The rescue squad went to Hardcastle Crags after Danuta Sullivan – a 53- year-old from Swinton, Manchester – slipped and injured her lower right leg.

Ambulance paramedics could reach Danuta, who had been out walking with a friend, but needed the team's help to get her to the ambulance.

Rescue team members were sent texts and pager messages to help in the operation and 17 out of 42 were able to respond.

Within an hour she had been splinted, transferred to one of the team's Bell stretchers, carried up some some steep stairs at the rural National Trust property and through the woods to the waiting ambulance following the accident last Thursday.

Fiona Wright, a spokeswoman for the Mytholmroyd-based Calder Valley Search and Rescue team, said all the team members were volunteers with day jobs, so it could be very unpredictable how many wild be free to help for any given callout.

"A Bell stretcher fully loaded with a casualty needs eight people to carry it and others to help spot the route for the stretcher party, so it can get quite crowded on narrow paths or where the stretcher has to be manhandled over obstacles," she said.

"The rescue team trains regularly to practice lifting and carrying casualties, callouts can be at any time of the day or night."