Missing Aberdeenshire children thank rescuers after search
Two children who were lost for more than nine hours in the Aberdeenshire countryside have thanked their rescuers.
Lara Rydlewicz, 14, and her brother Matthew, 12, were dropped off by their father at the Bennachie visitor centre, near Inverurie, on Monday afternoon.
The pair then set off on their bikes on a cycle trail - but failed to return. An RAF helicopter found them.
Lara told BBC Scotland: "We were soaked and cold and starting to give up."
The pair have been recovering at home.
They were discovered in the early hours of Tuesday by an RAF helicopter using a night-vision camera.
Chief Insp Andrew Todd, from of Grampian Police mountain rescue team, said about 25 people had been drafted in to find the children as quickly as possible.
He said: "The RAF helicopter saw the kids in their night-vision camera waving when they heard the helicopter going by, which is first class.
"The kids did everything right. They did get themselves lost, as it turns out, and what they did was they waited and waited where they were warmish.
"Then when they heard the helicopter they obviously stood up and made themselves known."