Woman who learned to walk again after 130ft fall meets 'incredible' rescuers

BBC Leah Matthews with some of the people who were there as she was rescued
A woman who had to learn to walk again after a 130ft (39.6m) fall at a beauty spot has been reunited with the teams who rescued her, saying she will be "forever grateful" to them for saving her life.

Leah Matthews, 32, from Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, broke ribs, her pelvis, hip and her foot in the fall last October on a visit to Henrhyd Falls in Neath with her partner.

Leah is still on "a long road to recovery" but nearly six months on, she wanted to meet with crews from Mid and West Wales Fire Service, Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and the Welsh Ambulance Service to thank them.

"If it wasn't for you lot, I wouldn't be here today - your bravery is outstanding," she told the group.

Leah Matthews Leah and Anthony at Henrhyd Falls just a short time before she slipped and fell
Leah and her partner Anthony had gone for a walk with her family's dogs last autumn in Waterfall Country - somewhere they had visited before but on a different route.

Conditions were good and Leah was wearing sturdy walking boots but she slipped as she tried to help one of the dogs, unaware that she was about to fall down a huge drop which was covered by tree branches and foliage.

Her partner initially came to her rescue and alerted the emergency services, setting in motion a huge operation to help Leah who had landed in a gorge of the River Llech.

Leah Matthews Paramedics first had to make Leah stable before they could think about moving her
"I don't remember being in a lot of pain but I do remember being really, really cold," she said as she met the group.

Members of the ambulance service said they had to treat her for hypothermia.

Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team had been training nearby and came quickly to help.

"When we got there, there was little information," said Gareth Williams, deputy team leader who said that the path where Leah fell was "sturdy".

"It's one of these things that Leah was properly dressed, properly equipped and capable of the activities which she was undertaking.

Accidents can happen to anyone," he said.

Andrew Vaughan Rescuers as they prepared to pull Leah out of the gorge
"The ravine was very steep," said Andrew Vaughan, Glynneath fire station manager, who was part of the rescue team sent from Mid and West Wales Fire Service.

"Unfortunately, due to where she was, we were unable to airlift her out due to the length and the wind conditions and the overhanging trees, so winching out wasn't an option."
The whole rescue took about six hours, with Leah eventually taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where she spent three weeks.

From there she spent a further week at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital recovering from multiple broken bones and a punctured lung.

Leah Matthews It was six weeks before Leah could put weight on her leg and she says a full recovery could take up to two years
After having physiotherapy, Leah can now walk with the help of a crutch and drive for short distances.

But she remains in pain, six months on.

Leah, who is mum to nine-year-old Ellis and 15-year-old Summer, said she would "really struggle" and have to stay in bed for two to three days if she pushed herself too much.

"It's been horrendous - I'm just relying on everybody for everything."
Leah was amazed at how many people had helped in her rescue
Meeting the team, she said: "I am alive, I am with my kids and family, so I can't thank them enough.

I may have a different way of life now but I am alive.

Robin Bidgood, member of the Welsh Ambulance Service's Hazardous Area Response Team, told Leah he was "amazed" that she was alive and in front of him talking.

"It is a rare thing that we get to speak to our patients further down the line.

So it does close a gap in the storyline," he said.

Leah said once she has fully recovered, she plans to fundraise for those who rescued her - "whatever I can do now just to show how thankful I am and I'll forever be grateful".

Dog owners to face unlimited fines if their pets attack livestock under new law
Clarkson 'staggered' school dinner chicken from China is cheaper than UK's
'It's not a waste of time' - young people defend the humble gap year