A PORTABLE satellite navigation system helped rescuers locate walkers stranded on a snowy crag.

The pair, in their early thirties, became lost in the Eastern Fells and phoned for help just after 3.30pm.

Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team used latitude and longitude displayed on the man and woman’s satellite navigation system to discover they were on the east side of Hart Crag, one of the Fairfield hills.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was informed and eight rescuers attended the incident.

The pair, who were believed to be visitors to the area, were walked back down to Ambleside.

Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue team leader Nick Owen said walkers without the right equipment turned fairly safe situations into dangerous events.

“This couple were never going to get back down the crag themselves – they didn’t have a torch and believed they were on the west side when they were on the east.

“Being ill-prepared makes a fairly safe environment dangerous.

“You can have the best days of you life up in the crags or the last day of your life there,” he added.