A SERIOUSLY injured mountain biker was rescued from the side of a Welsh mountain with the help of five Swindon teenagers.

As the group, which included triplets Ollie, Elena and Charlotte Clements, came down the Sugar Loaf in the Black Mountains last weekend they found 46-year-old Lewis Miller with broken ribs and collar bone.

The teenagers, who were doing their Duke of Edinburgh's Award, called 999 and stayed with him for four hours until help arrived.

As the sun set and Lewis’ condition deteriorated they wrapped him in sleeping bags to prevent him getting hypothermia after he complained of shooting pains and started shivering.

“That’s when we realised how serious it was,” said Ollie from North Swindon. “We were up a mountain, there wasn’t really anyone else to help us.”

Oliver Crook, from Royal Wootton Bassett and team mate Guy Saxby, from Fairford, gave mountain rescue their co-ordinates.“We were just up there trying to keep him warm and talking,” he added. “He could have fallen because it was steep going down so it was lucky we met him.”

Fearing he had concussion the young team grew increasingly concerned and again called mountain rescue to guide the teams to their location quicker. Elena, who ran down the mountain with brother Ollie, added: “We had to ring them back to make sure the emergency services got there quick enough.

“He was getting worse and he was getting more confused so I really don’t know what would have happened.We put survival bags and sleeping bags round him so he didn’t get hypothermia because that was a big concern of ours.”

Sister Charlotte said being triplets helped everyone work as a team. “You don’t think teenagers can really look after a man, we’re not qualified,” she said.

“I had faith Ollie and Elena could get down there.

“We were quite pleased, it’s nice knowing that we helped someone. “Without DoE we wouldn’t have known what to do. We just tried our best and it worked.

Team Leader John Newman said: “I’m really proud of how they reacted to the situation. The group actively engaged the man, keeping him warm and treating him for shock. They did all the coordinating for the mountain rescue team on their own and I’m very impressed with how they conducted themselves.”

When rescuers arrived the victim was treated at the scene then carried down to a waiting ambulance.

The Cirencester College students also gained a special mention and thanks on Longtown Mountain Rescue’s twitter account, @Longtownmrt, "Call out yesterday afternoon to an injured mountain biker on Sugar Loaf. The man was treated at the scene and then carried by stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Thanks to a DofE group who raised the alarm, provided shelter to the casualty and guided us to the location."