A WOMAN sparked a helicopter rescue after tripping while attempting to scatter her mum’s ashes on a hill.
The rescue crew winched Lynda Crowther, 49, to safety after she fell in a pothole and broke her ankle while trying to carry out the touching tribute.
The rescue meant the deaf mum-of-two didn’t even get to see sister Jackie Webber, 50, and niece, Leeanne Craddock, 34, scatter the ashes.
“Gran would have found our antics hilarious,” said Leeanne of the eventful trip up the 300ft hill.
The trio were honouring Ina Craddock’s last wish to be scattered in the same beauty spot near Largs, North Ayrshire as her late son, William.
“It was our first big family get-together since mum died three years ago,” explained Lynda, who had travelled from her home in Runcorn, Cheshire.
“But near the top I went crashing down and felt my ankle break. I was trapped and in awful painful.”
She had to rest her throbbing foot on the only support available the bag containing her mum’s ashes.
“I bet mum never thought she’d still be supporting me three years after she died,” said Lynda of her mum, who fortunately “had a good sense of humour”.
They phoned for an ambulance but, because of their remote location, a Navy Sea King helicopter was scrambled.
Leeanne, an optical assistant from Largs, was able to guide the rescue helicopter to them via a map app on her mobile phone.
She had to communicate via sign language with stricken Lynda to keep her in the loop as to what was going on.
“Gran always loved a bit of ceremony and would have been laughing at the Royal Navy seeing her off,” added Leeanne.
After medics stretchered Lynda on board the chopper, “there was nothing left to do but on get with the business of scattering the ashes,” Leeanne said.
“We had to get it done after everything that had happened.”
Lynda was not allowed to take her mobile on to the helicopter, so the family had no idea where she had been taken.
“We eventually found her with a broken ankle in plaster in hospital,” said Leeanne.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said:
“Ambulance Control dispatched a local ambulance team to respond and quickly arranged for a rescue helicopter to pick up the patient because she was on a hillside.
“We wish her a speedy and full recovery.”
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe