The girl was injured when she fell after tackling the North Ridge. Photo: Richard Webb CC-BY-SA-2.0

An eight-year-old girl was airlifted from a Snowdonia scrambling route after injuring her head in a fall.

The girl, from Flintshire, was with her father on Tryfan’s North Ridge when she fell and gashed her head.

Chris Lloyd of Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation said the incident was an unfortunate accident.

Mr Lloyd said the experienced mountaineer decided to treat his daughter to a climb up the 917m (3,009ft) peak today.

“At the North Tower, they decided to move onto the easier Eastern Traverse,” he said.

“They had just started along here when the little girl lost her footing and fell 10 to 15ft or so. Unfortunately, she gashed her scalp in a couple of places.

“The scalp of course bleeds profusely which is shocking for the casualty and the first aider.”

The father called 999 about 11.30am and Mr Lloyd said because of the information they received – the fact there was a child with a head injury at the top of the Nor Nor Gully – the mountain rescue team immediately requested help from RAF Valley’s 22 Squadron search and rescue helicopter.

He said: “A hasty team was deployed but the helicopter was on site within 30 minutes.

“The winchman was lowered and the aircraft parked up at Oggi Base with rotors running awaiting the call from the winchman.

“During this incident, the helicopter crew received a call to assist at a serious road traffic collision on the road near Holywell, Flintshire.

“It was decided that the girl’s injuries were not life threatening and that she could be winched up, with dad, and brought down to Oggi Base.

“Here she received further treatment and some TLC.

“Her father then drove her down to the hospital at Bangor whilst the helicopter raced over the Flintshire.”

The rescue was the team’s sixth callout to Tryfan in the past month.

• A young girl died in the two-vehicle collision to which the RAF Sea King was diverted.

Nine people were in the vehicles when the incident took place on the A548 at Gwespyr, Holywell at midday.

Seven people were also airlifted to hospital or taken in ambulances for treatment.