Ice Road Rescue (2015–…): Season 7, Episode 8 - Police Hold-Up - full transcript
Thord and Bjoern face a roadside stand-off with the police when they're forced to stop a rescue in its tracks.
THORD: When I go for this one,
I don't have a good feeling.
But now when we
stand there working,
they're coming, the police.
-Are you on an emergency call?
-No, but we have to pass you now.
THORD: I almost want to take
the police car and throw it to the sea.
NARRATOR: These
Norwegian roads are some
of Europe's most dangerous.
Whether it's in the
northern wilderness,
or the southern fjords,
drivers face down
hostile conditions.
THORD: Stop, stop!
People are crazy.
NARRATOR: It's enough to send
even the best of them over the edge.
THORD: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
NARRATOR: Throughout Norway,
an elite force of rescuers
keeps the country on the move,
during one of the most
unpredictable winters
in decades.
ANDRZEJ: Today is a
windy day up on the mountain.
NARRATOR: Freak weather brings
extra danger to the roads.
THORD: Whoa!
NARRATOR: And to the rescuers.
BJOERN: The wind, you can
see the truck is going over.
NARRATOR: Forcing them to unite
THORD: Now the
best team is together.
NARRATOR: More than ever before
THORD: Hey!
The life is good
in the mountain.
JO ROGER: Ah, it's worse.
THORD: But now you
think you are alive.
THIRD (off-screen): This year, everything
is bigger and tougher,
but I'm ready, bring it on.
NARRATOR: The Norwegian
winter is hard and long.
From the first
mountain snowfall in October,
to the April thaw, the country
endures blizzards, avalanches,
storm force winds
and temperatures as low as
minus 30 degrees.
To survive and
thrive in these conditions,
you need to be tough,
like ice road rescuer,
Thord Paulsen.
THORD: Oh, hallelujah.
Oh, today get a
little bit chaos.
I think I have
maybe two, 300 telephones.
Today, we're gonna
save the, the world.
NARRATOR: In the
south of Norway,
Thord heads up a 24/7 operation
with a territory covering
4,300 square kilometers.
(phone ringing)
THORD: Yeah, my
telephone is total crazy,
it's calling all the time.
NARRATOR: It's Thord's job
to keep the ice roads open,
whatever the weather.
THORD: Hello. Hello.
Hey, hey.
It's crazy, crazy.
It's total crazy.
Stop! No, stop!
NARRATOR: And on
the toughest rescues,
Thord relies on his
trusted team to deliver,
none more than
veteran rescuer, Tor Steinar.
THORD: Oh, it's good to
find out this weather today,
we are a good team.
NARRATOR: Torn Steinar
is Thord's brother-in-law.
They've worked
together for 17 years.
TOR STEINAR: This evening,
Thord's phone
ringing all the time.
It's a lot of jobs, everywhere.
TOR STEINAR: Now it's****chaos. ****!
THORD: Weather
like this is good.
(phone ringing)
THORD: Hello.
Now I get one phone,
there is a bus who
is out of the road.
They call me and ask if
we can come and help them.
NARRATOR: It's Friday night.
A bus full of passengers keen
to get home for the weekend has
crashed into a deep ditch.
It now blocks one lane
of European Route 134,
the main road between
Norway's capital, Oslo,
and the busy port of Haugesund.
Thord and Tor Steinar head
straight out to the crash site,
a 64 kilometer drive.
It's over one hour
before they arrive.
TOR STEINAR: We see
that one side of the bus is
standing in the ditch.
Right here, it's a
little curve and the road
is getting very narrow.
NARRATOR: For 13 kilometers,
the road is so narrow,
there's no center line.
It's an accident
black spot, that every day,
over 400 trucks and
buses pass through.
And if they meet on a bend,
it can be disastrous.
To find out what
happened this time,
Thord talks to the driver.
THORD: Hello.
MAN: It's over the edge there
including the driving wheel.
THORD: He meet another car
and he coming little bit too
long out and then he
only slides of the road,
which it's really slippery.
NARRATOR: The driver did well,
by steering the bus to the side
he avoided a head on collision.
TOR STEINAR: This is not a good spot
to meet a big truck or a car.
THORD: You have no chance to see
where the end of the road is.
MAN: That's the, that's
the whole, whole problem.
THORD: Yeah, the whole problem.
We almost did the same self,
we meet one green bus now and
we go out and jump down.
NARRATOR:
The passengers are safe,
transferred to another vehicle,
but the bus blocking the road
could cause another collision.
So Thord and Tor Steinar get
straight to work on the rescue.
THORD: How does it look?
TOR STEINAR:
I'll have a look at the other side.
THORD: The bus is out of
the road and it's really soft on
the ground and in
the front of the bus,
it's really muddy
and it's deep down.
NARRATOR: A thaw set
in during the day and
the ditch runs with water.
The closer the rescuers look,
the harder the rescue becomes.
THORD: It's really close to the ground.
TOR STEINAR: The bus
is resting on its frame.
NARRATOR: The ditch is so deep that
the bus is grounded out on the road edge.
THORD:
Are you able to get the chassis higher up?
MAN: No, I'm sorry. I've tried.
NARRATOR: The bus
has air suspension,
but it can't be
raised any higher.
THORD: We are not
towing the bus backwards,
because then we destroy
the chassis under the bus.
NARRATOR: First job is to
raise the bus up on its wheels.
THORD: I tell Tor Steinar that he can
build planks under the front wheel.
TOR STEINAR: Put any wood there,
because when we
pull the bus backwards, uh,
the bus will go up on the
wood and then it would lift up.
THORD: This is, uh,
work where I like,
I like when you have to
use your head a little bit, so.
NARRATOR: Planks in position,
Thord begins to rig.
THORD (off-screen): Then the plan is to
have this bus backwards.
Uh, but we have to
have it sideways too.
So now we're gonna connect
one wire in the back of the bus.
NARRATOR: The driver's still
on scene and will play a part
in the rescue, helping
steer the bus out of the ditch.
THORD: We need the
front up, so I think we,
I hope this we'll find.
NARRATOR: To give more grip,
Thord places snow chains on
the ground, to make a
track for the bus wheels.
THORD: We'll just lay it out like this.
TOR STEINAR:
Yes, and I'll just try to turn the wheels.
THORD:
Yeah, you try and steer onto the chains.
NARRATOR: They're
ready to start the tow.
Tor Steinar makes final checks.
But then
discovers another problem.
THORD: Are those rocks in front there?
-TOR STEINAR: Yes.
-Right there?
NARRATOR: Hidden
beneath the snow,
the rocks stand right in line of
the tow out and threaten to rip
through the bus bodywork.
THORD: It's very
close to the, the rocks.
I have to be carefully.
We're not gonna destroy
the bus, we're gonna fix it.
NARRATOR: 1,000
kilometers north in Overhalla,
Jo Roger's family has been
rescuing and repairing trucks
and cars for four generations.
JO ROGER:
We can fix it by putting a bolt in here.
CHRISTOFFER:
Yes.
NARRATOR: Today, Jo Roger's
maintaining one of his own
tow trucks, helped
by 31-year-old, Christoffer,
a former mechanic, now
in his first full season
as a road rescuer.
CHRISTOFFER: We are
looking over the truck and, uh,
getting some
equipment on place again.
NARRATOR:
But Jo Roger's territory covers
1700 kilometers of road.
If an emergency call comes in,
they'll have to down tools,
gear up and head out.
(phone ringing)
JO ROGER: Hello.
NARRATOR: It's now 10:00 pm.
70 kilometers north, a truck
loaded with salmon is stranded.
JO ROGER: We will, uh,
come as soon as we can.
NARRATOR: The truck was
delivering ten tons of salmon t
the city of Trondheim,
270 kilometers away.
Heading downhill, the
trailer began to snake,
veered to the side,
then took out a road sign,
before the truck
crashed to a stop.
Jo Roger decides
it's a two man rescue.
He takes his most
powerful tow truck,
packing two 20 ton winches.
Christoffer's in the lighter,
but more
versatile rotator truck,
with a crane winch
that turns 360 degrees.
Over the one hour drive north,
conditions worsen.
JO ROGER (off-screen):
Now, it's starting to rain,
so it will be
even more slippery.
NARRATOR: The rain freezes,
forming fresh ice on the road.
CHRISTOFFER:
It's changing very rapidly,
so it's one of those nights.
JO ROGER (off-screen): When they are
coming, there is a lot of trucks with
flashing lights and they
are putting on the snow chains,
because they know how
slippery the road is.
NARRATOR: In these conditions,
snow chains are essential,
helping a truck's wheels
to dig in and gain grip.
But as Jo Roger discovers, it's
too late for the salmon truck.
JO ROGER (off-screen): When they arrived,
we see that the truck is blocking
the half of the road and the trailer is
standing inside the ditch.
CHRISTOFFER: The truck has
slid down the steep hill area,
it's very slippery today.
NARRATOR: It's a tough job, but
the driver wants a quick result
The fresh fish is
worth 50,000 Euro.
It's packed on ice, but if it
doesn't get to Trondheim soon,
a four hour drive away,
it could be ruined.
JO ROGER: We have to be quick,
so they reach the deadline.
We are starting with mounting
on the tow bar for the truck.
NARRATOR: The towing bar
connects to the chassis,
allowing a full power tow
from Jo Roger's big tow truck.
A second wire from the rotator
will pull the trailer sideways.
JO ROGER: The rotator is placed
by the side of the trailer.
NARRATOR: But the rotator will
block the road and Jo Roger only
has permission to
close it for one hour.
From this moment on,
the clock is counting down.
JO ROGER: Is it attached?
(grunts).
CHRISTOFFER: Now.
NARRATOR: Rig ready,
Jo Roger directs the driver.
JO ROGER:
You should sit in the truck while I pull.
JO ROGER (off-screen):
We put the driver back in the,
the truck for steering and, uh,
braking when we
are pulling it up.
NARRATOR: Jo Roger
starts to pull from the front.
JO ROGER: Let's go!
NARRATOR: The trailer's
coming out of the ditch.
Jo Roger's rescue
is going well, until.
JO ROGER: Wait, wait, wait!
THORD: It's very
close to the, the rocks.
So they have be carefully.
NARRATOR: In Odda, Thord and
Tor Steinar are rescuing a bus
from a ditch.
But between the soft ground and
the hard rocks hidden by snow,
it's become a bigger challenge
than they bargained for.
TOR STEINAR: So we have to
be careful that it don't slide
into the rocks.
NARRATOR: The rocks could
rip through the bodywork,
but Tor Steinar's also
concerned that the ditch edge
will wreck the chassis.
TOR STEINAR: The chassis
of the bus is just aluminum,
so it's very easy
to damage the chassis.
NARRATOR: Any damage caused
after the crash is Thord's responsibility.
THORD (off-screen): The
thing is that we have to,
have to get this out
without destroy anything,
because then me or my
insurance have to pay for this.
I now have to
close the whole road,
so we have to call
for the road authority.
NARRATOR: Tor Steinar moves
the tow truck further out
to afford a better towing angle
TOR STEINAR: Yeah!
NARRATOR: Thord closes the road
but it comes at a cost.
It's the main route
between the port of Haugesund
and Oslo, Norway's capital.
And if it's blocked, all traffic
has to make a three hour detour
THORD: Yeah, we have to do
this work really quick,
because we
don't can stay here.
TOR STEINAR: Try a little.
Yeah!
NARRATOR: Thord starts to pull,
but the driver also plays a key
part to help steer the bus up.
THORD: If the driver could start to turn
the wheels a little bit now.
Just a little.
NARRATOR: To gain height, the
bus wheels must hit the planks
placed in the ditch precisely.
-THORD: He should turn more, yes?
-TOR STEINAR: Yeah!
NARRATOR: Tor Steinar
directs the driver.
TOR STEINAR: Turn the wheels more! Yeah!
Now I tell the
bus driver to turn the wheels,
so the wheels are
going back to asphalt.
Even more.
It's starting to climb now.
THORD (off-screen): We
are very close to the rocks,
with the doors and everything
on the side of the bus,
so we have to
take it step by step.
TOR STEINAR: Wait, Thord!
NARRATOR: Suddenly,
Tor Steinar calls a stop.
TOR STEINAR: You have to wait.
NARRATOR: The bus chassis
is about to ground out.
THORD: Do you need more planks?
We should have
little bit more planks with,
but Tor Steinar, when one is finished,
he take it and put it behind the wheel.
NARRATOR: As Thord winches,
Tor Steinar moves
planks into position,
but the bus driver
has to steer onto them.
THORD:
He is turning the wheels too much.
TOR STEINAR: Wait!
Now he can turn it a bit more.
A little bit.
THORD (off-screen):
It's not so easy to get it up,
because it's always
want to get down again.
NARRATOR: One slip now and they'll
be back where they started.
TOR STEINAR: The other way, yes.
Wait a bit, Thord.
Wait, wait, wait.
Yes, try now.
-Now it's on the road.
-It's fully up on the road?
Yes. Now he
will be able to drive forwards.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: The rescue blocks the
road and traffic's backed up.
There's still
one wheel in the ditch,
but to save time, they
risk removing the winch wire.
If they're lucky, there's a chance the bus
could drive itself out of the ditch.
TOR STEINAR:
Have you disconnected the wire?
-Put chains down there as well.
-Yes, wait.
He must try to drive it slowly.
Then it should work.
Yeah!
Turn the wheels a bit the other way.
Yeah.
THORD (off-screen): It's good
when you have work like this,
there is no
scratches on the bus,
everything is okay and
the customer is very happy.
TOR STEINAR: Everything
worked after the plan.
Finally, now he
can drive by himself.
The ditch was actually
pretty deep, Tor Steinar.
Then we are finished.
THORD: I think
Tor Steinar is happy too,
because then we can go home.
NARRATOR: The two rescuers
haul out and head home.
(phone ringing)
NARRATOR: When
another call comes in.
THORD:
There's a truck standing there as well?
NARRATOR: It's looking like
it's going to be a long night.
In Overhalla, on sheet ice,
Jo Roger and Christoffer
were towing a truck carrying
ten tons of
salmon out of a ditch...
JO ROGER: Wait, wait, wait!
NARRATOR: When Jo Roger
had to call a halt.
JO ROGER: We have a
little small problem,
because there is a road
sign that's standing
between the, the
wheels on the trailer.
NARRATOR: When the
truck careered off road,
it smashed through a road sign,
which is now wedged tight
between the trailer wheels.
JO ROGER: Put the brakes on.
NARRATOR: The road's blocked
and Jo Roger's been given only
one hour for the rescue.
But if the truck moves now,
it could destroy the
suspension and brakes.
JO ROGER: We need to use
a sledgehammer to get the road sign loose.
It's stuck between the wheels.
NARRATOR: Jo Roger's
got the situation in hand.
His solution is a
sledgehammer for himself,
a long pole for
Christoffer and brute force.
JO ROGER:
A bit more and it will come loose.
It's not the size
of the tools that matters,
it's the right tools.
No, you have to push it.
NARRATOR: The pole comes out,
but Jo Roger's all in.
JO ROGER: ****, I am in bad****shape.
NARRATOR: Exercise over,
Jo Roger fires up his
20 ton winch to
restart the rescue.
Christoffer directs the driver.
CHRISTOFFER: Take the driving seat and
keep a look out. I'll pull you some more.
NARRATOR: Then
powers up the rotator.
If the truck
doesn't get away soon,
the ten tons of
fresh salmon will spoil.
CHRISTOFFER (off-screen): A few
centimeters and the truck can go and
deliver his, uh, load.
NARRATOR: It's
way past midnight,
but the truck's
back in business.
JO ROGER: Everything went by
the plan and the only surprise
was the pole and that's solved,
so now finished, I hope.
NARRATOR: Having used
up his one hour window,
Jo Roger can re-open the road.
The driver sets off.
NARRATOR: But then
Christoffer shouts a warning.
CHRISTOFFER: The wheels aren't moving.
CHRISTOFFER (off-screen): We see all
of the wheels on the trailer is stuck,
he can end up
in the ditch again.
We need to solve this now.
NARRATOR: Christoffer's
experience as a mechanic
comes to the rescue.
He discovers that the
air brakes have lost pressure
and jammed on.
JO ROGER (off-screen): We need to get
air back into the trailer again
to get the wheels rolling.
NARRATOR:
He checks the air hose.
CHRISTOFFER: The air hose
between the truck and the,
and the trailer wasn't right.
So we try to connect that now
and then try to go down again.
NARRATOR: With
pressure restored,
the driver makes
a second attempt.
CHRISTOFFER:
It's a little bit scary.
It's working.
CHRISTOFFER: Hold it.
So that was a quick fix
and we send him off again.
Yes.
JO ROGER: The roads are open and
the traffic is now moving again.
Everybody's happy
and we can go to sleep.
(horn honks)
NARRATOR: Back in the south,
Thord's heading out
on his next mission.
130 kilometers away in Sauda,
a truck transporting
two portacabins to
a construction site has
crashed hard into a cliff face.
On a snow covered road that
snakes through the mountains,
the truck was
taking a long bend,
when it lost
traction on the ice.
It began to drift
across the carriageway.
The driver tried to correct, but
the trailer caught the ditch and
a whole unit
smashed into the rocks.
The 20 meter long truck and
trailer are now wrapped around
the bend on the wrong
side of the road and
could cause another accident.
THORD: And it's steep
down in the ground and, uh,
it's in the, to the rocks.
When I go for this one,
I don't have a good feeling.
This looks to be
a little bit work, yes.
NARRATOR: After a two hour
drive on snow covered roads,
Thord arrives and
recces the scene.
THORD: ****!
There you are.
Are you OK?
MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: The driver
tells Thord that the truck and
trailer weigh 35 tons.
Its wheels are sunk
deep into the ditch and
it's lying hard
against the rock face.
MAN: It looks like the trailer slid
further down after I stopped the truck.
Yes.
Here's the side mirror.
THORD: Now when I look behind
the truck and the trailer,
it's very damaged, because we
have a crashing in the rocks.
The window was broken,
the mirror is off,
the truck have
got a lot of damage.
We have to be careful here,
I don't want to
destroy anything more.
We'll have to take this out
and forwards at the same time.
NARRATOR: Thord's driving
a lightweight tow truck,
all his crew are
working other jobs in
the heavy duty rescue trucks.
He needs help.
THORD: No I have no chance,
I have to call to Bjoern.
(phone ringing)
NARRATOR: Thord calls his
friend and fellow rescue boss,
Bjoern Laegreid.
BJOERN: Thord's calling me,
needs help with
a truck in Sauda.
Yes, no problem.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's been in the
rescue business for 34 seasons
and every winter, he and Thord
team up on the toughest jobs.
BJOERN: Here, I have
something for my friend.
But he's not getting...
(speaking in native language).
BJOERN: I like working alone,
but it's nice to be
with Thord sometime.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's garage in
Eidfjord is 200 kilometers north
of the crash site.
He heads out, taking his biggest
eight wheel drive tow truck,
with four winches, capable
of pulling a 74 ton load.
BJOERN: I have to drive
for two, two and a half hour.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's
well on his way,
when Thord gets bad news.
The authority tells him that
the road must reopen in only
two hours' time, but he can't
begin until Bjoern arrives.
THORD: Now we are waiting
for the lonesome wolf is
coming for my place.
If I start do it now
and Bjoern is on the way,
100% he kill me.
(howling)
NARRATOR: Back in Eidfjord,
with Bjoern out on the road,
rookie rescuer,
Oerjan's in charge.
It's his first
season working full-time,
but it was his boyhood ambition
to become an ice road rescuer.
OERJAN: Bjoern is a
veteran in this business and
he is a very good teacher.
NARRATOR: If a job comes in now
Oerjan will have to prove that
he's learned his lessons well.
OERJAN: Hello.
OERJAN: We got the
phone call from the police,
telling me that there was
a car driven off the road,
so now I, I have to
go up and pull it out.
NARRATOR:
The accident's happened high on
the Hardangervidda Mountain,
the largest
mountain plateau in Europe.
Over 1,000 meters up,
in a full-blown winter storm and
in temperatures as
low as minus 12 degrees,
a van has skidded off road,
then plunged down a steep slope
OERJAN: That's no problem.
I'll come out immediately.
NARRATOR: Oerjan heads out in
a flatbed tow truck and joins
National Route 7, the
arterial road that connects
the western seaport of Bergen
to Norway's capital, Oslo.
OERJAN: The driver told me
that he's driven off the road.
The car flipped over one time.
NARRATOR: The van driver
has been taken to hospital,
but the police and the
fire crew remain on scene.
OERJAN: When I get
to the accident scene,
I see a car had driven quite
a few meters off the road.
The car is standing
on all of its wheels,
but there is a lot
of damage in the front.
And also in the area
around the windshield.
NARRATOR: After rolling over,
the van came to
a stop in deep snow,
30 meters from the road.
OERJAN: The plan is to take
my tow truck across the road
and then try to straighten it up
and then pull it up the hill.
NARRATOR: Oerjan will attach
his wires to the tow hitch,
a strong anchor points
that connects directly to
the van's chassis.
He'll then swing the back
end around to put the van at
a better angle for the tow out.
As the police close
the road for the rescue,
he moves his
tow truck into position.
But he won't be working alone,
one of the
fire crew comes to help.
OERJAN: The guy from the
fire department is helping me
pull out the winches and
connecting all the winch wires.
Of course, it lightens my work.
NARRATOR: Oerjan now needs to connect the
wires to the van's tow hitch.
OERJAN: This is typical.
FIREFIGHTER: Do you need a knife?
OERJAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: After
removing the hitch cover,
the two man team
complete the rig.
OERJAN (off-screen):
I use both my winches and
I put them in the, uh,
tow hitch in the back.
FIREFIGHTER: Are you ready?
NARRATOR: The
winch wires tension tight.
OERJAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: The van swings around
Now, Oerjan should be
able to pull straight back.
♪ ♪
OERJAN: ****!
NARRATOR: But suddenly,
the van comes to a dead stop.
OERJAN: Is it stuck on a rock?
NARRATOR: If he pulls now,
the van could be ripped apart.
OERJAN: It's a big rock here.
NARRATOR: Oerjan's
under pressure.
OERJAN: The traffic
is come to a halt and
the queue is building
up in both directions.
NARRATOR: In the south,
unable to start the rescue,
Thord waits for Bjoern.
(horn honks)
THORD (off-screen):
Suddenly, Bjoern is coming.
And then we speak a little
bit about how we gonna start
this work, to do the
work quick as possible.
THORD:
The truck is plastered against the rocks.
There's no****room there.
NARRATOR: Thord
brings Bjoern up to speed.
The truck and the cargo of
two portacabins are in danger
of being crushed
against the rocks.
THORD:
I'm afraid that we'll destroy the cab.
BJOERN: The problem here is
we're lying in to the mountain.
We have to be careful that
we don't destroy more than
is already destroyed.
NARRATOR: The two rescue
bosses hatch out a plan.
BJOERN: If we pull it forward
the cab will be damaged.
THORD:
We have to pull it out at the same time.
You could move your truck back
then run a wire to the front wheel.
If the road is too narrow,
I could run a strap around a tree.
Then run one wire to the wheel
and one to the trailer hitch there.
THORD (off-screen): Yeah,
me and Bjoern always thinking,
I think we have
the same way to do it,
so we only speaking a little
bit and then we started to work.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's big
tow truck will take a position
at the front.
Thord's truck moving
alongside the trailer.
Bjoern will then use one winch to run a
wire to the front of the cab,
with a second running
to the truck's rear wheel.
Thord's winch will
take a wire to the trailer,
the first job is to pull the
truck and trailer far enough to
the side, so the
portacabins clear the cliff.
Then all
three winches will power up,
to tow the truck forward.
THORD: I think that is a good plan.
NARRATOR: Time now to
put the plan into action.
Thord's under pressure from
the road authority to complete
the rescue, but he's
already had to wait for Bjoern.
They need to move their
tow trucks into position and
to do that, they'll have
to close the road completely.
THORD (off-screen): I have
to call the road authority,
it's very important, and
tell them that we have to close
the road for maybe one
and one and a half hour.
So we can get this truck
and trailer on the road.
NARRATOR: Bjoern places
his tow truck in front of
the crashed cab.
THORD: Now we're gonna put, uh,
the biggest truck in the front.
You can come closer, Bjoern!
We can use this
much more than the small one.
That's good.
NARRATOR: Bjoern runs
one wire to a towing eye on
the front of the cab.
But the two rescuers debate
the best place to
connect a side wire.
BJOERN: Should we connect it up
on the truck bed and not down there?
To have better control over
the trailer and the portacabins.
THORD: I was thinking the same thing,
but let's see how easily
the trailer slides out of the ditch.
I think it will slide out
towards us more easily than we think.
BJOERN: Now we have a winch in
the front to take it forward and
a winch in the drive axle
to get it out of the mountain.
NARRATOR: Thord takes
another wire from his truck
to the side of the trailer.
But even with a three winch rig
Bjoern thinks
they're taking a risk.
BJOERN: Ask for God, if he
can come down and help us.
NARRATOR: If the cabins shift
as they pull the trailer sideways,
it will be game over.
THORD: You need to take
everything little bit out before
we try to push it forward.
I hope this stay on the trailer
and truck when we are finished,
that it's not fall off.
We see.
Now, we have to start
towing and we see how going.
Yes.
It's getting there slowly.
Pull more now, Bjoern!
Pull that one harder.
NARRATOR:
The driver's in his cab,
under instruction to
steer and control the brakes.
THORD:
Tell the driver to release his handbrake.
BJOERN:
Can you release the brakes?
-Give it more pull.
-Yes.
NARRATOR: The trailer
begins to shift sideways,
but Thord's working blind and
can't see what's happening to
the cabin's cliff side.
Wait a second, Bjoern. Stop!
THORD: I'd better go check,
it's too late when you have a,
destroy something,
it can cost maybe one Krone
or maybe one million.
Is it sliding towards the rocks again?
NARRATOR: Now Thord can
see the cabins, he's worried.
THORD: We are a little
bit close to the rocks.
Bjoern!
Wait for a second, Bjoern!
BJOERN: What?
NARRATOR: He decides
it's too risky to continue.
NARRATOR:
But it may be too late.
THORD: ****!
We have to stop the towing.
Oi, oi, oi, oi.
There's no margin for error here.
We need it one metre forward.
NARRATOR: Thord and
Bjoern's rescue is in trouble.
THORD:
I'll have to change the connection points.
NARRATOR: The truck and trailer
transporting two portacabins
risks crashing
back against the rocks.
THORD: We'll attach this
wire to the trailer, Bjoern.
NARRATOR: Thord takes another
wire to the back of the trailer
He hopes this will help bring
it away from the cliff face.
THORD: This way, I'll have to
take the trailer in the road.
BJOERN: We are going to
take it a little bit forward,
at the same time sideways.
NARRATOR: The two
rescue bosses work quickly.
The authority gave them
two hours to close the road
and time's about up.
THORD: Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: The new plan
seems to be working.
BJOERN: Thord!
NARRATOR: Until there's
an unwelcome interruption.
THORD: Hello.
OFFICER:
Are you in charge of this rescue?
Yeah, I try to be.
We need to pass immediately.
No, you can't.
If you do the truck will
go into the rocks again.
We need 30 minutes more.
30 minutes?
THORD: But now when
we stand there working,
we almost get the truck
and the trailer on the road.
They're coming, the police.
-Look, we have to continue.
-Yes, I've told him so.
Are you on an emergency call?
No, but we have to pass you now.
Are they****idiots?
NARRATOR: 200 kilometers north,
high on the
Hardangervidda Mountain and
in deep snow, Oerjan
and his new friend from
the fire service need to
dig themselves out of trouble.
OERJAN: There may be rocks all over.
FIREFIGHTER: Yes, probably.
OERJAN: We need to alter the angle.
Then pull it more towards me.
NARRATOR: To avoid
the hidden rocks,
Oerjan has to
re-route the winch wire.
He runs it past
a pulley on the flatbed,
to alter the angle onto the van
OERJAN: We have to straighten
them up a little bit before
we pull them up the hill.
NARRATOR: Happy with his
new rig, he restarts the tow.
♪ ♪
The van clears the rocks and
creeps closer to the flatbed.
Oerjan lowers the platform
in preparation for loading.
OERJAN: Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: He begins
to winch the van up.
But then for the second time,
Oerjan's rescue
comes to a standstill.
FIREFIGHTER: Something here's stopping it.
Do you have a plank
to put under the van?
OERJAN: Yes, I do.
NARRATOR: The van's
pitched at too steep an angle
to tow onto the platform.
OERJAN: We have some problems
with the, the angles and the hill.
NARRATOR: Again,
they dig away snow,
this time to lay a trackway
of wooden planks,
to help the van climb
onto the rescue truck.
OERJAN: The guy from the
fire department was helping me
and he is great to work with.
NARRATOR: But it all takes time
And with the traffic backed up,
Oerjan's one hour window for
the rescue is running out.
FIREFIGHTER:
I'll try and watch what's happening.
OERJAN: Yes.
Yes.
It's still not going up.
Try to pull again in small steps.
A little more, please.
NARRATOR: The firefighter
acts as Oerjan's lookout,
as the van rises
onto the planks.
FIREFIGHTER: More, please.
-Try it one more time.
-Yes.
Here it comes, ****!
We've got it, a little more.
-You've almost got it now.
-Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Oerjan's boss,
Bjoern, would be proud.
The young gun's pulled it off.
OERJAN (off-screen): Now I just have to
secure it and traffic can pass.
It went very well.
I like these jobs, because
there's always something new,
but we managed to fix it.
OERJAN: Safe journey.
NARRATOR: In the south, Thord
and Bjoern were ready to tow out
a 20 meter truck and
trailer from a cliff face,
when they found themselves
in a face-off with the police.
THORD: Are you on an emergency call?
OFFICER: No, but we have to pass you now.
THORD: We have to stop the towing and
we have to go
away from the road.
And we almost finished.
BJOERN: Brakes on!
THORD: We have to slow off the wires
and we see if it's standing.
We don't know if this stay, it
maybe it's not sliding again and
then it's on the
same place he was.
NARRATOR: The rescue bosses usually
work hand in hand with the police,
but this time,
they've no choice.
They have to do
what they're told,
even if it risks the truck
sliding back into the rocks.
BJOERN: ****!
THORD: What a bunch of****idiots!
NARRATOR: Allowing the police
to pass requires a total de-rig
Because the road is narrow,
running between the cliff on
one side and
a fjord on the other,
they have to
move both tow trucks.
THORD: Just move it then.
****clowns.
THORD: The police coming
and said we have to go away.
I asked them if they
are going for a mission or
something like this.
But they said, "No, but
we are go, we pass you."
But this I don't understand.
THORD: You guys can drive past now.
****I'm angry!
THORD: It's really
bad when they coming and
stop you when you
are almost on the road,
and then you have to
take everything away,
you have start anew.
I get little bit upset.
I, I don't know
what these policemen,
policeman thinking about.
I, I, I feel inside now,
I almost want to
take the police car and
throw it to the,
the, the, the sea.
THORD: I would understand it
if they were on an emergency call.
They checked in on us earlier and
knew we were in the middle of a rescue.
THORD: Yeah, now we have to
drive the trucks back again and
we have to take all
support legs out, wires,
everything on new,
this is not good.
NARRATOR: With the police passe
and the road again closed,
they resume the rescue,
this time, rigging a third wire
from Bjoern's truck to
the front of the trailer.
-Ready?
-THORD: Yes.
Pull the front harder, Bjoern!
Let's turn it slightly now.
NARRATOR: Slowly
and in small steps,
the trailer comes
away from the cliff face.
THORD: Hey, Bjoern!
You don't have to turn in so****much,
if you do the back axle
will head for the rocks.
Wait a second, Bjoern.
NARRATOR: Thord wants to
check and check again that
there's no risk of
losing control of the trailer.
BJOERN: Seems like there's some resistance
when it should go up easily here.
THORD:
I think one of the wheels might be caught.
Think we might have hit the**uckerb.
NARRATOR: Thord makes
a closer inspection.
THORD: The suspension's grounding out.
We have to put some planks under it.
****. We need to get it higher up.
If we raise it higher onto a plank,
then it should get up onto the tarmac.
NARRATOR: The trailer suspension
is hitting the road edge.
Placing planks beneath
the wheels will create
a ramp onto the road.
THORD: Ah, now it looks better.
Let's try again!
NARRATOR: If they
have no more holdups,
Thord and Bjoern hope this
time they'll be successful.
♪ ♪
THORD: Yes. Good work, Bjoern!
Everything is looking good!
THORD: Yeah, now we see
we are almost on the road,
so then we are happy.
And now we can put the
chain on the truck and
then he can drive itself.
We have some broken windows,
but it's no way we don't get
tow him away from this place
because some broken window.
Yeah, now we are
finished with the work and
then we can leave and go home.
I am happy, Bjoern is happy,
the customer is happy.
The police is happy.
It's always nice
to work with Bjoern,
we have a, we are a
very good team together.
If, uh, we don't can do it,
nobody else can do the work.
Bjoern.
BJOERN: Mm-hmm?
THORD: You don't get
any money for this work.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Me and Thord has worked
very good together this year.
THORD: Me and Andrzej and Maren
have give you this for the work.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Hell.
(laughs)
THORD: It's my lucky day.
This has been the most
challenging winter we ever
have had, but I love it.
I can't wait for
the next winter.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Someday
it's gonna be a big job.
THORD: Everybody working good.
I don't have a good feeling.
But now when we
stand there working,
they're coming, the police.
-Are you on an emergency call?
-No, but we have to pass you now.
THORD: I almost want to take
the police car and throw it to the sea.
NARRATOR: These
Norwegian roads are some
of Europe's most dangerous.
Whether it's in the
northern wilderness,
or the southern fjords,
drivers face down
hostile conditions.
THORD: Stop, stop!
People are crazy.
NARRATOR: It's enough to send
even the best of them over the edge.
THORD: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
NARRATOR: Throughout Norway,
an elite force of rescuers
keeps the country on the move,
during one of the most
unpredictable winters
in decades.
ANDRZEJ: Today is a
windy day up on the mountain.
NARRATOR: Freak weather brings
extra danger to the roads.
THORD: Whoa!
NARRATOR: And to the rescuers.
BJOERN: The wind, you can
see the truck is going over.
NARRATOR: Forcing them to unite
THORD: Now the
best team is together.
NARRATOR: More than ever before
THORD: Hey!
The life is good
in the mountain.
JO ROGER: Ah, it's worse.
THORD: But now you
think you are alive.
THIRD (off-screen): This year, everything
is bigger and tougher,
but I'm ready, bring it on.
NARRATOR: The Norwegian
winter is hard and long.
From the first
mountain snowfall in October,
to the April thaw, the country
endures blizzards, avalanches,
storm force winds
and temperatures as low as
minus 30 degrees.
To survive and
thrive in these conditions,
you need to be tough,
like ice road rescuer,
Thord Paulsen.
THORD: Oh, hallelujah.
Oh, today get a
little bit chaos.
I think I have
maybe two, 300 telephones.
Today, we're gonna
save the, the world.
NARRATOR: In the
south of Norway,
Thord heads up a 24/7 operation
with a territory covering
4,300 square kilometers.
(phone ringing)
THORD: Yeah, my
telephone is total crazy,
it's calling all the time.
NARRATOR: It's Thord's job
to keep the ice roads open,
whatever the weather.
THORD: Hello. Hello.
Hey, hey.
It's crazy, crazy.
It's total crazy.
Stop! No, stop!
NARRATOR: And on
the toughest rescues,
Thord relies on his
trusted team to deliver,
none more than
veteran rescuer, Tor Steinar.
THORD: Oh, it's good to
find out this weather today,
we are a good team.
NARRATOR: Torn Steinar
is Thord's brother-in-law.
They've worked
together for 17 years.
TOR STEINAR: This evening,
Thord's phone
ringing all the time.
It's a lot of jobs, everywhere.
TOR STEINAR: Now it's****chaos. ****!
THORD: Weather
like this is good.
(phone ringing)
THORD: Hello.
Now I get one phone,
there is a bus who
is out of the road.
They call me and ask if
we can come and help them.
NARRATOR: It's Friday night.
A bus full of passengers keen
to get home for the weekend has
crashed into a deep ditch.
It now blocks one lane
of European Route 134,
the main road between
Norway's capital, Oslo,
and the busy port of Haugesund.
Thord and Tor Steinar head
straight out to the crash site,
a 64 kilometer drive.
It's over one hour
before they arrive.
TOR STEINAR: We see
that one side of the bus is
standing in the ditch.
Right here, it's a
little curve and the road
is getting very narrow.
NARRATOR: For 13 kilometers,
the road is so narrow,
there's no center line.
It's an accident
black spot, that every day,
over 400 trucks and
buses pass through.
And if they meet on a bend,
it can be disastrous.
To find out what
happened this time,
Thord talks to the driver.
THORD: Hello.
MAN: It's over the edge there
including the driving wheel.
THORD: He meet another car
and he coming little bit too
long out and then he
only slides of the road,
which it's really slippery.
NARRATOR: The driver did well,
by steering the bus to the side
he avoided a head on collision.
TOR STEINAR: This is not a good spot
to meet a big truck or a car.
THORD: You have no chance to see
where the end of the road is.
MAN: That's the, that's
the whole, whole problem.
THORD: Yeah, the whole problem.
We almost did the same self,
we meet one green bus now and
we go out and jump down.
NARRATOR:
The passengers are safe,
transferred to another vehicle,
but the bus blocking the road
could cause another collision.
So Thord and Tor Steinar get
straight to work on the rescue.
THORD: How does it look?
TOR STEINAR:
I'll have a look at the other side.
THORD: The bus is out of
the road and it's really soft on
the ground and in
the front of the bus,
it's really muddy
and it's deep down.
NARRATOR: A thaw set
in during the day and
the ditch runs with water.
The closer the rescuers look,
the harder the rescue becomes.
THORD: It's really close to the ground.
TOR STEINAR: The bus
is resting on its frame.
NARRATOR: The ditch is so deep that
the bus is grounded out on the road edge.
THORD:
Are you able to get the chassis higher up?
MAN: No, I'm sorry. I've tried.
NARRATOR: The bus
has air suspension,
but it can't be
raised any higher.
THORD: We are not
towing the bus backwards,
because then we destroy
the chassis under the bus.
NARRATOR: First job is to
raise the bus up on its wheels.
THORD: I tell Tor Steinar that he can
build planks under the front wheel.
TOR STEINAR: Put any wood there,
because when we
pull the bus backwards, uh,
the bus will go up on the
wood and then it would lift up.
THORD: This is, uh,
work where I like,
I like when you have to
use your head a little bit, so.
NARRATOR: Planks in position,
Thord begins to rig.
THORD (off-screen): Then the plan is to
have this bus backwards.
Uh, but we have to
have it sideways too.
So now we're gonna connect
one wire in the back of the bus.
NARRATOR: The driver's still
on scene and will play a part
in the rescue, helping
steer the bus out of the ditch.
THORD: We need the
front up, so I think we,
I hope this we'll find.
NARRATOR: To give more grip,
Thord places snow chains on
the ground, to make a
track for the bus wheels.
THORD: We'll just lay it out like this.
TOR STEINAR:
Yes, and I'll just try to turn the wheels.
THORD:
Yeah, you try and steer onto the chains.
NARRATOR: They're
ready to start the tow.
Tor Steinar makes final checks.
But then
discovers another problem.
THORD: Are those rocks in front there?
-TOR STEINAR: Yes.
-Right there?
NARRATOR: Hidden
beneath the snow,
the rocks stand right in line of
the tow out and threaten to rip
through the bus bodywork.
THORD: It's very
close to the, the rocks.
I have to be carefully.
We're not gonna destroy
the bus, we're gonna fix it.
NARRATOR: 1,000
kilometers north in Overhalla,
Jo Roger's family has been
rescuing and repairing trucks
and cars for four generations.
JO ROGER:
We can fix it by putting a bolt in here.
CHRISTOFFER:
Yes.
NARRATOR: Today, Jo Roger's
maintaining one of his own
tow trucks, helped
by 31-year-old, Christoffer,
a former mechanic, now
in his first full season
as a road rescuer.
CHRISTOFFER: We are
looking over the truck and, uh,
getting some
equipment on place again.
NARRATOR:
But Jo Roger's territory covers
1700 kilometers of road.
If an emergency call comes in,
they'll have to down tools,
gear up and head out.
(phone ringing)
JO ROGER: Hello.
NARRATOR: It's now 10:00 pm.
70 kilometers north, a truck
loaded with salmon is stranded.
JO ROGER: We will, uh,
come as soon as we can.
NARRATOR: The truck was
delivering ten tons of salmon t
the city of Trondheim,
270 kilometers away.
Heading downhill, the
trailer began to snake,
veered to the side,
then took out a road sign,
before the truck
crashed to a stop.
Jo Roger decides
it's a two man rescue.
He takes his most
powerful tow truck,
packing two 20 ton winches.
Christoffer's in the lighter,
but more
versatile rotator truck,
with a crane winch
that turns 360 degrees.
Over the one hour drive north,
conditions worsen.
JO ROGER (off-screen):
Now, it's starting to rain,
so it will be
even more slippery.
NARRATOR: The rain freezes,
forming fresh ice on the road.
CHRISTOFFER:
It's changing very rapidly,
so it's one of those nights.
JO ROGER (off-screen): When they are
coming, there is a lot of trucks with
flashing lights and they
are putting on the snow chains,
because they know how
slippery the road is.
NARRATOR: In these conditions,
snow chains are essential,
helping a truck's wheels
to dig in and gain grip.
But as Jo Roger discovers, it's
too late for the salmon truck.
JO ROGER (off-screen): When they arrived,
we see that the truck is blocking
the half of the road and the trailer is
standing inside the ditch.
CHRISTOFFER: The truck has
slid down the steep hill area,
it's very slippery today.
NARRATOR: It's a tough job, but
the driver wants a quick result
The fresh fish is
worth 50,000 Euro.
It's packed on ice, but if it
doesn't get to Trondheim soon,
a four hour drive away,
it could be ruined.
JO ROGER: We have to be quick,
so they reach the deadline.
We are starting with mounting
on the tow bar for the truck.
NARRATOR: The towing bar
connects to the chassis,
allowing a full power tow
from Jo Roger's big tow truck.
A second wire from the rotator
will pull the trailer sideways.
JO ROGER: The rotator is placed
by the side of the trailer.
NARRATOR: But the rotator will
block the road and Jo Roger only
has permission to
close it for one hour.
From this moment on,
the clock is counting down.
JO ROGER: Is it attached?
(grunts).
CHRISTOFFER: Now.
NARRATOR: Rig ready,
Jo Roger directs the driver.
JO ROGER:
You should sit in the truck while I pull.
JO ROGER (off-screen):
We put the driver back in the,
the truck for steering and, uh,
braking when we
are pulling it up.
NARRATOR: Jo Roger
starts to pull from the front.
JO ROGER: Let's go!
NARRATOR: The trailer's
coming out of the ditch.
Jo Roger's rescue
is going well, until.
JO ROGER: Wait, wait, wait!
THORD: It's very
close to the, the rocks.
So they have be carefully.
NARRATOR: In Odda, Thord and
Tor Steinar are rescuing a bus
from a ditch.
But between the soft ground and
the hard rocks hidden by snow,
it's become a bigger challenge
than they bargained for.
TOR STEINAR: So we have to
be careful that it don't slide
into the rocks.
NARRATOR: The rocks could
rip through the bodywork,
but Tor Steinar's also
concerned that the ditch edge
will wreck the chassis.
TOR STEINAR: The chassis
of the bus is just aluminum,
so it's very easy
to damage the chassis.
NARRATOR: Any damage caused
after the crash is Thord's responsibility.
THORD (off-screen): The
thing is that we have to,
have to get this out
without destroy anything,
because then me or my
insurance have to pay for this.
I now have to
close the whole road,
so we have to call
for the road authority.
NARRATOR: Tor Steinar moves
the tow truck further out
to afford a better towing angle
TOR STEINAR: Yeah!
NARRATOR: Thord closes the road
but it comes at a cost.
It's the main route
between the port of Haugesund
and Oslo, Norway's capital.
And if it's blocked, all traffic
has to make a three hour detour
THORD: Yeah, we have to do
this work really quick,
because we
don't can stay here.
TOR STEINAR: Try a little.
Yeah!
NARRATOR: Thord starts to pull,
but the driver also plays a key
part to help steer the bus up.
THORD: If the driver could start to turn
the wheels a little bit now.
Just a little.
NARRATOR: To gain height, the
bus wheels must hit the planks
placed in the ditch precisely.
-THORD: He should turn more, yes?
-TOR STEINAR: Yeah!
NARRATOR: Tor Steinar
directs the driver.
TOR STEINAR: Turn the wheels more! Yeah!
Now I tell the
bus driver to turn the wheels,
so the wheels are
going back to asphalt.
Even more.
It's starting to climb now.
THORD (off-screen): We
are very close to the rocks,
with the doors and everything
on the side of the bus,
so we have to
take it step by step.
TOR STEINAR: Wait, Thord!
NARRATOR: Suddenly,
Tor Steinar calls a stop.
TOR STEINAR: You have to wait.
NARRATOR: The bus chassis
is about to ground out.
THORD: Do you need more planks?
We should have
little bit more planks with,
but Tor Steinar, when one is finished,
he take it and put it behind the wheel.
NARRATOR: As Thord winches,
Tor Steinar moves
planks into position,
but the bus driver
has to steer onto them.
THORD:
He is turning the wheels too much.
TOR STEINAR: Wait!
Now he can turn it a bit more.
A little bit.
THORD (off-screen):
It's not so easy to get it up,
because it's always
want to get down again.
NARRATOR: One slip now and they'll
be back where they started.
TOR STEINAR: The other way, yes.
Wait a bit, Thord.
Wait, wait, wait.
Yes, try now.
-Now it's on the road.
-It's fully up on the road?
Yes. Now he
will be able to drive forwards.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: The rescue blocks the
road and traffic's backed up.
There's still
one wheel in the ditch,
but to save time, they
risk removing the winch wire.
If they're lucky, there's a chance the bus
could drive itself out of the ditch.
TOR STEINAR:
Have you disconnected the wire?
-Put chains down there as well.
-Yes, wait.
He must try to drive it slowly.
Then it should work.
Yeah!
Turn the wheels a bit the other way.
Yeah.
THORD (off-screen): It's good
when you have work like this,
there is no
scratches on the bus,
everything is okay and
the customer is very happy.
TOR STEINAR: Everything
worked after the plan.
Finally, now he
can drive by himself.
The ditch was actually
pretty deep, Tor Steinar.
Then we are finished.
THORD: I think
Tor Steinar is happy too,
because then we can go home.
NARRATOR: The two rescuers
haul out and head home.
(phone ringing)
NARRATOR: When
another call comes in.
THORD:
There's a truck standing there as well?
NARRATOR: It's looking like
it's going to be a long night.
In Overhalla, on sheet ice,
Jo Roger and Christoffer
were towing a truck carrying
ten tons of
salmon out of a ditch...
JO ROGER: Wait, wait, wait!
NARRATOR: When Jo Roger
had to call a halt.
JO ROGER: We have a
little small problem,
because there is a road
sign that's standing
between the, the
wheels on the trailer.
NARRATOR: When the
truck careered off road,
it smashed through a road sign,
which is now wedged tight
between the trailer wheels.
JO ROGER: Put the brakes on.
NARRATOR: The road's blocked
and Jo Roger's been given only
one hour for the rescue.
But if the truck moves now,
it could destroy the
suspension and brakes.
JO ROGER: We need to use
a sledgehammer to get the road sign loose.
It's stuck between the wheels.
NARRATOR: Jo Roger's
got the situation in hand.
His solution is a
sledgehammer for himself,
a long pole for
Christoffer and brute force.
JO ROGER:
A bit more and it will come loose.
It's not the size
of the tools that matters,
it's the right tools.
No, you have to push it.
NARRATOR: The pole comes out,
but Jo Roger's all in.
JO ROGER: ****, I am in bad****shape.
NARRATOR: Exercise over,
Jo Roger fires up his
20 ton winch to
restart the rescue.
Christoffer directs the driver.
CHRISTOFFER: Take the driving seat and
keep a look out. I'll pull you some more.
NARRATOR: Then
powers up the rotator.
If the truck
doesn't get away soon,
the ten tons of
fresh salmon will spoil.
CHRISTOFFER (off-screen): A few
centimeters and the truck can go and
deliver his, uh, load.
NARRATOR: It's
way past midnight,
but the truck's
back in business.
JO ROGER: Everything went by
the plan and the only surprise
was the pole and that's solved,
so now finished, I hope.
NARRATOR: Having used
up his one hour window,
Jo Roger can re-open the road.
The driver sets off.
NARRATOR: But then
Christoffer shouts a warning.
CHRISTOFFER: The wheels aren't moving.
CHRISTOFFER (off-screen): We see all
of the wheels on the trailer is stuck,
he can end up
in the ditch again.
We need to solve this now.
NARRATOR: Christoffer's
experience as a mechanic
comes to the rescue.
He discovers that the
air brakes have lost pressure
and jammed on.
JO ROGER (off-screen): We need to get
air back into the trailer again
to get the wheels rolling.
NARRATOR:
He checks the air hose.
CHRISTOFFER: The air hose
between the truck and the,
and the trailer wasn't right.
So we try to connect that now
and then try to go down again.
NARRATOR: With
pressure restored,
the driver makes
a second attempt.
CHRISTOFFER:
It's a little bit scary.
It's working.
CHRISTOFFER: Hold it.
So that was a quick fix
and we send him off again.
Yes.
JO ROGER: The roads are open and
the traffic is now moving again.
Everybody's happy
and we can go to sleep.
(horn honks)
NARRATOR: Back in the south,
Thord's heading out
on his next mission.
130 kilometers away in Sauda,
a truck transporting
two portacabins to
a construction site has
crashed hard into a cliff face.
