Hartlepool soldier suffers horror injuries on dream backpacking holiday in Thailand
An appeal has been launched after a soldier from Hartlepool suffered life changing injuries on a dream holiday in Thailand.
Liam Gibson, 21, suffered multiple shattered bones after he slipped while taking a photo at a waterfall in Koh Samui with his girlfriend Lucy Burnett.
He is recovering in hospital but has been left with huge medical bills and will need a special medical plane to bring him home where he will require further surgery to his repair his shattered femur (thigh bone) and learn to walk again.
The accident happened at Na Mueang Waterfall 2 on April 12.
Lucy, 20, his partner of seven years, said “This was supposed to be our dream holiday and we had saved for months.
"We were supposed to be backpacking around Thailand for a month but this happened after one week.”
Liam, who joined the army on leaving school and serves in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) slipped off the edge of the waterfall while taking a picture.
Beautician Lucy said: “We then had two hours to wait for a rescue team in which Liam was in a horrific state with bones sticking out of his legs, broken bones everywhere, completely shattered face and skull and bleeding out fast.”
Once the rescue team reached them, it took another three hours to get him down the mountain to the ambulance.
He has now spent more than three weeks in hospital where he has undergone three bouts of major surgery to rebuild his eye socket and face and shattered left hand by inserting titanium plates and rods.
Liam has also had metal rods put through his leg to create a cage type frame to protect it while he awaits his major femur surgery once home.
He has also had multiple blood transfusions, antibiotics and medications.
Despite everything he has been through, Lucy said Liam is slowly on the mend apart from his leg.
But they have been left with big medical bills that need to be paid before Liam is allowed to leave and be flown home.
Lucy has therefore started an online fundraising page to try to bring him home. So far, people have donated almost £20,000.
Anyone who wants to donate can do so at www.gofundme.com – Soldier stuck in Thailand after life changing accident.