AN injured climber who fell from a crag was this afternoon (Friday, August 4) stretchered over difficult ground to a waiting ambulance by members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team.

The 59-year-old man from York fell whilst climbing Peak Scar Crag, near the Village of Hawnby, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, at around 1pm.

He injured himself when he fell and crashed into the rock face as he swung on his safety rope.

His climbing friends alerted police who in turn called the mountain rescue team volunteers for their 35th call-out of the year.

The injured climber was treated at the scene by team members before being loaded onto a mountain rescue stretcher for the awkward carry out along a muddy track up to the waiting ambulance.

He was taken to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, for treatment.

14 members of the team were involved in the incident that lasted around 3 hours.

Team spokesman, Pete Mounsey said “Peak Scar is not an easy place to get to as it is a 45-minute drive from our base and the access is down a steep muddy path.

"With our specialised equipment and ropes we were able to get first-aid equipment and care to him within minutes of us arriving on the scene and managed to get him to the waiting ambulance within about half an hour”.

Fourteen members of the mountain rescue team were involved in the incident which lasted around three hours.