A huge rescue operation was launched last night after seven girls were reported missing at Holme Moss.
And after a huge search involving police, mountain rescuers and a helicopter, all the teenagers were found safe and well.
The group, who had been hiking as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award, got into difficulties due to the soaring temperatures on Tuesday and suffered extreme exhaustion caused by dehydration. They became disorientated and stranded, criss-crossing the moors trying to find a footpath down from Black Hill to Crowden.
Kirklees Rural Police and a team of 22 Holme Valley Mountain Rescue volunteers were sent to the area to find them.
The group were located on the side of a clough above Heyden Brook and a police officer walked some distance to take them water before the police helicopter from Lancashire flew in to transport the girls to the summit of Holme Moss.
Kirklees Rural Officer, Pc Jayne Hall said: “We received a call at 7.20pm to reports a group of girls had come into difficulties due to the heat on the moors.
“We stopped off on the way to get some litres of water to take to them. Once I arrived I could see them but it took some time to walk to get to them carrying the water.
“They were a group of 16 and 17-year-olds doing their Gold award Duke of Edinburgh. They had gone quite a way off course when they became overcome by exhaustion and dehydration.
“The police helicopter was able to assist in evacuating them, doing a number of trips, the last one was just as light was fading. The pilot did a fantastic job landing on the uneven moorland.
“They were airlifted to the top of Holme Moss where Holme Valley Mountain Rescue had set up a rescue centre to check them out before being reunited with their group leaders.”
Owen Phillips, of Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team, said: “This incident brings home how important it is to always pay attention to the weather and go out suitably equipped.
“We frequently find ourselves saying this when the weather is cold and wet and visibility is poor, but it applies equally to extremes of hot weather.
“On hot days, you really need to take plenty of water.The combination of heat and physical activity will rapidly cause dehydration and that will affect your ability to think clearly and make sensible navigational judgments.
“This group of girls also found out that when the sun goes down and you stop moving, it can rapidly become a lot cooler - they were equipped for that and did find they needed to put extra jackets on and use their survival bags to keep warm, even after the hottest day of the year.”
“In the end it was a good result - they were all evacuated from the moor safely - and they will certainly have had a memorable end to their DofE expedition!”
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon 14 Holme Valley rescue team members went to Scammonden reservoir to help a young mountain biker who had lost control on a gravel track.
Fire crews were also there, cutting a lock from a gate to enable the team’s Land Rover to access the track down to the reservoir.
The rider suffered a suspected leg injury and cuts and bruises, after falling a quarter of a mile from the nearest road.
He was found by rescue team members and driven back by Landrover to a waiting ambulance.
