Melbourne mum opens up on the horror moment she fell 5m and broke her spine ... trends now
A mother-of-three has been left paralysed from the waist down after a horrifying camping accident which would have ended in tragedy if it wasn't for the quick actions of her family.
Lee Cattanach, 46, was enjoying a weekend away with her partner, three daughters and friends on the Murray River near the NSW Riverina town of Toccomwal during the Easter long weekend.
The Melbourne mum had walked over to the firepit located near the cliff edge to warm up her hands.
When she took one step back, she misjudged where riverbank was in the inky black night away from the fire and tumbled five metres off the cliff into the river.
Lee Cattanach (pictured with youngest daughter Tegan) is paralysed from the waist down
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'I just didn't realise how close the fire was to the edge, it was dark. I stepped back, just one step, and that was it,' Ms Cattanach told 7news.com.au.
The next thing she was aware of was 'gurgling water' after she fell five metres almost into the river.
'My head was underwater when they (her family) got to me, and I was knocked out,' Ms Cattanach recalled.
Fortunately, daughters Aly, 26, and Tegan, 15, were by the fire and rushed to her aid.
'They had to pull my head out of the water without trying to move me too much,' Ms Cattanach said.
Her partner Mick phoned triple-0 but after realising the ambulance would have trouble finding the secluded spot, he jumped in the car to guide paramedics to the scene.
Despite Tegan suffering panic attacks, Ms Ms Cattanach's daughters took turns in holding her head out of the water.
As thick fog prevented helicopter assistance and debris in the river ruling out rescue by boat, paramedics faced the dilemma of how to get the
