TWO men from Buckinghamshire were rescued in Snowdonia after being caught in a storm.

The men, aged 58 and 37, both experienced paralysis in their legs when lightning hit the ground about a metre away from where they were walking yesterday lunch time.

The Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team (ASART) was alerted to two injured men close to the summit of Aran Fawddwy near Dolgellau in Southern Snowdonia.

Spokesman for ASART, Graham O’Hanlon, said: "Initial reports suggested that they had sustained three broken legs between them, but it subsequently transpired that they had been caught up in a sudden electrical storm that disabled the mobile phone network in adjacent districts."

He said one of the men had regained some sensation but the other was unable to move his lower body.

Mr O'Hanlon added: "The difficult atmospheric conditions and low cloud base made the prospect of a helicopter evacuation unlikely, and the prospect of a double stretcher evacuation over difficult terrain meant that the South Snowdonia and Aberglaslyn Rescue Teams were called to assist.

"In the meantime, a rapid response party from ASART and the Snowdonia National Park Ranger team got to the casualties quickly to assess the situation, and a sudden lifting of the cloud base meant that the Rescue 122 helicopter from RAF Valley was able to extract the casualties and ferry them to Ysbyty Gwynedd for further medical care. All of the deployed teams were safely off the mountain by dusk."