The incident happened where the Whernside summit path turns towards Bruntscar. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

A group of Royal Marines went to the aid of a teenager who fell while descending Yorkshire’s highest mountain.

The 14-year-old girl slipped and tumbled five or six metres down the steep path on Whernside on Sunday.

The service personnel, who happened to be on the hill, kept the injured teen warm while rescuers made their way to the scene, at the point where the path leaves the summit ridge towards Bruntscar.

The Cave Rescue Organisation was called out about 1pm after the girl suffered head and possible elbow injuries in the fall.

A team spokesperson said: “After assessment and treatment by a team doctor, she was ‘packaged’ and put onto a stretcher to be sledged and carried down to a road ambulance waiting near Bruntscar.

“Our thanks to the Royal Marines who happened to be on the hill. Being prepared for winter walking in the Pennines, they put the casualty into a sleeping bag to keep warm, then assisted in the rescue.”

Later that day, the CRO was called out again when a teenager became separated from her family on Blea Moor, east of Whernside.

The team was alerted about 3.40pm as members were cleaning equipment after the previous callout. The 13-year-old was reported to have separated from the group about 2.30pm.

The spokesperson said: “When the parents returned to their car, she was nowhere to be seen, so [police] and CRO personnel were organised to search.

“As the first CRO team, with a search dog, deployed alongside the railway, the misper was walking towards them. All was well and the team stood down.”