Woman rescued in 4,500-mile alert

The research team was travelling in a remote area of Russia

A woman has been airlifted to safety in Russia - after a distress signal was picked up 4,500 miles away by a Scottish RAF base.

The alarm was raised by a research party from Nottingham University after Kimberley Warren, from Sway, Hampshire, fell from a horse and broke her leg.

Their personal locater beacon was picked up by satellites monitored by RAF Kinloss in Moray.

Russian rescue teams were alerted and sent to the remote Kamchatka region.

The 406 MHz distress beacon triggered by the research party is registered in the UK and uses GPS technology which gives a very accurate position within five seconds of being activated.

Severe weather

It was detected by the UK Mission Control Centre within the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at RAF Kinloss at about 2200 BST on Thursday.

An RAF satellite monitoring system operator contacted her Russian counterparts, who sent a rescue helicopter.

The group was nearing the end of a two-and-a-half month expedition to the Kamchatka peninsula when the accident happened.

RAF Kinloss said it was a "very unusual" situation

Severe weather made the helicopter rescue very difficult. Due to the rugged terrain within the Kamchatka Nature Park, the only way out was by either horseback or helicopter.

RAF rescue coordinator Flt Sgt Tim Dickinson told BBC Scotland it had been a "very unusual" situation for staff in Scotland to be alerting rescuers in Russia.

A spokesman for the university said: "We can confirm it's Kimberley Warren and that she has been airlifted to the town of Esso.

"She does have a broken leg but the injury is not remotely life-threatening."