Rescuers place the injured walker in the Great North Air Ambulance aircraft. Photo: Keswick MRT

Mountain rescuers called for airborne help after struggling to stretcher an injured walker from a Lake District fell.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was warned the teen was ‘well above average’ in build and weight and summoned as many volunteers as possible for a potential three-mile carry to the valley.

The 16-year-old fell and injured his knee while with a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group at Lining Crag near Greenup Edge on Wednesday.

The Keswick team was called out at 1.45pm to aid the youth, who was unable to bear any weight on his damaged knee. A team spokesperson said: “The team really needed as many as possible to carry him a distance of three miles down to Stonethwaite.

“In the event, we had 12 on the hill, and after struggling to carry him any distance, we requested assistance from the Great North Air Ambulance. The crew swiftly diagnosed a possible cruciate ligament injury, which would require hospital treatment.

“After eight of us loaded him into Helimed 58, he was flown to the Cumberland Infirmary for treatment, for which we were very grateful, as we foresaw a very lengthy extraction from the hill.”

The rescue involved 14 Keswick MRT volunteers for almost 3¾ hours.

While the incident on Greenup Edge was happening, police contacted the team for help with an injured walker on the shore of Derwent Water. A 21-year-old woman had slipped on roots at the edge of the lake and fell 2m on to rocks below, injuring her ankle.

A Keswick MRT spokesperson said: “Given the commitment of the team to a larger incident, the police were asked to page Cockermouth MRT to assist.

“Fortunately five Keswick team members who had not been available at the beginning of the previous incident were able to attend, and with the assistance of a boat from the marina, were able to transport her to Nichol End, where she could be loaded into an ambulance.

“Cockermouth Team were asked to continue until it was clear that the issue was resolved, and were then stood down. Our thanks to them for being so willing to come and help.”

The incident involved five Keswick and seven Cockermouth volunteers and lasted almost an hour.