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A British holidaymaker was rushed to hospital in Cyprus after trying to jump into a swimming pool from his villa’s veranda, but crashed onto the pavement and was left fighting for his life
A British tourist was left fighting for his life after attempting to jump 300m into a swimming pool from a veranda in a rented villa in Cyprus, police revealed.
The 56-year-old holidaymaker, identified as Mark Stefan Palmer, was immediately rushed to hospital after sustaining severe head injuries when he crashed into the paving around the pool. Palmer had rented the plush villa in the popular resort area of Peyia with pals, who only moments earlier had also leapt from the veranda into the pool.
“It was at night and they were all inebriated after consuming large amounts of alcohol,” a police officer in Paphos told the Mirror. “They were on holiday and had rented the villa. We’re talking about a 300-metre jump, so quite clearly they got carried away. His friends were luckier. They didn’t miss the pool.”
The Brit’s shocked pals instantly called for help. On Tuesday, Mr Palmer, who was admitted into the intensive care ward of the general hospital in Paphos, the nearest resort town in the south of Cyprus, was described as being in “serious condition” although doctors said he had been stabilised.
“He suffered cranial fractures in the fall,” said the police officer who has been well briefed on the incident. “Very serious injuries that left him fighting for his life.”
It is unclear how long the Briton will stay in hospital. The Mirror was told he would likely remain under medical supervision for some time yet. “His condition, according to doctors, has been stabilised but he is being monitored very closely, day by day.”
Although the ex-colony has seen a drop in arrivals this summer with UK travellers turning their backs on the sunshine island, British tourists still flock to the destination in greater numbers than any other nation. Tourism sources in Nicosia, the Mediterranean island’s capital, said the incident had “really highlighted” the need for safety measures to be adopted in rented villas, including the installation of CCTV cameras.
Last week a British teenager was rushed to hospital after nearly drowning at a water park in Mallorca. The Spanish press said the incident happened in the Hidropark water park in Alcudia. Motorcyclists from the Civil Guard formed the convoy. Sources from the 061 emergency services reported that the incident occurred at around 4pm on September 16, when they received notice of a serious drowning in the water park.
An ambulance rushed to the scene and the medical team found that the patient was 15 years old and was in critical condition. After stabilising the patient, the medical vehicle began to transfer him to Son Espases Hospital.
Given the seriousness of the victim’s condition, the Civil Guard put in place a “green alert”, a special operation in which the different patrols cut off traffic at the main intersections through which the ambulance had to pass to allow them to pass freely. Island newspaper Cronica Balear says the 15-year-old is of British nationality.
Its report said: “The minor has been knocked unconscious when he went down one of the slides and hit his head.” And their report continued: “The boy, as a result of the crash, has been knocked unconscious, and once he has reached the pool, he has gone to the bottom of it.”
