Edinburgh woman who broke ankle on Braid Hills thanks rescuers and hospital staff for care

An Edinburgh woman who broke her ankle when she slipped on a small incline on the Braid Hills has paid tribute to her rescuers and hospital staff for their help and care.

Fiona was transported to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by air ambulance

Fiona Thomas was out enjoying a wintry walk in the sunshine with her golden retriever Oscar yesterday morning when disaster struck.

The 48-year-old, who lost her footing on an incline and heard her ankle snap, has thanked the runners and Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance which came to her aid, along with staff at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary who looked after her.

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Fiona Thomas pictured just before she slipped and broke her ankle on the Braid Hills yesterday.

Fiona, who has her own business Katy Lou Designs, said: “I went out with the dog and had just finished doing an Instagram live and was saying how beautiful it was and I was going down a small incline where there was fresh snow. It didn’t even occur to me there would be ice underneath it. My feet just went from underneath me. I heard my ankle snap and I was just lying on my back screaming in pain.

"Two runners heard me and came over – one of them happened to be a GP, a lovely lady called Karen who stayed with me - and the other runner went to get some blankets. I phoned my husband as we just live close by in Buckstone and he phoned my son Lewis who came up with more blankets.

"I think I was maybe there an hour before the air ambulance arrived. An ambulance had tried to come up the back path on the Braids but it just couldn’t get access.”

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance then transported Fiona to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where her right ankle was x-rayed and it was confirmed that she had broken it.

Fiona was taken to hospital by air ambulance after she fell and broke her ankle on the Braid Hills.

She continued: “They sedated me, straightened it and put me in a stookie. I have to have surgery on it which I think might be this week. It’s really painful.”

Fiona added: “Those runners who came to help me were amazing, I can’t thank them enough and I’m also so grateful to all those guys in A&E who took really good care of me. I was upset because the last thing I wanted to do was put any burden on the NHS but they didn’t make me feel bad at all, they were incredible.”

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