AN ABSEILER was stranded for two hours on a narrow ledge with a broken leg after a freak accident.

Mary Cahill, 34, of Bacup, was abseiling down a 40ft drop on the Minstrel climb at Widdop crags, Widdop Moor, when she caught her glove in the rope fastener that controlled her descent.

Lancashire air ambulance pilot Iain King said Ms Cahill was an experienced abseiler but the accident made her stop abruptly and swing in towards the rock face.

The impact broke her leg but she managed to lower herself down 6ft to a narrow ledge.

Mr King said Ms Cahill was abseiling with her father and another man, who reached the ledge and strapped her to the rock to prevent her falling. Rossendale search and rescue trainee Peter Gobble was also climbing nearby and ran half a mile to his car to call for help.

Search and rescue team leader Dave Barrington said: "He couldn't get a signal from his mobile phone so he had to drive towards Burnley before he could dial 999."

Mr Barrington said more than 30 people arrived to help, including Lancashire air ambulance, police, West Yorkshire and Lancashire ambulance crews and Calder Valley and Rossendale search and rescue teams.

Search and rescue team members climbed up to the 20ft-high ledge within an hour of the accident and gave Ms Cahill painkillers and medical treatment but it took another hour to strap her to a stretcher and lower her safely to the ground.

Mr Barrington said it was a dangerous operation. He said: "After we had stabilised the patient, it was more important to work safely than move quickly."

Ms Cahill was transferred to Lancashire Air Ambulance and flown to Burnley General Hospital, where she was described as comfortable.

DESCENT: Rescuers slowly lower Mary Cahill down the rock face (left)

Pictures by North West Air Ambulance Service