The traumatic moment where a samurai sword attack victim was rushed into hospital was captured on tonight's Critical Condition.
Channel 5 documentary followed David's horrific ordeal after having his head partially severed in an unprovoked attack.
Arcadius Situn, 31, attacked the 27-year-old father-of-three, who has learning difficulties, with a sword in the street in October last year.
In shocking scenes from Wednesday night's episode, the doctors gasp when scans show how big David's intracranial bleed is.
They were convinced that David would not survive due to his devastating head and neck injuries.
Samurai sword attack victim's mum says hospitals must play harrowing footage on loop
Stunned Critical Condition viewers took to Twitter after watching the shocking moment.
One viewer said: "B****y hell. For the staff to take a deep breath proves how serous it is"
"Guy attacked with a machete!!! WTF? These people are seriously incredible," added another.
A third asked: "Major head injury too. How is this guy still alive?"
A fourth said: "Critical Condition living up to its name!!"
Critical Condition showed David's worried mother Teresa in tears at her son's bedside.
She rushed over from Orkney after police revealed that her son had been attacked in the street.
She confessed: "We were told just take it minute by minute. With the severity of his injuries we were told he shouldn’t have lived."
Speaking to Mirror Online, mum Teresa relived the horrifying moment she saw CCTV footage of her son being attacked.
Calling for an end to the knife crime epidemic, she said: "The whole thing needs to be put on loop in A&E so everyone sitting there with their broken fingernails and stubbed toe can realise why they have been there four hours waiting to see somebody.
"As for knife crime, something has to be done. It’s okay for one person to blame another organisation or say its the teacher’s fault. The fault lies with no youth clubs, poor mental health facilities, the whole system, everybody being let down."
On the moment he first woke up, Teresa says: "That was amazing. I was with him when he opened his eyes and woke up. It was like giving birth again but without the pain. It was the shear joy of seeing him open his eyes and look at me."
David has made an incredible recovery considering the extent of his injuries but is now paralysed in his right arm, has problems communicating and memory problems.
When asked if she would ever forgive his attacker, Teresa says: "Never. While there’s breath in my body I will never forgive him for what he’s done.
"It’s not just the attack on my son. I’s the knock on effect. What he’s done to my family. I will never, ever forgive him and I hope he rots in his cell."
*Critical Condition airs 9pm Wednesday on Channel 5
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