A COUPLE and their young children were today getting over being at the centre of a bizarre rescue after they got lost in Rendlesham Forest and had to be led to safety by the Suffolk police helicopter.

A COUPLE and their young children were today getting over being at the centre of a bizarre rescue after they got lost in Rendlesham Forest and had to be led to safety by the Suffolk police helicopter.

Police were called to the forest just after 9.45pm yesterday by a man who reported that he and his wife and their three children had lost their way.

The family had been staying at the Rendlesham Forest campsite and had gone for a walk in the evening.

They had been following a marked path but had become disoriented when darkness fell and they didn't have a torch with them.

The man made a 999 call to ask for help finding their way out of the forest and reported they were near two wooden statues - one of a bird and the other of a crocodile.

The Suffolk police helicopter was launched to help find the family and the crew on board were able to use high powered lights and a thermal imaging camera to find the five people and guide them back out of the forest.

By 10.35pm, they had been found and were guided back to safety.

Inspector Bruce Gent, of Suffolk police, said it was not unusual for the helicopter to help find lost or missing people.

“It is a very common call out and it is where the air support really comes into it's own,” he said.

“We often have to find people who are lost and the helicopter is regularly used for searching for people, particularly out in the open countryside.

“We do get calls from people in the forest from time to time.”

Were you the family that got lost? Have you ever been rescued from a sticky situation? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.