Sam Hudson, 24, was on a ‘typical lads’ holiday’ in Ayia Napa
A tourist has been left with a broken pelvis and spine after he plunged four floors from a hotel balcony in Cyprus. Sam Hudson, 24, was on a ‘typical lads’ holiday’ in Ayia Napa with his brother and a friend when he fell 30ft (9m) from a balcony at the Anmaria Beach Hotel.
The dad-of-one, from Lincoln, has no memory of the horror accident – but it is believed he had been trying to jump between two balconies while drunk. He suffered a broken pelvis, fractures to the L4 and L5 vertebrae in his spine, and a broken leg, and was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
Sam had not taken out travel insurance prior to his trip which meant he was slapped with hefty hospital bills. However, the decorator has since discovered that even if he’d had travel insurance, he would not have been covered as he had drunk more than four pints at the time of the incident.
As a result, Sam and his step-mum are trying to raise awareness of the limitations of travel insurance – and change the law so that it is mandatory for all tourists. They are also encouraging people to secure a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) before travel – which helped cover some treatment costs.
Sam’s step-mum Karen, 52, said: “The boys had all been drinking at a pool party but Sam went back to the hotel early. When his brother Nathan and friend Alfie returned, they were faced with police who told them there had been an accident.
“Nathan rang us and he was just beside himself. He said that Sam had fallen off a balcony and was in hospital. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. You go through all sorts of emotions and your mind is racing. I was just thinking: ‘Is he alive? What was he doing?’ Your heart just instantly sinks.”
Karen and Sam’s dad Mike, 56, flew out to Cyprus the next morning and raced to visit him at the Nicosia General Hospital. “He was lying in bed strapped to all of the monitors,” Karen said. “He was in a lot of pain – screaming in pain. I asked if they could give him more painkillers but I was told he was on the most he could receive.”
Sam needed emergency surgery on his pelvis but his family first had to secure him a GHIC card, which took several days. They then turned towards desperately trying to get him back to the UK – but were told a repatriation flight could cost as much as £50,000.
Karen said: “We spoke to the British Embassy who told us it was going to cost around £50,000 to get Sam home. “That’s a lot of money – and money that we don’t have. So I asked, ‘What do families do?’
“And they told us a lot of people start a GoFundMe. But we didn’t want to do that. We didn’t want to sponge off people.”
However, things changed for the family when they finally managed to speak to Sam. Karen said: “We can’t fault the care Sam has received but he was really struggling because of the language barrier. He said to me: ‘I just want to get home so the doctors can understand my pain when I’m telling them.’
“I told him I would do the best I could and so I knew I had to start the GoFundMe.”
Karen and Mike managed to get Sam a GHIC card, which covered the costs of his surgery and urgent medical treatment. They then set up a GoFundMe to cover the costs of Sam’s medical equipment, their expenses and accommodation in Cyprus, and whatever it took to get Sam home. They have so far raised £5,500.
Thankfully though, Sam has now been told he’ll be able to fly home on a commercial plane – but will still need specialist assistance at an added cost. Karen hopes he will be home within the next few weeks – once arrangements have been made with a hospital in the UK.
Once home, Sam will start rehabilitation and physiotherapy so he can learn to walk again. In the meantime, Karen is focused on changing the law around travel insurance. She said: “We were shocked to find out that even if Sam had travel insurance – he wouldn’t have been covered because he had drunk alcohol.
“It’s one of those things that’s in the small print. And I do think that needs looking into. I know people will read this story and think: ‘It’s his own fault. He was drinking.’ And I completely agree. But I think it’s unrealistic to think that people will go on holiday and not have a drink.
“There should be an option with travel insurance to pay more to also be covered in accidents where alcohol has been involved.”
Karen also wants it to be mandatory for all tourists to secure travel insurance before jetting off on holiday. She said: “I want to change the law so it’s mandatory. “For example, when you go to tax a car, it checks your insurance. I think when you book a holiday, you should have to put your travel insurance details and your GHIC Card in, or, it doesn’t let you complete the booking.”
While Sam’s medical treatment has been covered by his GHIC card, Karen estimates that the family have spent around £8,000 on equipment such as a mobility chair and back brace. They have also spent significant sums on accommodation to be at his side, and flights back-and-forth to the UK for Mike so he can keep their rental maintenance business running.
Karen says the experience has made her want to set up a charity to support other families in similar situations. She said: “We’ve raised £5,500 from the GoFundMe so far and we are so grateful. That’s gone to equipment, our costs, and trying to get Sam home, and we wouldn’t have been able to do all that without the support.
“It’s made me want to help other families in this position as there is just so much to think about that you don’t realise. You’re stressed and just trying to be there but you have to think about booking flights, accommodation, and asking the hospital all the right questions.
“If someone was there with you to advise you on all that it would make it a lot easier. So I want to look into sorting that soon. Any funds leftover from the GoFundMe will go towards that.”
Sam is currently unable to walk but should be on the path to recovery once he starts physiotherapy in the UK. He is desperate to get back as soon as possible to see his two-year-old son.
To donate to his GoFundMe, visit this page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-sam-after-a-tragic-balcony-fall-in-ayia-napa
To sign Karen’s petition to change the law around travel insurance, visit this page: