Michael Buerk returns with a new series of the programme recounting dramatic stories of real-life rescues. As before, emergency service personnel and those involved in the actual rescue operations combine with actors in the reconstructions.

When a crane driver collapses 180 feet above the ground, the ambulanceman attempting to rescue him must grapple not just with the obvious dangers of the situation but with his own fear of heights. In the Isles of Scilly, the dramatic rescue of a lone yachtsman is captured on video, and in Manchester a 3-year-old boy and his dog Max go missing.

There's also advice on how to help a heart-attack victim, and an offer of 1,000 free places on a life-saving course in Scotland. To book a place, telephone [number removed]. Lines open at 9.30pm and the call will cost no more than 50p. There's further safety information on Ceefax page 621.