Rescuers at the scene. Photo: Keswick MRT

A woman was seriously injured in a fall on a Lake District fell.

The 74-year-old from Dalston tumbled about 10m (33ft) on Barf, overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake today.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, an RAF Sea King helicopter and the Great North Air Ambulance were all involved in the rescue, described as difficult and technical, of the woman from a crag on the 468m (1,535ft) hill.

Rescuers said the woman had lain undiscovered for some time and suffered multiple injuries.

A Keswick MRT spokesperson said: “A 76-year-old lady, attempting Barf from Thornthwaite, fell from the crags just above The Bishop, and took a 10m tumbling fall.

“She suffered serious injuries to her leg, wrists, ankle and chest.

“Unfortunately, the alarm was not raised for three hours, and the initial grid reference supplied was inaccurate.

“The team searched above the casualty site, but relocated after a Sea King from Valley spotted the casualty well below the reported position.

“The team then had to access the site, which was in an area of very loose unstable rock.

The Great North Air Ambulance and an RAF Sea King at the incident in which a woman was injured on Barf. Photo: GNAA

“One of the team’s doctors and a medic from the Sea King treated the lady’s injuries, so she could be packaged ready to be winched by the Sea King.

“It took 2½ hours to treat, package and get the casualty on the stretcher to a point where it was safe for the Sea King to approach, and winch her up into the aircraft.”

A Great North Air Ambulance spokesperson said: “The patient was winched into the Sea King and flown down to the Pride of Cumbria air ambulance where an accident and emergency consultant who was part of the aircrew assessed and treated the patient before she was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by the Pride of Cumbria.”

The four-hour rescue involved 16 volunteers from the Keswick team.