A 19-year-old man from Hull is counting his blessings after surviving a 40-foot fall from a path next to Thomasson Foss waterfall in Goathland, North Yorkshire. Marshall Hoyle was enjoying a day out with his friend Lucas Hazel on August 16 when he slipped while descending from a higher jump point.
Hoyle landed on a thick tree branch, which broke his fall and likely saved his life. He was found conscious but in severe pain by a local person who stabilized his neck until emergency services arrived. Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue team, along with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, extracted him from the steep gorge using a stretcher and vacuum pack.
At the hospital, Hoyle was diagnosed with a collapsed lung (traumatic pneumothorax) but, remarkably, no broken bones. He credited the tree branch for his survival, saying, 'I think if that hadn’t have been there I wouldn’t be having this conversation.' His mother, Kayley, 50, expressed gratitude to the rescue team, stating, 'The chances of somebody surviving that – it’s unheard of.'
The mountain rescue team confirmed the incident and praised the collaborative effort with ambulance paramedics. Hoyle’s family has since donated £50 to the team as a token of thanks.
