Emergency services have been called out to help a man that fell 50 metres down a mountain.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were called at 10.18am on September 17 to Base Brown above Seathwaite.

A 54-year old man had been following a steep and bouldery path up the Hanging Stone ridge of Base Brown.

While negotiating a step he took a backwards fall and plummeted approximately 50 metres down the rocky slope, stopping just short of another steep drop.

A couple that had briefly joined him on the walk witnessed the accident and called 999.

Due to the severity of the fall and possible serious head injuries, the Great North Air Ambulance was requested to attend.

The helicopter searched the slopes but could not locate the casualty so flew down and landed at Seathwaite until Mountain Rescue could find the man and assess his injuries.

On locating the casualty, the decision was quickly made to request the air ambulance to pick the casualty up from the top of Sour Milk Gill in order to speed his recovery off the hill.

The casualty’s wounds were dressed and he was placed in a vacuum mattress, to minimise any further movement, before being stretchered to the awaiting helicopter for onward transfer to Carlisle Hospital.

15 mountain rescue team members were involved and the rescue took four hours.