Mountain rescue team members stretcher the injured walker from Corn Du

An injured woman was stretchered from one of south Wales’s highest mountains after slipping and breaking her ankle.

Three mountain rescue teams were involved in the operation to get the walker to safety, which involved 30 volunteers.

The 34-year-old from Birmingham was on Corn Du in the Brecon Beacons national park yesterday, Saturday, when she slipped while coming down a snowy and icy track.

Other walkers, including an off-duty police officer, raised the alarm and kept her warm in the bitterly cold conditions on the 873m (2,864ft) mountain.

Members of Brecon, Central Beacons and Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams were called to her aid. Difficult weather conditions meant she could not be reached by the RAF search and rescue helicopter.

Mountain rescue team members carried her down the mountain on a stretcher to Storey Arms where an ambulance was waiting.

Mark Jones, deputy team leader of Brecon MRT, said: “The woman was in good spirits when we arrived on scene and appeared to be appropriately equipped for the current wintry conditions.

Corn Du, scene of the rescue

“We are very grateful to the passers-by who assisted her as hypothermia is the greater threat with this kind of incident.

“She was treated on the hill by a mountain rescue doctor and paramedics.

“Unfortunately she could not be airlifted directly to hospital due to low cloud.

“This meant the mountain rescue team members were needed to carry her down by stretcher. Eight people at a time work in relays to carry the stretcher down the mountain with pathfinders checking the route.

“They had to deal with deep snow, ice, steep drops and other obstacles. Members are highly trained in this, but conditions on Saturday were difficult.”

The injured woman was checked over by an ambulance paramedic and taken to Prince Charles Hospital, in Merthyr Tydfil.