Injured walker rescued by emergency services in rural Northumberland

The woman suffered a leg injury at McCartney’s Cave, near Castle Hill in Thrunton Woods, south of Wooler, on Monday, August 26, and was unable to walk.

Police requested the assistance of Northumberland National Park and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Teams to help out.

Using their new response vehicle, Curlew Echo, mountain rescue team members arrived at Thrunton Woods within 15 minutes of the initial request at 4.30pm. The first members arrived on scene with the casualty within 35 minutes.

The woman was assessed, treated and stabilised by one of the team medics prior to the arrival of the North East Ambulance Service community paramedic. She was administered pain relief before being placed on a vacuum mattress and lightweight Titan stretcher.

'The evacuation followed a steep narrow path through the woods,' explained NNP Mountain Rescue Team on Facebook. 'A back rope system was used to safeguard the stretcher on the steeper parts of the route back to the vehicles.

'The female was then transferred to Curlew Echo for the short journey back to the main car park, where she was handed over to a crewed ambulance for the onward journey to hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery.'

The call-out followed a busy weekend for the mountain rescue teams as they provided medical cover at The Naughty Northumbrian cycling festival.

On Saturday they dealt with a suspected neck injury requiring transportation to hospital. On Sunday they dealt with what turned out to be a broken leg, requiring a stretcher carry out.