RESCUERS covering the beautiful Brecon Beacons are used to being called out to help injured walkers, stranded hikers or members of the public in distress – but this week they were called out to rescue a four-legged friend.

Alfie the German Pointer required the assistance of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team when he fell about 30 feet over a waterfall. The incident happened at the Sgwd y Pannwr waterfall between Ystradfellte and Penderyn at the foot of the Brecon Beacons National Park on Tuesday, August 3. Thanks to a group of passers-by, Alfie was initially kept safe and brought back onto a footpath, but he was in too much pain to walk or move so the rescue team were called in to assist.

It was one of three incidents attended by the team on a busy day in an area known as Waterfall Country, hugely popular with tourists. Alfie was taken to a local veterinary practice and the team received an update from his owners that evening, saying the pet pooch is expected to make a full recovery.

“Incident number one was at lunchtime when Dyfed Powys Police asked us to assist with the rescue of a dog who’d fallen approximately 30 feet over Sgwd y Pannwr waterfall,” said the team on its Facebook page.

“We’re grateful to a large group of passers-by’s who helped the owners recover Alfie, a German Pointer, to the footpath. Sadly, poor Alfie was in too much pain to walk or be carried to the car park, so was treated to a very gentle lift onto one of our stretchers and carefully carried to a vehicle and transported to a local vets.

“Later this evening, Alfie’s owners contacted us to say he had fractured his leg in two places and will be operated on, but is expected to make a good recovery.”

They were called back to Sgwd y Pannwr for the second call-out later in the day.

“We were on our way home and it was back to the same waterfall footpath at Sgwd y Pannwr,” they said.

“This time for a lady who’d stumbled on the path and suffered a suspected fractured lower leg. Following pain relief, splint immobilisation and our second stretcher carry of the day, we carried her to the awaiting ambulance. We wish the lady a full and speedy recovery.

“While carrying the lady to the ambulance, incident number three came along when two walkers stopped at our control vehicle to report their companion missing after they’d become separated while visiting the waterfalls.

“Team members were deployed along the waterfalls trails and a team member dispatched to check all the car parks. The missing gent was located safe and well at Cwm Porth car park and our response vehicle reunited the friends for their journey home.

“We eventually returned home for belated evening meals.”

You can help the team keep doing the fantastic work they do by making a donation to help fund rescues. Visit their JustGiving page here.