It was a really bad idea on the part of the parents but an adventure for their kids, beyond anything a summer holiday can come up with: a helicopter rescue!

Two adults accompanied by five children had become stranded in the waterfall route along the Rió Verde canyon above Otívar.

The only equipment that the adults in question had thought to take along was bathing costumes and trainers. In other words, not only a dearth of practical items for covering this type of ground, but a complete lack of equipment in case something went wrong… which it did.

The adult who stayed with the children, (aged between nine and 16) was the father of two of the children and the uncle to the other three. In the meantime, the other adult who went to help had a 3-hour walk to reach their parked car and thus call for help.

The Guardia Civil called out their mountain-rescue team, Sereim as well as a support helicopter in order to reach the family before the night closed in. Fortunately, the helicopter was already hovering over the party below as dusk set in.

Everybody was in good health, although the kids were no doubt overdosing on excitement and the family was flown, two at a time, to where their car was parked and where the other adult was waiting.

How had they got into this jam? Simply put, they had descended the string of waterfalls until they came to one that was to high for the to clamber down – probably the waterfall known as the “Y-waterfall.” Of course, without equipment, they couldn’t go back the way they had come, either. Good plan!

(News: Otivar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)