An RAF Sea King flew the man to hospital in Swansea

A climber was airlifted to hospital after he was injured in a fall in a south Wales quarry.

The man, in his early 20s, was scrambling down a boulder in the disused quarry above Neath Abbey, Neath, yesterday when the incident happened.

Western Beacons Mountain Search and Rescue Team was called out shortly before 7pm by South Wales Police.

Team spokesman Trevor James said: “Team personnel, along with those from Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, arrived on scene to discover that a man had fallen when a large section of a boulder had broken off as he was scrambling down it.

“He had then fallen short way before unfortunately the section of rock that had broken off subsequently rolled over him.”

A hazardous area response team and air ambulance also went to the scene and an RAF Sea King from RMB Chivenor in Devon joined the rescue operation.

Mr James said: “The young man was clearly in a lot of pain when we arrived but once more great inter-team and inter-agency cooperation, plus great flying by RAF 169, saw him quickly evacuated to Morriston Hospital where his injuries could be assessed and treated.

“The ground underfoot was exceptionally treacherous, even for our guys who are used to difficult conditions.”

It was the Western Beacons team’s second callout of the day, after an early morning rescue of three men lost on the mountainside above Brynamman.