The air ambulance crew treats Mrs Taylor on the summit of Calf Crag. Photo: GNAAS

A walker who decided to play safe by holidaying at home ended up being airlifted from a Lake District fell after breaking her leg.

Joan Taylor decided to eschew foreign travel at the end of last year and attempt to complete the Wainwrights.

But her expedition up Calf Crag above Far Easedale took an unfortunate turn when she fell and broke her leg.

The Great North Air Ambulance flew to the aid of the 71-year-old, from Keighley in West Yorkshire after the incident on 22 December.

She praised the air ambulance charity and the rescuers who came to her aid after the incident.

Mrs Taylor was supposed to be in Spain with her husband Jonathan but with looming tightening of Covid-19 restrictions, the couple decided to stay in England.

“Because we were packed we decided to walk the last of the Wainwrights after already completing most of them,” she said.

“We have a motorhome and weren’t planning on meeting anyone, so we thought we’d do these four Wainwrights, a dead easy walk, and still be keeping ourselves safe.”

The couple were on top of Calf Crag and just about to reach the summit cairn when Mrs Taylor slipped.

She said: “There was a flat stone and I put my stick on it and thought ‘that’s not slippy’. I put my boot on it but I didn’t see there was black ice and fell on my side and bounced.

“I stood up and I couldn’t put my left foot forward, so I crawled up to where it was flat and Jonathan phoned 999.”

The Great North Air Ambulance Service flew to the scene and assessed Mrs Taylor, before the Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team arrived.

Joan and Jonathan Taylor celebrate bagging their final Wainwright, Dow Crag

Mrs Taylor said: “It took about 15 minutes for GNAAS to arrive after ringing, and they had to manoeuvre a bit, but there was a flat area nearby, so they didn’t have to carry me far. I must admit I was in awe of GNAAS.

“It was a good response and they put me at ease and made me feel safe and ok.”

Mrs Taylor had broken the top of her femur, so she was airlifted down to the car park where an ambulance was waiting and she was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary by a road ambulance crew.

Meanwhile the mountain rescue team saved Mr Taylor a long journey by driving him down to his vehicle so he could get to the hospital in good time, which he was thankful for.

Mrs Taylor underwent an operation on Christmas Eve, meaning she spent Christmas day in hospital. However she was discharged the following day after successfully climbing the hospital’s stairs.

After the incident the couple looked up GNAAS online and decided to support them after finding out about the work the charity does in the region.

Mrs Taylor said: “GNAAS were so professional and efficient and made me feel comfortable and not apprehensive. When Jonathan went on the website, we found out more about GNAAS and decided to sign up to the lottery.”

The couple have since completed the Wainwrights, summiting the final mountain Dow Crag in the Coniston Fells exactly six months after the incident.

GNAAS has launched a raffle with a top prize of £10,000. Tickets cost £1 each and are available on the organisation’s website.