Karen Luker and Rod Coombs

The husband of a woman who was airlifted from a Lake District path after suffering suspected spinal injuries has praised rescuers who came to her aid.

Karen Luker was walking on a path near Buttermere last month when she fell on a rock step, sustaining injuries that left her incapacitated and in severe pain.

Rod Coombs was with his 61-year-old wife at the time of the incident.

A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance, which was scrambled to help Ms Luker along with Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team, said: “With no phone signal to raise the alarm, Mr Coombs, 63, deputy president of the University of Manchester, had to run to the nearby village of Buttermere to call 999.

“When he knew emergency services were on their way he returned to his wife, who was being comforted by two passers-by, to tell her the ambulance was on its way.

“Mr Coombs, who lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, then ran back to Buttermere and waited at the Bridge Hotel for the ambulance to arrive until he heard the sound of the helicopter and realised GNAAS had been called to the scene.

“GNAAS landed in a field just 100m from the patient and the onboard doctor and paramedic assessed the situation and treated Ms Luker.

The rescue scene last month. Photo: Cockermouth MRT

“Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team helped to stretcher the patient to the waiting air ambulance.”

Ms Luker, the dean of the school of nursing, midwifery and social work at the University of Manchester, was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle with suspected spinal injuries.

Mr Coombs said: “There was fear the fall had impacted directly on her spine and she was unable to move.

“The emergency teams tried to keep her as still as possible. The speed of their response was remarkable and it was clear the teams knew exactly what they were doing, we are in full admiration of their work.”

The incident happened on Saturday, 19 October. Fortunately, although Ms Luker had suffered a lot of bruising, she was found not to have sustained bone damage and she was able to leave hospital the next day to continue her recovery.

Mr Coombs added: “The Great North Air Ambulance’s response and that of the mountain rescue team got us out of a very distressing and worrying situation and we would not have been able to cope without them.”

Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS said: “Having a doctor on board means we bring the accident and emergency department to many remote parts of the region.

“We are extremely pleased that Mrs Luker is doing well and would like to thank the mountain rescue team for their valuable assistance.”