Boy deserves award for helping mother after mountain plunge, say rescuers

A 10-year-old boy who helped rescue his mother after she took a plunge during a mountain climb deserves an award, her rescuers said.

Oban Mountain Rescue Team praised the actions of the youngster, who managed to reach his mother on Ben Cruachan in Argyll after a serious fall and look after her until help arrived.

The boy, plus his mother, father and two other children aged five and nine, took a wrong turn while descending the 3,694ft mountain on Monday and ended up on very steep ground.

Oban MRT said on its Facebook page: “The lad was talking to his mum, reassuring her that help was on the way and keeping her conscious.

“It took our hasty party about 30 mins to get to the scene up a very steep hillside and to set up a basic safety system and to start to treat the casualty, all the while the lad was talking to his mum.”

The woman was later winched from the mountain by a rescue helicopter crew based at Prestwick and taken to hospital in Glasgow where she is said to be doing well.

The team said: “We had to assist the rest of the family off the hill. I think the kids went down the hill quicker than some of our team members.

“This was a superb effort by all the Oban MRT team members and Rescue 199 in dealing with a technical rescue on steep ground in the dark. The result is that mum is doing well in Glasgow.”

They said of the boy: “A brave lad who should get an award for his actions.

“Just getting to his mum was hard, then looking after his mother in extreme situation, talking to the police and keeping calm – he was amazing.”