Rescuers stretcher the walker from the fell. Photo: Keswick MRT

An injured walker was stretchered from a Lake District fell in a 4½-hour operation.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called out about 8.30pm on Thursday to aid the man at Esk Hause in the Scafell range.

Team members had assembled at their base for a regular training session when they were alerted to the incident.

The 53-year-old slipped, injuring his thigh muscles, and could not bear weight on the leg, leaving him unable to make his way off the fells.

His three companions pitched a tent for shelter at the site and called for help.

A team spokesperson said: “We abandoned training, got dressed for the conditions and headed up Borrowdale.

“After such a long dry spell the weather was making up for it with driving rain and swollen streams. The team found the men above Esk Hause and while the team doctor assessed the casualty two team members accompanied the three uninjured men down towards Borrowdale.

“The casualty was ‘dressed’ in two casualty bags and a plastic bivvy bag to keep the rain off and strapped onto the stretcher.

“At 6ft 3ins the casualty was somewhat longer and heavier than the norm. This, combined with the driving rain, the saturated ground and the length of the carry, meant frequent stops were required to swap over the carrying team.

“We handed the casualty over to a waiting ambulance at Seathwaite and headed back to base to dry out kit.”

The rescue involved 20 volunteers from Keswick MRT.