'Luckiest man alive' after 30m fall

Stewart Rundle spent nine gruelling weeks in hospital after he fell 30m down a rocky cliff behind his Castor Bay home in February.

The 85-year-old was pottering around in his garden when the earth below gave way and he toppled down a cliff, landing heavily on his left side.

He lost consciousness several times and when he woke had to manoeuvre his broken bones around to free his cellphone from his pocket.

Once he got it he called 111 for help. By that stage he had been lying on the rocks for four hours.

Mr Rundle broke six ribs and seven vertebrae and had to remain on his back for the first four weeks as his surgeons left his body to try and heal itself.

Nine months on he is still battling his way back to health, but says despite his ordeal he considers himself one of the luckiest men alive.

"I'm here, I'm alive and I'm all right," he told the Herald.

Mr Rundle's spine healed but his shoulder, trapped between rocks when he landed, was severely damaged. He has an intensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation programme and is constantly exercising and pushing himself to recover.

Mr Rundle's medical team told him his survival was a miracle.

"The surgeons said one of the reasons I survived the fall was on account of me being so fit and well.

"I was a scarecrow when I came out of hospital," he said. "But now I am reasonably fit again, apart from my arm ... My shoulder is munted, that's the best way to describe it ... it's a crumbled mess."

Surgeons at Auckland City Hospital initially told Mr Rundle his arm would never be useful again.

"My surgeon said 'you go and prove me wrong, though'.

"I love a challenge so I've been very involved in my own recovery."

Mr Rundle's wife Pauline said the past few months had been "full on" but she was happy to have him home. The couple are still living in the home where Mr Rundle's fall happened. They have extended their deck to the edge of their property to prevent anyone falling in future.

Mr Rundle said a lot of people had helped him back to health and he was grateful to all of his family, especially his daughter Debbie, who for some weeks took alternate shifts with Pauline. There were also friends, doctors, nurses and specialists.

"But I couldn't have got through this without Pauline."