Mountain rescue team members were out until 1am on Sunday morning helping stranded motorists and campers as heavy snowfall caused havoc in the area.

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team volunteers worked tirelessly for seven hours straight on Saturday, January 4, from 6pm, and didn’t get back to their base until 1am.

The team received five callouts across Saturday evening.

Their first callout was from a walker who needed assistance as they had lost track of the footpath in the snow and low cloud on the summit of Pen y Fan. However, the team were soon stood down after another walker called to say he was helping the walker off the mountain.

Not long after, the team received a request for assistance from Dyfed-Powys Police to evacuate three ladies and a baby stranded in the snow in their car on the road between Torpantau and Pontsticill in Bannau Brycheiniog.

The team quickly dispatched both of their 4x4s and headed towards the stranded motorists.

A mile from the motorists in need, the team members came across two other vehicles stuck in the snow. Therefore, two team members went on foot to find the three women and baby as two other team members helped the newly-found vehicles.

As this was happening, the team received another call back at base about another snow-struck vehicle - this time with three people and three dogs on board. Coincidentally, the vehicle happened to be on the same road as the other stranded motorists between Torpantau and Pontsticill.

A spokesperson for Central Beacons spoke about the stuck vehicles. They said: “By foot we soon had access to those as well and we were able to walk them to our vehicles, just as the vehicles on the hill were dug free and able to move.

“We’re very grateful to someone who we only know as Matthew in his 4x4, who happened to be driving the road and assisted with transporting the baby to our vehicles. Thank you Matthew.”

During the recovery, the rescue team received their fifth request of the night from Gwent Police. They were called to assist a vulnerable missing person. The request was passed on to neighbouring rescue team, Longtown Mountain Rescue Team, as the incident was in their area.

The Central Beacons team successfully concluded their callouts and returned to their base.

A spokesperson for the team said: “By 1am on Sunday we were all heading home.

“We are also grateful to our friends at The Butchers Arms, Pontsticill, who were on standby for providing emergency accommodation, should anyone involved have needed it.”

Elsewhere in Bannau Brycheiniog, Brecon Mountain Rescue Team received a callout at around 9pm on Saturday night to assist campers located near Cwm Llwch.

They had become cold and wet, with one member of the group losing consciousness. The rescue team walked two of the campers off the hill, whilst the other casualty was stretchered off to an ambulance.

Team members returned to base and on to their homes to cap off a busy Saturday night.