On a snow covered road that
snakes through the mountains,
the truck was
taking a long bend,
when it lost
traction on the ice.
It began to drift
across the carriageway.
The driver tried to correct, but
the trailer caught the ditch and
a whole unit
smashed into the rocks.
The 20 meter long truck and
trailer are now wrapped around
the bend on the wrong
side of the road and
could cause another accident.
THORD: And it's steep
down in the ground and, uh,
it's in the, to the rocks.
When I go for this one,
I don't have a good feeling.
This looks to be
a little bit work, yes.
NARRATOR: After a two hour
drive on snow covered roads,
Thord arrives and
recces the scene.
THORD: ****!
There you are.
Are you OK?
MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: The driver
tells Thord that the truck and
trailer weigh 35 tons.
Its wheels are sunk
deep into the ditch and
it's lying hard
against the rock face.
MAN: It looks like the trailer slid
further down after I stopped the truck.
Yes.
Here's the side mirror.
THORD: Now when I look behind
the truck and the trailer,
it's very damaged, because we
have a crashing in the rocks.
The window was broken,
the mirror is off,
the truck have
got a lot of damage.
We have to be careful here,
I don't want to
destroy anything more.
We'll have to take this out
and forwards at the same time.
NARRATOR: Thord's driving
a lightweight tow truck,
all his crew are
working other jobs in
the heavy duty rescue trucks.
He needs help.
THORD: No I have no chance,
I have to call to Bjoern.
(phone ringing)
NARRATOR: Thord calls his
friend and fellow rescue boss,
Bjoern Laegreid.
BJOERN: Thord's calling me,
needs help with
a truck in Sauda.
Yes, no problem.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's been in the
rescue business for 34 seasons
and every winter, he and Thord
team up on the toughest jobs.
BJOERN: Here, I have
something for my friend.
But he's not getting...
(speaking in native language).
BJOERN: I like working alone,
but it's nice to be
with Thord sometime.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's garage in
Eidfjord is 200 kilometers north
of the crash site.
He heads out, taking his biggest
eight wheel drive tow truck,
with four winches, capable
of pulling a 74 ton load.
BJOERN: I have to drive
for two, two and a half hour.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's
well on his way,
when Thord gets bad news.
The authority tells him that
the road must reopen in only
two hours' time, but he can't
begin until Bjoern arrives.
THORD: Now we are waiting
for the lonesome wolf is
coming for my place.
If I start do it now
and Bjoern is on the way,
100% he kill me.
(howling)
NARRATOR: Back in Eidfjord,
with Bjoern out on the road,
rookie rescuer,
Oerjan's in charge.
It's his first
season working full-time,
but it was his boyhood ambition
to become an ice road rescuer.
OERJAN: Bjoern is a
veteran in this business and
he is a very good teacher.
NARRATOR: If a job comes in now
Oerjan will have to prove that
he's learned his lessons well.
OERJAN: Hello.
OERJAN: We got the
phone call from the police,
telling me that there was
a car driven off the road,
so now I, I have to
go up and pull it out.
NARRATOR:
The accident's happened high on
the Hardangervidda Mountain,
the largest
mountain plateau in Europe.
Over 1,000 meters up,
in a full-blown winter storm and
in temperatures as
low as minus 12 degrees,
a van has skidded off road,
then plunged down a steep slope
OERJAN: That's no problem.
I'll come out immediately.
NARRATOR: Oerjan heads out in
a flatbed tow truck and joins
National Route 7, the
arterial road that connects
the western seaport of Bergen
to Norway's capital, Oslo.
OERJAN: The driver told me
that he's driven off the road.
The car flipped over one time.
NARRATOR: The van driver
has been taken to hospital,
but the police and the
fire crew remain on scene.
OERJAN: When I get
to the accident scene,
I see a car had driven quite
a few meters off the road.
The car is standing
on all of its wheels,
but there is a lot
of damage in the front.
And also in the area
around the windshield.
NARRATOR: After rolling over,
the van came to
a stop in deep snow,
30 meters from the road.
OERJAN: The plan is to take
my tow truck across the road
and then try to straighten it up
and then pull it up the hill.
NARRATOR: Oerjan will attach
his wires to the tow hitch,
a strong anchor points
that connects directly to
the van's chassis.
He'll then swing the back
end around to put the van at
a better angle for the tow out.
As the police close
the road for the rescue,
he moves his
tow truck into position.
But he won't be working alone,
one of the
fire crew comes to help.
OERJAN: The guy from the
fire department is helping me
pull out the winches and
connecting all the winch wires.
Of course, it lightens my work.
NARRATOR: Oerjan now needs to connect the
wires to the van's tow hitch.
OERJAN: This is typical.
FIREFIGHTER: Do you need a knife?
OERJAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: After
removing the hitch cover,
the two man team
complete the rig.
OERJAN (off-screen):
I use both my winches and
I put them in the, uh,
tow hitch in the back.
FIREFIGHTER: Are you ready?
NARRATOR: The
winch wires tension tight.
OERJAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: The van swings around
Now, Oerjan should be
able to pull straight back.
♪ ♪
OERJAN: ****!
NARRATOR: But suddenly,
the van comes to a dead stop.
OERJAN: Is it stuck on a rock?
NARRATOR: If he pulls now,
the van could be ripped apart.
OERJAN: It's a big rock here.
NARRATOR: Oerjan's
under pressure.
OERJAN: The traffic
is come to a halt and
the queue is building
up in both directions.
NARRATOR: In the south,
unable to start the rescue,
Thord waits for Bjoern.
(horn honks)
THORD (off-screen):
Suddenly, Bjoern is coming.
And then we speak a little
bit about how we gonna start
this work, to do the
work quick as possible.
THORD:
The truck is plastered against the rocks.
There's no****room there.
NARRATOR: Thord
brings Bjoern up to speed.
The truck and the cargo of
two portacabins are in danger
of being crushed
against the rocks.
THORD:
I'm afraid that we'll destroy the cab.
BJOERN: The problem here is
we're lying in to the mountain.
We have to be careful that
we don't destroy more than
is already destroyed.
NARRATOR: The two rescue
bosses hatch out a plan.
BJOERN: If we pull it forward
the cab will be damaged.
THORD:
We have to pull it out at the same time.
You could move your truck back
then run a wire to the front wheel.
If the road is too narrow,
I could run a strap around a tree.
Then run one wire to the wheel
and one to the trailer hitch there.
THORD (off-screen): Yeah,
me and Bjoern always thinking,
I think we have
the same way to do it,
so we only speaking a little
bit and then we started to work.
NARRATOR: Bjoern's big
tow truck will take a position
at the front.
Thord's truck moving
alongside the trailer.
Bjoern will then use one winch to run a
wire to the front of the cab,
with a second running
to the truck's rear wheel.
Thord's winch will
take a wire to the trailer,
the first job is to pull the
truck and trailer far enough to
the side, so the
portacabins clear the cliff.
Then all
three winches will power up,
to tow the truck forward.
THORD: I think that is a good plan.
NARRATOR: Time now to
put the plan into action.
Thord's under pressure from
the road authority to complete
the rescue, but he's
already had to wait for Bjoern.
They need to move their
tow trucks into position and
to do that, they'll have
to close the road completely.
THORD (off-screen): I have
to call the road authority,
it's very important, and
tell them that we have to close
the road for maybe one
and one and a half hour.
So we can get this truck
and trailer on the road.
NARRATOR: Bjoern places
his tow truck in front of
the crashed cab.
THORD: Now we're gonna put, uh,
the biggest truck in the front.
You can come closer, Bjoern!
We can use this
much more than the small one.
That's good.
NARRATOR: Bjoern runs
one wire to a towing eye on
the front of the cab.
But the two rescuers debate
the best place to
connect a side wire.
BJOERN: Should we connect it up
on the truck bed and not down there?
To have better control over
the trailer and the portacabins.
THORD: I was thinking the same thing,
but let's see how easily
the trailer slides out of the ditch.
I think it will slide out
towards us more easily than we think.
BJOERN: Now we have a winch in
the front to take it forward and
a winch in the drive axle
to get it out of the mountain.
NARRATOR: Thord takes
another wire from his truck
to the side of the trailer.
But even with a three winch rig
Bjoern thinks
they're taking a risk.
BJOERN: Ask for God, if he
can come down and help us.
NARRATOR: If the cabins shift
as they pull the trailer sideways,
it will be game over.
THORD: You need to take
everything little bit out before
we try to push it forward.
I hope this stay on the trailer
and truck when we are finished,
that it's not fall off.
We see.
Now, we have to start
towing and we see how going.
Yes.
It's getting there slowly.
Pull more now, Bjoern!
Pull that one harder.
NARRATOR:
The driver's in his cab,
under instruction to
steer and control the brakes.
THORD:
Tell the driver to release his handbrake.
BJOERN:
Can you release the brakes?
-Give it more pull.
-Yes.
NARRATOR: The trailer
begins to shift sideways,
but Thord's working blind and
can't see what's happening to
the cabin's cliff side.
Wait a second, Bjoern. Stop!
THORD: I'd better go check,
it's too late when you have a,
destroy something,
it can cost maybe one Krone
or maybe one million.
Is it sliding towards the rocks again?
NARRATOR: Now Thord can
see the cabins, he's worried.
THORD: We are a little
bit close to the rocks.
Bjoern!
Wait for a second, Bjoern!
BJOERN: What?
NARRATOR: He decides
it's too risky to continue.
NARRATOR:
But it may be too late.
THORD: ****!
We have to stop the towing.
Oi, oi, oi, oi.
There's no margin for error here.
We need it one metre forward.
NARRATOR: Thord and
Bjoern's rescue is in trouble.
THORD:
I'll have to change the connection points.
NARRATOR: The truck and trailer
transporting two portacabins
risks crashing
back against the rocks.
THORD: We'll attach this
wire to the trailer, Bjoern.
NARRATOR: Thord takes another
wire to the back of the trailer
He hopes this will help bring
it away from the cliff face.
THORD: This way, I'll have to
take the trailer in the road.
BJOERN: We are going to
take it a little bit forward,
at the same time sideways.
NARRATOR: The two
rescue bosses work quickly.
The authority gave them
two hours to close the road
and time's about up.
THORD: Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: The new plan
seems to be working.
BJOERN: Thord!
NARRATOR: Until there's
an unwelcome interruption.
THORD: Hello.
OFFICER:
Are you in charge of this rescue?
Yeah, I try to be.
We need to pass immediately.
No, you can't.
If you do the truck will
go into the rocks again.
We need 30 minutes more.
30 minutes?
THORD: But now when
we stand there working,
we almost get the truck
and the trailer on the road.
They're coming, the police.
-Look, we have to continue.
-Yes, I've told him so.
Are you on an emergency call?
No, but we have to pass you now.
Are they****idiots?
NARRATOR: 200 kilometers north,
high on the
Hardangervidda Mountain and
in deep snow, Oerjan
and his new friend from
the fire service need to
dig themselves out of trouble.
OERJAN: There may be rocks all over.
FIREFIGHTER: Yes, probably.
OERJAN: We need to alter the angle.
Then pull it more towards me.
NARRATOR: To avoid
the hidden rocks,
Oerjan has to
re-route the winch wire.
He runs it past
a pulley on the flatbed,
to alter the angle onto the van
OERJAN: We have to straighten
them up a little bit before
we pull them up the hill.
NARRATOR: Happy with his
new rig, he restarts the tow.
♪ ♪
The van clears the rocks and
creeps closer to the flatbed.
Oerjan lowers the platform
in preparation for loading.
OERJAN: Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: He begins
to winch the van up.
But then for the second time,
Oerjan's rescue
comes to a standstill.
FIREFIGHTER: Something here's stopping it.
Do you have a plank
to put under the van?
OERJAN: Yes, I do.
NARRATOR: The van's
pitched at too steep an angle
to tow onto the platform.
OERJAN: We have some problems
with the, the angles and the hill.
NARRATOR: Again,
they dig away snow,
this time to lay a trackway
of wooden planks,
to help the van climb
onto the rescue truck.
OERJAN: The guy from the
fire department was helping me
and he is great to work with.
NARRATOR: But it all takes time
And with the traffic backed up,
Oerjan's one hour window for
the rescue is running out.
FIREFIGHTER:
I'll try and watch what's happening.
OERJAN: Yes.
Yes.
It's still not going up.
Try to pull again in small steps.
A little more, please.
NARRATOR: The firefighter
acts as Oerjan's lookout,
as the van rises
onto the planks.
FIREFIGHTER: More, please.
-Try it one more time.
-Yes.
Here it comes, ****!
We've got it, a little more.
-You've almost got it now.
-Yes.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Oerjan's boss,
Bjoern, would be proud.
The young gun's pulled it off.
OERJAN (off-screen): Now I just have to
secure it and traffic can pass.
It went very well.
I like these jobs, because
there's always something new,
but we managed to fix it.
OERJAN: Safe journey.
NARRATOR: In the south, Thord
and Bjoern were ready to tow out
a 20 meter truck and
trailer from a cliff face,
when they found themselves
in a face-off with the police.
THORD: Are you on an emergency call?
OFFICER: No, but we have to pass you now.
THORD: We have to stop the towing and
we have to go
away from the road.
And we almost finished.
BJOERN: Brakes on!
THORD: We have to slow off the wires
and we see if it's standing.
We don't know if this stay, it
maybe it's not sliding again and
then it's on the
same place he was.
NARRATOR: The rescue bosses usually
work hand in hand with the police,
but this time,
they've no choice.
They have to do
what they're told,
even if it risks the truck
sliding back into the rocks.
BJOERN: ****!
THORD: What a bunch of****idiots!
NARRATOR: Allowing the police
to pass requires a total de-rig
Because the road is narrow,
running between the cliff on
one side and
a fjord on the other,
they have to
move both tow trucks.
THORD: Just move it then.
****clowns.
THORD: The police coming
and said we have to go away.
I asked them if they
are going for a mission or
something like this.
But they said, "No, but
we are go, we pass you."
But this I don't understand.
THORD: You guys can drive past now.
****I'm angry!
THORD: It's really
bad when they coming and
stop you when you
are almost on the road,
and then you have to
take everything away,
you have start anew.
I get little bit upset.
I, I don't know
what these policemen,
policeman thinking about.
I, I, I feel inside now,
I almost want to
take the police car and
throw it to the,
the, the, the sea.
THORD: I would understand it
if they were on an emergency call.
They checked in on us earlier and
knew we were in the middle of a rescue.
THORD: Yeah, now we have to
drive the trucks back again and
we have to take all
support legs out, wires,
everything on new,
this is not good.
NARRATOR: With the police passe
and the road again closed,
they resume the rescue,
this time, rigging a third wire
from Bjoern's truck to
the front of the trailer.
-Ready?
-THORD: Yes.
Pull the front harder, Bjoern!
Let's turn it slightly now.
NARRATOR: Slowly
and in small steps,
the trailer comes
away from the cliff face.
THORD: Hey, Bjoern!
You don't have to turn in so****much,
if you do the back axle
will head for the rocks.
Wait a second, Bjoern.
NARRATOR: Thord wants to
check and check again that
there's no risk of
losing control of the trailer.
BJOERN: Seems like there's some resistance
when it should go up easily here.
THORD:
I think one of the wheels might be caught.
Think we might have hit the**uckerb.
NARRATOR: Thord makes
a closer inspection.
THORD: The suspension's grounding out.
We have to put some planks under it.
****. We need to get it higher up.
If we raise it higher onto a plank,
then it should get up onto the tarmac.
NARRATOR: The trailer suspension
is hitting the road edge.
Placing planks beneath
the wheels will create
a ramp onto the road.
THORD: Ah, now it looks better.
Let's try again!
NARRATOR: If they
have no more holdups,
Thord and Bjoern hope this
time they'll be successful.
♪ ♪
THORD: Yes. Good work, Bjoern!
Everything is looking good!
THORD: Yeah, now we see
we are almost on the road,
so then we are happy.
And now we can put the
chain on the truck and
then he can drive itself.
We have some broken windows,
but it's no way we don't get
tow him away from this place
because some broken window.
Yeah, now we are
finished with the work and
then we can leave and go home.
I am happy, Bjoern is happy,
the customer is happy.
The police is happy.
It's always nice
to work with Bjoern,
we have a, we are a
very good team together.
If, uh, we don't can do it,
nobody else can do the work.
Bjoern.
BJOERN: Mm-hmm?
THORD: You don't get
any money for this work.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Me and Thord has worked
very good together this year.
THORD: Me and Andrzej and Maren
have give you this for the work.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Hell.
(laughs)
THORD: It's my lucky day.
This has been the most
challenging winter we ever
have had, but I love it.
I can't wait for
the next winter.
(laughs).
BJOERN: Someday
it's gonna be a big job.
THORD: Everybody working good.