A MAN was taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries after falling from the top of a waterfall.

The incident happened at Thomason Foss near Goathland in the North Yorks Moors just before 5pm yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, North Yorkshire Fire Service, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue (SRMRT) were all involved in the rescue.

Some off duty nurses had been treated the patient before arrival of emergency services.

A spokesperson for SRMRT said: "Thomason Foss, a steep sided valley, is particularly difficult to extract a casualty from and in light of the suspected injuries, we requested the assistance of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Helicopter from Humberside Airport, which completed a difficult winch from the scene of the accident and then flew the patient to Hull Royal Infirmary for definitive medical care.

"Our team had 27 team members deployed for three and three quarter hours in appropriate covid-19 PPE."

A North Yorkshire Fire Service spokesman added: "Crews provided first aid and administered oxygen to the casualty whilst awaiting the arrival of paramedics. Crews then stood by whilst the casualty was winched from the scene by the Coastguard and transferred to hospital for further treatment."