AN elderly walker who fell 30 feet down a steep scree slope while walking in the Teign Gorge near Chagford was rescued by ambulance personnel and firefighters on Monday evening.

The 75-year-old woman had stepped to the edge of the riverside path where it runs some 60 feet above the water on the ledge cut into the side of the gorge when the path gave way, pitching her down the steep drop towards the river.

Her fall was fortunately broken by vegetation — it saved her from a vertical fall onto rocks at the water's edge, but left her in a precarious position some 30 feet above the river in the middle of an ants' nest.

Luckily, she was with her husband who, with the help of other walkers in the area, raised the alarm. The National Trust's Drogo Estate warden and an ambulance responded to the nearest road access point just over a mile away.

When the ambulance crew were unable to reach the patient they called for assistance from the retained fire crew from Chagford who brought a specialist cliff rescue stretcher and lines.

Two members of the crew were able to climb up to the patient from below and administer first aid while the lines and stretcher were set on the pathway above.

Other firefighters with the stretcher were lowered down to the patient who was secured and hauled up to the path level.

After receiving medical attention, the woman, who had been holidaying in the area, was carried back to the ambulance and transferred to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. She suffered a broken collarbone and other minor injuries.

Chagford station commander Ian Rice said: 'The lady remained in good spirit throughout and is now making an excellent recovery.

'As part of our role in civil rescue all Devon fire appliances are equipped with rescue stretchers and lines and the Chagford crew regularly practice rescue techniques in the Teign Gorge area, ready for such an emergency.'