A MOTHER today told how her teenage daughter cheated death when she plunged 100ft down a Lake District hillside in treacherous conditions.

Ann Rowntree was walking with some friends over Fleetwith Pike when she lost her footing and hurtled down the rough crag.

Today the student, from Grindleton Road, Grindleton, was recovering in hospital with a broken ankle, broken ribs, cuts and bruises.

Her mother, Elizabeth, told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "She was so lucky. I think she thought she'd had it."

Edinburgh University student Ann had gone on the walking holiday with some of her new university pals.

They were making their way along the Pike on Monday when Ann slipped and rolled down the hill until she stopped on a ledge. Her friends ran for help and she was rescued by Cockermouth Mountain Rescue and airlifted to hospital in Whitehaven. Her dad Alan was oblivious to his daughter's dramatic fall as he is on a fishing holiday in Scotland, but mum Elizabeth raced up to Cumbria to be at her daughter's bedside.

She said: "Ann enjoys walking but she doesn't get to do it a lot. This has given her quite a shock and she is very lucky her injuries weren't more serious.

"She is sitting up in bed chatting, but she is not out of the woods and still needs an operation to set her ankle. The doctors don't want to give her an anaesthetic yet though because of her broken ribs. I think they are worried about her lungs.

"Hopefully once she is stabilised she will be transferred back to Blackburn Royal Infirmary."

Mrs Rowntree contacted her husband in Scotland as soon as she heard about Ann's accident, but once they knew she was all right he decided to carry on with his trip as long as he is updated on her progress.

Ann, who is studying astro-physics at Edinburgh, is a former pupil of Westholme School, Blackburn, and Casterton High School, Kirkby Lonsdale.

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