Charged phone helps in woodland rescue mission

Crews from a number of emergency services helped rescue the group

A group of people who were rescued from a woodland have been praised for having a charged mobile phone on them.

HM Coastguard said emergency services were called to the woods near Bucks Mills in north Devon at 20:50 BST on Friday after two adults and four children got lost and became "disorientated in difficult terrain" near a cliff edge.

All six were lowered down to a beach during the operation which also involved firefighters, search and rescue teams, the RNLI, police and paramedics, the coastguard said.

It added the rescue crews were "assisted greatly" by one of the group having a charged mobile phone on them.

A Facebook post from Bideford Coastguard Rescue Team said rescuers used ropes to help get the group down to the beach.

It added the fact one of the group had a phone with enough charge to make the emergency call was a key reason why the rescue was successful.

"Carrying a charged mobile device assisted greatly in this time of need," the post said.