A lost dog has been found by rescuers after spending two weeks on one of England’s highest mountains.

Gemma, relaxed after her ordeal on the Lakeland fells

The animal was found today near Scafell as members of the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were searching for three people who had gone missing on neighbouring Scafell Pike during a Three Peaks Challenge. The black and tan cross-bred bitch Gemma will be reunited with her Leicester owners.

A spokesman for the rescue team said: “Her owners were delighted to know that she was alive, doubting that she could have survived this length of time alone on the Cumbrian fells.”

The mountain rescue team had been called out at 4.15 this morning, Friday 27 June, to search for the walkers. The trio, who were themselves accompanied by two dogs, were found uninjured near Cam Spout, on the Eskdale side of the Mickledore col.

Twenty rescuers were involved in the search, including six from the Duddon and Furness MRT. The walkers were found at 10.30am. The spokesman said: “They made a common navigational error, descending towards Eskdale rather than Wasdale.”

The operation took seven hours.

As reported previously on grough, the Wasdale MRT was asked for assistance by six separate groups taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge last weekend. Early Sunday morning, the team was unable to get its Land Rover to an incident because of the number of vehicles blocking the road at Wasdale Head.