Onlookers described witnessing a 'miracle' after a three year old boy emerged unscathed after falling 140ft at the Pystyll Rhaeadr waterfalls.

The young boy and his aunt, who were visiting the area from Liverpool, had been climbing near the side of the falls on Sunday, May 13 when disaster struck around two thirds of the way to the top, as the boy slipped and plunged into a deep pool at the bottom of the falls, according to eyewitnesses.

He was rescued by an onlooker who plunged in to retrieve him, before emerging screaming but alive and well, to the relief of a crowd of around 70 shocked tourists.

Cafe Owner Phil Facey, who runs the Pystyll Rhaeadr Restaurant and Tearooms near the foot of the waterfall, said it was miraculous that the boy had emerged unscathed.

"Something really special happened here. It was a miracle, it's the only way I can describe it," he said.

"They had gone climbing where they shouldn't go and had got into difficulty. They were on their way down past a very precarious cliff edge and the little boy just slipped.

"It must have been 140ft, we watched him tumbling down the waterfall along with his aunt, who was fortunate enough to get snagged on a tree on the way down and come to a grinding halt.

"He was carried through the crowd of around 50-70 people after being rescued from the pool. He had one scratch on his cheek. It was an absolutely magical moment."

The boy's aunt was rescued from her position by a climber, who helped her to safety while the young boy was being cared for by staff at the tea rooms.

The air ambulance was called and arrived on the scene around twenty minutes later, when the boy and his aunt were checked over by doctors and given the all clear.

Over 200,000 people per year visit the Pystyll Rhaeadr, which is the largest single drop waterfall in the UK.