Emergency services had to combine to complete the rescue of a woman with a suspected broken neck.

The North West Ambulance Service were forced to call firefighters after they were unable to remove the lady from her home.

Problems arose when the crew were unable to extract her.

The first crew, from Carlisle West Station, needed backup from the team at the East Station, who deployed the aerial platform.

It happened on Sunday night and crews needed to removed a window to help rescue the injured woman.

Red Watch, from Carlisle West Station, tried to help in the first instance. A spokesman for the team said: “We attended a challenging incident on Sunday evening.

“A call came in from the North West Ambulance Service where a crew needed assistance helping a lady to get from upstairs to the ambulance.

“The lady had fallen and was suffering a suspected neck fracture.

“This meant we were unable to walk her out, nor were we able to stretcher her down the stairs due to the narrow staircase and the inability to create any kind of movement that would make the injury more serious.

“The attending crew assessed the scene and requested the aerial ladder platform from Carlisle East Fire Station.

“Working closely with our colleagues from NWAS, we removed the upstairs bedroom window and used the aerial platform cage and stretcher to help the lady to the ground and into the ambulance.

“The challenges kept coming as the street has many overhead phone cables which could not be removed so the ALP cage had to be piloted through the web of wires to the window and back again with both the patient and a paramedic on board to monitor the patient on her journey.

“The incident was a lengthy process to set up as we had to take the utmost care of the patient and prepare for a potentially time-critical rescue once the stretcher was loaded into the ALP.

“The effort successfully came to its conclusion in under four minutes from loading the stretcher on the ALP to embarking the ambulance.

“An incredible example of the professionalism, dedication and teamwork from fire crews and paramedics to safely enable the patient to be conveyed to hospital and some exceptional aerial appliance operation by Red Watch.

“We wish the patient a safe and speedy recovery. Thanks to NWAS and the IEC doctors who attended and the residents who allowed us to make space for the incident on their street.”