Irish climber rescues 3-year-old boy stuck in rock crevice

The Högberg family was walking in a popular hiking area in southern Sweden when their son, 3-year-old Leo, fell into a narrow crevice in the rock.

He was wedged three metres down in a crack too narrow for an adult to access.

Leo's parents, Henrik and Linn Högberg worked with a team of rescues as night fell, desperate to free their little boy. Each attempt proved unsuccessful: Leo wouldn't grab the rope as instructed, he panicked and let go once he did, and a local girl who tried to climb down found the space too small for her.

After five and a half hours in the crevice, Leo was finally rescued by David Crawley, a Malmö climber from Ireland who was passing by. Crawley managed to dangle upside down far enough to reach Leo's hand.

"I am pretty slim and could get down headfirst while the emergency services held my ankles," Crawley said.

"We are so terribly grateful for the fantastic input of the emergency services and the climber who helped us," Henrik Högberg said after his son was back safely on solid ground.