The woman fell while trying to help her husband who had fallen from Swirral Edge

A husband and wife were both injured when they fell from a ridge on England’s third highest mountain.

Police were alerted about 3.30pm today by a walker who witnessed a man fall about 130m (430ft) from Swirral Edge on Helvellyn, into Brown Cove.

While he was talking to police he saw a woman fall a longer distance down the mountainside from the same spot.

Patterdale Mountain Team was alerted a few minutes later. A team spokesperson said: “The information available to the team was sketchy because this initial 999 call came through on the emergency network and the mountain rescue team were therefore unable to call the informant back.

“A little while later the police received a second 999 call from the woman who had fallen. She had been trying to reach her husband who was the first casualty.”

The spokesperson said team members had just finished a training exercise and made their way by Land Rover to nearby Keppel Cove and then to Brown Cove on foot.

The team requested help from the Great North Air Ambulance and a Sea King search and rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland flew to the scene.

The spokesperson said: “The air ambulance flew overhead but was unable to assist due to darkness.

“The male casualty was winched into the Sea King helicopter whilst team members assessed and secured the second casualty.

“The aircraft was then able to return and evacuate the second casualty before both were flown to Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, for further treatment.”

Thirteen members of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were helped by three members of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, a member of Kendal MRT and a member of Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team.