Mountain Rescuers were called by emergency services after a father and son reported themselves lost in poor visibility.

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were called by Cumbria police after the walkers had become lost in the vicinity of Piers Gill, one of Wasdale's main accident blackspots.

Immediately recognising the potential outcomes associated with the area, the team leader, following current MREW Covid-19 protocols, deployed rescuers and the team's search dog Jess along with her handler.

As soon as Jess arrived on location with her handler she was able to locate the people who had become lost in the mist and reduced light conditions. Team members assessed the situation for risks associated with coronavirus and we able to confirm the risk as minimal.

After being checked over, the gentleman and his teenage son were issued with a head torch each and safety guide down to the valley bottom by the rest of the team, maintaining social distance.

A spokesman for Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team said: "Piers Gill is an extremely dangerous environment where we have sadly experienced many fatalities over the decades. Through making poor judgements on the weather forecast, the equipment they failed to bring and also the reliance on navigating by phone apps, the gentleman and his teenage son found themselves in a knife edge situation that could have very easily gone either way putting themselves and team members at risk.

"Nobody is perfect and human nature dictates that we can't always make the right call every time, especially under stressful situations. Therefore, to help our visitors to the Lake District to become both well informed and able to make the best decisions with the best outcomes, Wasdale MRT is working with Adventure Smart UK to provide guidance on making the right preparations and the right decisions for a day out on the mountains."