THE crew of Portishead Lifeboat has saved scores of lives on the choppy waters of the Bristol Channel down the years.

But last weekend they carried out a dramatic rescue near the top of Britain's highest mountain.

Nine members of crew were taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the independent lifeboat trust and were half way up Ben Nevis when they saw a woman walker in front of them fall from a mountain path.

The woman, from Essex, tripped and fell 150 feet down the mountain after part of the path she was walking on gave way.

The crew members, who were walking behind her, saw her fall and shouted at her to grab something on the grassy bank below the path.

The woman, who was walking for breast cancer charities after fighting off the disease twice, cart-wheeled down the mountain until she came to rest in a river bed.

Trainee crew member Simon Gotobed, aged 26, and Bob Hone, who was also taking part in the charity hike, rushed to her aid.

The pair scrambled down the cliff and made the woman comfortable, supporting her injured back and trying to raise her out of the icy water until rescue teams arrived.

Coxswain Jon Colwill raised the alarm by blowing on the emergency whistle and radioing walk organisers to summon help from mountain rescue teams.

Fellow coxswain Andy Allen had a satellite navigation device with him and was able to give the woman's exact location to rescue crews.

Jon said: "The woman ended up with her feet pointing towards the cliff face and her head in the stream.

"She was only a few feet away from a cliff ledge with a drop of about 150ft.

"It was horrific to watch as she literally cart-wheeled down the mountain and my initial reaction was that she was dead. When she came to rest we heard her start groaning in pain."

Both Simon and Bob, 51, who lives in Shirehampton, stayed with the woman, talking to her and keeping her warm for more than an hour until emergency crews arrived.

Simon, of Portishead, who is trained in first aid, gave her basic treatment and supported her back using rucksacks.

Jon then scrambled down the cliff face and with another man, tied a rope around Bob and secured him to a tree to make sure he was safe while he stayed with the woman on the cliff ledge.

The injured woman was airlifted to hospital and, despite suffering from facial fractures, broken ribs, a broken wrist and broken fingers and severe bruising, was said to be in a stable condition.

Lifeboat volunteer Sherrie Hough-Kiberd said it was the last thing they expected but was glad they were able to help.

She said: "We have been told the woman has been flown back to Essex and should make a full recovery."

Sherrie added that, after the drama, they continued with the arduous Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours.

She said: "Due to the delay we were a few minutes over the 24-hour deadline but the organisers still gave us our medals.

"It was nice to make it to the end, where we were cheered by all the other teams."

The crew have yet to tot up all the money they have raised but are hoping to beat their £3,000 target.

To sponsor them visit www.justgiving.com/portisheadlifeboat.