Firefighters rescue family lost on hills (From Malvern Gazette)

Firefighters rescue family lost on hills

11:07am Monday 13th August 2007 in News

A FAMILY had to be rescued by firefighters from the edge of a quarry in the Malvern Hills after they became lost in the dark last night (Sunday).

The family - a man, woman, child and dog - lost their bearings and a woman contacted the emergency services at around 10.15pm on Sunday.

Firefighters eventually managed to find the family from Birmingham on a quarry ledge after a two-hour search.

The firefighters initially thought the family was in the Wyche Cutting area because they could not give precise directions.

But they were eventually discovered at around 12.30am in the north Malvern quarry area, about four miles away from where they thought they were.

Alec Mackie of Hereford and Worcester fire and rescue service said: "They didn't have a clue where they were and neither did we. We chased around the Malvern Hills trying to find them and pull them off the face of the quarries. We got a phone call from a woman saying 'We're lost - we're on the Malvern Hills'."

Firefighters had to deploy an off-road vehicle and a line rescue team to help with the search.

Eventually the family saw flashing lights from the rescue vehicle and were found.

Mr Mackie added: "They were in no immediate danger but if they had wandered around they would have slipped and fallen down the quarry face.

"This is the second group we have rescued from Birmingham. There were four young people on the quarry face a couple of weeks ago."