A Royal Navy Sea King from HMS Gannet in Ayrshire airlifted the walker to hospital

A walker was rescued after suffering a serious ankle injury on a Lake District footpath.

Mountain rescuers were airlifted to a site close to the woman by the Great North Air Ambulance and the walker was later flown to hospital by a Royal Navy helicopter.

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team was called out about 2.40pm on Tuesday after the 53-year-old Doncaster woman slipped and injured herself on the Scale Beck footpath near Buttermere.

The team used the Sarloc smartphone system which sends a link to the casualty’s phone which, when followed, enables rescuers to pinpoint the sender’s position.

The Great North Air Ambulance flew to the area but was unable to land at the site where the walker was, but a paramedic was dropped off nearby. The helicopter then returned to the valley to airlift mountain rescue team members to the fell.

A team spokesperson said: “After treating the lady’s injury the team carried her on a stretcher to a position where she could be safely winched into a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter. She was then flown to hospital in Carlisle.”

The rescue involved 14 volunteers from Cockermouth MRT.