Prince William rescues injured Ontario woman by helicopter

Prince William has come to the rescue. Again.

Four days after helping save a 16-year-old girl from drowning off the coast of Wales, the prince swooped in to rescue an injured Canadian tourist in North Wales.

Darlene Burton, 58, from Barrie, Ont., was airlifted to a hospital Monday in North Wales in a helicopter manned by none other than Prince William.

Burton is vacationing with her husband, Lawrence Oakley, doing the Anglesey coastal walk, a 10-day walk around the island where the Prince has been living and working as a helicopter rescue pilot since his wedding to his wife Kate last year.

Oakley and Burton were hiking on an isolated trail along the coast close to the picturesque Point Lynas lighthouse, when she slipped on a rock and broke her leg.

Speaking Tuesday from a hospital in Bangor, Wales, Oakley said his wife couldn't possibly move, but he was able to find local fishermen who called for help.

The five emergency responders who quickly made it up the trail, however, couldn't move her out of the trail by land.

"It was a really awkward place for the paramedics to work on her," said Oakley. But it was high and clear enough for a helicopter to bring more help. 

A Royal Air Force Sea King helicopter was called in to transfer Burton to a hospital, which is when the couple learned the prince was the pilot.

"They all know up here that that's his job," said Oakley by phone from a hospital in Wales. "He assisted in helping Darlene when they moved the stretcher out (of the helicopter)."

Burton was flown to the hospital in Bangor, where she underwent surgery. She had multiple fractures to her left leg and a plate had to be put in it. She was expected to leave the hospital as early as Wednesday.

Oakley said a Good Samaritan who helped him and his wife offered him a place to stay while his wife is in hospital. The couple is scheduled to return to Canada on Sunday.

Prince William has been a search-and-rescue pilot with the British Royal Air Force since September 2010.

The rescue comes less than a week after William flew a helicopter rescue crew to save a 16-year-old girl in the sea off Anglesey.