SAVED: Family of four rescued in El Torcal who were lost overnight

EMERGENCY SERVICES personnel rescued a family of four who were lost in an Antequera natural park for several hours on Sunday evening.

Local and National Police officers, as well as firefighters and Civil Protection officers, were called out to the El Torcal area at around 9.20pm.

Andalucia’s 112 emergency services line contacted police to alert them to the family which was made up of a 30-year-old, 27-year-old and two children.

The family of four had set off on their walk at around 6.30pm. When night fell they could not find their way out of El Torcal, according to emergency services sources.

A National Police helicopter was despatched while personnel searched the area on foot. The helicopter was able to find the family at around 12.30am on Monday.

Personnel took the family, who were all in good health, to a Navazos farmhouse on foot before transferring them to El Torcal’s visitor centre. Relatives were there to meet them when they arrived.

El Torcal de Antequera lies in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range.

It is known for its ‘karst’ landscape created by the erosion of limestone rocks there which gives it its distinct appearance. El Torcal was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.