A grandmother who paid £2,000 on a dream trip to Jamaica spent the holiday in bed after jumping into a lagoon and fracturing her spine.
Maggie Ricketts, from Dukinfield, had to be dragged out of the water by her partner Peter after leaping from the 35ft cliff when on holiday with her family in May 2020.
But instead of putting her legs out, the 62-year-old hit the water in a sitting position, which she says felt like 'hitting a brick wall'.
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Her travel insurance would not cover sport injuries, meaning she had to spend an agonising nine days left of the trip in bed, leaving holiday plans in tatters.
She was eventually seen by doctors back in the UK, when she was told she had fractured her spine. She said doctors 'couldn't believe' she had been still able to walk for the rest of the trip and is still taking painkillers three years on.
"I was in so much pain I couldn't walk. It felt like I had hit a brick wall," she said. "It was horrendous. I have never felt anything like it. I couldn't get my breath - I thought I was going to drown.
"I stayed in the hotel room for a lot. The holiday was ruined. I was absolutely gutted. I kept wondering what I did but I couldn't do anything until I got home.
"I had an x-ray when I got home and they told me I had fractured my spine. They couldn't believe I had been walking around for two weeks."
Maggie was on holiday with partner Peter, her daughter Charlotte Edwards, 35, and her grandchildren. The rest of the family completed the lagoon jump without any issues, so Maggie decided to give it a go.
She said: "I am frightened of heights but I thought, 'I am going to do this'. I climbed up onto these rocks and stood on the platform. When I jumped, instead of putting my legs straight when I landed, I had my legs out.
"I would just stay in the hotel as I was in so much pain. There were so many things that I missed out on but I couldn't join in and be part of the family.
"I encouraged them to go as I didn't want them to miss out on the fun. We paid £2k each it was a lot of money that was wasted."
Maggie visited Stepping Hill Hospital for an x-ray when she got back home, which then revealed she had fractured her spine. She was fitted with a brace and still suffers from back problems three years on.
She added: "They couldn't believe that I had been walking around on it for two weeks. They fitted me with a back brace. I had to wear that for a few months.
"I am still on painkillers to this day as I now suffer from back problems. I feel so stupid that I put my legs up, I don't know why I did it. This is going to affect me for the rest of my life. It is really painful."
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