A FAMILY from Holcombe Brook put themselves at risk in blazing temperatures to save a holidaymaker's life.

The Sylvester family have been praised by Mallorca's emergency services for their role in rescuing a severely dehydrated man from one of the world's deepest and longest gorges.

The Sylvesters, Colin and Geraldine, and their three children, Danielle (16), Thomas (15), and nine-year-old Dominic, all played a crucial role in Sunday's rescue operation from the Torrent de Pareis gorge.

Speaking from their holiday apartment in Mallorca yesterday (Mon Aug 18) , Geraldine, a teacher at St Gabriel's RC High School, said: "We only did what anybody else would have done.

"We came across this man who was suffering from severe dehydration and he had collapsed into unconsciousness. His brother had gone to alert the emergency services. We put him in the recovery position and, when he regained consciousness, our aim was to get as much water inside of him as possible. Otherwise, he would have died. We then helped walk and carry him out of the gorge, albeit very slowly and with plenty of rests.

"We only had a limited amount of water and we all glared at Colin when he gave the man the last of our supply. The heat was blistering and we could have become casualties ourselves."

The man's rescue became a family affair. While Colin and Geraldine supported the casualty, Danielle carried his equipment while Dominic, despite early complaints of being tired from the long walk, ploughed on regardless.

But it was Thomas who proved himself a real hero. Geraldine said: "We were two hours into the walk when we found the man and Thomas, despite the soaring temperatures, ran all the way back to the start point to get more water."

After nearly two hours of winding their way down through the rocky gorge, the Sylvesters finally made contact with a mountain rescue team who had been alerted to the man's plight.

Geraldine said: "A helicopter was flying above the gorge but it is too deep and too dangerous for it to land. It was a relief when the mountain rescue team turned up.

"They said we had done a marvellous job in getting the man out alive as only two weeks ago a young girl had died in the gorge under similar circumstances."

The man was airlifted from a beach to a hospital in his home town of Palma and made a full recovery after treatment.