Teenager rescued by Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team after trying to save lamb

A TEENAGE boy who tried to be a Good Samaritan had to be rescued himself.

The boy became stuck after clambering down a 70-foot rocky cliff at Digley – to try to rescue a stranded lamb.

In the end, both boy and lamb had to be rescued by members of the Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team.

Both were finally helped to safety after a two-hour ordeal.

The team were called out late on Sunday to rescue a lamb from a remote quarry ledge on the outskirts of Digley, Holmbridge.

The call was made by a concerned member of the public who had noticed the agitated lamb on the ledge while out walking.

But when rescue team members arrived at the scene they found the lamb 60ft up on a precarious ledge – and a scared youngster sitting next to it.

The teenager who had been out walking noticed the lamb and climbed the rock face to try and help. Unfortunately, the lamb had other ideas and had no interest in the teenagers help, ultimately evading capture.

Given the wet and slippery location of the ledge and rock face the teenager was also unable to get down.

Woodhead spokesman Scott Roberts said: “We members erected a rope system with one of the team abseiling down on to the ledge from higher up in the quarry.

“After a tense stand-off leading to a strategic dance around the ledge the lamb was captured, secured in a rescue harness and lowered to safety.

“Our man then climbed back up the slippery rock face to rescue his second casualty, the teenager, also lowering him to safety.

“Thankfully, both the teenager and the lamb were uninjured in the incident.

“It was an unusual call. Although we have been called out to incidents like this before generally when we arrive the animal has decided that they don’t need rescuing after all and have moved on.

“However, to arrive and find the lamb on the ledge unable to get down and with a teenage boy sat beside it was definitely a new one for us.

“It was a very difficult location to access and the guys had to crawl through bramble bushes to get access.

“However, on a serious note if members of the public do find animals in situations such as this they should not try and rescue the animal themselves and they should call the emergency services.

“Had the teenager fallen from that position he could have been seriously injured.”