Six Swedish females were rescued by the Guardia Civil along Río Chíllar in Nerja on Sunday morning after their families had reported them missing.

Río Chíllar has long been a popular route for excursionists and now that the weather is warming up, hikers are lured to its crystalline waters and waterfalls… which also means that the emergency services will receive at least a score of call outs before the cold weather returns.

This particular incident unfolded over last weekend after the Policía Local were contacted by concerned relatives of five Swedish girls between the ages of twelve and 15, and an adult woman who was accompanying them. They  had failed to return from their excursion to La Cahorros Saturday afternoon.

They had set out around 16.00h for a short walk but had become lost as nightfall came around 21.00h.

Search parties sought to locate the group throughout Saturday night and it was only with the arrival of a helicopter at first light that the lost excursionists were located.

All of them were in good health, although a bit bruised and scratched because they had decided to walk the route in flip-flops – a serious oversight by the 34-year-old woman (a nurse by profession) who was supposed to be looking after them.

The Guardia Civil, after each time that they send out their mountain rescue team in search of lost hikers, tirelessly remind people that they should take adequate clothing and footwear, as well as a torch (even if it is only a planned day trip), water and energy bars/nuts.

Back in 2011 Mary Anne Goosens, a  Dutch excursionist, went missing during 18 days – she had wanted to walk to Frigiliana from Nerja via the river valley but ended up being flown back to Nerja in a helicopter after other excursionists had stumbled across her. She had lost over ten kilos as she had survived on water, only.

(News: Nerja, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)