Press Association version
Rescuer Hurt after Helicopter Strikes Rock Face
An emergency worker fell 40ft from a helicopter harness today when the aircraft hit a rock face during a rescue.
The injured mountain rescuer was part of a team trying to save a 20-year-old walker trapped 2,000ft up in the Lake District.
The blades of the Royal Navy Sea King, from the Gannet Search and Flight at Prestwick in Scotland, glanced the rock.
Though the helicopter managed to land safely, the mountain rescuer, a member of a local civilian team, fell from his harness.
A spokesman for the Royal Air Force said: “The man sustained back, neck and head injuries.
“The three crew were shaken but unhurt.
“A fourth colleague, the winchman, remained with the original casualty.”
The original casualty had been walking on the Pike of Stickle, in Langdale, when he fell 15ft into a crevice and knocked himself unconscious.
An RAF Sea King from Boulmer, Northumberland was scrambled along with a second rescue team.
They flew the two injured men to Carlisle Hospital. The walker is believed to be suffering from shoulder injuries.
A second Navy helicopter is now on its way to the scene from Prestwick.
An investigation into the accident was immediately launched.