A 68-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital after a fall on the Malvern Hills yesterday (Thursday).

She had been walking with her mother, aged 93, and sister 65, down a steep ridge on the western side of Worcestershire Beacon.

The weather changed and the trio decided to leave the path and take a shortcut.

The woman, from Sheffield, fell and twisted her ankle but got up and continued walking. However, she fell again, injuring her leg and arm so badly she was unable to move.

John Grigg, of Worcester, met the woman's sister and her elderly mother coming down the hill in search of help. As the hills were almost deserted, their efforts to attract help had gone unnoticed up to then.

Mr Grigg used his mobile phone to call for an ambulance and rushed to the casualty, covering her with his coat to keep her warm.

Waiting with the woman Mr Grigg saw another walker, who also covered the woman with his coat and went to look for the ambulance.

The Malvern ambulance arrived on the road below the woman and the air ambulance helicopter above.

"The slope was so steep it was difficult to tell whether we should take her up or down. It was a particularly tricky spot," said Mr Grigg.

Eventually Malvern paramedics John Perks and Kevin Baker helped Mr Grigg and the air ambulance crew to stretcher the woman to the helicopter.

Dave Turner, air operations controller for the County Air Ambulance, said the woman had became very cold, as it was around an hour before she was rescued.

She sustained suspected fractures of the arm and ankle and was verging on being hypothermic.

However, Mr Turner said yesterday evening that the woman was conscious and alert and was recovering in Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Mr Grigg said he was impressed that the woman's 93-year-old mother had managed to get up and down the hill. He encouraged all walkers to wear sturdy boots.