A FELL walker who was rescued from the Forest of Bowland after a ten-hour ordeal has his mobile phone to thank for helping to save his life.

Doug Hill, 24, of Broadgreen Close, Leyland, became lost on Sunday after setting out on what should have been a three mile hike.

He was eventually found by the Bowland Pennine Rescue Team on Hazlehurst Fell, in the south eastern edge of the Forest of Bowland after walking for hours in sub-zero temperatures.

He had become disorientated after setting out from Parlick Fell and for hours was unable to get a signal for his mobile phone.

He eventually did make contact with the emergency services at 7.20pm and his phone helped them track him down.

Tony Bond, rescue team leader, said: "He is very lucky to be alive. If he didn't have a mobile so we could talk to him, we would have been lucky to find him as he was so far from where he should have been on his route." Mr Hill told rescuers he was on Wolf Fell, but was actually five kilometres away on Luddock's Fell.

The rescue team helped to re-orientate him using thermal imaging from the police helicopter and people on the ground. He was eventually found walking along a fell track cold and hungry at around 10pm. He was not carrying a map, compass, spare food or clothing.

Mr Hill, who recently moved to Leyland from Surrey to be nearer the Lancashire countryside, said: "I had been walking for a long time and I felt so weary. I sat down and I lost consciousness for a moment. I really thought hypothermia was setting in and I thought that if I fell asleep I would never wake up again."

He said a text message from his girlfriend kept him going. "She said she had roast pork in the oven. I was so hungry, I knew that I had to get going! I guess she gave me the motivation."

Mr Hill, a keen walker for 10 years, was reluctant to call mountain rescue but said he had never been so glad when they found him adding, "I can't thank them enough."

Mr Hill was checked over but refused hospital treatment.