A WOMAN who suffered potentially serious injuries while out cycling with her family in Northumberland National Park was rescued after a four-hour operation.

Volunteers from North of Tyne and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue teams were called out on Tuesday, after the woman fell off her bike while cycling at Kielder reservoir.

The location of the casualty was initially unknown, but assistance from a member of staff from Forestry England allowed the teams to locate the woman at the Silvas Capitalis sculpture on the reservoir's north shore.

Hexham Courant:

A team of four mountain rescue team members travelled to the casualty in one of the teams’ rescue vehicles.

A NEAS Hazardous Area Response Team Paramedic was taken to the incident in a Forestry England pickup truck. Following an initial assessment it was agreed that the female cyclist could be assisted to the mountain rescue vehicle and transported through the forest to the dam.

Once at the dam, the casualty was handed over to a crewed ambulance for onward transport to hospital.

Hexham Courant:

A spokesman for the mountain rescue teams said: "Throughout the incident, COVID 19 protocols were adhered to and PPE worn by team members.

"On returning to base, the vehicle was cleaned outside and decontaminated on the inside in line with our COVID-19 protocols.

"The incident involved five team members for four hours. A further 12 members were stood down while travelling."