An elderly man was rescued after involuntarily performing 75 metres of backwards rolls down a Lake District fell.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were called out yesterday, June 12 at 11.14am, to the man after he fell from the Mousethwaite Comb path, near Blencathra, and rolled down into a gill.
The man’s companions and two passing walkers who raised the alarm looked after him until rescue teams arrived.
Due to the length of the fall and the location – coastguard were initially called as a winch extraction was thought to be required.
But a rescue team spokesman said that a medical assessment showed the ‘very stoic’ casualty to be less badly injured than first feared.
Coastguard teams were then stood down and the man was then stretchered and sledged down to the main road.
Further medical checks were then carried out and the man was transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
The rescue lasted two hours and 26 minutes and involved 12 team members.
