Ambulance had viewers in tears last night as it continued on BBC One with a particularly difficult-to-watch episode.
Those watching at home on Wednesday (October 28) evening called it “utterly heartbreaking” and “desperately sad”, as it showed emergency services staff dealing with Britain’s mental health crisis.
What happened in Ambulance on BBC One?
At the very start of the episode, a 999 call handler received a call from a distraught woman who was with someone who had hanged himself.
The call handler spoke calmly and clearly as she said: “I’m going to tell you how to give mouth to mouth, okay?”
But once the call was over, her composure crumbled and she broke down in tears, covering her face before being comforted by others in the room.
On Twitter, one viewer said: “Wow, two seconds of #ambulance and I’m welling up, incredible by the call handler.”
Read more: Ambulance: Hoax call on BBC documentary leaves viewers fuming
A second wrote: “That’s a traumatic start to #Ambulance tonight. Bless the call handler, what an amazing job she did.”
“I want to give that call handler a hug,” said a third, adding: “She must have felt so helpless.”
Wow two seconds of #ambulance and I’m welling up, incredible by the call handler 👊🏼
— Noddy (@Noddy_Holder) October 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/mikecornes/status/1321558761211912204
I want to give that call handler a hug. Please tell me this was pre-Covid so somebody could?? Or she had family or support. Was the patient revived? Do the handlers get to find out? She must have felt so helpless #ambulance #suicide #mentalhealth #thehelpersneedhelptoo
— Lauren (@wheelyluvshows) October 28, 2020
Mum holds son’s hand as he dies on Ambulance
Later in the episode, paramedics responded to another hanging. The 36-year-old’s mum, Ursula, found him hanging and called 999.
God that poor woman losing her son like that, utterly heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, when an advanced paramedic joined the others on the scene, they did everything they could but were unable to save the patient.
They had him on life support and the advanced paramedic went to get Ursula, to break the news to her.
And it was what the paramedic said to her that had viewers at home in tears. Wanting to do everything he could to comfort the devastated mum, he asked her if she would like to come and hold her son’s hand as they took him off life support.
In crushing scenes, she sat with him and held his hand as he was pronounced dead.
What did BBC viewers say?
On Twitter, one wrote: “#Ambulance broke my heart. The poor man took his own life, they tried for over 30 minutes to resuscitate him. And then his mum came to hold his hand as he passed.”
Another BBC viewer tweeted: “That poor mum going to hold her son’s hand at the end after he took his own life. If you need to speak to someone, call the Samaritans 116 123 #ambulance.”
Read more: Ambulance: Viewers in tears over ‘compassionate’ bystander’s care for suicidal woman
A third put: “#ambulance that just broke my heart, the team asking that mum if she wanted to hold her son’s hand and say goodbye after he’d committed suicide.”
A fourth wrote, alongside crying emojis: “Poor mum… that’s so desperately sad…”
Someone else said: “God that poor woman losing her son like that, utterly heartbreaking #Ambulance.”
Others said they found it really difficult to watch.
#Ambulance broke my heart. The poor man took his own life they tried for over 30 minutes to resuscitate him 🙁 and then his mum came to hold his hand as he passed 💔💔💔
— ßkth (@Bretth321) October 28, 2020
That poor mum going to hold her son’s hand at the end after he took his own life. If you need to speak to someone call the Samaritans 116 123 #ambulance
— G’sus 🇺🇦 (@G_AshDog) October 28, 2020
#ambulance that just broke my heart the team asking that Mum if she wanted to hold her sons hand and say goodbye after he'd committed suicide
— Julie Smith (@julzee61) October 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/Maxee_Collie/status/1321566300519452676
God that poor woman losing her son like that, utterly heart breaking #Ambulance
— maggierosemcloughlin🏴🇪🇺🏳️🌈 (@maggierosem1980) October 28, 2020
Oh god, that was so difficult to watch. Just so, so sad. #Ambulance
— Erin Zammitt (@_erinz_) October 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/jscstirling69/status/1321566087146885120
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