Man airlifted to hospital after fall at Cauldron Snout (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Man rescued after fall at Cauldron Snout waterfall, Teesdale

11:23am Saturday 11th August 2012 in News By Duncan Leatherdale

Remote: Cauldron Snout

A WALKER in his 70s was airlifted to hospital by the RAF after he fell while walking next to a waterfall high in the North Pennines.

The man and his wife were walking at Cauldron Snout in Upper Teesdale, County Durham, when he slipped and fell down rocks some eight metres at 10.45am yesterday. His wife called Cumbria police who alerted the Kirkby Stephen mountain rescue team who contacted Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, who organised his rescue.

The Great North Air Ambulance and police were also dispatched to the scene but an RAF helicopter was required to winch the man to safety due to the difficult terrain.

Adam Hearn from the rescue service said: “One of our team members met the Air Ambulance, road ambulance and police on site.

“Whilst the air ambulance doctor treated the casualty our team looked at evacuation routes.

“We then requested the attendance of an RAF Sea King helicopter to winch the casualty from the steep hillside.

“The casualty was then placed in a specialist mountain rescue stretcher by us, the air ambulance and police working together.

“We then rigged the stretcher for winching and assisted the RAF winch man with the lift when the Sea King arrived.

“The casualty's wife was then assisted by police officers to return to her car in order to travel to the hospital where her husband had been flown by the RAF.”

The man in his 70s, who is understood to have been a visitor to the area and was staying in local holiday accommodation, was taken to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where he is being treated for chest and spinal injuries.

Mr Hearn said the team does do special training at Cauldron Snout - which lies on the Pennine Way - although with only three rescues there in the last 13 years, it is not a particularly dangerous spot.

He said: “The path can be quite treacherous but generally people are quite safe there.”