By Emma Dunn

A groom-to-be almost lost his life after he slipped and fell down a 100ft cliff in Greece two days before his destination wedding - and had to cancel his £45k nuptials.

Jake Elliot, 41, from Folkestone, was walking back to his hotel in Santorini, Greece, after a meal with his friends when he jumped onto the coastal wall to avoid some passers-by.

He lost his footing and tumbled down the 30-metre drop and had to be rushed to Santorini Hospital with a broken back and legs and seven broken ribs.

His bride-to-be, Robyn Stanley, 39, was terrified she was going to lose Jake - and he was airlifted to Athens hospital the following day.

Jake had surgery to drain fluid from his lungs before being flown by air ambulance to the UK two weeks later. He spent a further nine days in the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford before coming home.

The pair were unable to wed as intended in May 2023, in Santorini - surrounded by the 52 guests who had flown out to attend - but finally tied the knot a year and £60k later in Greece and say it was an "incredible" and "emotional" day.

Robyn, a full-time content creator, said of the day of the accident: "He was a few feet from getting home [to the hotel].

"There was a small wall and over the wall was a sheer drop. We'd all made jokes about how dangerous we thought it was.

"It's a single path. They were walking back and people were walking towards them.

"He jumped on the wall and slipped off.

"I didn't think he'd be alive."

Jake, a senior construction manager, said: "I remember falling and trying to grab the cliff on the way down.

"I could hear one of my groomsmen shouting ‘Jake’. I remember trying to shout back but I couldn't. When I fell it collapsed my lung.

"Once I realised the wedding wasn't going to happen the guilt kicked in.

"I was blessed I hadn't died but I had ruined the wedding."

Jake and Robyn were in Santorini for their destination wedding with all their family and friends and their two children - Cannon, 11, and Cass, eight.

The couple, who have been together for 18 years, had spent £45k on their big day.

Jake was on his way back to the hotel on May 25, 2023 when he slipped. His friends rushed back to the hotel and told Robyn the news.

She said: "It was an out-of-body experience - I just started screaming."

Jake was taken to Santorini Hospital and Robyn had to wait outside for several hours before she could see him.

She said: "The police had turned up - I thought he was dead.

"When I saw him he was talking. He'd broken his back and didn't know if he could walk.

"I remember being gutted [that we couldn't get married]."

But when Jake's spleen ruptured he had to be rushed to a hospital in Athens to be treated. He was airlifted on May 26.

Robyn said: "When that happened I thought 'I don't care about that stupid wedding now - I don't want him to die'."

Robyn was desperate to get Jake home to the UK for treatment but they were waiting for their insurance and he wasn't fit to fly.

Jake had too much fluid on his lungs so doctors in Athens had to operate and put lung drains on him.

He was also treated for a broken left leg, back and broken ribs.

He was in hospital for two weeks before flying home when he was stable on June 11, 2023.

While at the William Harvey, doctors discovered he had also shattered his right ankle.

He had bolts put in and came home to his family on June 20, 2023.

He spent the next year regaining strength - and still has physiotherapy now - but was back to work after three months.

Luckily the couple were able to move their wedding to another date - but had to fork out a further £15k for vendors.

They finally tied the knot just over a year later, on June, 5 2024.

Robyn said: "Me and Jake went back on our own for four days in October.

"We didn't want the first time we went back to be the wedding.

"We put the demons to rest.

"Our wedding was incredible.

"It was a journey to get there for sure."

Jake said: "Pretty much everyone who came the year before was there.

"It was very emotional.

"The day was magical.

"The whole thing gives you a new perspective on life."