A TEENAGER had to be airlifted to hospital after falling while ghyll scrambling.

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team was called out to the incident at Church Beck near Coniston yesterday.

An organised group was ghyll scrambling in the beck hen one of the youths fell onto rocks on the stream bed.

There was concern over ‘possible multiple injuries’.

The rescue team were contacted by Cumbria Police and immediately dispatched two Land Rovers just after 4pm.

The Great North Air Ambulance Helimed 58 from Langwathby landed close by and its crew joined Coniston Mountain Rescue Team.

In a post on social media, they reported: “The casualty was assessed, strong pain relief given, and he was placed in a vacuum mattress (which acts as a body splint) onto our stretcher.”

The team set up a rope system to raise the stretcher out of the gorge to flatter ground.

The stretcher was then carried up the last part to the track to the Helicopter and the casualty was flown to Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for treatment.

The incident lasted for two hours and 30 minutes and was attended by 16 volunteer team members.

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team said: “We hope that the crew got back to Langwathby before the wet weather closed in.”