A British couple’s dream vacation in Thailand was shattered when 23-year-old soldier Liam suffered life-threatening injuries after falling 30 feet from a waterfall he had discovered on TikTok. His partner, Lucy, held on to him for two agonising hours, preventing him from falling another 100 metres, until rescue teams arrived. The horrifying ordeal has left the couple facing an overwhelming financial burden, with medical bills surpassing £100,000 (approximately ₹1.13 crore), as reported by The Metro. In addition, the couple requires a costly medical evacuation back to the UK, but their travel insurance status remains uncertain.
A nightmare on the ledge
Describing the terrifying situation, Lucy told The Metro that after Liam had been taking photos at the waterfall, she realised he had been gone too long. "I was shouting and shouting for him when I spotted him on the rock ledge, passed out. I tried to climb down and reach him, but I couldn't, so I started screaming for help. In the end, a local Thai boy helped reach him."
What followed was nothing short of harrowing. "I had to hold him, so he wouldn't slip further down the waterfall, with my arms and legs wrapped around him, sitting in a pool of his blood," Lucy continued. "He had a bone sticking out of his leg; you could see his skull. It was absolutely horrific."
The medical aftermath
After being rushed to hospital, doctors discovered that Liam had suffered a fractured skull, a broken leg, and multiple facial fractures. However, his ordeal didn’t end there. He is currently unable to leave the hospital in Thailand without paying his medical bills. Lucy has set up a crowdfunding page to help cover the costs, as the couple’s savings are exhausted and their insurance status remains uncertain.
“This is our last option, as his bill is over £100,000, and he will need a medijet to get home,” Lucy said. “He cannot leave the hospital until this bill is paid, so please, please help me get my boyfriend home so he can get the surgeries he needs.”
Family desperately seeks gelp
Liam’s sister, Abbey McLeod, 26, also expressed the family’s distress. “We really appreciate any help from anyone. At the moment they are still going through processes with the insurance. He’s not allowed to leave the hospital until we’ve paid the medical bills, and then it’s arranging the medi-flight. But at the minute, we don’t have the funds.”
Abbey explained that the delay is causing the hospital costs to increase daily, making it even harder for them to move forward with Liam's care and return to the UK.
As per the outlet, the Foreign Office has confirmed that they are “aware of a British man who is hospitalised in Thailand and stand ready to provide assistance” as the couple navigates this life-altering crisis.
