Not having travel cover is stupid - fall victim

Sam Hudson has been left lying in his hospital bed for 10 days without an operation

A man who suffered serious injuries after falling from a balcony while on holiday in Cyprus is urging people to take out travel insurance before they go abroad.

Sam Hudson, 24, from Lincoln, broke his leg, pelvis and spine when he fell four storeys from a hotel balcony in Ayia Napa.

He did not have travel insurance in place and he is now stranded in a hospital more than 2,000 miles from home.

"I did the stupid thing. I didn't get insurance and I thought I'd be all right. But I'm not," he said from the hospital bed he has been stuck in for 10 days.

The Association of British Insurers backed the message that travel insurance was vital, and pointed out that medical treatment overseas could be stressful and expensive.

Mr Hudson travelled to Ayia Napa with his stepbrother, Nathan, and their friend, Alfie. It was the first time he had been away with friends alone.

"Our holiday had been planned for about four months. We were all really looking forward to it. I'd never been on a lads' holiday," he said.

Sam Hudson said the hospital care he has been receiving is good but there is a communication barrier

The holiday quickly turned into a disaster. His leg is in plaster and he has a catheter because he can't be moved.

He has not been able to eat properly since the accident and he is surviving by eating jelly. He has to call for a nurse to plug in his phone when the battery gets low.

Mr Hudson said the care he was receiving was good but the language barrier was making it difficult for him to explain his pain to the staff.

He doesn't remember much about his holiday or the accident, but witnesses said he was trying to climb from his bedroom balcony to his stepbrother's balcony in the next-door room.

He fell and landed on concrete below.

Because he had not taken out travel insurance or signed up for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) – which allows people to receive free or reduced-cost treatment – he cannot be operated on in Cyprus.

'Angry but relieved'

His stepmother, Karen, and dad, Mike, are trying to help him, but because he has been living with friends and his ex-partner, it is hard to prove his address.

They flew to Cyprus after the accident, which cost them about £1,300.

They are now making plans for Karen to fly back to Cyprus but say flights, accommodation and food will cost them up to £3,000 a month – and they think she will have to stay until August.

"I'm angry because of the way Sam acted, but it's not relevant at the moment," she said.

"When he comes home and he's no longer in pain we will be having a chat. I'm angry but I'm also relieved because he's alive. It could have been worse."

Flying Mr Hudson home on a medical flight could cost as much as £38,000, so the family have launched a fundraising campaign.

They are urging everyone to get travel insurance and a GHIC card.

They have also started a petition calling on the government to make it a legal requirement for everyone who goes abroad to take out a travel insurance policy.

Mr Hudson's message is clear: "Get travel insurance. It's definitely worth it."

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