MISSING person in Wales - it might have made a routine call-out for Longtown Mountain Rescue. But this was Wales, Western Alaska, and terrain far tougher than home.

Two members of the team - Graham Stratford and Henry Rouse - joined Hereford firefighter Mark Callum in a rescue that has them hailed heroes to one of world's remotest communities.

All three are in Wales, Alaska, preparing for their Ice Challenger expedition - crossing a frozen Bering Strait to reach Siberia (see HT 14/3/02).

It was while surveying the route by helicopter earlier this week that their specialist skills were called upon. A young Eskimo was missing and they volunteered to fly over the trail he was taking.

Though low on fuel they saw his tracks and recorded a fixed point for reference before returning to refuel.

Picking up the tracks again it was apparent their quarry was 'obviously confused' due to constant changes in direction says Mark in an e-mail from Alaska.

His snowmobile was spotted and found to be without fuel. He seemed to have set off on foot in temperatures around minus 40c and the chances of overnight survival were slim.

By air the Challenger team followed footprints to a shallow snow scrape where the missing man was found - conscious but suffering from hypothermia.

First aid was given and the patient flown on to a medical facility for immediate treatment and reunion with his anxious family.

For the team it was a warning, if any were needed, of the risks posed by their expedition.

"A native Eskimo had nearly perished in his own back yard, a stark reminder of the potential for all of us. Had we not been in the area with a chopper then the consequences could have been very different," says Mark, a Leading Firefighter with Blue Watch based at Hereford Fire Station.

Rescues aside, Team Challenger is now into final preparations for its 90-mile crossing.