Walker lost in low cloud is found

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Forty members of two mountain rescue teams searched freezing Snowdonia peaks overnight for a man who became separated from two other walkers.

The alarm was raised after the man, 66, failed to return from a trip to Devil's Kitchen, above the Ogwen Valley.

The Ogwen and Llanberis teams used four search-and-rescue dogs to locate him.

He was found 2,500ft up the mountainside after teams heard his shouts for help. Rescuers have urged walkers to be better prepared.

Three rescuers with dogs from the Search and Rescue Dog Association found the man minutes after they were lowered from a RAF helicopter near Devil's Kitchen.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation spokesman Chris Lloyd explained how the man became separated from his companions.

"The party of three had gone up on the east slopes of Y Garn in fair weather," he said.

'Cloud and darkness'

"The younger two split off and went to the summit and back down and met the man who was still going up.

"They returned to their car and he continued up. Low cloud came down and he was lost in the cloud.

"They waited for him and went back up to look for him, without success, because the cloud stayed down."

Mr Lloyd said the alert went out at about 1830 GMT on Friday and the man was located at about 2100 GMT.

"He had very little equipment and no navigation equipment like a map or a whistle, torch or mobile phone.

"The tops were clear. If we had seen a torch, it could have made things a lot easier for us.

"Having been caught in cloud and darkness, he did the right thing - he just decided to take shelter and sit and wait, which is the right decision."

A spokesman for the Llanberis team said it was important visitor groups in the mountains stayed together at all times so that one person is not left alone.