A schoolgirl was airlifted to hospital yesterday after her horse fell on top of her as she rode on a Hartlepool beach.
The unnamed 14-year-old slipped from the saddle after a sand dune collapsed under her horse's feet.
The animal then fell on top of her, causing injuries to one of her legs.
The Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA) was called in by paramedics from the North East Ambulance Service because of the difficult location of the beach.
A spokesman for the GNAA told the Hartlepool Mail that a helicopter landed nearby and crew were able to 'manage the injury' before flying the girl to University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, for further treatment.