Footage shows the 50ft jump that 'burst' woman's spine and left her in a wheelchair for months

A woman was left wheelchair-bound for four months after tombstoning from a 50ft bridge into a river and ‘bursting’ her spine.

Libby Sinden was out with her friends at Devil's Bridge in Kirkby, Cumbria, last July when the group decided to jump onto the River Lune below to cool down. The 22-year-old said the plunge felt ‘like hitting a brick wall’.

In a video clip, Libby is seen jumping into the water before appearing to struggle to swim and crying out 'I hurt my back'. Healthcare sector worker Libby managed to drag herself to the edge of the water, then lay in pain for three and a half hours as the fire service, an ambulance and mountain rescue scrambled to the scene.

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She was then rushed to Preston Royal Hospital for a major six-hour operation on her spine. Now Libby is warning others that jumping off bridges and cliffs into water could 'change their entire life' - and is begging others not to do it.

"I was one of the lucky ones not to be paralysed and have any rocks underneath,” Libby, from Preston, said. "A lot of people jump off the bridge often. I watched quite a few people jump off it, including kids, and they were absolutely fine.

"I'd seen two people before jump in but I know over the years, hundreds or even thousands have done it. As I stood on the wall, I felt a bit of adrenaline mixed with nervousness.

"As soon as I jumped, I felt fear before I hit the water [when] I realised how high it was. It was about 50ft high. I decided to give it a go but I was just unlucky. The way I hit the water, it was still rather than moving, so it was almost like hitting a brick wall.

"It caused my spine to have a burst