Father and son with Snowdonia national park ranger Gethin Corps, left, and Aberdyfi team volunteer Geoff Brittain. Photo: Aberdyfi SRT

Rescuers were called out to a Snowdonia mountain after a nine-year-old boy went missing when he became separated from his father.

Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team was alerted about 1.30pm on Monday to the incident on Cadair Idris.

The boy was ascending the peak with his parent via the Minffordd path when he forged ahead and went missing.

Graham O’Hanlon of the rescue team said: “The child was ranging ahead in the sunshine and was last spotted on the west ridge before the summit.

“When the father reached the summit he was shocked to see that the son was not there as expected and raised the alarm.

“A team volunteer, already on the mountain, was quickly able to make contact with the father at the summit and get a detailed account of events. Team members were deployed to all major routes off the mountain to contain the search area and quiz descending walkers.

“Given the age of the missing person, air support was requested and the Coastguard helicopter R936, which was already airborne, arrived on scene quickly.

“Just as plans for search taskings were being formulated, North Wales Police received a call saying the boy had been found, alive and well and walking down the Foxes path on the wrong side of the mountain.”

It was the second callout of the day during a busy bank holiday weekend for the team. The volunteers’ help was requested shortly after 2am in a search for a missing man in the Tywyn area.

Mr O’Hanlon said: “Search parties of team volunteers completed their search taskings and were stood down at around 6.30am.”

The weekend kicked off with an alert to help a group of walkers on Cadair Idris who were lost in poor visibility.

Mr O’Hanlon said: “The walkers, in their early 20s, had become disorientated in low cloud between Pen y Gader and Mynydd Moel, and although carrying a map and compass, were unable to use these tools to find their position in visibility reported to be down to 10m at times.

“Using PhoneFind protocols, the teams were able to remotely pinpoint the walkers and give them instructions on how to regain the path. Progress was monitored by phone and the party was able to successfully get down off the mountain.”

The injured walker is escorted down the Minffordd path. Photo: Aberdyfi SRT

About 2pm the same day the team was contacted again to aid an injured man on the same mountain.

The team spokesman said: “The man, in his early 60s, had taken a tumbling fall while descending the Minffordd Path from the summit.

“He had sustained a suspected fractured elbow along with a head and chest injury but, aided by his companion, was able to continue down as team volunteers made their way up to meet him.

“The injuries were stabilised by team casualty carers, and the man was escorted down off the mountain.”