I fell 110ft off a castle and SURVIVED: Lucky man tells of his amazing recovery 10 years after he cheated death as a teenager

• James Mclean plunged from Greenan Castle in Ayrshire ten years ago
• Suffered massive head injuries, shattered knees and lost 28 pints of blood
• Doctors have him a 10 per cent survival rate - but he pulled through
• Mr Mclean, now 23, was left with epilepsy, poor vision and partial paralysis
• But has now spoken of his optimism after accident 10 years ago
• Now wants to be a role model for others, and has completed charity cycle
  

By Kieran Corcoran

Published: 13:01 EST, 29 June 2014 | Updated: 10:22 EST, 30 June 2014

A man who almost died when he fell 110ft from a Scottish castle as a teenager has spoken of his miraculous recovery.

Doctors were ready to switch off life support for James Mclean, who slipped while playing on the ramparts of Greenan Castle in Ayrshire aged 13.

He plunged from the stone tower, which stands on the edge of a cliff, and landed on the beach below.

Miracle: James Mclean, pictured on his hospital bed in 2003, was given a 10 per cent chance of survival after plunging from Greenan Castle in Ayrshire

Plunge: Mr Mclean was playing on Greenan Castle in Ayrshire, pictured, when he fell from the walls down onto the beach below

Mr Mclean lost huge amounts of blood, suffered massive head trauma and was left with shattered knee bones protruding from his legs.

He was given a 10 per cent chance of survival, and hospital staff went as far as inviting relatives to say their final goodbyes.

But, miraculously, Mr Mclean, now 23, lifted his arm after after all hope had faded, convincing surgeons that he had a chance of living through surgery.

Although his injuries have left him with limited vision, partial paralysis and epilepsy, he can now speak of his bravery nearly 10 years after the accident.

He said: 'I've no memory of the day so have to rely on eyewitnesses - The castle is just a short walk from my house in Doonfoot and me and my friends used to play there all the time.'

Back from the brink: Mr Mclean, now 23, was left disabled after his unlikely recovery, but is now strong enough to inspire others

'When I walk past it now, it helps me think about how far I've come, rather than what happened there.

'The doctors said, "If this boy wants to fight, then we'll fight too".

But the outlook was initially bleak after he was plucked from the beach by an air ambulance and flown urgently to Ayr Hospital.

When his mother Janet arrived with family to see Mr Mclean, they were worryingly taken straight to the relatives' room.

She said: 'I'm a health visitor nurse, so I knew that wasn't good. They gave him less than a 10 per cent chance of survival.

'He was moved to Glasgow's Southern General where, 48 hours later, they said he wasn't compatible with life and were going to switch off the life support machine. We were told to go in and say our last goodbyes.'

Eventually, only Mrs Mclean was left - and was shocked when she entered the room to find her son missing. But happily, it was because doctors had seen him move and decided to operate rather than let him die.

Return: Mr Mclean has no memory of the accident itself, but says visiting Greenan Castle only reminds him how far he has come

Mr Mclean spent nearly four weeks in a coma and the swelling in his head was so bad that half of his skull was removed for 11 weeks to ease the pressure.

He spent another eight months in hospital, where he caught MRSA and septicaemia, but pulled through.

Now Mr Mclean is positive about the future, having just completed a 20-mile cycle ride to raise money for charity.

He said: 'I may never be able to drive a bus or fly a plane, but I like to focus on what I can do rather than what I can't.

'And I want to inspire people in the same situation as myself and try to help others with their disabilities and impairments.'

'I've gone from being a boy who was an inch from death to a man who strives to achieve and inspire.

'The trauma of the accident transformed me. My dad and I used to cycle on the islands when I was younger - the route was 20 miles long and I was determined to complete it.'

Mrs Mclean added: 'Staff at the Southern General say he's their one in a million. He was in an untenable position and fought back.'