THE FULL force of the emergency services swung into action to help a man in dire difficulties.

A Great North Air Ambulance, an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an advanced paramedic and the Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team all responded to a may day call at Skelwith Bridge, near Ambleside.

The incident happened just after lunchtime on Tuesday, February 25.

A spokeswoman from the North West Ambulance Service said: "The incident was called in at 1.14pm. and we sent a number of vehicles.

"We were called to reports that someone had collapsed.

"There was one patient who was a man in his 70s.

"He was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary by air ambulance."

A spokesman for the air ambulance said the incident happened near to Colwith Force waterfall.

He added: "We responded to reports of a patient who had gone into cardiac arrest.

"We were there within 15 minutes from our base at Langwathby and we had a doctor and paramedic on board.

"They assessed and treated a patient before airlifting him to hospital in at the Cumberland Infirmary.

"The flight to the hospital in Carlisle took 13 minutes."

The man's condition is currently unknown.