The couple had difficulty finding their way after reaching Pen y Fan's summit in poor visibility

A couple lost in mist on south Wales’s highest mountain were rescued after a five-hour search.

The Maltese couple called for help when they couldn’t find their way off Pen y Fan on Friday.

They reached the 886m (2,907ft) summit but became disoriented in low cloud. The pair, who did not have a map, called for help at 3pm.

Members of the Brecon and Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Teams were joined in the search by members of the Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales and an RAF Sea King helicopter and crew from RMB Chivenor in Devon.

A total of 35 volunteer rescuers took part in the rescue.

Mark Jones, deputy team leader of Brecon MRT said: “Unfortunately the couple didn’t have a map or compass so when the cloud came down they were unable to navigate their way down the mountain. They did the right thing by calling for help.

“The weather conditions on the mountain were appalling, with low temperatures and cloud making the search difficult.

“The RAF helicopter was unable to reach the missing couple due to these difficult conditions.”

Two search and rescue dogs found the couple at 8pm and they were warmed up and escorted off the mountain to the Brecon MRT control vehicle where they were checked over by team doctors.

Mr Jones added: “We are just pleased that we found them and they were uninjured.

“This was our first call out of 2013. Last year the team attended 93 calls, including the search for April Jones in Machynlleth, providing 4,500 man hours of operation time.

“I’d like to pay tribute to all our team members who have been tireless in their dedication and no matter what the hour or weather conditions they turn out when the call comes.”