Woman Plays Dead After Being Crushed By Cows, Survives With 10 Broken Ribs

A Scottish woman survived being crushed by a herd of cows after she pretended to be dead. Experienced hiker Mary-Jane Parker, 61, was hiking in Newtonmore with her dog Lola when a herd of cows, which were hidden behind a bank of high ground, surrounded and trampled her.

"Unfortunately, this gang was hidden behind a bank of high ground and I didn't see them until I skirted the mound and found myself just feet away from them," Parker was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"My little dog Lola panicked, broke out of her collar and bolted just as the cows attacked. I was crushed between two of the cows, swept off my feet and carried between them as they charged off along the track."

The sudden attack left Parker with 10 broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken right hand, bruised lungs and a serious leg injury, which could have altogether turned fatal, if she hadn't used her intuition to lie dead.

"Keep holding on, don't go to sleep, don't lose consciousness...Keep breathing," Parker said to herself. "Help will come."

With the animals still around her and the mobile phone away from her reach, Parker lay in agony to not provoke the cattle. However, she managed to activate an emergency tracking device, which was answered 45 minutes later.

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First Responders Arrive

As she pretended to be lifeless, some fellow hikers rushed onto the spot, chased away the cows and came to her aid. They reassured her that Lola was safe and well. Minutes later, the police and paramedics arrived in response to her SOS alert.

"A doctor and advanced nurse practitioner then arrived and judged that my injuries were so extensive that a road ambulance wouldn't make it to hospital in time," she said.

Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) helicopter was pressed into service and helped take Parker to a hospital where she was rushed through X-ray and into surgery. A resilient Parker has since undergone multiple surgeries, including skin grafts, but was discharged 10 days after the incident.

"I'm so grateful every day when I wake up and know I am still alive. What a gift it is to be given that second chance," said Parker.