Latest news with #holidayincident
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- Daily Mail
British mother, 52, 'is sexually assaulted in the air by parasail instructor' during holiday in Tunisia
A British mother says she was sexually assaulted while parasailing during a holiday in Tunisia. She claims a male instructor groped her and pressed his body against hers while they were strapped together in the air above the resort town of Sousse. In an interview, the woman, from Merseyside, described how the alleged ordeal left her feeling 'violated and dirty and scared'. She had booked a tandem parasailing flight with a friend, but the staff told them it was too windy for them to go up together. Instead, they would each fly with an operator. Her friend went first and had no issues. Watching from the beach, she noted that there was clearly a significant distance between her friend and the male guide. But she said her own flight was a completely different experience. 'I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled, and he was pulling the strap. He must have been tightening the harness to get me closer,' she told The Sun. 'His legs straddled around me, he had one hand up on the parachute, the other wasn't. Then I felt him touch my leg. 'He was groping me and moving back and forth into me and talking to me in Arabic. I felt him pressing against me. I kept arching my back. I felt violated and dirty and was scared. He was only a young lad, maybe around 20. 'It was a horrible experience and I was really scared. I felt helpless hanging in the air.' The woman says she burst into tears as soon as she landed and immediately reported the incident to the water sports centre's manager. She then went to the local police. The divorcee had booked the £6,000 easyJet package holiday with her children and was unable to enjoy the rest of the trip. She added: 'As women, you expect a bit of banter from men in these countries, but this wasn't banter, it was a sexual assault.' She says her alleged attacker has since been arrested, and her insurance company, as well as the Foreign Office, is helping her. EasyJet said 'the safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support' the woman. 'We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to look into the reports.'
The Sun
03-08-2025
- The Sun
I was sexually assaulted hundreds of feet in air while on paraglide ride during Tunisia holiday… I felt violated & dirty
A BRITISH holidaymaker claims she was sexually assaulted in the air by a paraglide operator. Mum-of-three Michelle Wilson, 52, says the man pressed himself against her and groped her during the thrill ride in Tunisia. 7 7 She said: 'I felt violated and dirty and was scared.' Michelle was taken on the flight with a young Tunisian operator strapped behind her. Footage shows him positioning himself so he was directly behind Michelle, who was wearing a bikini, and pressing up against her. Michelle, from Southport, Merseyside, said: 'I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled and he was pulling the strap. He must have been tightening the harness to get me closer. 'His legs straddled around me, he had one hand up on the parachute, the other wasn't. Then I felt him touch my leg. 'He was groping me and was moving back and forth into me and was talking to me in Arabic. I felt him pressing against me. 'I kept arching my back. I felt violated and dirty and was scared. He was only a young lad, maybe around 20. 'It was a horrible experience and I was really scared. I felt helpless hanging in the air.' She burst into tears when she landed and complained to the water sports centre's manager, then to the local police. Michelle paid £6,000 for the holiday in Sousse with her daughter, 17, her 16-year-old twin boys and her daughter's friend, also 17. Tunisia and the island of Djerba But she said she felt unable to enjoy the rest of her trip and 'didn't feel safe until I was at home'. She said: 'As women you expect a bit of banter from men in these countries, but this wasn't banter, it was a sexual assault.' Michelle believes her attacker has since been arrested. Her insurance company and the Foreign Office are assisting in the case. EasyJet said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support Ms Wilson. 'We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to look into the reports.' 7 7 7 7
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Holidaymaker flies home for emergency surgery after shark attack
A holidaymaker was forced to fly home to the for emergency surgery after she was bitten by a shark. Rachel Smith, 26, was paddling in hip-height water off Rose Hall beach, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, when the sea creature snapped at her left hand. She was terrified to see her ring finger was hanging off and blood was pouring from the wound. Sister Lisa Smith, 28, saw a metre-long shark darting away - and she led Rachel to safety while shouting out a warning to other holidaymakers enjoying a morning paddle. Pharmacologist Rachel was taken to hospital in an ambulance and medics said she needed plastic surgery. But with no surgeon available for two weeks, the pair cut their holiday short and flew to Cork, Ireland, where their parents live. READ MORE: Mike Tindall calls for help as he issue update on sad family health news READ MORE: Girl, 5, dies hours after being discharged from hospital with 'tonsillitis' Doctors confirmed the tendons and nerves in Rachel's ring and little fingers were ruptured, and the ligaments in her ring finger had been disconnected. She had emergency surgery and hopes to regain full movement in 18 months time. Lisa, a procurement specialist, and Rachel, both from Newham, London, said they have suffered with nightmares since the attack on May 8. Rachel said: "There was so much blood coming out I honestly thought I was going to die. 