A BADLY injured walker was winched aboard a rescue helicopter and flown to hospital after falling 60ft on to rocks in the Upper Dart Valley outside Ashburton.

The casualty, in her 60s, suffered multiple injuries in the tumble at the remote Bellpool Island beauty spot in the Upper Dart Valley early on Friday evening.

A coastguard search and rescue helicopter answered the 999 call together with paramedics and the Ashburton-based Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team.

The woman, found lying on rocks at the river’s edge just after 5pm, was airlifted by the Newquay-based chopper to Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital.

She received medical aid at the scene before being placed on a vacuum mattress to protect her from any spinal or back injury.

A spokesman for the Ashburton rescue team said: ‘Due to the narrow gorge and tree cover, a safe place needed to be found from which to winch the lady on to the helicopter.

‘We train frequently in the area and had previously identified likely areas for winch evacuation.

‘Members of our rope team rigged rope systems to help transport the casualty safely up the valley side on our stretcher to above the treeline from where the helicopter returned to winch the casualty onboard and onwards to Derriford.’

Initial reports suggested the woman suffered head and shoulder injuries.

A team spokesman said: ‘The Dart Valley is always a challenging area to rescue people from, and this was quite a difficult one and took several hours. We wish the lady a speedy recovery.’

The rescuers did not return to their base till midnight.

An ambulance spokesman said the emergency call for help was received at 5.25pm.

Pictures: Dartmoor Search and Rescue, Ashburton.