Pokemon Go players rescued after being stranded in cave system searching for new characters

Four teenage boys had to be rescued by three fire engine crews in Boxfields Caves, near Corsham, Wiltshire, after they became stranded in a disused mine almost 100ft deep searching for Pokémon. The teenagers had strayed into the cave while trying to find new characters in the Pokémon Go, but could not find their way out.

BBC reports that the teenagers had to wander around the Boxfields Caves until they were able to receive a phone signal to call 999. The boys failed to find Pokémon inside the winding cave network, which cover an area of about 72 sq miles (186 sq km).

"It's [Pokémon ] beyond me. I don't quite understand it, it seems to be a bit of a phenomenon at the moment, " Damien Bence, a fire station manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, told the BBC. "They were looking for these Pokemon creatures and surprisingly they didn't find any, but it's obviously leading people into dangerous situations, such as this, and things are likely to escalate if people are going to follow the rules of this game."

Bence advised people to restrict themselves from taking on any such expeditions in future, unless they know exactly what they are doing and have a map along and an experienced guide. He said it was lucky they managed to find the phone signal at the right time.

"The fire service doesn't have a statutory duty to enter underground systems. Normally we would call on other experts such as mine rescue. But in this case there's lots of local experts and guides, and we used one of those. We managed to lower down water and radios so they could communicate with us," said Bence.

The augmented reality game has become a global hit shortly after its launch with players going to the weirdest destinations to find new breeds of Pokemons. Many landmark buildings and religious site administrations have even warned players not to visit these sites with the intention to play the game.