'I was in complete shock. My whole hand went numb so I thought my whole hand had been taken off. I feel grateful to be alive and so grateful to have my hand. I have a long road of recovery ahead but I have a positive attitude and I believe I will get through it.' Lisa added: "We were so terrified. I honestly thought her fingers were gone - there was blood everywhere. At one point a vein burst and sprayed blood all over both of us. We were just crying and thinking she was going to die." The close sisters holiday together each year and had arrived at the Hilton Rose hotel on May 5, intending to stay for two weeks. She was attacked around 10am, and say the shark knocked them both backwards after hitting them with its body. The sisters say the flag on the beach was raised indicating it was safe to swim and doctors confirmed the bite was likely to belong to a reef shark. The pair were initially taken to a private hospital where they were asked to pay $2,000 to have the wounds stitched and quoted $25,000 for further surgery. The transferred to a public hospital before heading home for surgery at Cork University Hospital. The sisters had to pay for ambulance and taxi travel to hospitals in Jamaica, and to get a 'fit to fly' certificate to come home - totalling nearly $500. Rachel said: "I really did think I would die. The private hospital were only concerned with getting the payment before stopping the bleeding." Lisa said Rachel was bitten inside an area cordoned off as safe to swim inside, near the beach, by a rope. "There were two young kids swimming by the rope, it's lucky it wasn't them," she said. "I'm just so glad and grateful that she's alive."
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Brit mauled in water by SHARK watched ‘blood pour everywhere' & thought she was going to die in horror holiday attack
A HOLIDAYMAKER was forced to fly home for emergency surgery after she was bitten by a shark. Rachel Smith, 26, was paddling in hip-height water off Rose Hall beach, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, when the sea creature snapped at her left hand. 8 8 She was terrified to see her ring finger was hanging off and blood was pouring from the wound. Sister Lisa Smith, 28, saw a metre-long shark darting away - and she led Rachel to safety while shouting out a warning to other holidaymakers enjoying a morning paddle. Pharmacologist Rachel was taken to hospital in an ambulance and medics said she needed plastic surgery. But with no surgeon available for two weeks, the pair cut their holiday short and flew to Cork, Ireland, where their parents live. Doctors confirmed the tendons and nerves in Rachel's ring and little fingers were ruptured, and the ligaments in her ring finger had been disconnected. She had emergency surgery and hopes to regain full movement in 18 months time. Lisa, a procurement specialist, and Rachel, both from Newham, London, said they have suffered with nightmares since the attack on May 8. Rachel said: 'There was so much blood coming out I honestly thought I was going to die. 'I was in complete shock. My whole hand went numb so I thought my whole hand had been taken off. 'I feel grateful to be alive and so grateful to have my hand. 'I have a long road of recovery ahead but I have a positive attitude and I believe I will get through it.' Lisa added: 'We were so terrified. 'I honestly thought her fingers were gone - there was blood everywhere. 'At one point a vein burst and sprayed blood all over both of us. 'We were just crying and thinking she was going to die.' The close sisters holiday together each year and had arrived at the Hilton Rose hotel on May 5, intending to stay for two weeks. She was attacked around 10am, and say the shark knocked them both backwards after hitting them with its body. The sisters say the flag on the beach was raised indicating it was safe to swim and doctors confirmed the bite was likely to belong to a reef shark. The pair were initially taken to a private hospital where they were asked to pay $2,000 to have the wounds stitched and quoted $25,000 for further surgery. The transferred to a public hospital before heading home for surgery at Cork University Hospital. The sisters had to pay for ambulance and taxi travel to hospitals in Jamaica, and to get a 'fit to fly' certificate to come home - totalling nearly $500. Rachel said: 'I really did think I would die. The private hospital were only concerned with getting the payment before stopping the bleeding.' Lisa said Rachel was bitten inside an area cordoned off as safe to swim inside, near the beach, by a rope. 'There were two young kids swimming by the rope, it's lucky it wasn't them,' she said. 'I'm just so glad and grateful that she's alive.' 8 8 8 8 8
