When his mother tumbled down a ravine during a terrifying pitch-black mountain top ordeal, 10-year-old Sebastian Williams showed his incredible cool by calmly calling for help and keeping her alive.
But the schoolboy had to keep himself together again this week after he received an unexpected visit by David Beckham, who presented him with a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain, in partnership with TSB, Child of Courage award.
The youngster had arrived at the Langham Hotel in London thinking he was there for a TV interview, but gasped in disbelief as the ex-England captain walked into the room, grinning and laughing.
Sebi had been nominated by the Oban Mountain Rescue Team, who he had guided to the place where his mother was laying with multiple broken bones.
“I’ve heard all about your story and it is incredible and so inspiring,” David told him, before his dad - who was in on the surprise - gave him a black box continuing his award.
Sebi, now 11, said: “I couldn’t believe it. He said I’d been very brave, then said I’d won a Pride of Britain award. It was amazing.
“He was so lovely and gave us loads of autographed stuff. He asked what team I supported and when I said Arsenal he went “nooo!’ But he was only joking, as he said one of his sons supported them too.
“I was like, ‘Wow. That’s David Beckham, he’s here. It was really cool meeting a football legend because not many people get to do that. And it’s great to be rewarded. But I’m just really happy that I have my mum.”
The moment is one of the highlights of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2020, in partnership with TSB, which will be screened on Sunday at 9pm on ITV.
Sebi was on holiday with his parents, Derek and Suzanne, and his two younger sisters last October when a fun day out turned into a terrifying nightmare.
The family, from London, had set off on walk up Ben Cruachan, a 1,126m peak in Argyll and Bute. As they made their descent, the weather deteriorated and the family took a wrong turn, becoming lost as darkness fell.
As the family tried to find the safest way down, Suzanne, 43, who was a little further down than the others, suddenly stepped off the grass onto some granite rock.
But as she did, she tripped and lost her footing. Her family could only watch in horror as she started tumbling down the mountain.
Derek said: “It felt like it was happening in slow motion. She was bouncing down the mountain so fast, her body being battered and twisted.”
Finally, Suzanne came to a stop 60m down, near a river and waterfall, her body half in the water, after jamming the sole of her foot into a gap in the rocks.
“We were all terrified, I didn’t know what to do, as I had Sebi’s sisters with me, and they were sobbing,” said Derek, who tried tried to call for help, but the battery on his phone was dead.
In the middle of the most terrifying ordeal of their lives, Sebi kept a calm head.
Before his father could stop him, young Sebi scrambled 100m to the bottom of the ravine, where he found his mum barely conscious, surrounded by scrub and rocks.
Sebi didn’t thought twice about getting to his mum.
“I knew she needed me,” the youngster said. “I managed to get to her, and she was curled in a ball. I couldn’t see what injuries she had, but I could tell she was in a lot of pain and that she was badly hurt.”
Suzanne, 43, managed to call 999 on her mobile, but in so much pain, it was Sebi who took control of the situation and started talking to the emergency services controller.
Sebi said: “They needed me to stay on the line, keep talking to them and trying to let them know where we were. They told me to put my headlight on so they could see us. I did and kept holding Mum’s hand and talking to her so she didn’t fall asleep.”
Sebi calmly did exactly as they told him, all the while comforting Suzanne.
“I couldn’t hear what he was saying,” Derek says. “But afterwards, the mountain rescue team told me he did exactly as they told him and was so calm add polite.”
Suzanne was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, where she had surgery for two broken bones in her neck, gashes all over body and a shattered kneecap.
“The knee was her worst injury, she lost 60 percent of it,” Derek says.
“But she was alive, and Sebi had definitely helped with that. When we got to see Suzanne, it was very emotional and she was, and still is, so proud of Sebi.”
Suzanne spent three weeks in hospital in Scotland, before being transferred to St Mary’s in London, where the family live in Hammersmith.
The family’s mountain ordeal hasn’t put them off though. Recently they all, including Suzanne, who still has limited movement in her knee, scaled Ben Nevis and raised £14,000 for the mountain rescue team.
Captain Craig Sweeney of Prestwick Search and Rescue said: “We have absolutely no doubt that without the brave actions of Sebastian, his mum would probably not be with us today. He has redefined the word brave.”
David Beckham agrees. He said: “Sebastian’s story is so inspiring - for a young boy to show such courage and devotion to his mother and family is incredible.
"As a father myself, I can’t imagine how Sebastian’s parents must have felt going through this ordeal. It is so special to see how proud they are of Sebastian and how his younger sisters look up to him. I loved spending time with the family and am in awe of Sebastian’s bravery.
“The Child of Courage Award is always such a special one to present. Pride of Britain is so important in honouring and celebrating everyday heroes and Sebastian certainly is one of those.”
- Don’t miss the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2020, in partnership with TSB, on Sunday, 9pm, ITV and repeated on Monday at 10.45pm
