Harrop Tarn, scene of the incident. Photo: Karl and Ali CC-BY-SA-2,0

A walker was rescued from a Lakeland fell after breaking his ankle.

But the 70-year-old man managed to re-locate his dislocated joint while waiting for the rescue team to arrive.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted about 2pm yesterday after the man slipped on wet grass while walking with a friend near Harrop Tarn above Thirlmere.

The rescue team splinted his leg and the Great North Air Ambulance flew to the site to airlift the injured man.

A spokesperson for Keswick MRT said: “However, as the ground was so soft, the only solid location for landing proved to be 400m uphill, so the team stretchered him to the aircraft.

“He was then flown to West Cumberland Hospital [in Whitehaven] for further treatment.”

The rescue was the team’s 76th callout of 2012 and involved 19 members.