They lost their way in the fog and darkness during a hike: saved after directions from the firefighters.

Twelve foreign hikers were rescued this evening on the San Rizzo Hills, in Messina, after they lost their way along the trails of the Peloritan ridge due to the darkness and thick fog.

The alarm was raised shortly before 8 PM at the firefighters' operations room, via the Emergency Number 112.

Following the operators' instructions, the group managed to reassemble and find shelter inside the Dinnammare Sanctuary, the highest point of the ridge.

The firefighters' team from the Villafranca Tirrena volunteer station intervened on site, with the support of personnel from the Social Emergency Response (Pis).

The twelve hikers, chilled by the low temperatures - about 6 degrees - and the high humidity, were assisted by the rescue personnel, who also provided them with protective jackets.

They were then escorted down on a nine-seat firefighters' bus and a Pis vehicle and returned to their respective homes.

The operation concluded without consequences for the young people.