Yorkshire Air Ambulance stars in dramatic episode of Emmerdale

This special feature marks a significant collaboration between popular ITV soap Emmerdale and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA), focussing on the work of the charity and the role air ambulances play in emergency medical situations.

In Tuesday's (October 10) episode of Emmerdale, Mackenzie Boyd, Charity Dingle and Chloe Harris found themselves entangled in a brutal car crash as part of the show's stunt week.

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The episode portrayed a series of events that took a turn when the car Chloe, Mackenzie and Charity were travelling in veered off the road after an unexpected van collision and left their car teetering on the edge of a cliff.  Viewers were left in suspense on Tuesday night wondering who Mackenzie saved after the car plummets to the bottom of the quarry with one passenger still inside.

Cue the surprise arrival of one of YAA's helicopters in Wednesday’s (October 11) episode. The stunt sequence, encompassing multiple days of filming for the Emmerdale cast, involved skilled stunt performers and visual effects.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance contributed to the episode during a single day of filming in late August (Image: UGC)

Yorkshire Air Ambulance contributed to the episode during a single day of filming in late August, taking place at a disused quarry at Denholme near Keighley.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance pilot, James Booth, who flew the YAA helicopter in the episode, has also previously appeared as another helicopter pilot on the ITV show back in 2006.

He said: "Participating in such an iconic show while piloting an equally iconic helicopter was an incredible experience. Very few people have the privilege of flying a helicopter on the show for a second time, so I consider myself fortunate to have received this opportunity.

"The show's willingness to include YAA is a testament to their commitment to authenticity, mirroring the dedication and precision that define our missions every day."

Emmerdale's production manager Bob Farrell, praised the YAA's involvement, stating the production team were "absolutely delighted" to involve them in the storyline.

He said: "The team demonstrated remarkable dedication and expertise on the day, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the scenes looked as realistic and as accurate as possible.

"Their valuable medical insights and direction left us in awe of the incredible work the YAA does in real life. We're immensely grateful for their support, which contributed to the episode's overall authenticity and helped portray the seriousness of the accident."

Despite the filming, both of Yorkshire Air Ambulance's air bases in Wakefield and Thirsk continued to operate as usual, ensuring that their life-saving service was never offline or affected.

As an independent charity, Yorkshire Air Ambulance relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to operate and help save lives across Yorkshire.