WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Alex Muncey travelled abroad for a ten-week trip “of a lifetime” but disaster struck just hours after landing, and he was rushed to hospital
A British tourist is stranded abroad after a motorbike crash just three hours into his trip — due to a tiny error on his insurance.
Alex Muncey, 33, flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a ten-week “trip of a lifetime” but the adventure turned into a nightmare on the first day. The 33-year-old had been travelling from the airport to his hostel but was knocked off his rental bike by a lorry overtaking on a blind bend, just three hours after he touched down.
The Brit, from Cambridgeshire, suffered a bleed on the brain, three fractures in his right arm and four fractures in his right leg but his loved ones are fighting to bring him back home.
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Alex’s partner Helen Garrod, 31, said he had travel insurance but was devastated to learn it only covered motorbikes up to 125cc, not the 250cc he rented, according to CambridgeshireLive.
Helen, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, said: “He had been planning a life-time adventure trip. He was out there for three hours, it’s so devastating. He landed on Monday, picked up his bike and was on his way down the coast when a lorry or a van overtook on a blind corner and smashed into him.
“I rang his hostel and found out that he never arrived, which obviously made me really, really worried. When he was on the phone to me, he could barely speak. It was really slow, mixing up his words. That was a really horrible, heart-wrenching phone call to get.
“I know that it’s been his dream for such a long time to have such a big adventure and he’s such an outgoing, adventurous, can’t-sit-still type of guy. It makes me so sad that he’s planned this and hasn’t experienced it.”
Shocking photos showed the self-employed builder in a hospital bed in plaster and with metal pins screwed into his leg. The Brit has had an external fixator fitted on his leg and is due to have a skin and muscle graft.
Helen and Alex’s family have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to help cover the 33-year-old’s medical bills and travel back home – costs which could go up to £40,000.
The partner said: “He was under the impression that his insurance covered any activity and that being on a motorbike would be covered. He has a full motorbike license and has ridden for nine years so he’s a very sensible driver.
“He’s having to pay for everything. We don’t actually know a specific number yet but a medically staffed flight for him to come home is about £30,000 to £40,000 and that’s without all of his surgery.”
You can donate to Alex’s fundraiser here.
