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Family Lost on Hill Saved By Camera Flash

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 January 2006, 09:00 CST

By OLIVIA KELLEHER

A HILL walker and his four children who almost froze to death on a remote mountainside were saved by a mobile phone camera flash.

Cambridge lecturer Tim Flack said he "felt like an idiot" when he had to be rescued from the top of the Caha mountains in West Cork after a seven-hour ordeal.

But the rescue teams said he had done exactly the right thing after the family got lost as they trekked across the barren Healy Pass in darkness on Monday night.

The children - two aged nine, the others seven and eight - were cold and wet but "in pretty good form" when they were taken to safety.

Gerry Christie of Kerry Mountain Rescue (KMR) said yesterday: "The man didn't have a map but he was able to give a rough description of where he had been."

The father realised he would not be able to find his way to nearby Hungry Hill in the dark and contacted gardai by mobile for help.

KMR and Castletownbere Cliff Rescue teams found the family after the father used his camera flash as a beacon.

Mr Christie added the father prevented a tragedy by contacting rescue services as soon as he realised he was out of his depth.

He said: "The father made a sensible decision by stopping moving and waiting for help. He had a good knowledge of hill walking but was acting on flawed advice that it was an easy walk."

Mr Flack was staying in a cottage in Adrigole in West Cork with his partner and their children.

He said he was amazed he was found so quickly by the rescue services.

He added: "They were absolutely fantastic. They were very professional.

"We'll definitely come back. People have been fantastic. But next time I will bring a map."

Source: Daily Mirror

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