A CAVER spent three hours hanging on a rope in the Yorkshire Dales’ biggest ‘pothole’ before being rescued.

A 31-year-old French man was treated for hypothermia and airlifted to hospital after the incident in Gaping Gill, which happened late Wednesday night.

Members of the Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation were called to deal with the underground incident on the slopes of Ingleborough, the second highest mountain in the Dales.

The caver, who was with a group of 23 travelling from Belgium, twisted his ankle on a route in the Gaping Gill system.

A CRO spokesperson said: “As a result he made slow progress ascending up the 104m main shaft and became hypothermic and hung up on the rope near Birkbeck Ledge.

“On arrival CRO members found that the casualty’s companions were slowly hauling him to the surface.

“He was now about 40 metres down, and had been hung up on the rope for two to three hours.

“Team members assisted in bringing him quickly to the surface for examination by a team doctor.

“Following warm-air treatment for hypothermia the casualty was stretchered across the moor until a RAF helicopter arrived.

“The casualty was airlifted from above Trow Gill and flown to hospital.”

Gaping Gill’s main shaft is at the centre of an extensive underground system in the limestone between Clapham and Ingleborough. Its main chamber is the largest in the country opening naturally to the surface.