Hull mum watches in horror as partner survives SEVEN-storey fall from Benidorm balcony
Zoe Irving has spoken exclusively to Viking about the terrifying ordeal. The family now need to raise £15,000 to help fly Neil Ellerington home.
A Hull woman whose partner fell from the SEVENTH floor of a Spanish hotel and miraculously survived - has spoken exclusively to Viking about the terrifying ordeal.
43-year-old Neil Ellerington was on holiday with his family when he went over the balcony of their Benidorm apartment and plummeted to the ground.
Zoe Irving from Longhill and her 10-year-old son watched as the incident took place.
He's still recovering in hospital but the family now need to raise £15,000 to pay for medical transport to help bring Neil home.
Speaking from his bedside in Spain, Zoe told us:
"I was absolutely terrified, I thought he was dead. I just couldn't believe what had happened. I ran to the middle of the balcony and as he fell off I went to grab his arm but it just slipped straight out of my hands and he fell all the way down.
"I thought he was dead and my 10-year-old son saw it too and we were both screaming and shouting. I ran downstairs to get help and told those at reception what had happened and for them to call an ambulance, which they had just done.
"Neil is a really strong person and it is horrible to see him like this, it is just devastating."
He only survived because he fell on some temporary plastic roofing and Zoe says he's incredibly lucky to be here:
"The impact of his head hitting the back and then his brain bouncing to the front and then boucning back into place means the bleed on the brain wasn't as bad as it could have been. The bleed is now under control so he is very, very lucky.
"A reporter from Benidorm contacted me and said in all of the years that they have worked out there, Neil is the only one to survive a balcony fall and this happens three to four times every year.
"Luckily he doesn't remember much about what has happened which is a good thing because it wasn't nice and I don't want to remember it but it's something I can't forget as I keep having flashbacks now.
"He has to come home from air ambulance, we can't get him home any other way as he has to medically be brought across. His mum and I are looking at raising the funds of between £13,000 to £15,000 to have him flown home.
"We are not sure about the hospital bill until he comes out.
"We will have to stay out here until we raise the money, they won't let him fly on a commercial flight as he has to be laid down and have a nurse with him. He just feels so isolated and wants to get back home."
A Gofundme page has now been set up. To support the cause - head below:
https://www.gofundme.com/2ap544k