AN RAF helicopter was called to Wells Cathedral on
Tuesday, after a 68-year-old woman fell 30 feet and reportedly
became stuck between two turrets.
The rescue took three hours. A doctor abseiled to a
point 175 feet above the ground to treat her, before she was lifted
to the cathedral roof and then to Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, by
helicopter.
Her injuries are not life-threatening, but it is
understood that she broke her wrists, shoulder and pelvis.
The woman was part of a group of 12 on a "High Parts"
tour, which gives people the opportunity to "climb to the top of
the cathedral and explore hidden spaces not always accessible to
visitors".
She fell in the cathedral tower and became trapped
between an internal and external wall.
A statement from the cathedral on Tuesday said that
the incident occurred during a briefing on the final stage of the
tour.
"The Cathedral's emergency procedure was immediately
put into operation, and emergency services are now in attendance,
including the air ambulance."
The cathedral gave no further details, but it
announced the cancellation of high-parts and tower tours until
further notice.