A mum has revealed how her dream family holiday to Turkey was “ruined” following a disastrous incident on a “pirate boat”. Shannon Hill, along with her husband, two children and mother-in-law, jetted off to Antalya for a two-week holiday in May.
The family had paid £2,500 for their stay at a four-star resort and everything was going smoothly until they embarked on a pre-booked pirate ship boat trip. However, the holiday took a dramatic turn when Shannon slipped on her way to the toilet, breaking her leg in three places.
Recalling the incident in Turkey, she said: “We thought the pirate ship boat trip looked really fun. But as I stepped into the toilet I slipped and my leg snapped. My leg was swollen and wonky and my husband had to carry me back up the stairs.
“It turned out my leg was broken in three places and I also dislocated my ankle – it was agony.”
After Shannon’s husband carried her back up the deck, the family claimed they were told they had to wait until the end of the boat trip to go to hospital as they couldn’t dock, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Five hours later, Shannon was taken to hospital where x-rays revealed the extent of her injuries. She said: “I was told I needed surgery as the bone was completely snapped and it could pierce a vein.
“They had to manipulate my leg before – I was screaming in pain.” The following morning, Shannon underwent a two-hour surgery with an epidural for the pain, which she described as “horrific”.
Ms Hill required surgery to insert screws and a metal plate to reconnect the fractured bones.
The Surrey mum endured three agonising days in a Turkish hospital before returning to the UK on their scheduled flight with her leg encased in plaster.
Medical professionals in Britain informed her that the procedure had not been performed to UK standards, necessitating additional surgery.
She said: “When we went to A and E back home, my leg was so swollen from the flight. Then I was told the screws put into my leg in Turkey were too long, and I would need another surgery to replace them.”
Since that time, Shannon has undergone weekly X-rays and scans to monitor her recovery. She was completely unable to walk for eight weeks before finally being able to wear a supportive boot.
Whilst she has returned to her feet, she can only manage 20-minute walks before experiencing pain, and swelling restricts her to wearing flip-flops.
Following her surgery at at the end of 2024, she faces repeating the entire process – relearning to walk for a second time with potentially “years of physiotherapy” ahead.
She revealed: “It was a nightmare and has left a sour taste in my mouth. It was our first holiday as a family of four and it was spoiled. I haven’t been on a boat since and even the thought of swimming gives me anxiety because of the wet floor.
“It’s still painful for me every time I walk. I feel like I need a second holiday after the trauma of this one. But the thought of going away again freaks me out.”
The firm responsible for the boat trip labelled it as “an unfortunate incident”. They stated that they proposed to remove her from the boat using a smaller inflatable vessel, known as a Zodiac boat, but Shannon indicated that her injury prevented her from boarding the boat.
Once ashore, a representative of the company transported her to the hospital in a private car for treatment. The company added: “They did not make any complaints and thanked us while leaving.”