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A Scottish woman suffered a broken back after a terrifying 20-foot fall from a coastal path, with her quick-thinking companions saving her from potentially drowning.
Lesley Nicol, 50, recounted the traumatic incident that occurred while she was out for a stroll along the Fife Coastal Path with her husband, father, and a friend on March 9 last year.
Suddenly, the ground crumbled beneath her, causing her to plummet down the cliff onto rocky terrain below.
Reliving the distressing event, Lesley explained: “I can remember looking up and trying to grab hold of something – the next thing I felt was landing feet first on the rocks, falling backwards and hitting my head. And then a lot of pain.”
After the fall, she found herself with a fractured spine, a smashed foot, and a head wound. Her husband, father, and friend, defying their initial instincts, were compelled to move her due to the rising tide threatening her position.
Despite being in intense agony, Lesley remembered: “They had no choice. I had obviously done some serious damage, but they couldn’t leave me lying where I was, or I would have drowned.”, reports the Daily Record.
To summon help, Lesley’s father and husband took separate paths to find a mobile signal in the secluded spot, eventually managing to reach emergency services.
She went on to describe how they managed the situation: “We staunched the bleed from my head wound with tissues I had in my bag and I tried to keep calm. Dad’s friend kept talking to me to keep me awake but I was in so much pain in my foot and lower back.
“I almost lost consciousness a couple of times and it seemed forever before the men came back and said help was on its way. I just had to hang on.”
A rescue helicopter from Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) was dispatched to the scene from Perth due to the difficulty in obtaining a phone signal, the remote location and nature of the fall.
The emergency services received an only approximate location, leading SCAA to search the coastline before locating the family amidst the rocks.
Lesley recounted: “They were first on scene, landing nearby on a grassy bank, and I’ve never been so relieved to see anyone. It was a cold, windy day and they immediately erected a shelter around me to protect me as they administered pain relief.
“SCAA’s paramedics were just amazing – so calm and so reassuring. I had been frantic with pain and worry that no one would come to help and suddenly these guys were by my side, taking control of everything and comforting and calming me. They are very special people.”
With the arrival of Coastguard reinforcement, assistance was provided to stretcher Lesley to the awaiting helicopter.
Reflecting on her experience, she expressed: “The crew re-arranged things on board to ensure my husband could fly with me. It was good to have him there and I’m so grateful to the crew for making that possible.”
In little over five minutes, Lesley was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at Dundee. She was promptly taken into A&E upon her arrival.
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X-rays and a CT scan revealed that she had suffered a broken back and her heel was shattered in three places, necessitating extensive surgery to fit metal rods and pins to stabilise the joint.
Reflecting on her ordeal, she expressed her gratitude: “I spent more than two weeks in hospital and I never stopped thanking my lucky stars that SCAA was there for me that day. It would have been really difficult for a land ambulance to reach me and the journey out over bumpy ground would have been horrendous.”
She praised the air ambulance service, saying: “SCAA landed beside me and immediately took the pain away. They flew me quickly and comfortably to advanced care with my husband by my side and I will be eternally grateful to them.”
Emphasising the importance of the service, she added: “SCAA is an invaluable service in Scotland. You never think you will ever need them but trust me, when things do go wrong, this is the team you want to see. They’re just amazing.”
