22 Jul 2009 : Hilltop Rescue

The team were called out on Tuesday evening (21st July 2009) to Bunster Hill at Dovedale to rescue a woman who had injured her ankle whilst out walking with her husband and two young children.The woman had twisted her ankle earlier in the day but had been able to carry on. Later, as the weather deteriorated, the family decided to make their way down the high ridge of Bunster Hill back to their car when the woman went over on her ankle causing a painful sprain or possible fracture.

The team arrived on scene first and climbed the hill to administer first aid whilst a Midlands Air Ambulance tried to make their way to the location. The weather was worsening and the air ambulance was unable to land in the immediate vicinity and was forced to land much further along the ridge in a lower position.

The woman was carried by stretcher along the side of the slippery steep ridge to the waiting helicopter but due to the worsening conditions the helicopter was now unable to take off.The team used their Land Rover to drive across fields to get as close to the scene as possible and the woman was then carried from the helicopter to the vehicle and transported back down to the road, where she was transferred to hospital by road ambulance.

The air ambulance crew had made arrangements to leave the aircraft on the hill overnight but a sudden break in the weather allowed them to lift off and return to base.