The man was camping near Sprinkling Tarn when he was taken ill

A man wild camping in the Lake District had to be airlifted to hospital after suffering severe abdominal pains.

The 37-year-old was with two others at Sprinkling Tarn, north of Great End in the Scafell range yesterday when he fell ill.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted at 11.40am. Team members had already been called out to help police recover a body that was discovered by a walker in Brandlehow Woods on the western shore of Derwent Water.

Cockermouth MRT took over the task to allow their Keswick colleagues to divert to the more urgent call in the Central Fells, where the camper was reported to be extremely poorly.

A Keswick MRT spokesperson said: “The team responded directly from the previous incident and made its way swiftly to Seathwaite, while requesting air support.

“After a short delay, the Great North Air Ambulance was able to respond, and a team support party set off up the hill to assist the other two members of the party to evacuate the site. The casualty was flown to the Furness General Hospital for treatment, and the team brought the others of his party back to Keswick to sort out transport.”

The rescue was one of six the Keswick team was called out to in a busy four-day period.

On Thursday, a couple tackling Wainwright’s route up Barf, overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake, got into difficulties after getting stuck at the foot of Slape Crag.

The team spokesperson said: “The husband managed to get up it with difficulty, while his wife was stuck below.

“He was unable to reverse the move, and she could not get down the route they had come up. The team went out to assist, and while one group rigged a rope to assist the wife down, accompanied by two team members, another member walked the husband up on to the upper footpath, and then down to reunite the couple at Thornthwaite.”

The following day, team members went to Lodore Falls in Borrowdale, where a 79-year-old woman had slipped on a steep path, breaking and dislocating her ankle.

The Keswick MRT spokesperson said: “An ambulance crew attended but was unable to get her to the ambulance because of the steep ground. It also became clear that a doctor was needed to reduce the fracture.

“The team doctor was able to attend, and the team then stretchered her down to the ambulance. She was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle for treatment.”

On Saturday, the team was again called out to help a trailrunner taking part in an organised event after he turned his ankle on Lonscale Fell and was unable to put any weight on it.

The spokesperson said: “Some team members went direct, and a Land Rover was able to drive all the way to the top gate on the track, from where it was only 300m to the casualty site. The runner was splinted at the scene, and then carried as far as the Land Rover.”

The 37-year-old man was then driven off the fell to an ambulance waiting at the Gale Road car park. He was then taken to Cumberland Infirmary for further treatment.

On Sunday, after dealing with the ill camper, Keswick MRT was again called out, shortly before 3pm, to help a 61-year-old woman who slipped while coming down to Sail Hawse, above Coledale, suffering a seriously dislocated ankle.

The spokesperson said: “The team accessed the scene by driving up High Coledale to Oughterside, and then via the Stoneycroft path.

“Analgesia was administered, and the team doctor relocated the ankle. After splinting, the casualty was stretchered down to Force Crag mine.

“The team vehicles were transferred round, and the casualty was eventually handed over to an ambulance crew at Braithwaite. She was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary for treatment.

“The team returned to base to clear up, and stood down some seven hours after being called out.”

Cumbria Constabulary said enquiries are continuing into the discovery of the Brandlehow body. A spokesperson said: “The death is not believed to be suspicious at this time.

“The coroner will be informed.”