Played dead: a herd of cows attacked a woman in Scotland (4 photos)

Mary-Jane Parker, 61, miraculously survived a cattle attack. In August, while walking her dog, Lola, in the Munros of Scotland, she was ambushed. The cows, hidden behind a rise, suddenly emerged from their hiding place and attacked her.





The ungulates trampled the woman. She suffered ten broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken right arm, bruised lungs, a severe leg injury, and multiple injuries to her head, face, and body.

Mary-Jane said: "I didn't see the cows until I rounded the hill and was just a few feet away. One of them lowered its head and started beating the ground. I was terrified and couldn't move. My little Lola, frightened, broke free from her collar and ran away."



"I could see my phone eight meters away, but I couldn't reach it. It was unbearable. Every second I expected to be killed, even accidentally."

Mary-Jane lay motionless for 45 minutes while the cattle grazed nearby.

"I covered the wound with my right leg," she recalls. "I thought Lola was dead, but I couldn't allow myself to dwell on those terrible thoughts."

Luckily, the seasoned traveler managed to activate the Garmin device hanging on her backpack. An SOS signal went off.

"Hold on, don't fall asleep, don't lose consciousness," she told herself.

"Breathe. Help will definitely come," she repeated over and over.





The first people Mary Jane heard were passersby. They drove away their livestock and rushed to her, assuring her that her dog was fine.

A few minutes later, the police and paramedics arrived. The doctor decided that the woman's injuries were so severe that an ambulance wouldn't be able to get her to the hospital in time.

An air ambulance from the SCAA charity arrived urgently at the scene.

"A wonderful SCAA doctor named Claire held my hand the whole time. I felt completely safe. The pain was excruciating. It felt like my leg was about to explode—it was pure agony. They gave me a painkiller, which made me dizzy. But I knew Claire was there, and even though I had nightmares, I clung to that feeling."



After landing at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Mary-Jane was rushed to the operating room for X-rays.

Ten days later, after several surgeries, including skin grafts, she was allowed to return home to Peebles. She continues to recover there.

She said: "It's a miracle I'm alive." Every time I wake up, I thank fate for this gift. For a second chance. And that chance was given to me by SCAA. Thanks to this charity, I am here today. I will be able to spend Christmas with my family. On the most terrible day of my life, they were there. The day I thought it was all over. They weren't just there, they were with me. People who truly understand what it means to be human. They weren't just doing their job, they cared, and that's incredibly important."