A woman who was hit by two Tube trains said 'avoidable mistakes' led to her suffering life-changing injuries - and believes she should have escaped with just a broken nose.
Sarah de Lagarde was forced to have her right arm and right leg amputated after horrifically falling onto the tracks at High Barnet underground station in north London in September last year.
The mum was commuting home from work when she slipped on a puddle on the platform, lost her footing, and plunged off the edge.
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She fell in a gap between a stationary train and the edge of the platform just before 10pm - without anyone noticing.
The impact broke her nose and two front teeth, but she somehow remained conscious throughout the lengthy ordeal.
Sarah was stuck on the tracks crying out for help, aware of the fact the train may leave, but nobody heard her.
"The train then departed and took my right arm with it," she told Sky News.
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Another train then pulled into the station, smashing into her right leg in the process as she continued to shout for help.
The 44-year-old said she was 'determined to make it home' to her family and tried to keep as calm as possible.
She recalled: "In my mind's eye, I could see my two daughters and they were telling me 'Mummy, you have to come home'."
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Sarah faced another 15 minute wait on the train track before someone finally found her and the alarm was raised.
Medics told the mum that she almost died 'at least ten times' on the fateful night, saying it was a miracle she had survived.
But a number of communication problems 'delayed her saving', with emergency services not arriving for another hour.
The mum said: "I was told that switching off the power line took ages because no one knew who to contact, so the paramedics couldn't get under the train to get me out of there.
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"There were so many avoidable mistakes and failings that Transport for London (TfL) has allowed to happen.
"I have to live with the fact that it could have been just a slip and someone could have found me, and I could have just got away with just a broken nose."
'Bloodied and mangled', she then underwent emergency surgery to amputate her arm and leg.
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Sarah now has a robotic arm and prosthetic leg - but admits it has still been 'a really tough year' of recovering.
She continued: "I hold on to the fact that if I survived, I survived for a reason, and it is to highlight the fact that these safety procedures, that TfL think they have, are not sufficient - otherwise I would not be here with these injuries.
"In my thinking, it is not just a money question - it is the fact that we are led to believe that CCTV is being watched live: it is not.
"Why are there no sensors on the tracks? Why is there no staff in the stations? I didn't sacrifice an arm and a leg for nothing to happen."
The British Transport Police declared the incident accidental and non-suspicious.
Nick Dent, the director of customer relations at London Underground, said: "Our thoughts continue to be with Sarah de Lagarde and her family following the devastating incident at High Barnet station last year.
"We have offered her direct support through our Sarah Hope line service, and we remain receptive to Sarah's views about the network."
Dent said safety remains the top priority on Tube lines and measures are routinely put in place to improve the system.
Featured Image Credit: Sky NewsTopics: Travel, London, Health, UK News