Pokemon Go player saved by mountain rescue crews after slipping while hunting for digital critters

A Pokemon Go player in her mid-twenties had to be saved by mountain rescue crews after slipping and suffering multiple serious injuries in Linacre Woods in Derbyshire. The woman was hunting for Pokémon through the hit AR-powered mobile game on Wednesday afternoon (7 December) when she slipped and fell.

She managed to call 999 from her phone and was rescued by the Edale Mountain Rescue Team, Ambulance Service and assisted by Buxton Mountain Rescue Team members, BBC reports. The woman was taken to the major trauma centre at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield for treatment. She is currently said to be in stable condition.

"The injured lady had been in Lincare Woods hunting for Pokemon," a spokesman for Edale Mountain Rescue told The Sun. "She suffered a bad slip and fall in the woods, resulting in suspected injuries to her ankle, back, neck and elbow as well as hyperthermia.

"When the Team arrived, the Ambulance Service has managed to gain access to the steep ground to give pain relief. However, they required the team's specialist immobilisation and evacuation equipment as well as manpower to get the woman out of the tricky spot."

"To be honest, it was only a matter of time before we were called out to someone hunting for Pokémon characters," the spokesperson added.

Launched in July, Pokémon Go quickly became a global phenomenon, encouraging players from around the globe to step outside and explore their surroundings. However, the game also sparked a slew of bizarre anecdotes and, at times, dangerous incidents from players that include personal injuries, muggings and brawls. Players have even reported discovering dead bodies whilst searching for the beloved pocket monsters.

In October, Nintendo reported in its latest earnings results that the popular mobile game resulted in increased sales of previously released software in the Pokémon series and had a huge impact on Nintendo 3DS family hardware sales, especially outside of Japan. The free-to-play smartphone game also had a significant impact on the recently released 3DS titles Pokémon Sun and Moon sales as well.

Although the initial fervour surrounding Pokémon Go has expectedly waned in recent months, developer Niantic has sought to revitalize interest and player loyalty through the release of regular updates, holiday events and collaborations.