TWO Irish hillwalkers needed rescuing after they became trapped in a dense rhododendron forest deep in the Tipperary mountains.

The couple, who are in their 50s, are said to be experienced hillwalkers but became trapped and cut off by thick branches of the plant and had to call for help.

Exhausted

Jimmy Barry from South Eastern Mountain Rescue said that in 15 years of rescues, this was one of the most dangerous.

He said the team was “exhausted” following the rescue.

“When we started going in, we only got 100 metres in a half an hour,” Mr Barry said.

“We literally had to crawl, drag, climb over and get down and dirty in this rhododendron.

“It took us two hours to get to the people and then another hour-and-a-half to climb all the way down to a boat (pictured).

“It was dangerous, this stuff is horrendous. It looks beautiful but it is so terrible.”

The couple had walked to the peak of the Knockmealdown Mountains on the Tipperary/Waterford border and upon descending found themselves trapped.

“They literally went into the rhododendron — it was waist high, then shoulder high,” Mr Barry told Morning Ireland.

“Then they realised they couldn’t go up, they couldn’t go down. They were stuck.

“It was a jungle out there.

“In 15 years it was probably one of the most dangerous rescues I have ever done.

“It is beautiful, but when you get in there it is horrendous,” he added.

When rescuers eventually reached them they forged a path to the shore and all were eventually removed by boat.

Widespread

Mr Barry said that the species is not native to Ireland, but is widespread on mountains.

“Because the species of rhododendron grows in layers, it grows and reaches the ground and layers again,” he said. “We literally had to shake the bushes and the people inside had to shake the bushes (to indicate where they were).”

clairemurphy@herald.ie