The group got lost on Kinder Scout. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

A large family group had to be rescued after getting into difficulties on the Peak District’s highest hill.

Kinder Mountain Rescue Team was called out and was joined by colleagues from the Glossop team and the Humberside Coastguard helicopter in the incident on Kinder Scout on Saturday.

The group called for help shortly after 6pm to say they were lost and two of them had painful ankles and felt unable to continue.

Paul Mann of the Kinder team said: “The duty controller had used Sarloc to locate the party via the GPS on one of their phones and reporting them as being part way up the Three Knolls Path, below Kinder’s edge path.

“Due to the injuries and very poor weather conditions a Coastguard helicopter was requested, but was initially unable to assist due to lightning around its home airfield.

“Another of the family party then reported a potentially serious condition and the situation was immediately escalated.

“After further discussion with the Coastguard helicopter crew, they managed to lift off, having to fly some distance to the North and around to avoid bad weather, before skilfully landing ‘wheels on’ in a hover to enable loading of the priority casualty and rapid transfer to hospital in Manchester.

“Many thanks also to our Glossop MRT colleagues who I requested be called out, to assist with stretchering and walking off the two original casualties plus other family members.”

The incident involved 18 volunteers from Kinder MRT and 10 from the Glossop team and lasted six hours.