Granny breaks legs, hip after falling into gully

Residents of Manor View Drive in Cassava Piece, St Andrew are calling for a guard rail to be installed along a dangerous stretch of roadway after a visually impaired 73-year-old woman fell about 30 feet into a gully and suffered serious injuries.

Sonia Dunbar was walking to visit relatives on Friday, July 31, when she reportedly lost her balance and plunged into the ravine.

Residents say the incident has highlighted a longstanding danger in the community, with others reportedly falling into the gully over the years.

Kadine Whyte, who lives just steps from where Dunbar fell, said it is not the first time a resident fell into the gully.

“Last year, a man had fallen in there and broke his leg. Now, the lady fall in,” she said.

“I am hoping that a rail would be placed there. Because of that, I don’t allow my children to come out and play, because I don’t want them to drop in it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dunbar, who is from nearby Whitehall Avenue, remains hospitalised with two broken hips and a badly fractured leg. Her daughter, Camelle Prince, said her mother was familiar with the route and had travelled it regularly before losing her sight.

“Where she fall is somewhere she always walk, and mi mada seh she just don’t know how she fall in the gully,” Prince said.

She added: “A vehicle was coming and it was like she a try come out of the way, and she fall over in the gully and drop 30 feet.”

Dunbar reportedly spent nearly three hours at the bottom of the gully before members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade rescued her.

Prince said her mother is in severe pain and is expected to undergo several corrective surgeries. However, the family is seeking financial assistance to purchase medical supplies that are not available at the hospital.

“She is in so much pain every day and, when I go and see her, I can’t help but cry. The doctors say both her hip bones are broken and her right leg bruk up bad. They also put weight on her left leg because of the hip. She has surgery to do. The pins for her hip is $181,000 and foot pin is $51,600. She also needs a special mattress because her back a fester up, because she lay down. She has to be wearing adult diapers and it just rough,” Prince said.

Meanwhile, she has expressed gratitude to residents who rushed to her mother’s aid and remained with her until emergency personnel arrived.

“I want to say thank you to the residents of Cassava Piece who helped and stay with mi mada until the fire brigade come. They were the ones who inform the family and mi just want to tell them thanks from the bottom of my heart,” she said.

Residents are now hoping the authorities will install a guard rail to prevent another person from suffering a similar fate.

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Anyone wishing to assist Sonia Dunbar may make contributions to her daughter, Sheena Wedderburn, through NCB savings account number 305036218.