A RUNCORN woman was winched to safety by an RAF helicopter after attempting to scatter her mum’s ashes at a remote Scottish beauty spot.

Lynda Crowther, aged 49, broke her ankle after stumbling into a pothole and had to rest her throbbing foot on the only support available - the bag containing her mum's ashes.

She was joined by sister Jackie Webber, aged 50, and niece Leeanne Craddock, aged 34, scattering the ashes up the 300ft hill near Larg, North Ayrshire.

"It was our first big family get-together since mum died three years ago.

"But near the top I went crashing down and felt my ankle break. I was trapped and in awful painful.

"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.

The trio were honouring Ina Craddock's last wish to be scattered in the same beauty spot as her late son William and said she would have found their 'antics hilarious'.

After medics stretchered Lynda on board the chopper, Leaanne adds 'there was nothing left to do but on get with the business of scattering the ashes'.

She added: "We had to get it done after everything that had happened."

"Lynda was not allowed to take her mobile on to the helicopter but we eventually found her with a broken ankle in plaster in hospital."