The Coastguard helicopter in action at the incident. Photo: Patterdale MRT

A woman was seriously injured when she fell 100ft down a Lake District hillside.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by ambulance staff to the incident at 3.30pm on Friday.

The woman was reported to have fallen about 30m below Brock Crags near Hartsop.

A team spokesperson said: “The duty leader made contact with the female’s partner and established where they were. As he was speaking to them he was informed the Great North Air Ambulance was flying around trying to locate them.

“The team mobilised from Patterdale base to the scene. On arrival the air ambulance had landed in the valley bottom as there was nowhere to land close to the casualty. The casualty was examined and treated at scene by the team’s doctor for facial and head injuries and lower back pain. She had been unconscious for a short while.”

Rescuers said because the woman fell a significant distance down the hillside through a boulder field and trees, and due to the nature of her injuries, the team requested the help of a Coastguard helicopter. The crew from Caernarfon flew to the site.

The team spokesperson said: “The Coastguard has winching capabilities and due to the location this was going to be the smoothest and quickest route of evacuation.

“The female was packaged in a vacuum mattress and stretcher and then winched onto the helicopter where she was then flown to a major trauma centre at Preston.”

The team said it wished the woman a swift recovery and also thanked the Great North Air Ambulance Service and Coastguard for their part in the rescue, which lasted three hours and involved 19 Patterdale MRT volunteers.