Breathtaking holidaymaker, 29, crashes into jagged rocks during 40ft cliff dive

Breathtaking footage has revealed the moment a Boston preschool teacher crashed into jagged rocks during a 40ft cliff dive that ‘split’ her foot in half and broke her back.

Jamie Brotsky, 29, joined other backpackers to jump off high rocks into the sea in Italy’s Liguria region.

But she didn’t jump far enough and instead slammed into the rock face several times before plunging into the water.

Ms. Brotsky broke both heels and fractured a vertebra in her spine. Doctors spent nine hours fighting to save his left foot, which had “split” in two.

Her family paid $20,000 to bring her home to Boston, Massachusetts, where her foot turned black from a waterborne infection.

This forced surgeons to perform a partial amputation – cutting off parts of his foot – and reconstructing it using the muscles and skin of his legs.

Miraculously, despite being warned that she might never walk again, she made a full recovery. And even did another cliff jump in Hawaii recently.

Ms Brotsky said: ‘I knew the minute I jumped I had made a mistake. I remember looking at my foot and it was completely destroyed.

“I didn’t know if I would walk again, but I vowed to give it my all and try.

“I felt blessed beyond belief that I was not crippled or dead and this foot is just a reminder of that.”

She had been traveling across Europe for two weeks when she went cliff jumping in Riomaggiore, a village in the Cinque Terre, in June 2018.

She said: “I was on vacation so I thought why not try something new. I didn’t jump far enough and knew I was going to hit the rocks.

“It lasted a few seconds but I felt like I was falling in slow motion. Miraculously, I survived.

She was brought to safety by bystanders and airlifted to hospital in San Martino, Italy.

Ms Brotsky said: “I asked if it was bad, and [doctors] said, “Don’t look at your feet.

“It was completely destroyed – it didn’t look like a foot. I left a trail of blood along the road as I was stretched to the helicopter.

After 11 days in the hospital, Jamie’s family took her home.

Her foot began to “turn black” and when she landed, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston feared she might have to perform a complete amputation.

Eventually, she had her left foot partially amputated, and surgeons took muscle from her back and a skin graft from her thigh to try to save the appendage.

She said, “It was really a touch and go. After the whole operation, the doctors didn’t know if I was going to walk again, let alone run.

“No one could give me a direct answer – it was a really scary time.”

She spent the next three months in a wheelchair and was not allowed to stand, walk or even take a shower.

She started physiotherapy three times a week and amazed the doctor with her progress. After a year, she was almost fully recovered and planning her next trip.

Ms Brotsky said: ‘I started therapy and got to work. I wanted to prove the doctors wrong and I’m so proud of myself.

“After the first weekend I was out of crutches and using a walker alone.

“They couldn’t believe it when they saw how well I was – I was there for the recovery.”

After getting better, Jamie backpacked to Hawaii in April 2021 and even did another cliff dive.

The accident did not hold her back and she plans to sell all her belongings and go on a trip again.

“I did another cliff jump – successfully this time,” added Jamie.

“I burst into tears afterwards because I was so happy I did it.

“It’s been about three years since the accident, and I never thought I would be where I am today.

“I want to show people that no matter what the doctors say, you can do absolutely anything you want with a positive attitude and a drive to improve yourself and your future.

“I feel like I got a second chance at life and I’m not going to waste it.”