Injured woman in Pendle Hill rescue drama

The walker, who is in her late twenties, had fallen on saturated ground between Downham and Barley while out with her husband.

The Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team (PRMRT) were called out to help the stricken woman as high winds and low cloud made it too dangerous for the Air Ambulance to land.

The dramatic rescue operation saw a 15-strong team of volunteers carry the injured woman for more than a mile before she was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for treatment.

The team along with paramedics and the air ambulance were alerted to the incident at shortly after 1pm.

Graham Dalley, deputy team leader at Rossendale Pendle Mountain Rescue Team, explained that the casualty was located in an awkward position and was hypothermic when the team reached her.

They kept her warm in a casualty bag and used a vacuum splint on her injury before using a stretcher with ropes attached to slide her 300 metres down the hillside.

They then carried her for a mile across the moor to an ambulance before she was taken to hospital.

“It was the longest carry off that we have ever had,” explained Graham, who added that the conditions had deteriorated as the day progressed.

The operation took around three hours in total.