Thomas Cook is facing legal action from a woman who claims she was 'almost crushed to death' when an obese woman landed on her on a hotel waterslide.
Jemma Joslyn, 32, is taking action against the operator claiming there were no safety precautions in place at the hotel to monitor who was coming down the slide.
The mother-of-two has also accused Thomas Cook of providing 'appalling' aftercare.
Thomas Cook issued a short statement today saying: "Both our UK-based welfare team and our in-resort team have been in touch with Ms Joslyn on several occasions following this accident. We also arranged for her parents to fly to Turkey to be with their daughter."
A spokeswoman said a duty office arranged flights for the parents free of charge, plus transfers and for them to stay at the hotel where the children were staying.
She said she could not comment further as the case is with the legal team.
According to a report in the Daily Record, Jemma Joslyn was only 14 hours into her holidays at the Liberty Hotels Lykia in Olu Deniz, Turkey, when the incident happened.
She said she had just come down the slide when a women crashed into her, feet first, and was travelling 'around 30 miles per hour'.
Ms Joslyn, from Seaford in East Sussex, was rushed to the hospital with internal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, fluid on the right lung and five cracked ribs.
She had to spend £5,000 on 'lifesaving' surgery, which a friend helped pay for.
She also alleges that hotel staff did not check on who was looking after her children while she spent eight days in hospital, three of them in an intensive care unit.
"If it was left up to Thomas Cook I would be dead and my children would be in the Turkish care system somewhere," she told the newspaper
She still hasn't been able to return to work.
Magdalena Knez, travel litigation solicitor from Slater and Gordon, who is representing the case, said: "My client could have spent her life needing serious medical attention due to the fact that the swimming pool slide was not operated with the appropriate safety measures.
"At this point we are still unclear as to the extent of her injuries and the long term effect this will have on her health.
"Every British holiday maker has the right to be protected by their holiday provider who should provide adequate care while they are abroad."
Courtesy of Travelmole
Most of these hotel "water parks" have disclaimers - not sure how successful the claim will be. Its like the pools which rarely,if ever, have a lifeguard.
£5000, I wonder if she had travel insurance?
I read somewhere else that she had insurance but they wouldn't pay up because she was treated at a private hospital.
Thanks Judith. I always assumed that insurance meant private hospitals.
Generally , travel insurance will only cover private if there is no state provision - and they normally insist that you clear any potential treatment via a 24/7 "helpline". The problem with more serious issues ,is that the hotel/park management will normally have an arrangement with a private ambulance service who will whisk you off to a private clinic so you really need your wits about you:-?
That's terrible to be honest. Poor woman and surely the slides can only take a certain weight it could have been a child she hit into
Mari, the parks I've visited in the past always had someone at the top of the slide. You weren't allowed your turn until the slide exit was clear.
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