A DRAMATIC New Year's Day rescue saw a walker pulled out of a freezing cold river after being swept almost half a mile down a waterfalls trail.

The 40-year-old man had to be airlifted to hospital with serious injuries and hypothermia after he was rescued by fellow walkers, who ran after him down the trail at Ingleton Falls as he was carried along.

The man fell into the River Doe somewhere above Snow Falls on the popular trail before being swept down river.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Firefighters from Bentham and volunteers from Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation members helped carry the 40-year-old to the air ambulance, which rushed the man to hospital.

He suffered multiple fractures and hypothermia, and police have described his injuries as 'serious but not life-threatening'.

The man, who has not been named, was believed to be walking with a group on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail and fell in somewhere above Snow Falls shortly after 3pm. Others in his group almost immediately realised he was in the river and 'phoned emergency services.

They chased down the river bank after him and, with the help of passers-by, managed to pull him out above Storrs Common in a spot where the water was a little shallower and calmer than further upstream.

Paramedics attended to the man, who is thought to have broken ribs and a fractured pelvis among other injuries, at the scene.

Cave rescue volunteers and firefighters carried him for more than a quarter-of-a-mile to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which took him to the Royal Preston Hospital.

Rae Lonsdale, of the Cave Rescue Organisation, said the rescue had been 'a good team effort'.

"It appears that the injured man's friends raised the alarm quickly, which helped the emergency services to get to the scene quickly.

"There were other walkers around also, who saw the man floating past and rang for help. Obviously the river is very cold at this time of year and the man was hypothermic when he was pulled from the water. A decision was made that he needed to be evacuated rapidly.

"He was put on a team stretcher and carried to the air ambulance. All the emergency teams performed well together."

It was the first incident of the New Year for the Cave Rescue team, which had its busiest ever year in 2016. Members attended 99 incidents and 134 people were rescued, recovered or otherwise helped.