A WALKER taking part in a fundraising challenge in aid of the Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team on Saturday was involved in an three-hour rescue operation by the team she was raising money for.

During the Falcon Flyer challenge, rescuers were called out after a woman taking part injured her lower leg on Burn Howe Rigg, Fylingdales Moor, which is inaccessible to the rescue team’s 4x4 vehicles.

The casualty, from Teesside, was between checkpoints at Burn Howe Duck Pond and Jugger Howe and support crews were able to help her before response vehicles brought in medical supplies and a stretcher.

The woman had to be carried about two kilometres on a stretcher to a waiting 4x4 ambulance before she was taken to hospital.

A rescue team spokesman said: “It could have been a sprained ankle, but we couldn’t say for sure. In all, 17 team members were involved in the rescue, which lasted almost three hours. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

More than 130 walkers were taking part in the challenge, taking on either a 15 or 20-mile route. Each group taking part in the event, organised by the rescue team as one of its three fundraising challenges for the year, is given a registration form with an emergency number on.

The spokesman said that similar incidents had happened before during the Falcon Flyer. He said: “It has happened before, but infrequently.

People usually get to a check point and decide to retire, but this particular group was up on the moors.”

The next fundraising event will be the Ravenscar Coastal half-marathon on May 11. Visit srmrt.org.uk