The rescue scene in Ashness Gill. Photo: Keswick MRT

A man was airlifted to hospital after falling while scrambling in a Lake District gill.

His partner alerted emergency services after he failed to rendezvous with her on the summit of Bleaberry Fell.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called out about 5pm on Wednesday.

The team said his partner told rescuers he had intended solo climbing a grade-three scramble up Ashness Gill, above Ashness Bridge. She waited a considerable time and made numerous attempts to phone him.

A team spokesperson said: “Keswick team focused a search on the gill and soon located the man.

“He had fallen an unknown distance sustaining a head and various other injuries, but amazingly he had landed or slid onto a small ledge which prevented him falling down another large drop.

“A rope rescue was arranged to extract him out of the gill and after pain relief, warming, and treatment to his injuries he was stretchered to an open area where R199 from the Coastguard winched him for an airlift to Carlisle hospital.”

The incident lasted more than 3¾ hours and involved 16 Keswick MRT volunteers.