Rescuers carry the injured man to the Coastguard helicopter. Photo: Keswick MRT

A walker was airlifted from a wintry Lake District fell after injuring his ankle.

The man was in a group of six descending Hind Gill above Seathwaite on Saturday when he slipped and suffered the injury.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted shortly before 2.30pm.

As team members made their way up the steep path next to the gill, the Great North Air Ambulance Service’s helicopter arrived at the scene, but was unable to land safely near the injured man, and returned to base.

A rescue team spokesperson said: “Once Keswick team reached the casualty the injured man was assessed, ankle splinted and packaged onto a stretcher.

“Due to a difficult and potentially dangerous stretcher carry down Hind Gill or a long uphill haul, a request was made for a winching helicopter.”

While awaiting the arrival of a Coastguard helicopter, three members of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service joined Keswick team members at the scene and together they dragged and carried the stretcher a short distance uphill to a better landing area for the aircraft.

“The casualty was then airlifted to Seathwaite and taken by team vehicle to Longthwaite Youth Hostel where he is staying, for onward transfer to hospital with his friends,” the spokesperson said.

The incident lasted four hours and involved 19 volunteers from Keswick MRT.