A TRAINING evening turned into a real-life rescue for a mountain rescue group.

The Swaledale Mountain Rescue team were planning to do some indoor rope work when they received a call from police about a sheep which had fallen down a shaft in the Buttertubs.

The Northern Echo:

"Two sessions for training this evening. Our water module three group headed off to get wet at Richmond Falls. The rest of the team planned to do some indoor rope work. A call from the police to rescue a sheep from down one of the Buttertubs shafts took us into the pouring rain!" said a spokesman.

The Northern Echo:

A photographer captured the rescue of the animal which appeared largely unijured despite its predicament.

"We undertake animal rescues not just to alleviate the suffering of the creature, but to prevent passers by from trying to rescue the animal and getting into danger," the spokesman added.

The Northern Echo: