A YORK woman is to be honoured for bravery for her efforts to revive the victim of a horrific glider crash.

Margaret James, 50, of Balmoral Terrace, South Bank, has been awarded a Royal Humane Society certificate of commendation after she and a friend tried to save the life of a pilot whose glider crashed last year.

The crash victim, 50-year-old Lynn Martindale, later died of the injuries she suffered when her glider crashed into a field at Ellingstring, near Masham, on June 29.

Margaret was out walking with her friend Muriel Oates, of Hull, who also gets an award, when they saw Ms Martindale's plane lying in a field.

She said the pair had seen the plane in the air while they were enjoying their lunch earlier in the day.

"When we saw it in the field, it just looked like it had been there for a long while.

"But I said - there's somebody in that."

While Muriel ran to get help from a nearby farm, Margaret sat with Ms Martindale. After emergency crews arrived, the pair helped by holding an oxygen mask on her face.

Margaret said: "We were there for probably an hour or so - just trying to keep her calm.

"It's just what anybody would do."

No date has yet been set for the presentation of the award, made on the recommendation of North Yorkshire Police Chief Della Cannings.

Major General Christopher Tyler, secretary of the Royal Humane Society, praised the women's efforts, saying: "Just to say that they administered first aid does not adequately describe their tireless and frankly brave efforts in trying to help the pilot.

"These women did everything they could, and thoroughly deserve an award for the selfless care they showed while dealing with a terribly traumatic situation.

"This incident just goes to show that an emergency can occur at any time - even during a quiet country walk in a remote location."

Updated: 10:26 Saturday, May 01, 2004