A fellrunner was rescued after falling more than 200ft on a Lake District fell.
The incident was one of four in the central fells that kept three mountain rescue teams busy over the weekend.
The runner injured his back, head and leg when he fell about 70m on Seatallan.
Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team members were on their way to help their colleagues from the Wasdale team on Great Gable on Saturday evening when they were diverted to the site just below the summit of the 692m (2,270ft) fell.
John Wealthall of the Duddon and Furness team said: “There was thick cloud at this location and the RAF search and rescue helicopter which had initially landed at Greendale Tarn had to descend before we could reach it with the casualty.
“The injured man was then taken by stretcher by members of Duddon and Furness along with Wasdale MRT to below the cloud base where the RAF returned, and in very difficult conditions, airlifted him off to hospital.”
The incident involved 14 Duddon and Furness and four from the Wasdale team.
Meanwhile, Cockermouth MRT members joined other Wasdale team members on Great Gable where a 68-year-old man taking part in an endurance event had fallen and injured his hip.
The was treated at the scene and carried by the teams to Beck Head from where the Cockermouth volunteers stretchered him down to Black Sail Youth Hostel and then drove him in one of their Land Rovers to Bowness Knott where an ambulance was waiting.
The Great Gable rescue involved 16 Cockermouth MRT members and 15 from the Wasdale team. The rescue ended shortly after midnight.
Earlier on Saturday, the Wasdale team was called to the water pools near Lingcove Bridge in upper Eskdale, where a man injured his head while entering the river for a swim.
The North West Air Ambulance flew to the scene and treated the man. A Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer also flew to the site, where the Wasdale team had packaged the injured man into a stretcher.
He was then winched into the aircraft and flown to hospital for further treatment.
On Friday, the Wasdale team had also enlisted the help of their Duddon and Furness colleagues when a walker near the top of Scafell Pike suffered a painful leg injury which prevented him carrying on.
He was treated at the scene and stretchered down to safety by volunteers from the two teams along with a Penrith MRT member who was in the area.
Cliff Marsh
01 July 2015Not until reading these rescue events can walkers truly appreciate the vast amount of effort, good-will, time and endurance of this remarkable team.
Thank you all.