Royal Watch News

Prince William helps rescue pensioner

Oct 3, 2012, 11:01 GMT

Prince William

Britain's Prince William helped save a 72-year-old woman from Mount Snowdon.

The second-in-line to the throne piloted a helicopter to rescue Barbara Wilkins after she suffered with a trapped nerve in her foot while she was climbing with her husband Jeffrey and some Canadian friends, although she initially did not believe it was him.

She told Stroud Life newspaper: 'I couldn't stand on my foot. The Llanberis Mountain Rescue team came. As we got off the helicopter the pilot put his hand up to us but with his visor down.

'They said, 'Do you know who was flying that helicopter?' I said, 'No'. When they told me I said, You're pulling my leg.' '

Prince William lives in north Wales - the location of Snowdon - to do his job as a helicopter rescue pilot.

Barbara has since donated money to the rescue party, and proclaimed herself to be 'silly' to attempt to climb the mountain in the first place.

She said: 'We were silly old codgers. It is very rugged with rocks, boulders and loose screed.'