A KIRKBY Lonsdale town councillor has thanked members of the emergency services who rushed to rescue her after she fell while walking her dog.

Marie Batty stepped off a path she was walking along with her sprocker spaniel Paddy on Thursday and took a tumble down Ruskin View, badly injuring her leg.

She was unable to climb back to safety and had to call for help and more than 15 emergency services personnel – from Cumbria fire and rescue, the ambulance service, and Kendal Mountain Rescue – went to her aid.

“It was all very silly to be honest,” said Cllr Batty. “I was walking the dog and lost his harness. I moved to pick it up and I just slipped down the hill.

“My legs just went from behind me and I ended up tumbling down until I managed to hang onto a tree. If I hadn’t managed that, I would have fallen all the way to the bottom of the slope.

“I was trying to call out for anyone going past to see if I could get back to the top of the slope but I had to call for assistance. There was no way I was getting back up, my leg was gone.”

She was eventually taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary with swelling and ligament damage to her leg before being discharged the same night, and she praised the response of the emergency services.

“They were absolutely brilliant,” she said. “The fire brigade were there really quickly and mountain rescuers were on hand with the ropes.

“But they were all superb – I know a lot of them are volunteers as well and they’re all great at what they do.”

Richard Gibson, watch manager at Kendal Fire Station, said emergency services were first contacted at 1.23pm on Thursday. A fire engine from Kirkby Lonsdale attended, along with appliances from Kendal and Ulverston which were fitted with specialist equipment for the rescue.

“The rescue involved good team work with a response involving the ambulance service, mountain rescue and fire service.”