.
Is he conscious?
Yeah.
Can you find a pulse
on his wrist?
No.
Check his carotid.
Got it.
It's 100.
Any obvious areas of bleeding?
He was attacked by a grizzly,
he's got gashes all
over his body.
Okay, just keep
applying pressure
to the ones that are
bleeding the most.
Um, what part of his leg is
pinned under the boulder?
Up to the knee.
Krista?
Yeah?
On the off chance that we
can't move the boulder,
I may need to do some
surgery on Hank's leg.
Understood.
I'm going to need you to get a
few things ready for me, okay?
Yeah, go ahead.
I'm going to need something
to tie a tourniquet.
Uh, we've got some
climbing rope.
That'll do.
A knife?
A sharp one.
Yeah, we've got something.
And a...
a saw.
Yeah, we've got a...
What the hell is that for?
No, no, no...
No, no, no, you
can't take my leg.
It's okay.
No, no, no.
Nobody is gonna touch my leg!
All right?
Shh, shh, shh...
No, no, no, somebody!
No, no, no, nobody is
gonna touch my leg!
Krista, we're still
40 minutes outut.
How's he doing?
His pulse is 140.
Are you sure?
Yes.
What does that mean?
He's tachycardic.
His heart's giving out.
Okay, wh... what do I do?
Chest compressions? CPR?
Tell me what to do.
Okay, Krista,
we're not going to
make it in time.
You guys are going
to have to do this.
You're going to have
to amputate his leg.
I'll do it.
No. No, Bobby,
we need your strength
to hold him down.
Without morphine or anesthetic,
he's going to be thrashing
all over the place.
Krista, you're gonna
have to do this.
Krista, are you still there?
Yeah.
Listen,
I've assisted on the surgery
a couple times in the O.R.
I can talk you through this
step by step, okay?
I can't... I can't.
Krista, if you don't do this,
Hank is going to die on the
side of that Mountain.
I can't... cut off his leg.
I can't cut off his leg!
Krista?
I'm right here with you.
Krista, it's Astrid.
Go ahead, Astrid.
There's a call coming
through on the sat phone.
I think it's Hank's wife.
Copy that.
Put her through.
Here you go. Here you go.
Hank?
Megan, is that you?
I'm really sorry, my
phone was in the car,
I was on the bike.
It's so good to hear your voice.
They told me that
you're hurt, babe.
What happened?
How bad is it?
Nah, it's just a
couple scratches.
Stop it.
Tell me the truth.
I'm, uh...
it's my leg.
They want to cut it off.
What?
What happened?
Was it like Frostbite Ridge,
or some kind of
crevasse, or what?
No, no, it's. Um...
it's pinned.
It's crushed.
Babe...
You listen to me now.
Are you listening?
Yeah.
I don't need both of your legs.
But I need you.
So you get off that mountain,
and you come home.
You hear me?
I need you.
I love you.
I love you, too.
I gotta go.
I love you.
Do it.
Cut it off.
Krista's going to do it?
They don't have any choice.
Bobby's cutting up his shoelaces
so they can tie
off his arteries.
Copy.
I was wrong.
Be a pilot.
Are you ready?
Krista?
I... I can't do this.
Okay.
Well, let's just do
what we can do, okay?
I need you to cut
away his pant leg.
Can you do that?
Yeah.
Yeah, I can... I can do that.
Okay, that's... that's done.
Okay, good, that's good.
Have you got the climbing rope?
Yeah.
I need you to tie a
tourniquet above the knee.
Do you have room for that?
Yeah.
Cinch it tight.
As tight as you can.
Okay, that's done.
You're doing great, Krista.
Now, have you got the knife?
Krista?
I have it.
Okay.
Take the knife
and cut a fish mouth
incision into the leg.
Do you know what that is?
It's a deep "V" cut in
the front of the leg,
and one on the back.
Looks just like a fish mouth.
Krista?
Krista?
Honey?
I hate the girly
pillows in my office.
I hate the new brochures,
and the flat-panel screens
in the waiting room.
I hate that you're grown
into such a stubborn,
headstrong woman...
because it means
you're going to go
out into the world,
and you're going to end
up in moments like this,
and I won't be able
to protect you.
But most of all...
I hate that you don't
need me to protect you.
Because the truth
is you can do this.
I just want you to
know that I know it.
Okay, Hank.
This is going to hurt like hell,
but we're going to get
you off this Mountain.
Are you ready?
Take a deep breath.
You're doing great, Krista.
Can you see the bone?
Yeah, I can see it.
Good. Okay.
You're gonna need to cut through
that bone with the saw.
And you've got to do it fast.
Just spoke with Petra
at the hospital.
Hank's going to be okay.
That's good.