Boy who saved his mum's life wins Pride of Britain Award

A schoolboy has won a top award for bravery for saving his mother after she fell 100 feet down a ravine

Sebastian Williams will be presented with a Pride of Britain Child of Courage Award tomorrow night in recognition of his quick thinking and cool head under pressure.

The 11-year-old, who attends St Columba's Church in London with his family, climbed down the gorge at Ben Cruachan near Oban to comfort his seriously injured mother, Suzanne, and raised the alarm using her mobile phone.

He helped guide in a Coastguard helicopter and Mountain Rescue team and she was airlifted to hospital.

Mrs Williams, 43, said she is lucky to be alive after losing her footing during the family holiday on the 21st of October last year.

She managed to stop her descent to the ground 200 feet further below by jamming the sole of her foot into a gap in the rocks.

Serious injury

Sebastian, known to his family as Seb, climbed down and held her hand and talked to her for around 30 minutes to keep her conscious while they waited for the mountain rescue team to arrive.

Recalling the incident, he said: "I just reacted when I saw mum fall - I was not scared at the time."

Asked what he spoke to her about, he said: "I was telling her about the amazing holiday we were going to have in Namibia, how we were going to go horse riding the next day and how everything was fine and they (mountain rescue) were coming."

Mrs Williams, who grew up near Perth, was left with a gash on her head, suffered two broken bones in her neck, a broken jaw and smashed her right kneecap.

She spent three weeks in Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth and Royal Infirmary hospitals and a week in St Mary's Hospital in London.

Asked what she thought about her son's honour, Mrs Williams said: "I am incredibly proud and very touched by it and continue to be amazed by what he did, and the support he and all my family have given me ever since.

"He is excited and very happy to have won the award and is touched that Oban MRT and Coastguards nominated him.

"He enjoys having it but he has not been changed by it and is being very pragmatic."

'Much deserved' award

Mrs Williams's husband Derek and daughters Francesca, 10, and six-year-old Natasha, were on the walking trip when the accident happened.

Last month the family returned to the west coast and climbed Ben Nevis to raise money for rescuers and a children's charity.

They have raised more than £12,000 so far.

The family's minister at St Columba's Church on Pont Street, Rev Angus MacLeod, said: "This is wonderful news and the award is much deserved.

"Well done Sebastian, we are mighty proud of you."

Mrs William's parents, Colin and Carol Proudfoot, are members of Kinnoull Parish Church in Perth.

The Pride of Britain Awards is on STV on Sunday at 9pm.