A British holidaymaker was left in a coma and may be disabled for life after suffering horrific injuries when her dune buggy plunged off a cliff in Turkey.
Rebekka Kelly, 30, was left with a broken back, pelvis and permanent nerve damage after her holiday in the popular resort town of Antalya took a devasting turn.
The single mum-of-two holidayed with her eldest son Sonny, 10, when they took a two-hour safari buggy tour in the area through a TUI rep.
After a short, while it became apparent the dune buggy was too big for the small roads and Rebekka had trouble steering.
Before she knew it she was flung off the side of the 164ft cliff.
She was rushed to a private hospital in Turkey where she was treated for over three weeks, had two surgeries on her spine and had to have her lungs drained.
Rebekka has also fractured six of her vertebrates, fractured her pelvis, had internal bleeding and permanent nerve damage in her lower back.
The support worker is now being treated in a hospital in Liverpool, but there is a chance she could be permanently disabled due to her injuries.
Speaking from her hospital bed, Rebekka said: "I booked an excursion through TUI and it was a buggy safari. On the app, all of the pictures were on flat ground so I thought that's what it would be like.
"We then had to go round this track to make sure that we could control the vehicle and that we were confident in driving.
"We went round the track a few times and it was just a normal, flat ground and everything was fine.
"We started on the trail and started going up cliffs, which was a shock to me given how dangerous it was so soon after driving only on flat ground.
"When I was on the high ground my steering wheel wouldn’t turn and so me and Sonny went over the edge of a cliff."
Doctors have told Rebekka that she may be permanently disabled for the rest of her life, and may also develop arthritis.
She will also need around-the-clock care from her family and may have to live with her brother Rocky, as she can't do simple things such as walking and bending down.
With the help of an English medical expert coordinator, Havard Law and Rebekka’s brother they were able to get Rebekka home safely and into NHS Care.
TUI arranged flights for Ms Kelly’s brother to care for her son and bring him back to the UK, as well as refunded Ms Kelly for the cost of her holiday.
"With Rebekka now home, the legal case is now very much in progression and I must say that the issues, in this case, grow more concerning to me with each passing day," Mr McKeever said.
A TUI spokesperson said: "We’re really sorry to hear about Ms Kelly’s experience following her unfortunate accident in Turkey.
"Our resort team provided immediate support to Ms Kelly after the accident and our reps have been visiting her daily in hospital.
"We can confirm that following the accident, a full investigation of this excursion was conducted, and no faults were found with the equipment.
"We always encourage customers to check that they have adequate valid travel insurance to cover them for their entire holiday.
"Our teams will continue to support Ms Kelly as much as possible and we’ll be providing her with a contribution which can go towards her medical costs."
