More than 50 volunteer rescue workers, five fire appliances and two helicopters were involved in a rescue when a caver suffered spinal injuries after a ladder gave way.

Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association controller Harry Long received a call at 2.27pm on Saturday to say that 63-year-old Christopher Smith had been hurt in Langstroth Pot, at Langstrothdale, Upper Wharfedale.

“He was with a party of three cavers on their way out of the system. They had been working on creating a new entrance to the pot,” he said. “They were actually on their way out and the ladder broke as Chris – whom I know – was climbing out. He fell about 15 feet and damaged the bottom two vertebrae of his spine.”

The call for help came from fellow caver Philip Ryder, from Skipton, who became unwell and was airlifted to hospital.

“It sounded like it was going to be a big operation so I got in touch with Clapham Cave Rescue Organisation and 10 of their volunteers also came out,” said Mr Long.

“Because we weren’t sure whether we would be able to get him out of the new entrance we called for help from the fire service. The idea was to pump out some of the submerged passages in case we had to try to get Chris out through the original entrance. About five or six appliances came from as far away as Tadcaster, as well as locally.

“They had had a practice session doing this exact exercise two years ago and did a great job. As it turned out the fell and cave rescue teams were able to widen part of the entrance and got Chris out just after 11pm.”

Mr Smith, from Glen Lee Lane, Keighley, was flown to hospital in Lancaster by Sea King helicopter from RAF Valley, in Anglesey, while Mr Ryder, who had chest pains, was flown by Yorkshire Air Ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary.

Mr Ryder was later transferred to Airedale General Hospital. The third caver, John Clarke, from Keighley, was shaken by the incident but unhurt.

Mr Long said he did not know why the ladder gave way. “It was an older type that had failed,” he said. He praised the volunteers and firefighters for their huge involvement in the rescue.