A SCOTTISH grandmother celebrated her 70th birthday last week – two years after she almost died plunging 50ft off a rock face.
Jean Cran from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, went to hospital with a hairline skull fracture, broken wrist and bruising at the end of March 2019.
She and her husband John, were climbing Bracklinn Falls near Callander when the accident happened.
Jean’s fall sparked a full on emergency which involved around 80 people and a helicopter, after she tried to take a photo of the waterfall for her daughter.
Deadline News revealed that Jean was filming the beauty spot for her daughter, Carol Magennis, 44, when she fell.
Martin Brunton, a fellow tourist, went down to help Jean and stayed with her for the three hours keeping her calm, which her husband reckons “probably stopped a heart- attack”.
For his efforts Mr Brunton got a commendation from the Chief Constable with him and Jean still keeping in touch through social media.
Two years on and Jean is healthier than ever after her husband saying at the time of the accident: “She’s extremely lucky and should probably be dead.”
Surrounded by close family and friends, a 70th birthday party was held adhering to Covid-19 rules in the garden.
Carol thought it would be nice to hold a small gathering as she is so proud of the positive signs her mother has shown since the incident took place.
Jean said: “It was absolutely amazing. I hadn’t seen some of those people since last February and they were such good company.
“I consider myself lucky to see family and friends after that fall so to see them after months of lockdown is a big big bonus!”
With the sun shining down everyone was in high spirits, with her husband John saying that “Since falling down Bracklinn Falls Jean has had immense energy which is amazing to watch.”
Jean still gets a bit of a headache from the skull fracture and has sore knees and thighs if she walks to much, but admits to having “lots more energy” than before.
Jean added: “I still get out and about but I do get more anxious now in those kinds of areas.”
The remarkable story attracted widespread attention two years ago as Jean was very lucky to survive after her 50ft fall.
When Interviewed by Deadline News at the time Jean said: “I was thinking I’m not going to get out of this. I thought this was it. I just felt the rocks I hit while going down. I thought if I went in to the water I will not make it.
“I was actually about four inches from where I landed and if a was any closer I would have been in the water.”
Referring to the reason for the accident, she added: “Carol now takes her own photographs!”
